Gorilla permits for Rwanda gorilla trekking require planning and booking ahead of time of your Rwanda gorilla trekking safari. Visiting mountain gorillas in Rwanda is a strictly managed operation to be able to protect the critically endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat and to maintain their survival.
With only 10 habituated gorilla families available for visiting, the number of visitors who can go for Rwanda gorilla trekking on a single gorilla group is limited to 8 people per day per group, therefore, there is a total number of 80 gorilla permits available a single day.
What is a gorilla permit?
A gorilla permit is a pass that is required to see and spend an hour with the critically endangered mountain gorillas. Without a gorilla permit, no traveler is allowed to access the gorillas. Within this hour, travelers are allowed to take photos, videos and records of mountain gorillas with their amazing human-like characters, which make their encounter memorable indeed. It’s only these records that travelers take home for memories of their safari. For those doing a habituation experience, a gorilla habituation permit allow travelers to spend four hours with mountain gorillas undergoing habituation.
A gorilla permit is issued by ORTPN, Rwanda Development Board or Uganda Wildlife Authority that allows any traveller above 15 years of age to trek mountain gorillas in any of the three habitats – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park (Uganda) and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. A permit allows you to view gorillas for only one hour but the gorilla trekking itself can take a minimum of 30 minutes or up to nine hours while looking for gorillas in the forest.
Our Gorilla Permit Booking Information is aimed at providing you details to prepare well for your gorilla safari.
How much does a Rwanda gorilla permit cost?
The Mountain Gorillas within Rwanda are among the major attractions that visitors see in Rwanda. Mountain Gorilla Tracking / Trekking permits are a highly sought after item and with just a limited number of visitors permitted to track every day, it requires a lot of prior planning to guarantee a chance to track the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda.
In Rwanda you can get permits through the Rwanda Development Board offices (ORTPN) in Kigali or Ruhengeri (near the PNV) after paying $1500.00. The break down of Rwanda gorilla permits in given below
A. (Standard rate) $1500 – Non Residents, East African Residents, East African Citizens, Rwandan Residents, Rwandan Citizens
B – 30% Discount (US$ 1,050) on gorilla permits if visiting other Rwanda national parks (Akagera national park, Nyungwe national park) for 3 days and more during the low season of November – May
C. 15% discount (US$ 1,275) on conference guests who stay pre & post MICE events to see gorillas
D– $15,000 for Private gorilla trekking of an entire group with an exclusive personalized tour guide service
E US$ 30,000 for a minimum of 3 visitors for 3 consecutive days (Behind the scenes)
What is included in a gorilla permit cost?
Most people wonder what is included in the gorilla permit cost due to its expensive nature. It’s undeniable that the high cost of gorilla permits is a reason why gorilla safari packages in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo are surely luxurious. Every traveler intending to trek gorillas must possess a valid gorilla permit, which allows him/her to access and interact these endangered species in their natural habitat. This tells that anyone without a gorilla permit cannot see the gorillas. A single gorilla permit in Uganda costs 600USD, Rwanda at 1500USD and Congo at 450USD which make gorilla safaris undeniable expensive. In most cases, travelers have wondered what makes gorilla permits expensive compared to other tour packages in these respective countries. Gorilla permit costs are determined by responsible tourism bodies in respective countries, which are the Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda, Rwanda Development Board in Rwanda and the Institute Congolais Pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Refunds / Cancellation Guidelines
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) shall refund 50% of the gorilla tracking fee for any visitor showing signs of illness. Any sick visitor shall not be allowed to track the gorillas if declared unfit by the Warden in Charge. The only applies to visitors who have traveled all the way to the park.
Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Time
An early morning briefing from one of the park rangers at the Kinigi park headquarters starts required by all gorilla trekkers starting from 7:00 – 7:30 at least. Gorilla tracking time is limited from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All visitors are expected back at the campground by 7:00 p.m.
Visitor’s Passport Information
After full confirmation of the booking, passport details of the trackers will be required at the gorilla permits headquarters to enable writing out the gorilla permits. Please ensure the full names, passport number, and country of passport issuance are sent.
Please note: You must be over 15 years of age to obtain a gorilla viewing permit.