Volcanoes National Park
Exploring your destinations
Gorilla Trekking
Uganda and Rwanda
Mountain gorillas live in only three countries, and two of them are within easy reach of Nairobi. A trek puts you on foot in thick forest with a habituated family for an hour, at close range, with no vehicle between you and them.
It is the one activity we arrange that people talk about for years afterwards.
Plan My SafariWhat a Trek Involves
You start early at a park briefing, where groups are assigned to a particular gorilla family. Trackers have usually been out since first light locating the group, so guides know roughly where you are heading.
The walk itself can take anywhere from around an hour to most of a day, depending on where the family has moved overnight. The terrain is steep, often wet and frequently without a path, as guides cut through vegetation as they go.
When you reach the family, you have one hour with them. Park rules on distance, masks and behaviour are set by the guides and exist to protect gorillas from human illness.
A longer habituation experience is available in parts of Uganda for travellers who want more time with a group that is still becoming used to people.
Who It Suits
This is the most physically demanding activity we arrange. You do not need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable walking uphill for a couple of hours on uneven ground, possibly in rain.
The minimum age is 15 in Uganda and Rwanda.
If mobility is a concern, tell us at the enquiry stage. Allocations closer to the trailhead can be requested, although the final decision rests with park authorities. Porters are available and strongly recommended, and hiring one puts money directly into communities around the park.
Uganda or Rwanda?
Both offer the same animal and a similar encounter. The practical differences are what usually decide it.
Rwanda is faster to reach. Volcanoes National Park is under three hours by road from Kigali, with no domestic flight to arrange. Three to four days is enough for the whole trip, which is why it works well as an addition to a Kenya safari.
Uganda takes longer to reach and offers more alongside gorillas: chimpanzees in Kibale, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls. Bwindi is reached by flight or a long drive from Entebbe, so we would allow four to five days.
If time is short, Rwanda usually makes more sense. If you want a fuller trip around the trek, Uganda often does.
Permits
Permits are limited, dated and issued in your name. Numbers are capped each day, and the peak months sell out well in advance.
For travel between June and September, or over December, we would want to secure permits several months ahead. Permits require full payment when booked and are tied to a specific date and trekking area. Any request to change a permit depends on the issuing authority's current rules, availability and the conditions attached to that permit.
Rwanda offers reduced rates to eligible East African Community citizens and qualifying African residents. Documentation is checked, so bring it.
We confirm current rates, conditions and availability when preparing your quote.
When to Go
Trekking runs year-round, and trackers locate the families each morning regardless of weather.
The drier months, roughly June to September and December to February, make walking easier underfoot. The wetter months are harder going but quieter, and the forest is at its most striking.
Both parks are rainforest at altitude. Rain is possible in any month, and mornings are cold.
What to Bring
A waterproof jacket, long trousers, gloves for gripping vegetation, boots with ankle support and proper grip, and a dry bag for your camera. Gaiters are worth having.
We send a full packing list once your trip is confirmed.
Safaris
Gorilla Trekking we plan
Plan a Gorilla Trek
Tell us your travel window
Permits are the constraint, not the itinerary. The earlier we know when you can travel, the better your options.