What is gorilla trekking?All You Need to Know about gorilla trekking 2026/2027

It is almost imposible to plan an African Safari without coming across the term Gorilla Trekking or Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Mountain gorillas are an endangered primate species endemic to the misty jungles of Africa in the countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trekking mountain gorillas is one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on earth, and a must-do for any primate lover. Although it is a popular African safari activity, gorilla trekking may not be known to some travelers, and they wonder, What is gorilla trekking? Gorilla trekking is a safari activity where tourists take a hike / walk through the jungle forests in an experience to search for mountain gorillas. Trekking is done in Africa’s forests of Bwindi and the Volcano ranges on foot and up close to nature.

A gorilla trek takes about 2-6 hours, and during this time, the trekkers move into the jungle searching for where the gorillas spent their previous night. Searching for where they spent their night is caused by the fact that gorillas make new nests every day and therefore sleep in different places each night. The trek is rewarding as you take a simple hike and also see other forest fauna and flora.

There is a little bit of hiking during the trek because you will have to walk mostly at an altitude of 2,607 meters above sea level.

How Gorilla trekking is done/What to expect on a gorilla trekking safari

If you are planning to go gorilla trekking, have your mind ready for an experience similar to this;

Before heading out to the jungle, expect to have a briefing session that starts at 8:00 a.m. both in Rwanda and Uganda’s national parks. Briefing starts at 8:00 a.m. local time, and at this time, you are briefed about the gorilla trekking etiquette be it for Uganda or Rwanda. During the briefing, the park rangers re-echo the guidelines on what you should and should not do in the jungle. Still, as you have your Uganda gorilla safari briefing, you are allocated a gorilla family to trek. Make sure to inform the rangers of your hiking ability such that you are allocated a family with whom you can trek.

After the briefing, you head out to the jungle to look for these amazing primates. The time spent trekking gorillas in the forests is unpredictable since they are wild animals and keep moving. The time you spend in the forest can be as little as 30 minutes or as much as 6 hours or more; it’s all about what Mother Nature decides to offer you. You will be accompanied by an armed ranger who will lead you to where the gorillas are and tell you much more information about the gorilla family you are trekking, as well as gorillas in general.

An Encounter with Gorillas

When you get to meet the gorillas, the excitement will be with a sigh of relief as your guide informs you to get ready to see the family and take pictures. A maximum of 1 hour is spent in the presence of the gorillas, as you have the opportunity to take all of those stunning, memorable pictures of finally coming face to face with the giant apes of the jungle. Make sure to take as many photos and record as many videos as you can, using a non-flash photography camera.

After spending your valuable 60 minutes with the gorillas, you are led by your ranger guide back to the park headquarters. The return is one with memories and not anxiousness as with the search. Arriving at the park headquarters, you are welcomed back and then given a Rwanda or Uganda gorilla trekking safari certificate which is recognition for a complete trek.

Plan your gorilla tour with acacia safaris and have such a memorable primate experience. We also customize gorilla trekking combined with other destinations like Tanzania safaris and Kenya wildlife tours.

What do you need in order to trek the mountain Gorillas? – Gorilla trekking Permit

To trek mountain gorillas in Africa, you need to purchase a gorilla trekking permit, a legal document that grants you access to gorilla trekking premises. Each Gorilla trekking countries issues gorilla trekking permits at different prices and numbers. Uganda offers the largest number of gorilla permits of all the gorilla trekking destinations. Unlike Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda has two gorilla trekking National Parks; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. There are about 21 habituated mountain gorilla families in Uganda, and about 152 gorilla permits available every day.

Rwanda, on the other hand, has about 10 habituated mountain gorilla families and about 80 gorilla permits available each day.

How much does a gorilla permit cost?

The cost of mountain gorilla permits varies between these countries but also differs for different travelers from the different regions of the world. If you are a foreign non-resident planning to trek gorillas in Uganda, you need US $800 to purchase a gorila trekking permit for a single trek. Foreign-residents can acquire the permit as USD$700, East African Citizens can acquire the permit at around UGX 300,000, and Residents of other African countries pay UD$ 500 for a gorilla permit in Uganda. The gorilla permits in Uganda are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)

In Rwanda, the gorilla trekking permit is issued by the Rwanda Development Board, an Authority Responsible for managing the gorilla habitat. The cost of a Gorilla Permit in Rwanda is US$1500 for a foreign non-resident traveling to Rwanda.