Visit Rwanda

Mountain Gorilla Trekking

Mountain gorillas are critically endangered, and Volcanoes National Park protects roughly a dozen habituated gorilla families available for tourism, each visited by a maximum of eight trekkers per day to minimize stress on the animals. Treks begin early in the morning at park headquarters in Kinigi, where visitors are briefed and assigned to a gorilla family based on fitness level and the family’s location that day. From there, groups are driven to a trailhead and set off with an armed ranger and an experienced guide-tracker. The walk itself can range from under an hour to several hours each way, through farmland, bamboo, and thick rainforest, depending on where the gorillas have moved.

Once the group is located, visitors get exactly one hour in close proximity to the family — watching silverbacks, mothers with infants, and juveniles go about their day. Each permit allows visitors one hour of direct observation with a habituated gorilla family. Photography is allowed (without flash), and rangers keep a respectful buffer distance between people and animals for the animals’ health and safety.

Permits and cost: A single gorilla tracking permit in Rwanda costs US$1,500 for visitors from outside Africa, though East African residents pay a discounted USD 500 per person. A further discounted permit at roughly USD 1,050 is sometimes available for travelers combining Volcanoes with Akagera or Nyungwe National Parks. The fee covers park entry, an armed ranger escort, an experienced tracking guide, and the full hour with the gorilla family, but does not include transport, accommodation, meals, tips, or trekking gear. Permits are issued by the Rwanda Development Board and, given high demand, should be booked well in advance — often months ahead for peak season (June–September and December–February).

Because Volcanoes is Rwanda’s flagship park, most visitors combine gorilla trekking with a visit to nearby Musanze town, a hike to the Dian Fossey tomb site (Karisoke), or one of the volcano hikes (Bisoke’s crater lake is a popular half-day climb).

Golden Monkey Tracking

The golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti) is an endangered, strikingly colored primate found only in the Virunga and Mgahinga ranges. Golden monkey treks are shorter, less physically demanding, and considerably cheaper than gorilla treks, making them an accessible complement to a gorilla safari. Groups depart from park headquarters and typically spend one to three hours walking through bamboo forest before reaching a troop, which can number over thirty individuals, known for their acrobatic movement through the canopy and their playful, curious temperament around visitors. As with gorillas, visitors get one hour of observation time once the troop is found.

Permits and cost: A golden monkey permit in Volcanoes National Park costs US$100 per person for foreign non-residents, with reduced rates for foreign residents and East African/Rwandan citizens. Foreign residents pay around USD 80, while East African citizens and Rwandans pay around USD 65. Golden monkey permits are generally easier to obtain than gorilla permits and don’t require the same months-ahead booking window. The trek is considered less strenuous than gorilla trekking, making it accessible to a wider range of fitness levels and, notably, to travelers under age 15, who are not permitted to trek gorillas.