Book your Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking with us
Securing a gorilla trekking permit is the single most important step in planning a safari to Uganda or Rwanda.
Book your gorilla or chimpanzee trekking permit with us and enjoy a smooth, stress-free start to your primate adventure. We make the entire process easy, whether you’re planning to track gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda, or follow chimpanzees deep into the forests of Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo. Our team handles everything for you — checking availability, securing your permits on time, and guiding you through all the important details so you know exactly what to expect.
When you book through us, you get more than just a permit. You get a trusted partner who stays with you from the planning stage to the day you start your trek. We keep you informed, help you choose the right destination, and make sure your entire trip flows smoothly. Your journey may take you into the thick rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the scenic volcanoes of Mgahinga, the bamboo slopes of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, or the legendary landscapes of Virunga National Park in Congo — and we ensure every step feels clear and well-organized.
With fair pricing, quick communication, and a team that genuinely cares, we make your primate trekking experience comfortable, exciting, and memorable. Book your gorilla or chimpanzee permit with us, and let us help you plan a safari that feels natural, personal, and truly unforgettable.
Secure Your Gorilla Permit
Popular Gorilla Safaris in Africa
Gorilla safaris in Central and East Africa offer powerful wildlife encounters across four distinct destinations, each with its own style. Gabon and Congo provide raw, off-the-grid treks to western lowland gorillas in remote rainforests, while Uganda and Rwanda deliver reliable mountain gorilla trekking in the dramatic volcanic landscapes of the Albertine Rift. Together, they form a complete gorilla safari circuit that blends wilderness, culture, and unforgettable moments with one of the world’s rarest animals.
Gorilla Permit—All You Need To Know
Gorilla Tracking Licence, UWA Gorilla Permit, Gorilla Habituation Permit, Primates Permit
A gorilla permit gives you official permission to trek and spend one hour with a habituated gorilla family in Uganda, Rwanda, or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Every visitor needs a permit because gorilla tourism follows strict rules that protect the animals and their forests. Rangers allow only eight visitors to see a gorilla family each day. This system lowers disturbance, controls human–wildlife contact, and supports conservation.
A gorilla permit does more than grant access. It connects your trek to national conservation programs, ranger salaries, community livelihoods, and long-term protection of mountain and lowland gorillas. When you buy the permit, you directly support the survival of a critically endangered species.
Where Gorilla Permits Are Required
Gorilla permits operate in specific gorilla habitats. Uganda issues permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Rwanda issues them for Volcanoes National Park. Congo issues them for Virunga National Park. Each destination offers a different trekking style, terrain, difficulty, and level of exclusivity.
Bwindi offers four trekking sectors with different gorilla families. Volcanoes National Park offers short, steep, volcanic trails. Virunga offers a raw rainforest experience on the slopes of the Mikeno Volcano. Each location follows the same conservation standards, but every park creates a distinct adventure.
What the Gorilla Permit Covers
A gorilla permit covers all official trekking services. It includes your park entry, ranger guidance, protective escort, and one hour of interaction with a habituated gorilla family. You also receive a safety briefing, a trekking certificate, and support from trackers who locate gorillas before your team enters the forest.
The permit does not cover transport, accommodation, meals, porters, or personal gear. Travellers add these services separately through a trusted tour operator.
Gorilla Permit Prices
Permit prices differ between countries because each country chooses its own conservation funding system.
Rwanda offers a luxury-style permit with a strong focus on high-end eco-tourism. Uganda offers mid-range pricing that attracts many travellers. Congo offers affordable access but with limited stability because of regional conditions.
Prices change from time to time when national park authorities review conservation budgets. Before you buy, confirm availability and updated rates through Us.
Why Gorilla Permits Sell Out
Gorilla permits sell out because visitor numbers remain low. Only a few gorilla families accept trekkers on any given day. High seasons attract many travellers who book months in advance. June to September and December to February attract the highest demand. Most travellers secure permits early to avoid losing their preferred dates.
Peak-season trekkers often book six to twelve months in advance. Off-season trekkers still book early because gorilla trekking has become one of Africa’s most sought-after wildlife encounters.
Best Time to Buy a Gorilla Permit
The best time to buy your permit depends on your travel plan, but early booking always helps. Many travellers confirm their permit first and then plan accommodation and transfers around their trekking date.
If you plan to visit during peak season, you confirm your permit several months early. If you visit during March, April, May, October, or November, you may find permits a bit easier, but early planning still gives you more choice in lodges and trekking sectors.
How to Buy a Gorilla Permit
You buy your permit through a licensed tour operator or directly from the respective wildlife authority. Booking through a trusted operator offers smoother coordination because the operator checks availability, reserves your space, and confirms payment with the authority. You also avoid mistakes, fake permits, or double bookings.
Gorilla Permits helps you select the best trekking sector, handles the payment process, issues verified confirmations, and ensures your trek fits perfectly into your itinerary.
Why Book Through a Trusted Operator
A trusted operator protects your booking. The operator verifies your dates, submits your details correctly, and ensures your permit matches your passport information. The operator also arranges transport for your trekking day, which is essential because gorilla parks sit deep inside mountainous regions.
A responsible operator also helps you avoid last-minute issues such as overbookings, wrong sectors, missing payments, or trekking mismatches.
Gorilla Permits works closely with park authorities and gives you accurate updates at every step.
Information Needed for Permit Processing
You submit your passport name, nationality, date of birth, and travel date. These details appear on your permit. You use the same passport on your trekking day because rangers check it before you enter the forest.
Age Limit for Gorilla Trekking
The age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years and above in all gorilla destinations. This rule protects the gorillas from young travellers who may struggle with long trails or react unpredictably around wildlife.
How Permits Are Assigned on Trekking Day
You arrive at the park headquarters early in the morning for registration. Rangers verify your permit and assign you to a trekking group. The assignment depends on your fitness level, age, interests, and the distance of each gorilla family.
After your briefing, you enter the forest with guides and trackers. They follow fresh signs of gorilla movement. You walk through thick vegetation, cross ridges, and follow slopes until you reach the gorilla family. Once you arrive, your guide starts your one-hour viewing session.
What Happens During the One Hour
The one hour forms the heart of the experience. You watch gorillas feed, groom, climb, play, and move through the forest. Silverbacks show leadership. Mothers protect infants. Youngsters play in vines. You witness natural behaviour at close range while respecting the seven-metre distance.
This hour becomes unforgettable because the forest feels calm, sacred, and alive.
Permit Rescheduling and Cancellation
Each country has its own rules. Uganda and Rwanda allow rescheduling under certain conditions. Congo follows stricter terms because of limited trekking windows. Some permits allow partial refunds while others restrict changes. A trusted operator helps you navigate these rules and prevents avoidable loss.
Why Gorilla Permits Support Conservation
Gorilla permits create the strongest revenue source for gorilla protection. The money funds ranger patrols, veterinary teams, research centres, and community development programs. Communities receive a share of the funds, which encourages them to protect forests rather than use them unsustainably.
Every trek you book contributes to the future of mountain gorillas in East and Central Africa.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gorilla Permits
How early should I book?
Gorilla permits should be booked as early as possible, as availability is strictly limited each day.
During peak seasons (June–September and December–February), permits often sell out months in advance. Booking 6–12 months ahead is strongly recommended to secure your preferred dates and trekking sector.
In the low and shoulder seasons (March–May and October–November), permits are generally easier to obtain, but it is still best to book 3–6 months in advance, especially if you have fixed travel dates.
For the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda, permits are extremely limited. These should be reserved 9–12 months in advance.
As a general rule, always secure your gorilla permit first before booking flights or accommodation, as the permit date determines the rest of the itinerary.
Can permits sell out?
Yes, gorilla permits can sell out, and this happens frequently due to strict conservation limits. Each gorilla park issues only a fixed number of permits per day to minimize human impact on the gorillas. Once these daily permits are allocated, no additional permits are released, regardless of demand. During peak travel seasons, public holidays, and school vacation periods, permits often sell out months in advance, particularly in popular trekking sectors that offer easier access or well-habituated gorilla families.
When permits sell out, travelers may be forced to change travel dates, switch trekking sectors, or postpone their trip entirely. Last-minute availability is unpredictable and usually limited to off-peak periods or cancellations. For this reason, securing a gorilla permit early is essential, as the permit date determines accommodation availability, transport logistics, and the overall structure of the safari itinerary.
Do I choose my gorilla family?
No, you do not choose your gorilla family in advance. Gorilla families are assigned on the trekking day by park authorities based on factors such as group size, trekking ability, age, and overall fitness. This system helps balance visitor impact across different gorilla groups and ensures trekkers are matched to families that suit their physical capabilities.
While you cannot preselect a specific gorilla family, you can request a preferred trekking sector when booking your permit, and park staff often try to accommodate reasonable needs such as easier hikes, photography interests, or mobility considerations. Regardless of the assigned family, all gorilla encounters follow the same conservation rules and offer an equally authentic and memorable experience.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, travel insurance is strongly recommended for gorilla trekking and is often required by tour operators. Gorilla trekking takes place in remote, mountainous rainforest areas where terrain can be steep, muddy, and physically demanding, making medical coverage essential in case of injury, illness, or evacuation.
A good travel insurance policy should cover medical emergencies, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation or interruption, and non-refundable costs such as gorilla permits. Because permits are costly and date-specific, insurance protects you if unexpected events force you to cancel or postpone your trek. Before traveling, always confirm that your policy covers adventure activities like gorilla trekking and is valid for the country you plan to visit.
Can I trek more than once?
Yes, you can trek gorillas more than once, provided permits are available. There is no limit on the number of treks a visitor can do, as long as you purchase a separate permit for each trekking day. Many travelers choose to trek more than once to increase viewing time, visit different sectors, or experience different gorilla families.
Multiple treks can be done on consecutive days or spread across different parks or countries. Some visitors combine standard gorilla trekking with the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda, which allows extended time with the gorillas. Each trek offers a unique encounter, as gorilla movements, group dynamics, and forest conditions change daily.
We know securing gorilla and chimpanzee permits isn’t always easy, so let us take care of it from start to finish.
Popular Primates Destination
Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, and Gabon are Africa’s top primate destinations, each offering a distinct and unforgettable experience. Rwanda is known for its accessible mountain gorillas, while Uganda combines gorilla trekking with exceptional chimpanzee encounters. Congo offers both mountain and lowland gorillas for true adventure seekers, and Gabon showcases thriving western lowland gorillas in untouched rainforests. Together, they form the heart of Africa’s great ape wilderness.
Travel Blog
Our blog shares helpful news and articles for first-time travelers, guiding you through booking gorilla permits and preparing for your trek — all while highlighting how responsible travel supports gorilla conservation.
