Gorilla Trekking

Why trek with Gorillas?

Few wildlife encounters are as humbling and as moving as spending an hour in the company of these incredible primates in their natural habitat, observing the family groups and watching youngsters playing under the ever-watchful eye of the Silverback. Gorilla tracking permits are limited so we recommend booking as far in advance as possible to secure a space.

In Rwanda, gorilla treks take place in the forests of Volcanoes National Park, in the west of the country. Just across the border in Uganda, treks are conducted in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Treks vary in duration depending on the location of your allocated gorilla family. The terrain can be steep in places, especially in Uganda, and from personal experience we highly recommend hiring a porter who will not only carry your rucksack but will assist you on the trek. The guides are extremely informative and will give you detailed information on your gorilla family group as well as instructions on how to act when you reach them. Once you reach the gorillas, you’ll have an unforgettable hour which will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.

If an hour just doesn’t seem long enough, consider the gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. On this experience you will participate in the habituation of a gorilla family group, a process that trains the gorillas to continue with their day to day lives in the presence of humans. You will trek to the gorilla family and spend up to four hours with them, along with conservationists, researchers and rangers. This is a strenuous activity, a good level of physical fitness is required.

Gorilla treks take place year-round, though the best months are during the drier seasons of June to September and mid-December to February.