Mountain Gorillas: Where to See Them in Rwanda and Uganda

What the censuses show

The Virunga Massif count rose from 480 to 604 over five years, with the census published in 2018. The 2018 Bwindi-Sarambwe census added 459, bringing the total to 1,063. Censuses run every 5 to 10 years through the International Gorilla Conservation Programme.

The IUCN still lists the subspecies as endangered, so the work continues. But for a traveller the picture is simple. This is one of the few great ape populations whose numbers are going up, and every permit you buy funds that work.

Where the two populations live

One population lives in the Virunga Mountains, spread across Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in DR Congo. The other lives in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The two groups never meet, so they are managed as separate populations.

For your trek this means three practical gateways. Kigali serves Volcanoes in Rwanda. Entebbe and Kigali both serve Bwindi in Uganda, since Bwindi sits close to the Rwandan border.

Mgahinga, the smallest of the parks, shares the same volcanic range as Volcanoes.

Why counting matters to you

Permit numbers follow the gorilla numbers. Rwanda issues only 96 gorilla permits per day, eight per troop, according to Visit Rwanda. Fewer gorillas per park would mean fewer permits, so the growth you read about in the census is also why permits exist at all.

The practical comparison

Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park sits closest to an international airport, which is why a one-day trek from Kigali is possible. Uganda's Bwindi has the single biggest share of the world total. Border posts connect the two parks directly, so many travellers base in Kigali and trek in Uganda.

Our tour prices show the gap. A 12-hour day trip in Rwanda runs $342 per person plus the permit bought separately. Three-day Uganda treks here cost $1,860 to $2,600 per person.

Visas if you visit both

Irembo, the Rwanda visa portal, lists the East Africa Tourist Visa at $100, valid 3 months for Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. A single-entry V1 Holiday visa is $50 and a multiple-entry visa is $70. If you plan to cross the border for Uganda's parks, the East Africa Tourist Visa usually covers the whole trip.

The rules that keep visits safe

Rwanda's Development Board says expert guides give a pre-trek briefing on the protocols, and visitors must keep 7 metres, about 22 feet, from the gorillas. If a gorilla vocalizes at you, stand still, look away and follow your guide's directions. Viewing time is limited to one hour and each group takes a maximum of 8 visitors.

You must not visit if you are sick with a cold, flu or other contagious illness, since gorillas share much of our biology. Keep your voice low, avoid rapid movements, do not litter and do not spit in the park. The Gorilla Friendly Pledge asks visitors to wear a facemask at all times and leave no waste behind.

What actually happens on a trek

The common experience is watching a family feed, rest and play while a guide explains behaviour. Gorillas have 16 different types of call, so your guide may interpret vocalisations during the hour. If a gorilla charges or vocalizes at you, the drilled response is to stand still, look away and follow your guide.

A sick animal is a bigger risk to them than to you. That is why visitors with a cold or flu are turned away. It is extremely rare for visitors not to see gorillas on their trek, according to SafariBookings, and Rwanda even refunds 75 percent of the tracking fee if your group tracks all day without a contact.

Why the risk remains

Both populations are small and isolated from each other, which limits genetic exchange. About half of all mountain gorillas live in the forests of the Virunga mountains at elevations between 8,000 and 13,000 feet, a habitat with a fixed size. Groups of two to 40 animals, each led by a dominant silverback, need that forest to survive.

The funding model is part of the answer. Community-owned lodges such as Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge in Rwanda and Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge near Bwindi give people around the parks a stake in the gorillas' future.

The options side by side

The 1 Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Tour In The Volcanoes National Park by Universal Ventures costs $342 per person for 12 hours, rated 4.9 from 83 reviews, with the gorilla permit bought separately. In Uganda, the 3 Days gorilla trekking Safari tour in Uganda by Dav Safaris costs $2,600 per person, rated 5 from 236 reviews, with free cancellation 24h ahead. The 3 Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Pygmies Experience by Eco Adventure Safaris costs $1,860 per person and adds the Batwa community visit, with a full refund 6 days ahead, 50 percent between 2 and 6 days and no refund within 2 days.

The 4-Day Gorilla Trekking Tour in Rwanda & Uganda by Safari 2 Gorilla Tours Company Limited costs $2,500 per person and covers both countries with free cancellation 24h ahead.

Money for the border and the extras

If your tour crosses into Uganda, check the visa first. Irembo lists the East Africa Tourist Visa at $100 for 3 months covering Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, with a single-entry visa at $50. Add-on activities around Volcanoes are priced by the RDB portal, for example golden monkey tracking at $100 for foreigners and the Dian Fossey tomb hike at $75 for foreigners.

Permits sell out, and Rwanda allocates them first come first served, so reserve your tour and permit together early. Rwanda's advance booking rules let you pay 40 to 99 percent of the fee to hold a slot, with the balance due before 30 days to confirm.

Why feeding means walking

National Geographic describes troops occupying a home range of 0.75 to 16 square miles. Visit Rwanda says hikes in Volcanoes last anything from 30 minutes to four or more hours at altitudes of 2,500m to 4,000m, and a separate itinerary page puts tracking at between 90 minutes and the whole morning depending on the family assigned. Come prepared.

The Gorilla Friendly Pledge recommends hiking boots or sturdy shoes, waterproof clothing, long sleeves and gloves. Gumboots, raincoats and gloves can be hired at the park headquarters according to the RDB portal, and porters are available to carry backpacks and help on the route.

What you will notice on trek day

A big silverback is heavy. Males reach 120 to 191 kg and stand 1.61 to 1.71 m tall, while females weigh 70 to 98 kg. Newborns weigh about four pounds and ride on their mothers' backs from four months old for two to three years, so a family visit often includes young gorillas.

You share about 98 percent of your DNA with them, according to WWF. Gorillas can live over 40 years in the wild. A whole family shares its day in view of your group for just one hour, which is why guides keep the pace calm and the distance at 7 metres.

Where your money goes on our side

Rwanda raised its permit price from $750 to $1,500 in a 2017 RDB notice and doubled the community revenue share from 5 to 10 percent at the same time. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Ellen DeGeneres Campus, a $15 million project that opened in 2022 near Volcanoes National Park, welcomes visitors every day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a suggested $25 donation per adult for the self-guided tour. On the trek itself, following the rules is part of the help.

Keep 7 metres, wear a facemask, stay home if you are sick and carry out everything you carry in. The census growth you read about at the top of this page is the result of exactly this funding and discipline.

The timeline in Rwanda

Report to the Visitor Information centre and the briefing at the RDB offices in Kinigi at 7:00 AM on the trek day. Twelve gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park are open to tourists, each with at least one silverback, and 96 permits are issued daily. A day is just enough for a quick tour to see the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, which is what the 12-hour trip from Kigali is built on.

Stay near Musanze or Kinigi the night before, since the 07:00 start leaves no room for a long morning drive. Porters and hired gear are available at headquarters, and no fee for porters is printed on the official pages.