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Adventure Gorilla Tours
Trek Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda & Uganda
Book gorilla trekking tours in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s Bwindi & Mgahinga. Tailor-made itineraries, expert guides, and mid-range lodges from $600. Gorilla safaris in Rwanda and Uganda attract thousands of visitors year-round from every corner of the world. We organise an unforgettable double gorilla trekking adventure in several packages for your next African wildlife encounter. Our mission is simple: to ensure that everyone who joins us on this remarkable adventure leaves with memories that last a lifetime. We don’t just organise affordable safari packages — we make certain you enjoy every moment with us, staying at comfortable safari lodges nestled at the edges of the national parks in a genuinely eco-friendly environment.
Gorilla trekking with adventure gorillas tours require careful planning months in advance, so we strongly recommend booking early. Gorilla trekking Safaris are limited to just 8 people per gorilla family per day in every National park, which means permits are extremely limited — the sooner you book, the better your chances of securing a spot. We organise trips from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. For travellers seeking a shorter itinerary, Mgahinga National Park offers a budget-friendly gorilla trekking experience with shorter trips from Kigali and Entebbe.
Adventure Gorilla Tours – Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
We organise tailor-made gorilla trekking safaris to Volcanoes National Park in the Virunga Mountains of northern Rwanda. The park is home to some dozen habituated families of gorillas and gives visitors a rare opportunity to see these gentle giants in their natural bamboo and rainforest habitat. Our itineraries vary from one-day gorilla tours leaving from and returning to Kigali to longer multi-day safaris that combine gorilla trekking with other first-rate destinations throughout Rwanda.
14 Days Double Gorilla Trek – Rwanda and Uganda
A 14-day Rwanda and Uganda safari typically blends primate trekking with classic game viewing. In Rwanda, highlights include gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest, and a stop in Kigali. Crossing into Uganda, travelers usually visit Lake Mburo for early game drives, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for a second gorilla trek, Queen Elizabeth National Park for boat cruises and tree-climbing lions, and Kibale Forest for chimpanzee habituation. The itinerary combines forest hikes, savanna safaris, cultural village visits, and lake excursions, offering a mix of rare primate encounters and traditional East African wildlife—ideal for travelers wanting depth over speed, with permits, park fees, and border logistics carefully planned in advance.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park
The Trekking Experience Treks begin at dawn at park headquarters, where guides brief each group and assign them to a gorilla family based on fitness level and experience. The walk — through thick jungle and volcanic slopes at altitude — takes anywhere from half an hour to a few hours and is strenuous but rewarding. Once a family is located, visitors get a magical hour observing the gorillas: silverbacks at rest, juveniles at play, and mothers with their infants.
Impact on Conservation Gorilla permits cost around $1,500 and are vital for funding conservation efforts that have helped bring mountain gorilla populations back from the brink of extinction.
Beyond Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes National Park also offers:
- Golden monkey tracking
- Hiking safaris, including summit hikes up Mount Bisoke and Mount Karisimbi
- Visits to the grave site of renowned primatologist Dian Fossey
Nearby: Kinigi Village Kinigi village offers immersive cultural encounters with local communities, rounding out an unforgettable Rwandan experience.
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, in southwestern Uganda, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site sheltering around half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
Park Sections The park has four sections, each with its own habituated gorilla families:
- Buhoma
- Ruhija
- Rushaga
- Nkuringo
The Trekking Experience Treks through dense rainforest last from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on where the gorillas are feeding, culminating in an hour observing a family — watching juveniles play, silverbacks patrol, and mothers groom their young.
Gorilla permits (in Uganda, Rwanda, or the DRC) are fixed-cost, government-set fees that everyone pays regardless of budget. Since that cost is constant, the accommodation category chosen becomes the main lever that pushes a package from “budget” to “midrange” to “luxury.” We offer apealing quotes because we havs special deals on accommodations leaving your package under your budget.
- Budget/community lodges — simple rooms, shared facilities, basic meals
- Midrange lodges — en-suite rooms, decent service, set menus
- Luxury lodges/camps — private cottages, personalized service, premium dining, sometimes even private guides or viewing decks
In the south, in the Virunga volcanic range along the border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the smallest of Uganda’s parks. It is home to the Nyakagezi family and has quieter trekking compared to Bwindi. Visitors can also hike the volcanoes (Muhabura, Gahinga, Sabyinyo) and track the golden monkeys. Starting points: Kigali or Entebbe Kigali, Rwanda, is perfect if heading to the southern parts of Bwindi (Rushaga, Nkuringo) or Mgahinga, only 2-4 hours away. Combine it with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park – ideal for those short on time – and Kigali airport offers great international connections.
Entebbe, Uganda, is the country’s primary gateway, closer to Bwindi’s northern sectors (Buhoma, Ruhija) and further afield to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest (chimpanzee trekking) and Murchison Falls. There are flights to airstrips near Bwindi, which can shorten the 8-to 10-hour road trip.
Double Gorilla Trek – Volcanoes and Bwindi NP
Our double gorilla trekking safaris combine both Rwanda and Uganda within a single trip. Instead of choosing between Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, travelers cross the border to track a different habituated gorilla family in each country. The two parks sit close together on opposite sides of the Virunga volcanic range, making the crossing straightforward by road via the Cyanika or Katuna border posts.
The appeal is variety: two ecosystems mean two distinct encounters — different terrain, families, and wildlife — plus two contrasting countries and cultures in a single unforgettable trip.
Gorilla habituation is a gradual process. It acclimates wild mountain gorillas to human presence. Over time, they become comfortable with close observation. Uganda’s Gorilla Habituation Experience offers up to four hours with researchers and trackers. Standard treks only last one hour. The process takes two to three years. Trackers visit daily. They continue until gorillas stop reacting with fear or aggression. Along the way, they study behavior, sounds, and feeding habits.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest sits in southwestern Uganda. It’s the only park that offers this experience to tourists. Its dense terrain helped build deep research expertise. It also holds roughly half the world’s mountain gorillas. Rwanda’s Volcanoes Park and Congo’s Virunga Park handle things differently. Both reserve habituation for research only. Rwanda has fewer gorilla families. Congo also faces security concerns. Only two Bwindi groups remain open for this experience: Rushaga and Nkuringo. Permits are separate from regular trekking permits. Book at least six months in advance.
Mid-Range Accommodations for Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda & Uganda
We choose mid-range lodges that provide a balance between comfort and value, giving you a comfortable and well-equipped experience for gorilla trekking without the high price of the luxury lodges.
Rwanda: Near Volcanoes National Park in the Musanze / Kinigi area, we recommend Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Amakoro Songa Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Davinci Gorilla Lodge, Lebambou and Tiloreza Eco Lodge. Most are 10 to 20 minutes from park headquarters with comfortable rooms, scenic volcano views and home-style dining.
Uganda: Travellers of moderate means will find comfortable lodgings, hot showers, good food and helpful staff near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, often with sweeping views of Bwindi’s misty mountains. There is also a unique selling point for Uganda, in that gorilla permit fees are cheaper, making it particularly attractive for the budget-conscious traveller.
There is more to each destination than just gorilla trekking. In Uganda, you will see the wildlife of Murchison Falls and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest; in Rwanda, gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking. Both provide an unforgettable safari experience at a moderate price.
Gorilla Trekking Packing List – Adventure Gorilla Tours
Clothing & Footwear
- 2–3 quick-dry trousers (nylon/poly blend, earth tones, no denim) for nettle/thorn protection
- 3 t-shirts + 1 pair of shorts for lodge/warmer days
- 1–2 long-sleeved shirts for the trek itself (arm protection, less repellent needed)
- 1 fleece/sweater — mornings at altitude can approach 10°C
- Waterproof rain jacket with hood, sealed seams, packable
- Sturdy waterproof hiking boots (Gore-Tex, deep lugs, broken in) — trail runners are inadequate
- 3–4 pairs wool/merino socks (tall, moisture-wicking)
- Sandals or camp shoes for evenings/game drives
- Wide-brimmed hat (high UV at altitude)
- Gardening gloves — often overlooked- protect hands from nettles/thorns
Health & Safety
- DEET-based repellent (30–50%), spray + lotion
- SPF 50+ sunscreen
- Personal first aid kit (plasters, antiseptic, blister care, antihistamines, meds); discuss anti-malarials with a GP beforehand
Photography & Electronics
- Camera with versatile zoom lens (24–105mm or 70–200mm); waterproof cover
- 2+ spare batteries, extra memory cards (charging not always reliable)
- Head torch/flashlight for pre-dawn starts and power outages
- Binoculars for wildlife/birds and game drives
- UV sunglasses (polarised, good for water activities)
About Us - Adventure Gorilla Tours
Adventure Gorilla Safaris is a passion-driven gorilla safari company built by a team of dedicated travel professionals, operating as a Destination Management Company (DMC) and luxury safari operator. The company was founded in 2019 and has since built a reputation for delivering meticulously curated, eco-conscious journeys through Uganda and Rwanda, with seamless extensions into Kenya and Tanzania
Combine Uganda's finest national parks on this adventure tour.
