The permit is the single biggest line in a gorilla safari budget and the one thing you cannot shop around for. Every operator pays the park the same price. What varies is everything built around it.
Gorilla permit prices, 2026
| Permit | Foreign non-resident | Foreign resident | East African citizen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uganda — gorilla trekking (Bwindi & Mgahinga) | US$800 | US$700 | UGX 300,000 |
| Uganda — gorilla habituation, 4 hours (Rushaga) | US$1,500 | US$1,500 | UGX 750,000 |
| Rwanda — Volcanoes National Park | US$1,500 | US$500 | US$200 |
| DR Congo — Virunga (mountain gorillas) | US$400 | US$400 | US$150 |
| DR Congo — Kahuzi-Biega (lowland gorillas) | US$400 | US$400 | US$150 |
What the permit includes
- Park entrance for the day of the trek
- Ranger guide, trackers and armed escort
- One hour with the gorilla family (four hours on a habituation permit)
- A signed trekking certificate
What it does not include
- Getting to the briefing point — you need a vehicle, and in most sectors a 4x4
- Accommodation and meals
- Porters (US$20–25, and worth every cent) and tips for guides and trackers
- Visas, flights, insurance
What a whole trip costs
Below is what we actually quote, per person sharing a twin room, excluding international flights.
| Trip | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days, Bwindi from Kigali | US$1,350 | US$1,690 | US$3,400 |
| 3 days, Volcanoes NP from Kigali | US$2,150 | US$2,450 | US$4,900 |
| 5 days, gorillas and chimpanzees | US$2,150 | US$2,690 | US$5,200 |
| 10 days, Uganda wildlife and gorillas | US$3,300 | US$4,380 | US$9,600 |
Where the money goes on a US$1,690 three-day Bwindi trip
Permit US$800 · private 4x4, fuel and driver-guide for three days US$390 · two nights mid-range lodge with full board US$300 · park transfers, water, entry formalities US$80 · operator margin and 18% VAT US$120. That is the whole invoice. If a quote is dramatically cheaper, something on that list has been removed.
When to buy your permit
Uganda releases eight permits per habituated family per day, and there are around 20 families open to tourism. Rwanda has 12 families and a hard daily cap of 96 visitors. In practice:
- June–September and December–February: book 6–12 months ahead. Rwanda in July and August frequently sells out.
- March, April, May, October, November: 2–4 months is usually enough, and last-minute permits do appear.
- Habituation permits in Rushaga: only four per day. Book as early as you possibly can.
Permits are issued in your name against your passport number and are not transferable. Send us your passport details early — a typo is the most common reason a permit has to be reissued.
Cheaper ways to do it honestly
Genuinely affordable gorilla trekking exists; doorway-priced gorilla trekking does not. The levers that actually work:
- Trek in Uganda, not Rwanda — a US$700 saving per person before anything else.
- Enter overland from Kigali. Kigali to Bwindi's southern sectors is 4–5 hours; Entebbe to Bwindi is 9–10.
- Travel in the low season. Lodges discount hard in April, May and November, and the gorillas do not care about rain.
- Share a vehicle on a small-group departure rather than taking a private 4x4.
- Sleep in community-run accommodation in Buhoma, Ruhija or Rushaga — see our lodge guide.
What does not work: unlicensed operators offering permits below face value. There is no such thing. Check any operator's licence with the Uganda Tourism Board before paying a deposit.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much is a gorilla trekking permit?
US$800 in Uganda for foreign non-residents, US$1,500 in Rwanda, and US$400 in the DR Congo. Uganda's four-hour habituation permit is US$1,500. East African citizens and foreign residents pay substantially less in both Uganda and Rwanda.
Does the permit include park entry and the guide?
Yes. In Uganda and Rwanda the permit covers park entrance for the day, ranger guides, trackers and the armed escort. It does not include transport to the trailhead, accommodation, meals, porters or tips.
Can I buy a gorilla permit myself?
You can, directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or the Rwanda Development Board. Most people don't, because permits are tied to a specific park sector on a specific date and buying one before you have worked out where you will sleep and how you will get there is how trips go wrong. Operators pay the same price the parks charge — there is no permit mark-up in a well-run quote.
Are gorilla permits refundable?
Uganda and Rwanda both operate sliding scales: broadly, a full or near-full refund if you cancel more than 90 days out, part refund at 46–90 days, and little or nothing inside 45 days. Rules change; we state the exact terms on your invoice, and we strongly recommend cancellation insurance.
Is budget gorilla trekking possible?
Yes, if you accept that the permit is fixed. The savings are in transport and lodging: travel in the April–May or November low season, sleep in community bandas or budget lodges at US$40–80 a night, share a vehicle on a small-group departure, and enter Uganda overland from Kigali. That gets a three-day Bwindi trek down to around US$1,350 per person including the permit.
Next
Keep planning
- Uganda vs Rwanda gorilla trekking — where the extra US$700 goes
- Best time for gorilla trekking — when permits are hardest to get
- Gorilla trekking tours — costed itineraries in all three price bands
- Lodges near the gorillas — where the accommodation budget goes
Enquire
Check permit availability for your dates
Send us a month and we will come back with exactly which sectors and families still have permits, and what the trip would cost around them.
We check live permit availability before we reply. No deposit is needed to have a conversation.