Timed entry or quotaAfricaYourself or an operatorCheck · Sep 2026
Gorilla trekking permits (Rwanda and Uganda)
A named daily permit to spend one hour with a habituated gorilla family, with strict group sizes.
The permit
- Who issues it
- Rwanda Development Board; Uganda Wildlife Authority
- How to get it
- Yourself or an operator. Book on the official booking systems or through a licensed operator, who can also handle transport and lodges.
- Lead time
- 2 months+ · 3–6 months ahead for June–September and December–February.
- Cost (check)
- Rwanda about US$1,500 per person; Uganda about US$800, with lower rates reported in the April, May and November low season (check).
- Documents
- Passport (numbers on the permit)
- Visa or East Africa Tourist Visa
- Health: stay home if you have a cold (you may be refused)
- If you skip it
- Permits are non-transferable and non-refundable; visitors who are ill can be refused entry to protect the gorillas.
- Official site
- Rwanda Development Board
Check before you pay
Fees, quotas and closed areas change, sometimes with days of notice. These figures were last checked in Sep 2026; confirm on the official site or with a licensed operator before you book flights.