Plan your gorilla trek in East Africa
Compare gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. Permits, routes, seasons, and planning advice checked against current official sources.
Gorilla trekking at a glance
Mountain gorilla trekking is possible in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. Current headline permits are $800 in Uganda, $1,500 in Rwanda, and $400 in DR Congo. For most travelers, Uganda is the value choice, Rwanda is the convenience choice, and DR Congo is the riskier budget option. Treks usually take 1–6 hours depending on where the assigned gorilla family is, and visits are capped at 8 travelers for 1 hour once contact is made. The easiest trekking months are usually June–September and December–February, but tracking runs year-round.
Uganda
Best value for most travelers. Permits start at $800, and Uganda usually gives you the strongest gorilla-plus-chimp-plus-safari route.
standard FNR permit
Rwanda
Best for fast access and polished logistics. Volcanoes National Park is the premium option and is easy to reach from Kigali.
standard public permit
DR Congo
Lowest headline permit price at Virunga, but only worth considering if current security conditions support it.
per permit
Why use Gorilla Planner?
We are not selling tours. We help you compare routes, sense-check pricing, and work out which trip actually fits your time, budget, and priorities.
Unbiased comparisons
Straight comparisons built from official pricing, park rules, and real routing tradeoffs.
Verified pricing
We check permit prices and rules against current Uganda Wildlife Authority and Visit Rwanda sources.
Vetted operators
When you want to move from research to booking, we route enquiries through Adroa Travels first and only widen the match if the brief calls for it.
Ready to turn research into a workable route?
Use the quote form once your likely country, rough dates, and route direction are mostly clear. That is when operator help starts reducing noise instead of creating it.
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