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 official public permit anchors are $800 in Uganda and $1,500 in Rwanda; Virunga should be checked directly before planning because access, security, and pricing signals can change. For most travelers, Uganda is the value choice, Rwanda is the convenience choice, and DR Congo is the specialist-risk 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
Specialist Virunga option only if current access, security, and operator logistics support it.
verify directly before planning
Planning guides
Continue from the guide that matches the route
These are the highest-signal route, park, timing, and entry checks to open once the Uganda or Rwanda direction is becoming clear.
Rwanda gorilla permit guide
Use this before pricing Volcanoes permits, discount rules, or premium Rwanda dates.
Queen Elizabeth National Park guide
Check Ishasha, Kazinga, and Bwindi route fit before adding Uganda safari nights.
Akagera National Park guide
Use this when Akagera is the Rwanda safari block beside Volcanoes gorilla trekking.
Best time to visit East Africa
Compare dry seasons, rainy windows, safari conditions, and gorilla trekking friction.
Uganda chimpanzee and gorilla itinerary
Use this when Kibale chimpanzees and Bwindi gorillas are both part of the plan.
Rwanda gorilla trek itinerary
Use this for a short Kigali and Volcanoes route built around one protected gorilla day.
Gorilla trekking from Kigali
Compare Rwanda simplicity with Uganda permit value when Kigali is the starting point.
Uganda visa requirements
Check e-visa timing, tourist category, approval validity, and East Africa Tourist Visa fit.
Rwanda visa requirements
Check visitor entry, Irembo, visa-on-arrival, passport validity, and multi-country logic.
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.
Current operator handoff
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.
Request a route and quote