The standard gorilla trekking permit at Volcanoes
National Park costs $1,500 per person and admits one person to a gorilla family for one hour. A maximum of
eight people are permitted per gorilla group per day — which is why, when you book a private gorilla
trek for your group of four, you are in the forest with three other parties you have never met unless you hold
the right permit.
The standard permit is the entry point. It is also, for
the right kind of traveller on the right kind of itinerary, entirely sufficient — the encounter itself,
the hour with the family, is identical regardless of tier. What changes at the higher tiers is privacy, timing
flexibility, and access around the edges of the experience.
We arrange standard gorilla trekking permits as part of
private Rwanda itineraries — the permit is one element of a wider journey rather than a standalone
transaction. Our guides and transport are private regardless of which permit tier you choose.
PRICE$1,500 per person (Foreign Non-Resident rate)
Guests check in at Kinigi Park Headquarters at 07h00 for registration
and a briefing, where rangers report each gorilla family’s overnight location by radio. Groups are matched to
families by fitness level, and a short cultural performance often fills the final minutes before departure.
The walk in ranges from thirty minutes to four hours depending on how far the family ranged overnight —
once found, you get a full hour at close range before walking back out.
How Rwanda’s Permit System Works
Every mountain gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda is
issued by the Rwanda Development Board, the government body responsible for tourism and conservation. RDB
caps the number of permits at 96 per day — eight trekkers per habituated gorilla family, across 12
families currently open for trekking at Volcanoes National Park. This cap exists specifically to limit human
contact with each family to protect their health and natural behaviour, since mountain gorillas are
susceptible to human respiratory illnesses and other diseases.
Because the number of daily permits is fixed and cannot
be increased, demand regularly exceeds supply in peak months, which is the entire reason advance booking
matters here in a way it doesn’t for most wildlife activities. Every dollar of the permit fee also
funds the conservation programme directly — ranger salaries, veterinary care through the Gorilla
Doctors programme, anti-poaching patrols, and a genocide-recovery-era commitment to returning a share of
tourism revenue to communities bordering the park.
COMPARE TIERS
Standard Permit vs. Exclusive Experience vs. Behind the Scene
01
Standard Permit — $1,500pp
Shared group of up to 8 trekkers per family, RDB-assigned, one hour with the gorillas. The core
experience at the accessible price point.
02
Exclusive Experience — $15,000/group
Your party alone with the family — no other trekkers assigned that day — plus flexible
08h00–11h00 start times and family selection by request.
03
Behind the Scene — $15,000, 3 days
Everything in the Exclusive Experience plus multi-day access to conservation operations —
anti-poaching briefings, Gorilla Doctors veterinary work, and researcher time.
What’s Included & What Isn’t
The $1,500 permit fee itself covers park entry, ranger and
tracker guiding, and the one hour with your assigned gorilla family. It does not include a porter (roughly
$15–20, paid directly and strongly recommended — the fee supports the local community as much as
it supports you), transport to and from Kinigi Park Headquarters, your lodge, meals, or trip insurance. We
build all of these into your private itinerary quote so there are no surprise costs on trekking morning.
INCLUDEDPark entry, ranger/tracker team, 1 hour with the family
NOT INCLUDEDPorter fee, transport, accommodation, meals, insurance
BOOKING METHODThrough IREMBO (RDB’s official portal) or a licensed operator
PAYMENTNon-refundable deposit to confirm, balance on arrival
BOOKING & RULES
Booking, Rescheduling & Cancellation
Permits are booked well in advance — six months is
a sensible minimum for peak season (June–September, December–February), and popular dates can
sell out even further ahead given the fixed daily cap of 96 permits across Rwanda’s 12 gorilla
families. Passport details for every trekker are required at booking, since permits are issued in each
guest’s name and checked at Kinigi Park Headquarters on the morning of the trek.
RDB permits are generally non-refundable once purchased,
though rescheduling to a different date within the same booking window is sometimes possible with sufficient
notice and is handled case-by-case through the issuing operator. We recommend comprehensive travel insurance
that specifically covers high-altitude trekking and non-refundable permit costs.
Fitness & What to Bring
No formal fitness certification is required, but the
standard permit assumes you can walk continuously on steep, sometimes muddy volcanic terrain at
2,400–3,000m altitude for one to four hours each way. Porters are available at the trailhead and
meaningfully lower the physical demands for less experienced hikers.
Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, broken in before your trip
A rain jacket, even in the dry season
Long sleeves and trousers, plus gardening-style gloves for nettles
Warm layers — mornings at Kinigi are cold regardless of season
A daypack you’re comfortable handing to a porter if you hire one
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the standard permit enough, or should I upgrade to the
Exclusive Experience?
The hour with the gorillas is identical at every tier — what the Exclusive Experience and Behind the
Scene Package add is privacy (no other trekkers assigned to your family), flexible start times, and, at the
top tier, access to the conservation side of the park. For most travellers, the standard permit is genuinely
sufficient. See our Exclusive Mountain Gorilla
Experience page if privacy is a priority for you.
Can I choose which gorilla family I trek?
Not with the standard permit — RDB assigns families each morning based on trekker fitness and group
composition. Family selection by request is a feature of the Exclusive Experience specifically.
What if I can’t complete the trek once
it starts?
Rangers can arrange for a guest to turn back partway if needed, though the permit fee is not refunded in
that case. Porters and a flexible pace with your ranger team are the best way to avoid this situation
entirely.
Do children need their own permit?
The minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15, with no exceptions, in line with RDB policy — there is no
reduced-price youth permit below that age since children under 15 simply cannot participate.
Why does the low season permit cost less?
RDB offers a 30% discount — $1,050 instead of $1,500 — for travel between November and May,
conditional on your itinerary including at least 3 days / 2 nights at Akagera and/or Nyungwe National Park.
The gorillas and the trekking experience itself are identical; the discount exists to spread demand more
evenly across the calendar year.
What happens if I get sick the morning of my
trek?
Anyone showing symptoms of illness, particularly respiratory symptoms, will not be permitted to trek —
this is a strict rule to protect the gorillas, who share close genetic similarity with humans and are
vulnerable to our diseases. This is precisely why comprehensive travel insurance with cancel-for-any-reason
or medical cover is worth having in place before you travel.
Can I take photos and video during the trek?
Personal, non-commercial photography is covered under the standard permit with no extra fee. Flash
photography is prohibited at all times to avoid startling the gorillas. Commercial photography or filming
requires a separate RDB filming permit — see our
Photography & Film Permits page.
A FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT
What a Standard Trekking Day Actually Feels Like
The 7am briefing at park headquarters is where the day
genuinely begins — rangers assign your group of up to eight to a specific gorilla family based on
fitness and preference, coffee and traditional dance performances filling the wait. The walk in varies wildly
by family: some mornings it’s forty-five minutes of gentle forest trail, others it’s three hours of steep,
muddy scrambling with a porter’s steadying hand genuinely earning their tip. Then, almost without warning, a
tracker’s radio call and the forest ahead rustles — and there they are.
The permitted hour with the gorillas moves strangely
— both instant and complete. A silverback shifts his weight and the whole group tenses briefly; juveniles
tumble past each other a few metres away; a mother grooms an infant, utterly unconcerned by eight strangers
with cameras. Then a ranger’s quiet word that time is up, and the walk back out, usually quieter than the walk
in, everyone processing what just happened. First-time trekkers consistently tell us the hour feels both far
too short and, somehow, entirely enough.
About Your Guide
Every trek is led by a ranger guide licensed by the
relevant national wildlife authority, with years of specific experience tracking that park’s habituated
families. Beyond navigation, your guide interprets gorilla behaviour in real time — explaining a
silverback’s posture, a juvenile’s play, or why the group is repositioning — turning the hour from simple
observation into genuine understanding.
Fitness and Terrain, Honestly
Terrain difficulty depends entirely on which family you’re
assigned and where they’ve moved that morning — anywhere from a gentle valley walk to a genuinely
strenuous multi-hour climb through dense, muddy vegetation. We recommend moderate fitness as a baseline, and
always ask about your fitness level when booking so we can specifically request an easier family assignment
where possible — something park rangers are generally accommodating about.
TRUST AND LICENSING
Booking Through Official Channels
Every permit we arrange is booked directly through the
relevant national wildlife authority, never through unofficial resellers or third-party marketplaces that can
leave you without a valid permit on trekking day. We’re glad to share references from previous travellers and
to walk through our insurance coverage and safety protocols before any deposit is due.
Health Preparations Before You Go
Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for
travellers arriving from at-risk countries, and a travel health consultation four to six weeks ahead is worth
scheduling given the altitude and physical demands of trekking. Comprehensive travel insurance covering
high-altitude trekking is essential, and typically required by lodges as a condition of your stay.
More Questions From Past Travellers
What happens if it rains on trekking day?
Trekking proceeds regardless of weather — this is rainforest, and rain is a normal part of the
experience. A good rain jacket and waterproof boots matter more than checking the forecast.
Can children join a standard trek?
Gorilla trekking has a strict minimum age of 15, set by the national wildlife authority and applied without
exception, regardless of a child’s fitness or maturity.
What if we don’t find the gorillas within the
time limit?
This is genuinely rare given trackers’ advance monitoring, but treks are not capped at a fixed duration for
the search itself — only the observation hour once found is time-limited.
Currency, Tipping, and Practical Money Matters
US dollars printed 2009 or later are widely accepted for
tipping and incidentals. Typical guidance is $15–20 for your guide and $10–15 for a porter per trek
— porters are local community members and hiring one, even if you feel fit enough to skip it, is a
meaningful way to support the park’s neighbouring communities directly.
A NOTE FROM OUR GROUND TEAM
Why the Standard Permit Remains Our Most-Booked Product
Our team books more standard permits than any other
gorilla product, and for good reason — the fundamental encounter it delivers is genuinely
once-in-a-lifetime regardless of price tier. We recommend it as the default choice for first-time trekkers,
reserving the premium products for repeat visitors or those with a specific reason — extended
photography time, complete privacy — to want more.
Photography on a Standard Trek
Forest light stays low and green-tinted, so a fast lens
and comfort shooting at higher ISO matter more than raw zoom range. With only an hour and a shared group, having
your settings ready before the gorillas are found — rather than fumbling with a menu in the moment
— makes a real difference. Flash photography is strictly prohibited throughout.
What to Bring
Waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support, broken in before your trip
A rain jacket — this is rainforest year-round, regardless of season
Long sleeves, trousers, and gardening-style gloves for nettles and undergrowth
Water and light snacks for the walk in and out
Comprehensive travel insurance covering high-altitude trekking and non-refundable permit costs
