One Hour With the Gorillas: What Actually Happens on the Trek

Written by the Paramount Gorilla Expeditions team, based in Uganda, explaining what happens on a gorilla trek, hour by hour.

A gorilla trek day starts with an early briefing, continues with a walk of anywhere from under an hour to most of the morning, and reaches its high point with one hour spent quietly with a wild gorilla family. Then you walk back out. This guide takes you through the day so that nothing on the morning surprises you.

The early start and briefing

You begin early, with a briefing at the park's trailhead. Your guide confirms the exact time the evening before. The rangers explain the rules, introduce the trackers, and assign you to a gorilla family. Visitors are grouped by family, with a maximum of eight visitors per family, and fitness is taken into account. Walking sticks are usually available, and you can hire a porter here.

The walk to the gorillas

Trackers set out at first light to find where the family spent the night and radio back, so the route adjusts as you go. You walk with a guide and an armed ranger escort, because the forest also holds wild animals. The path can be a clear trail, a cut path or open forest. The walk can be short or long and it is steep at times; see how fit you need to be for what to expect and how to prepare.

Before you reach the family

Close to the gorillas, you leave your walking sticks and extra bags with your porter or guide and carry only your camera. The guides remind you of the rules once more.

What happens on a gorilla trek: the hour with the gorillas

You spend one hour with the family, timed by the rangers. There is no script and no staged photographs. You simply watch a gorilla family going about its morning: a huge silverback resting or moving between feeding spots, mothers carrying infants, youngsters playing and tumbling. Visitors keep a safe distance and the gorillas set the pace. If a gorilla comes close, your guide will tell you to stay calm and step back slowly.

Photography is allowed, but flash is not. Keep your voice low, do not eat or drink in front of the gorillas and do not point or make sudden movements. Once the hour is up, the rangers signal that it is time to go.

The rules, and why they exist

• Visitors must be at least 15 years old.
• A maximum of eight visitors per gorilla family per day.
• Anyone who is unwell, especially with a cough or cold, may be refused, as gorillas can catch human illnesses. Rangers may also ask you to wear a face mask.
• Keep the distance your guide gives you, stay together as a group and follow instructions.

The walk back and the rest of the day

You return by the same route or another, often tired, muddy and quiet. Many lodges welcome trekkers with a late lunch or a drink. Plan a relaxed afternoon, because most people want to rest and sort through photographs.

What to wear and bring

• Waterproof hiking boots, long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt.
• Light gloves for gripping vegetation, and a rain jacket.
• A small daypack, drinking water, a packed lunch and insect repellent.
• Your passport, as permits are checked against it.

Plan your trek

Read how and when to book gorilla permits and choosing the right Bwindi sector to plan your day. For the full overview, see our Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda guide, or the 6-day Classic Gorilla Trekking Safari.

Ready to plan it? See our gorilla trekking safaris and lodges: real itineraries, lodges and how to book.

Plan what happens on your gorilla trek

Keep planning with our 3-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Tour. Gorilla and park permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and the Uganda Tourism Board publishes official visitor information. Gorilla permits and park fees are set by the Rwanda Development Board (Visit Rwanda). We confirm the current fees for your dates in every quote.

Expect little or no signal on the trek; our SIM card and WiFi guide explains how to plan around it.

For what to eat before and after the trek, see our East African food guide.

Want a longer visit than one hour? See our gorilla habituation experience guide.

For a full day in the forest without a gorilla permit, see our Buhoma to Nkuringo trek guide.

For an early bird walk before or after a trek, see our birding in Bwindi guide.

To compare the standard hour with the four-hour version, read our gorilla habituation experience guide.

For fitting the trek into 3, 4 or 5 days, see our 3 days gorilla trekking guide.

For who can trek and what help is available, see our gorilla trekking age limit guide.