Gorilla trekking permits
Permit rules affect the date, visitor category and the way the rest of the trip is planned.
Check availabilityRates and conditions can change. Confirm the actual date and category before payment.
Permit first. Route second.
This order protects you from a beautiful lodge in the wrong place, or a rate quoted for the wrong visitor category.
Step 1
Check the date, visitor category and permit availability.
Step 2
Secure the permit before committing to non-refundable lodge nights.
Step 3
For Bwindi, choose your lodge near the permit sector.
Gorilla trekking permits are controlled by the wildlife authority in the country where you trek. For Empathy Tours trips, that means Uganda Wildlife Authority for Bwindi and Mgahinga, and Rwanda Development Board for Volcanoes National Park.
The permit is not a generic gorilla ticket that can be moved between countries or parks. It is tied to a date and, in Uganda, to the relevant trekking location.
Uganda gorilla permits
UWA’s conservation tariff covering July 2024 to June 2026 lists the foreign non-resident gorilla tracking permit at USD 800. The revised tariff effective 1 January 2027 also lists USD 800. The supplied notice does not separately state the standard July to December 2026 rate, so confirm a 2026 standard-date booking directly with UWA.
UWA has introduced discounted low-season rates for April, May and November. The current notice lists the foreign non-resident low-season gorilla permit at USD 600 and the foreign-resident rate at USD 500. It also states that low-season permits cannot be rescheduled.
From 1 January 2027, UWA’s revised standard tariff lists gorilla tracking at USD 800 for foreign non-residents, USD 700 for foreign residents, USD 500 for Rest of Africa visitors and UGX 300,000 for East African Community citizens.
Use the full Uganda gorilla permits guide for category rules and the current planning notes.
Rwanda gorilla permits
Rwanda Development Board lists the standard foreign visitor gorilla permit at USD 1,500 per person for Volcanoes National Park.
RDB also publishes promotional categories for qualifying residents, Rwandans, East African citizens and African citizens. Those promotions can carry date restrictions, so they should be checked against the official booking platform at the time of purchase.
Use the Rwanda gorilla permits guide before payment.
Minimum age
The current minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15 years in both Uganda and Rwanda.
Which permit is better value?
Uganda has the lower standard foreign permit cost and now offers specific low-season discounts. Rwanda has the higher permit price but gives easier access for short trips arriving through Kigali.
Compare the total journey rather than the permit in isolation. A shorter Rwanda trip may use fewer hotel nights and road days. A Uganda trip can combine gorillas more naturally with chimpanzees and a longer wildlife safari.
See Uganda vs Rwanda gorilla trekking.
When should the permit be booked?
Check availability before making non-refundable lodge and flight decisions if gorilla trekking is the main reason for travel.
In Bwindi, the permit sector should come before the lodge. In Rwanda, the date still anchors the Volcanoes National Park stay.
Can Empathy Tours hold or guarantee permits?
Permit inventory belongs to UWA or RDB. We can check availability and arrange purchase as part of a trip, but we do not invent availability or guarantee a permit until it has been secured through the responsible authority.
