Gorilla trekking is one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences in the world, offering travelers a rare opportunity to encounter endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Found only in a few regions of East and Central Africa—mainly in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—these gentle giants share about 98% of their DNA with humans, making the experience both humbling and deeply moving. The activity involves guided hikes through dense rainforests, rugged hills, and mist-covered valleys, where trekkers follow trained rangers and trackers in search of habituated gorilla families. Once located, visitors are allowed a strictly regulated one-hour observation, during which they can watch gorillas feed, play, and interact within their family groups.
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Beyond being an adventure, gorilla trekking plays a vital role in conservation. Revenue from trekking permits supports national parks, pays ranger salaries, funds community projects, and most importantly, helps protect the survival of these endangered primates. For many travelers, the journey is not just a trek, but a life-changing encounter with one of the world’s most fascinating species.
The gorilla permit cost makes up most of the price for a gorilla tour, taking the lion’s share of the total journey’s cost. In Uganda, the permit is offered at a regular price of $800 per person for foreign non-residents, $700 for Foreign residents with a working permits, $500 for African Citizens and, 250.000 ugx for East Africans.
The Gorilla habituation Experience pass, which offers a more intuitive experience, costs $1,500 per foreign nonresident. Foreign residents pay $1,000, and EA nationals pay UGX750,000 per person per day. The experience allows a guest only 4 hours with the wild mountain gorilla family.
The gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500 per person per day for foreign Non-residents, $500 for Foreign residents and $200 for East African Residents, with discounts offered during some seasons. As a result, most travelers consider Rwanda a high-end luxury destination for gorilla trekking.
A gorilla permit to see mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda consumes the biggest chunk of the overall cost of a Gorilla trekking safari expense and should be your number one consideration when planning a gorilla safari. Gorilla permits must be booked in advance since they are given out on a first come first serve basis by Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda and Rwanda Development board in Rwanda.
We will take care of checking availability, reserving and booking it on your behalf.
When to book
If you want to do gorilla trekking experience in Uganda and Rwanda, it’s important to book your gorilla trekking tours or gorilla permits 3 to 6 months in advance to the actual date of gorilla trekking date. It is more demanding to book gorilla trekking permits especially in the high season months, so to avoid the last-minute disappointments it’s always important to book in advance to avoid last minute disappointments.
Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda and Uganda can be booked through various ways that is in Rwanda, permits can be booked directly with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) by contacting their offices in Kigali or through website. Alternatively, tourists can book permits through a licensed tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris, who will handle the booking process on their behalf. In Uganda, gorilla trekking permits can be booked through a licensed tour operator who is a member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) or the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to check availability of the permits and make the booking. Tourist can also book permits directly with UWA, or a but this requires providing personal details, such as names, nationality and passport numbers as well as paying the permit fee, which currently stands, 1500 USD per person per trek in Rwanda and 800 USD per person per trek in Uganda.
Gorilla permits terms and conditions
- Non-Refundable and Non-Transferable:
Once paid, gorilla permits are generally not refundable and are issued for a specific individual.
- Payment:
Full payment for the gorilla permit is required at the time of booking to secure the permit.
- Guaranteed Entry:
A valid permit grants you access to the park, but does not guarantee you will see gorillas.
- Date Specific:
The permit is valid for the exact trekking date; if you miss the trek, the permit is forfeited.
- Limited Rescheduling:
In some cases, you may be able to reschedule a trek to a future date, but this is subject to availability and typically requires a minimum notice period, such as 30 days.
