Rwanda Gorilla Permits | Trekking Essentials

A Rwanda gorilla permit is the main requirement for anyone who wants to trek the endangered Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda issued by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
Gorilla trekking is Rwanda’s safari highlight and the main tourist attraction of visitors to Rwanda.

ACQUIRING A RWANDA GORILLA TREKKING PERMIT

There are 2 available options:

Online: Independent travelers can acquire the permit through the Irembo platform or Rwanda Government Board website.

Licensed tour operators: You can book through your choice of tour operator that is helping you plan and organize your Rwanda Safari

Note that only 96 gorilla permits are issued out on a particular day therefore, it is highly advisable to book for your gorilla trekking permit way in advance like month prior to your planned day of trekking the Mountain Gorillas.

Gorilla trekking takes place very early in the morning after a briefing session carried out at the 7:00 am at the headquarters of Volcanoes National Park after which 8 visitors are allocated to a specific gorilla family to track down.

RWANDA GORILLA TREKKING PERMIT FEES

CATEGORY ADULT
US $ STUDENT / CHILD
US $
Foreigner 1,500
Foreign Resident in Rwanda 500 500
Rwandan citizen 200 200
East African citizen 200 200
African citizen / Foreign Resident in Africa 500 500

Minimum age for Gorilla trekking visitors is 15 years

Fees are person per day

10% of the permit fees is injected into the development of the local communities that are around the Volcanoes national park.

The best time to trek Gorillas in Volcanoes national park is during the dry season. June to September and months of January and February. Planning to visit during these months, please book your permit like 3-6 months before your intended date of tracking the gorillas.

You can still take part in Gorilla trekking in the other months of the year. That is during the wet / rain season. But do note that the trekking trails can get slippery and muddy, therefore the hike can be strenuous. For the fit adventurous hikers looking for a challenge, you can book your trekking experience during the wet season. A bonus for the wet season is that there is a 30% discount on the Gorilla permit fee.

The gorilla families in Volcanoes national park include the Amahoro, Karisimbi, Susa, Hirwa, Agashya, Igisha, Bwenge, Sabyinyo, Kwitonda, Ugyenda, Muhoza and Umubano.