Gorilla Trekking
"Some wildlife encounters are watched from a distance. This one happens face to face."
A morning trek through misted mountain rainforest to spend one quiet hour with a habituated family of mountain gorillas — one of the rarest wildlife encounters on Earth.
- Available in
- Uganda · Rwanda
- Best time
- Firmest trails: June – September and December – February · Lush, wet and quiet: March – May and October – November
- Type
- primate
One of Africa's most intimate wildlife encounters.
There is a moment, perhaps forty minutes into the hour, when the forest goes quiet and a silverback shifts his weight three metres away and looks straight through you. Nothing else in wildlife travel is quite like it.
Mountain gorillas live in only three places on earth: Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda, and the Virunga volcanoes shared by Rwanda and its neighbours. Each habituated family is visited by a maximum of eight people per day, for exactly one hour, accompanied by rangers and trackers who have followed that family since dawn.
The trek itself is the other half of the experience — steep, humid, often muddy montane rainforest at between two and three thousand metres, thick with birdsong. It can take forty minutes or it can take five hours, because the gorillas move where they wish.
Permits are limited, dated and non-transferable, and they are the reason the gorillas still exist: the fees fund rangers, veterinary care and the communities living alongside the forest. We secure permits first and build the rest of the journey around the date we are given.
Why Gorilla Trekking?
A rare wildlife encounter
One hour in the company of a habituated mountain gorilla family — a genuinely rare privilege.
Small trekking groups
A maximum of eight visitors per family per day, guided by park rangers and trackers.
Ancient rainforest
The trek itself passes through some of the oldest and most biodiverse forest in Africa.
Direct conservation impact
Permit fees fund park protection, ranger salaries and gorilla healthcare programmes.
Where to experience Gorilla Trekking.
Uganda
Explore Uganda →Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
One hour with a mountain gorilla family.
A dense, ancient montane rainforest in south-western Uganda holding roughly half the world's mountain gorillas, across four separate trekking sectors.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Three volcanoes, one gorilla family.
Uganda's smallest national park, in the Virunga volcanoes — one habituated gorilla family, golden monkey tracking, volcano climbs and Batwa cultural trails.
Rwanda
Explore Rwanda →
When to experience it.
Trekking is possible year-round; the drier months (June–September and December–February) generally offer firmer trails and lighter forest cover.
Short dry season — firmer trails and lighter forest cover.
Still relatively dry; excellent trekking conditions.
Long rains begin — greener forest, muddier trails.
Long rains; wetter and quieter in the parks.
Rains taper; some low-season permit availability.
Long dry season begins — the classic gorilla trekking window opens.
Peak dry season; firmest trails of the year.
Peak season — permits book far in advance.
Dry, cool and reliable for trekking.
Short rains begin later in the month.
Short rains; lush forest, softer trails.
Short dry season returns — good trekking conditions.
What to expect.
The trek
You depart the park headquarters after a briefing, hiking with a ranger and porter through steep, forested terrain. Treks vary from one to six hours depending on where the family has moved overnight.
The encounter
Once you reach the family, you spend exactly one hour in their presence — kneeling, sitting or standing at a respectful distance while they feed, groom and rest.
Fitness
A reasonable level of walking fitness is important. Trails are uneven, often muddy, and at altitude (2,000–3,000m). Porters are available to help carry bags and assist on steeper sections.
Permits
Every trek requires a permit, arranged in advance through the park authorities. Permit availability is limited daily and should be secured well ahead of travel.
What to wear
Long trousers, long sleeves, sturdy waterproof hiking boots, gaiters, a light rain shell and gardening-style gloves for pushing through vegetation.
Conservation etiquette.
Mountain gorillas share around 98% of our DNA, which makes them highly susceptible to human illness. Everyone treks with a face covering, and anyone with cold or flu symptoms on the day is asked to stand down.
Groups keep a minimum recommended distance, avoid direct eye contact and follow every instruction from the ranger. Flash photography is not permitted.
Uganda or Rwanda?
Wilder forest, more gorilla families, longer treks on average and a slightly lower permit tariff. Best combined with chimpanzee trekking in Kibale.
Shorter drive from Kigali, refined lodges and a higher permit tariff — Rwanda's flagship conservation experience.
Journeys featuring Gorilla Trekking.
Gorilla Trekking in pictures.
Planning this experience.
- Age minimum
- 15 years (both Uganda and Rwanda).
- Trek duration
- 1 – 6 hours of hiking, plus one hour with the family.
- Altitude
- Trailheads sit between 2,000m and 3,000m; treks can climb higher.
- Group size
- Maximum eight trekkers per gorilla family, per day.
- Best paired with
- Chimpanzee trekking, savannah safari, Lake Kivu or a Serengeti extension.
Explore more experiences.
Chimpanzee Trekking
Follow the noise.
Tracking habituated chimpanzee communities in Kibale, Nyungwe, Gombe and Mahale — faster, louder and more chaotic than a gorilla trek, and utterly absorbing.
Hiking & Trekking
On foot, at last.
Day hikes and multi-day walks away from the vehicle — crater rims, forest waterfalls, Rift Valley escarpments, the Usambara Mountains and guided walking safaris with an armed ranger.
Wildlife Safaris
The reason you came.
Private, guided game viewing across the great ecosystems of East Africa — the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, the Maasai Mara and beyond — with your own vehicle and guide on tailor-made journeys, and shared departures only where specifically stated.
Frequently asked.
How difficult is a gorilla trek?＋
Moderate to challenging. Trails are steep, muddy and at altitude, but pace is set by the group and porters help with bags and steeper sections. A basic level of hill-walking fitness is important.
How far in advance should I book permits?＋
Permits are limited and issued per gorilla family per day. For peak dry-season travel (June–September, December–February) we recommend confirming permits at least 6–9 months ahead.
Is gorilla trekking guaranteed?＋
Trackers follow each habituated family from dawn, so sightings are consistent — but this is wild rainforest and no wildlife encounter can ever be promised.
Can I combine gorilla trekking with a safari?＋
Yes — this is one of our most requested pairings. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda combines beautifully with a Serengeti or Maasai Mara safari.
Build this experience into your journey.
Tell us what draws you to gorilla trekking and we'll design a private journey around your dates, pace and interests.