The permit is the single biggest cost on most primate trips, and the part most people leave too late. Here is how it works in Uganda and Rwanda.
What a permit buys
A gorilla permit is a ticket for one person to join one trek, on one date, to one habituated gorilla family. Each family can be visited by a single group of up to eight people per day, which is why numbers are so limited.
Once you reach the family you spend one hour with them. The walk there can take anything from under an hour to most of the day.
Uganda or Rwanda?
Both countries protect mountain gorillas, and the experience in the forest is very similar. Uganda’s permits are noticeably cheaper than Rwanda’s, and Bwindi and Mgahinga have more families to choose from. Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is closer to the capital, which suits short trips.
Prices are set by the national park authorities and change from time to time. We always quote the current published rate and show it as its own line on your invoice.
When to book
For the drier months, June to September and December to February, book three to six months ahead. In the wetter months you can sometimes find permits at shorter notice, and the forest is quieter.
Permits are issued in the traveller’s name with a passport number, so we need those details to secure them.
Who can trek
Trekkers must be at least 15 years old. If you have a cold or other contagious illness on the day, the rangers can stop you trekking, because gorillas catch human diseases.
Written by the INUMA team in Kampala. Rules and prices change, so we confirm the details when you book.
