Rwanda Gorilla Permit booking information

Eight tracking permits are issued per troop per day, meaning the encounter is as intimate and as unobtrusive as possible. With only 96 permits available each day in Rwanda, it is highly recommended to book in advance with a reputable tour operator, Visitors gather at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters in Kinigi at 7 am and are allocated a family group on the day according to fitness levels, as well as being briefed on protocols and rules for visiting the gorillas.

Hikes up to their various locations can last anything from 30 minutes to four or more hours, reaching an altitude of between 2,500m and 4,000m. Porters are available to carry backpacks and cameras, as well as to offer a helping hand along the route.

Gorilla families available for trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park has an area size of 160 sq km and this comprises of montane forest, a bamboo zone, heath and moorland the mountain gorillas usually occupy the lowland forest and bamboo zone and some of the known gorilla families include Susa, Igisha, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Hirwa, Bwenge, Ugyenda and Muhoza.

Gorilla trekking Revenue to the community

10% of the revenue from the permits is channelled towards local communities, to build schools and health centres, as well as roads. There is a compensation fund for local farmers should any gorillas damage their crops, which helps to ensure peaceful co-existence.

Gorilla tracking also provides employment for many locals, from rangers and trackers to porters, drivers and staff at tourist lodges.

How to book Rwanda mountain gorilla permit?

It is important to note that mountain gorilla permits in Rwanda are sold by the government of Rwanda under the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and these permits are sold on a first come first serve, no tour operator has rights to sell permits, all we do is to help book the permits on before of our clients meaning we can not guarantee their availability during the period of making an inquiry.

Rwanda gorilla permit prices

• Foreign traveller permits cost $1500 per trek
• Foreign residents in Rwanda $500 per trek
• Rwandan citizens $200 per trek
  East African citizens $200 per trek
• Foreign residents in Africa $500 per trek

NOTE: in order to complete the permit booking process each traveller will be required to provide their identity for foreigners, passport details will be required and for Rwandan and East African citizens, a national identity card will be required and the same ID will be required during the day of trekking to verify the details of the permit, should the details differ with what was submitted then the travellers may be denied entry into the park.