Uganda · Rwanda
3-Day Gorilla Express
The fastest real way to trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda: fly into Kigali, trek at Volcanoes National Park, fly home. From $2,478pp.
Price on requesttailored to your dates
3 Days 
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the shortest road from an international airport to a wild mountain gorilla. Volcanoes National Park is only a couple of hours from Kigali by road, so you can be with a gorilla family within a day of landing.
The short answerGorilla trekking in Rwanda takes place in Volcanoes National Park, roughly two to three hours by road from Kigali. Groups of up to eight visitors spend up to one hour with a habituated gorilla family. The permit is $1,500 per person for foreign visitors, and the minimum age is 15.
Rwanda has built its gorilla experience around ease, order and conservation. Volcanoes National Park is a compact, mountainous park on the Virunga volcano chain, home to a number of habituated gorilla families that are visited by small groups every day. The country is small, the roads from Kigali are good, and the park headquarters at Kinigi is close to Musanze, so very little of your trip is spent travelling, and a Rwanda gorilla trek fits comfortably around a long-haul flight.
That makes Rwanda a natural choice for people with limited time, for those who prefer comfortable, well-organised logistics, and for travellers who want to add a gorilla trek to a Kenya or Tanzania safari without a long overland journey. It is also where the story of mountain gorilla conservation began: it was on these slopes that Dian Fossey built her research camp in the 1960s, and her work is part of why Rwanda's mountain gorillas, and those in neighbouring countries, still exist.
The day begins at park headquarters in Kinigi, where guides give a briefing and assign each small group to a gorilla family. Families live at different heights on the volcano slopes, so treks vary: some are gentle, others steep and slippery, and some take under an hour while others take several. Trackers who start at dawn follow the gorillas' movements and radio the guides, who lead you to the family.
Once you arrive, the gorilla encounter in Rwanda lasts up to one hour. You stay a few metres back, keep your voice low and let the family settle around you. Porters from the local community carry your pack and help on steep sections, which supports local livelihoods and makes the climb easier.
We ask for a gorilla family that matches your fitness and your wishes, and we tell you honestly what the allocation can and cannot promise: families are assigned by park staff on the morning, so a firm request is a request, not a guarantee.
Tell us what you have in mind. A destination specialist replies personally within 24 hours.
Musanze gorilla trekking is served by lodges for every style, from refined luxury lodges with volcano views to boutique hotels and comfortable mid-range options. Because the park is a short drive from Musanze, you can see gorillas in Rwanda on a short trip: base yourself in Kigali for the first night and travel up in the morning, or sleep near the park the night before to start fresh. The right choice depends on your flights, your budget and how early you want to begin.
The same park offers more than gorillas. Golden monkey trekking takes you through bamboo forest to see this rare and playful primate, hikes lead up to the Karisoke site where Dian Fossey is buried, and further afield you can go chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest, visit lakes Ruhondo and Burera, or explore Kigali's history and culture. Many travellers do two nights near the park to fit in a gorilla trek and a second activity.
Both countries offer an excellent, ethical gorilla experience. Rwanda is closer to the airport and more compact; Uganda has more gorilla families, more sectors, more lodge choice and more to see on the way. The permits are priced differently, and the right answer depends on your time, budget and the rest of your trip. Our comparison, Uganda versus Rwanda for gorillas, sets it out side by side, and our page on gorilla trekking in Uganda explains the Ugandan experience. If you cannot choose, you can also do both on one route: see how to combine two permits and one route.
The drier months, roughly June to September and December to February, offer easier trails and clearer views of the volcanoes, and they are also the busiest. The long rains from March to May are the quietest and the muddiest. Flights land at Kigali International Airport, and we arrange the transfer to Musanze. When you are ready to see how Rwanda fits into a longer route, our gorilla trekking safaris show how we combine it with Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, and our gorilla permits page explains how to secure your date.
From a three-day gorilla express to a full primate journey, all tailored to your dates.
The fastest real way to trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda: fly into Kigali, trek at Volcanoes National Park, fly home. From $2,478pp.
Two genuinely different primate treks at Volcanoes National Park: mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, plus the Dian Fossey Tomb hike. From $3,778pp.
Every Rwanda primate trek in one trip: gorillas and golden monkeys at Volcanoes, chimpanzees and colobus monkeys at Nyungwe Forest. From $4,692pp.
Two countries, two gorilla treks: Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Bwindi's Rushaga sector (Uganda), crossing the Cyanika border. From $7,047pp.
Eight days across two countries: a gorilla trek at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, then three nights in a Maasai Mara conservancy in Kenya, with a night in Nairobi either side.
Nine days from the gorilla forests of Rwanda to the Serengeti: one trek at Volcanoes, a night in Kigali, a flight to Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater and three nights on the plains.
Lodges we use before and after the trek. Tell us your budget and we match the lodge to your trek date.
Rwanda's first community-owned lodge, on the edge of Volcanoes National Park
Price on request
Read about this lodge
Rwanda's pioneering safari lodge, on a ridge above two Virunga lakes
Price on request
A 13-room boutique hotel in Kinigi, with a post-trek ritual guests remember
Price on request
Read about this lodgeStraight 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.