Guide to gorilla trekking in Rwanda 2025/2026.
A guide to Rwandan gorilla trekking in 2025/2026 An exciting and unique activity in Rwanda is gorilla trekking, when visitors enter the tropical rainforest to look for habituated mountain gorillas and spend an hour with them in their natural habitat. Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, situated in Musanze Village in the country’s northwest, is the site of gorilla trekking.
Golden monkeys, buffaloes, elephants, duikers, bushbucks, and other bird species can all be found in the national park. In addition to Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking is also conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kahuzi Biega National Park, Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and the Mghainga Gorilla National Park.
Rwandan gorilla hiking experience
Eleven habituated gorilla families—the Susa, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Karisimbi, Hirwa, Ugenda, Bwenge, and Titus gorilla families—call Volcanoes National Park home. In Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking begins very early in the morning with a training on the guidelines to be followed. After the briefing, you will begin trekking through the forest to find the mountain gorillas.
Depending on the gorillas’ location, this walk could take anywhere from two to six hours. This is because the gorillas tend to roam about in quest of food. You can see other primates, animals, and many bird species while walking. After the mountain gorillas are located, you can spend an hour with them in their habitat.
The price of Rwandan gorilla trekking permits
For all nations, a gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes National Park costs $1,500 USD per person. Additionally, Volcanoes National Park is offering cheap permits through December 31, 2023. For foreign residents, the promotional rates are $500 USD per person; for Africans, they are $500 USD per person; for East African citizens, they are $200 USD per person; and for nationals, they are $200 USD per person. The permit price will be 1,500 USD if the permit is acquired less than a month prior to the trekking date, and the promotional rates should be purchased one month before the trekking date.
How to reserve permits for gorilla trekking in Rwanda
In Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking permits can be reserved directly through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), which requires you to call or speak with park headquarters. You can also reserve gorilla trekking permits in Volcanoes National Park by contacting a reputable tour operator, such as Experiya Tour Company, and providing the date, month, and year you would want to trek.
After getting in touch with us, we will verify whether permits are available on the dates you have selected. If they are, you will be required to pay a deposit. As soon as we have the permit, we will buy the permits for you and confirm with a scanned copy of the receipt.
The ideal time to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking
The best time to go gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February. This is because the park receives less or no rainfall during this time, making it easier to access gorilla trekking trails. In contrast, the rainy season makes it more difficult to go gorilla trekking because the trails are muddy and slippery.
Accommodations in the National Park of Volcanoes
One and Only Gorillas Nest, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge, Wilderness Bisate, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Virunga Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Virunga Inn Resort and Spa, Gorilla Volcanoes Hotel, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, Gorilla Solution Lodge, Kinigi Guesthouse, and other lodging options are available in Volcanoes National Park, ranging from affordable to luxurious lodging options for your gorilla trekking safari.
What to bring to Volcanoes National Park for a gorilla trekking safari
Hiking shoes, long-sleeved shirts and trousers, insect repellent, a waterproof rain jacket, garden gloves, energy snacks and drinking water, a camera and extra batteries, a walking stick, a warm sweater, and a backpack are some of the things you should bring on your gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park.
