About Gorilla Trek Safaris

We started in 2012 with two vehicles and a permit desk relationship. We now run around 400 gorilla treks a year across Uganda, Rwanda and — when it is open — the DR Congo, and we still answer emails ourselves.

What we actually are

A licensed Ugandan tour operator based in Kampala, with a permanent team in Kisoro for the southern Bwindi sectors and a partner office in Musanze for Rwanda. We own our 4x4s. Our driver-guides are employed, not subcontracted, and most have been with us for more than five years. We buy permits directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Rwanda Development Board.

Gorilla Trek Safaris is a trading name of Travelmonke Tours and Travel, licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board under licence number UTB/RTT/TT/2025/101816. That is checkable, and you should check it — for us and for anyone else you are considering.

How we work

• Permit first. We do not quote a date we cannot get a permit for, and we do not take money for a trek we have not confirmed.
• One person, start to finish. The specialist who answers your first email is the one who sends your final documents.
• Itemised quotes. Permit, vehicle, lodging, park fees and our margin, listed separately. You can see what you are paying for and what to cut if the number is too high.
• We will talk you out of things. If Nkuringo is too hard for you, if Rwanda is not worth the extra US$700 for your trip, if a cheaper lodge is the better one — we say so.

Conservation and the community

Gorilla tourism is the reason there are more mountain gorillas now than at any point since records began. Permit fees fund ranger salaries and anti-poaching patrols, and a share is paid back to the communities around the parks. That model only works if visitors keep coming and the money keeps landing locally.

• We use community-owned lodges — Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Amajambere Iwacu — wherever they genuinely suit the trip.
• Porter hire is included in our recommendations on every trek, and we pay porters above the going rate on our own departures.
• We contribute annually to Conservation Through Public Health and the Bwindi Community Hospital.
• Our vehicles carry reusable water bottles and a filter rather than cases of plastic.

Money and security

Deposits are 30%, with the balance due 60 days before travel. Client funds are held in a separate account until services are delivered. We accept bank transfer and card, and we will always tell you which is cheaper for you rather than which is cheaper for us. Full terms are on our booking terms page.

Next

Keep planning

• Traveller reviews — what people say afterwards
• Our tours — six itineraries we run constantly
• Booking terms — deposits, cancellations and permits
• Contact us — talk to a specialist