Uganda
Classic Gorilla Trekking Safari, Uganda | 6 Days | Paramount Gorilla Expeditions
The essential Uganda experience: a single, focused permit trek to a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi.
From $3,800per person
6 Days 
Gorilla permits are your place on one trek, with one gorilla family, on one date. They are the scarcest and most important part of any gorilla trip. Here is what it costs, what the rules are, and how we secure yours.
The short answerGorilla permits cost $800 per person in Uganda and $1,500 per person in Rwanda for foreign non-resident visitors. Each permit covers one trek with one gorilla family on one date, for up to one hour. We check availability for your dates before you commit to anything.
A gorilla permit, also called a gorilla tracking permit, is issued in your name for one trek, on one date, with one habituated gorilla family. It lets you walk with rangers and trackers to the family and spend up to one hour with them. It does not include transport, accommodation, meals or a porter, which is why it is often quoted as a separate line in a trip price. Gorilla trekking permits are limited to eight visitors per gorilla family per day, which is why they sell out.
In Uganda, permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. In Rwanda, they are issued by the Rwanda Development Board for Volcanoes National Park.
The gorilla permit cost below is for foreign non-resident visitors, in US dollars, per person. It is set by the park authorities, who can change it. Always confirm the figure for your travel date with us before you pay.
| Permit | Where | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| Gorilla trekking permit | Uganda (Bwindi and Mgahinga) | $800 |
| Gorilla trekking permit, reported low season | Uganda (April, May and November) | About $600, reported |
| Gorilla trekking permit | Rwanda (Volcanoes) | $1,500 |
| Gorilla habituation experience, up to four hours | Uganda (Rushaga) | $1,500; an increase to $1,800 is reported from January 2027 |
Residents, citizens of East African countries and other categories have different rates; ask us and we will confirm them. The gorilla habituation permit is a separate permit for the longer four-hour experience in Uganda, and it is priced separately from a standard trekking permit. For the reasons behind the difference between the two countries, read the Uganda and Rwanda permit cost compared.
Tell us what you have in mind. A destination specialist replies personally within 24 hours.
The permit is personal: it is issued against the passport details of the named traveller and cannot be passed to someone else. Visitors must be at least 15 years old. Up to one hour is spent with the gorillas. Anyone with a cough, a cold or another infectious illness should not trek, because gorillas catch human diseases. Permits are tied to a date, and the rules on changing a date or cancelling depend on the park authority and the season, so ask before you pay rather than after.
You can apply to the authorities directly, or we can do it for you. With us, it works in four steps. First, tell us your preferred dates, your group size and whether you want Uganda, Rwanda or both. Second, we check availability with the park authority and tell you what is open before you commit to anything. Third, we collect the passport details of each traveller exactly as printed. Fourth, once the date is agreed and secured, we build the rest of the trip around it.
For the full story, our guide on how and when to book gorilla permits before they sell out covers the timing in detail.
Book as early as you can. Gorilla permit availability is tightest in the dry months, roughly June to September and December to February, and the family and sector you want may be gone sooner than you expect. In the quieter months availability is easier, but it is never wise to leave it late. Read the best time to book a gorilla trekking permit for guidance by season.
Uganda has the lower permit price and more choice of sectors and families, and Rwanda has the shorter journey from the airport. Both are excellent. To see what each trek is like, read about gorilla trekking in Uganda and gorilla trekking in Rwanda, and to see complete trips that include the permit, browse our gorilla trekking safaris.
Check each itinerary page for exactly what is included.
The essential Uganda experience: a single, focused permit trek to a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi.
Gorilla trekking paired with white-water rafting and a sunset Nile cruise at the river's source in Jinja.
Two genuinely different primate treks at Volcanoes National Park: mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, plus the Dian Fossey Tomb hike. From $3,778pp.
Two countries, two gorilla treks: Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Bwindi's Rushaga sector (Uganda), crossing the Cyanika border. From $7,047pp.
Straight answers to the questions travellers ask us most.
Send us your dates and group size. We check availability first, tell you exactly what is open, and only then ask you to commit. A specialist answers within 24 hours.