PLAN YOUR TREK · PERMITS & COST
What a gorilla trekking permit costs, what it includes, and how to budget for the whole trip.
Quick answer: a gorilla trekking permit costs US$800 per person in Uganda and US$1,500 per person in Rwanda for international visitors. A permit gives you one hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family.
Uganda (Uganda Wildlife Authority)
✓ Gorilla trekking, foreign non-residents: US$800
✓ Low season, April, May and November 2026 and 2027: US$600
✓ Foreign residents: US$700
✓ Gorilla Habituation Experience: US$1,500
Rwanda (Rwanda Development Board)
✓ Gorilla trekking, international visitors: US$1,500
✓ Foreign residents: US$500
✓ Golden monkey trekking: US$100
Permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and cost US$800 for foreign non-residents and US$700 for foreign residents. UWA offers discounted low-season permits of US$600 for treks in April, May and November in 2026 and 2027. Permits are sector-specific and must be booked through a licensed tour operator, which we handle for you.
Uganda also offers the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi, where you spend up to four hours with a family still being habituated. It costs US$1,500, rising to a reported US$1,800 from January 1, 2027.
Rwanda's permits for Volcanoes National Park cost US$1,500 per person and are issued by the Rwanda Development Board. The park has 12 habituated gorilla families, with eight visitors per family per day, so only 96 permits are available daily. Rwanda has offered discounted permits in the low season when you combine Volcanoes with Nyungwe or Akagera national parks; ask us what's available for your dates.
✓ Park entry for the day of your trek
✓ A ranger briefing, armed rangers and trackers
✓ One hour with a habituated gorilla family
A permit does not include transport to the park, accommodation, meals, porters or tips. Our tours bundle all of these with the permit so there are no surprises.
Our all-inclusive gorilla treks start from US$3,000 per person for 6 days in Uganda and US$5,400 per person for 5 luxury days in Rwanda, including permits, transport, guides, lodges and meals as listed. Allow extra for international flights, visas, travel insurance, a porter (about US$20 per day) and tips (typically US$120–250 per person for a week).
✓ Choose Uganda, where permits cost around half of Rwanda's
✓ Travel in Uganda's low season (April, May, November) for cheaper permits
✓ Travel with 4–6 people to share vehicle and guide costs
✓ Book early so you can choose more affordable lodges before they fill
Permits often sell out up to a year ahead, especially for July to September. We recommend booking 6–12 months before you travel. Once you confirm your trip, a deposit lets us secure your permits straight away.
1. Choose your dates and park. Tell us when you'd like to travel and whether you prefer Uganda or Rwanda, and we'll check live permit availability.
2. Confirm your trip. A deposit secures your place, and we buy your permits straight away, because the parks require full payment at the time of booking.
3. Send passport details. Permits are issued in each traveler's name.
4. Receive your confirmation. We send your permit confirmation and trek-day details before you travel.
5. Bring your passport on the day. Rangers check it against your permit at the morning briefing.
Permits are non-refundable once issued, so travel insurance with good cancellation cover is essential. Each permit is valid for one trek, on one date, in one park sector. You must be at least 15 years old, and rangers may not let you trek if you have a cold, flu or other contagious illness, because gorillas can catch human diseases. If your plans change, tell us as early as possible: date changes are at the park authority's discretion.
A standard gorilla trek in Uganda costs US$800 and gives you one hour with a fully habituated family, in a group of up to eight visitors. The Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi costs US$1,500 and gives you up to four hours, in a smaller group, with a family that researchers are still getting used to people. It suits keen photographers and anyone who wants longer to watch gorillas behave naturally.
Many travelers add other primates to their gorilla trek. Golden monkey trekking costs US$100 in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park and is also offered in Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. In Uganda, chimpanzee tracking costs US$250 in Kibale National Park, with a rise expected in 2027, and US$100 in Kyambura Gorge. Ask us for current prices when you book.
Permit fees pay for the rangers, trackers and vets who protect the gorillas every day. The Uganda Wildlife Authority also shares 20% of its park revenue with communities living around the parks, and US$10 from every Bwindi gorilla permit goes directly to neighboring communities. Rwanda shares part of its park revenue with communities too. Giving local people a stake in the gorillas' survival is one reason mountain gorilla numbers are rising.
✓ Best value: from US$3,000 per person for 6 days on our Gorillas Uganda trek, including gorilla and golden monkey permits
✓ Luxury: from US$5,400 per person for 5 days on our Gorillas Rwanda trek
✓ Gorillas and safari: from US$7,100 per person for 15 days on our Gorillas and Great Migration Package
On top of these, budget for international flights, the US$100 East Africa Tourist Visa, travel insurance, porters and tips.
No. Once issued, permits are non-refundable, so book with travel insurance that covers cancellation.
It's rarely possible. Permits sell out months ahead, especially from June to September, so secure them before you travel. In Uganda, permits are booked through a licensed tour operator, which we handle for you.
Park entry, the ranger briefing, armed rangers and trackers, and one hour with the gorillas. Transport, lodges, porters and tips are extra, which is why our tours bundle them in. See the best time for gorilla trekking to plan your dates.
Permit prices are set by UWA and RDB and can change. Correct as of October 2026.
Tell us your dates and we'll check permit availability for you.
Inquire now