Gorilla Permits Explained
Uganda charges $800 and Rwanda $1,500. What the permit covers and why it sells out.
A gorilla permit is the document that lets you join a group of up to eight people for one hour with a habituated family of mountain gorillas. Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Rwanda Development Board, in the names of the travellers, for a specific date and park. Here is how they work.
What a permit costs
- Uganda (Bwindi and Mgahinga): US$800 per person for foreign non-residents.
- Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park): US$1,500 per person.
Residents of East Africa pay lower rates. Prices are set by the authorities and can change, so check the current figure when you book. All our gorilla safaris include the permit in the published price.
What the permit covers
The permit covers park entry for the day, the briefing, the rangers and trackers who guide your group, and one hour with the gorillas once you reach them. It doesn't cover porters, who can be hired at the trailhead for a fixed fee and are well worth it on steep slopes, or tips for the rangers.
The rules on the day
- Trekkers must be at least 15 years old.
- Anyone with a cold, flu or other infectious illness may be refused, because gorillas catch human diseases.
- Groups stay about seven metres from the gorillas and wear a face mask when close.
- No flash photography, eating or drinking near the gorillas.
- The hour with the family is strictly timed.
Rangers try to match groups to families by fitness, so tell them if you'd prefer a shorter trek.
How booking works
Permits are sold for specific dates and sectors, and the number per family is fixed at eight a day, so the popular months fill early. We buy permits in your names as soon as your deposit clears, with passport details for each traveller. Your lodge is then booked in the right sector, because in Bwindi the sector on your permit decides where you stay.
For June to September and December to February, book three to six months ahead if you can.
The habituation experience
In Bwindi's Rushaga sector, Uganda also offers the gorilla habituation experience. A group of up to four joins the researchers and trackers working with a family that is still getting used to people, and stays with them for up to four hours. It costs more than a standard permit and is limited to a few places a day, so it needs early booking.
Changes and refunds
Permits are non-transferable, and refunds and date changes follow the authorities' own rules, which are strict. If a trek is cancelled by the park, alternatives are usually offered. Because of this, we strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation. Our booking terms explain how permits fit into our cancellation policy.
Permit checklist
- Passport names and numbers for every traveller
- Your chosen date, and a second choice if possible
- Ages, to confirm everyone is 15 or older
- Your preferred country and, in Bwindi, sector
- A deposit, so we can buy the permits
Ready to start? Send us your dates through plan my trip, or see all our gorilla trekking safaris.
Uganda and Rwanda at a glance
- Permit: US$800 in Uganda; US$1,500 in Rwanda.
- Where: Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda; Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
- Group size: eight visitors per family per day in both.
- Time with the gorillas: one hour in both.
- Nearest airport: Entebbe for Uganda, though Kigali is closer to southern Bwindi; Kigali for Rwanda.
