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Gorilla trekking is one of the most popular tours in Africa. The gorilla trek gives tourists a once in a lifetime chance to see the gorillas in their habitat.

Rwanda has been the most popular destination for the gorilla trekking tours. The other destinations where gorilla trekking is done are Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These three countries are the only places where mountain gorillas are found in the whole world.

Of the three countries, the gorilla trek in Rwanda is the most expensive with a gorilla trekking permit ticket costing $1500 (one thousand five hundred US dollars or fifteen hundred dollars). Tourists are always surprised by the expensive permit and the next question asked is why the permit costs so much?

Below I explain why the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit costs 1500 and why it is a worthy price

More funds to the community

As a policy in Rwanda, 10% off each gorilla permit sold is channeled directly back into the communities around Volcanoes National Park where the gorillas live. This money is used in developing the communities through construction of schools and hospital, improving infrastructure, financing income generating activities, etc… Therefore, the higher the cost of the permit the more money goes to the community.

When the communities see the direct benefits from the gorillas, they appreciate their existence and participate in protecting them and their habitat instead of poaching as previously was the case.

More funds for gorilla conservation activities

The high cost of the gorilla permit means more funds are being generated for the conservation activities toward the protection of the gorillas and their habitat. A few decades ago, the mountain gorillas were critically endangered and were on the verge of extinction. By then less than 800 gorillas were left. But with the introduction of gorilla tourism which raised awareness about the mountain gorillas and generated funds the trend was reversed and currently there are more than 1000 mountain gorillas.

With the gorilla population on a steady increase, the gorillas will need more space. Rwanda is therefore taking a very ambitious project to expand the boundaries of the park to accommodate more gorillas. Therefore, the high cost of gorilla tracking in Rwanda will help expand the home of the gorillas.

Rwanda targeting fewer tourists to protect the habitat of the gorillas

Still on the side of conservation, the high cost of the gorilla trek will limit the number of tourists tracking the gorillas, thereby protecting the gorilla habitat from mass tourism.

Making the Rwanda gorilla trek a more exclusive experience

The high cost of the Rwanda gorilla permit means tourist are fewer per gorilla family. This makes the experience more exclusive and more enjoyable for tourist. This is in contrast to the cheaper gorilla destinations where the gorilla groups are full and tourists jostle to see the gorillas.

Making Rwanda a high-end destination

The high cost of the gorilla tracking permit is in line with government ambition of turning Rwanda into a high end destination.

To participate in the gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda you require a gorilla tracking permit, or call it a ticket or pass. The gorilla permit or ticket or pass is the most important item of your gorilla tour in Rwanda because without it you cannot visit the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.

Cost of the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit ticket in 2024

Below are rates for 2023

 

Category	Price (USD)
International tourists	1500
Foreign residents in East Africa	500
African citizens	500
Foreign residents in Africa	500
Rwandan Citizens	200
East Africa Community (EAC) citizens	200

Note the following:

Foreign Residents in Rwanda, East Africa Community (Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo), and African countries must have a minimum of four consecutive months’ residency status / work permit in their passport or diplomatic card to qualify for the foreign resident offer.

East African residents/citizens need to provide EAC ID Cards or Passports

From the month of June to September, Rwanda citizens, East African citizens, and African citizens, have to purchase the promotional permits not less than a month to the trekking date otherwise the full fee of $1500 shall apply.

Why is the Rwanda gorilla permit so expensive?

The expensive Rwanda gorilla permit pass means more revenue going into the community as 10% off each permit is channeled towards direct developments in the communities neighboring the gorillas. Schools, hospitals, and income generating projects, have been set up from this revenue. In the process, after seeing the direct benefits from the gorillas the local communities happily protect the park and the gorillas which they would previously poach.

Also, the expensive permit has increased revenue toward conservation efforts for the gorillas and the park. Already there is an ambitious project to expand the boundaries of the park, as the conservation efforts are paying off and gorilla population increasing the park is becoming smaller…

How to buy/book the gorilla permit in Rwanda

You buy/book a gorilla permit through a local tour operator in Rwanda. You can send us an email to help you buy your gorilla permit ticket (info@eastafricantrails.com)

When can I buy the Rwanda gorilla permit?

As only 8 people can track a habituated gorilla permit per day, and there are 12 habituated gorilla families in Rwanda, hence a maximum of 96 permits are issued per day, you need to book your permit well in advance. Months of June, July, August and September are high tourism season and permits sell out well in advance so you need to book several months before.

Can I get a refund after purchasing the gorilla permit but I am unable to travel to Rwanda for the gorilla trek?

No refund is given for cancellation of the trip for any reason

Can I change dates after purchasing the gorilla tracking permit?

Yes, a gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be rescheduled after purchasing it, but at a cost of 30% of the price of the gorilla permit.

Can I be refunded if I miss the gorillas during the trek?

Yes, tourists who track the gorillas and fail to see them will be refunded 75% of the gorilla tracking fee.

However, there are very few chances of missing the gorillas.

The gorilla trek in Rwanda costs US$ 1500 for one permit which allows you one hour with a family of mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. On the other hand, the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda costs $1500 but the experience lasts 4 hours. So why not go to Uganda for the habituation experience and have more time with gorillas? Many travelers who have the 1500 to spend think about these two alternatives, trying to figure out where they would maximize better…

Why the tracking in Rwanda could be a better option than the gorilla habituation in Uganda

The gorilla trekking in Rwanda is worthwhile because you have more than ten habituated gorilla families to select from, depending on the kind of experience you wish to have with the gorillas. Some people like a group with young/juvenile gorillas as they are the most active in the group, others want a group with a baby gorilla while others may want a group that will give them great views of the massive silverback (some gorilla families have many silverbacks but with only one being the dominate). Therefore trekking in Rwanda gives you these many options when selecting the gorilla family to go tracking.

On the other hand, the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda is limited to just one group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Other gorilla families are not available for the habituation experience, hence you cannot select another group if you have particular interests for a gorilla group.

Other advantages of trekking in Rwanda instead of going to Uganda for the gorilla habituation experience:

• The breathing Virunga mountain range offers great scenery and a beautiful backdrop to the gorilla trekking experience
• Chance of seeing the beautiful golden monkeys in the Virunga mountain
• Shorter drive from Kigali

Why you may instead want to go for the habituation experience in Uganda

The gorilla habituation in Uganda gives you an opportunity to spend more than one hour with the gorillas. The habituation experience is four hours long, however note that it does not mean you are spending all four hours with the gorillas. The four hours include the time you take to track down the gorillas by following clues they left behind from a place they were last seen the previous day. The habituation of gorillas requires collecting of data left on their trail, and you will now be taking part in this important process which you would miss out during the ordinary gorilla trek. If you are lucky to find the gorillas quickly say after one hour, you will spend the rest of the three hours with them.

However, the unfortunate bit can be if you take more than three hours to find the gorillas, that would mean you would be left with just minutes to be with them. This rarely happens though!

But…the gorilla trekking in Uganda is $700, why not go to Uganda and track the gorillas two times ($1400) and save $100?