Mountain Gorilla Families

In Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, there are over twenty families of Mountain Gorilla, comprised of around 280 individual gorillas, living on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes. Of these twenty families, twelve families are visited with ten families being visited each day. The Parks Authority rotates the families that you trek to see, on a daily basis. For many, seeing gorillas in the wild offers a wildlife experience of a lifetimFor those interested in seeing the Mountain Gorilla in its natural habitat, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge in Rwanda offers the perfect location to base yourself. Sabyinyo Silverback lodge is located only 15 minutes drive from the Volcanoes National Park headquarters, the starting point for the Gorilla treks.

Gorilla treks take place in the morning and depart from the Park Headquarters at around 07:30am. Prior to departure you are given a briefing by park staff, assigned a gorilla family to visit and rangers to guide you. The treks take place on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes and clients should be in good physical condition as some of the trek can be physically demanding. The treks normally start in the cultivated land on the base of the volcanoes and then you are guided up into the beautiful dense misty forests.

The trek normally lasts between 2 and 5 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family and a maximum of eight visitors is allowed per gorilla family.

Once you reach the gorillas you are permitted to stay for one hour to view them. The minimum age for gorilla trekking in Rwanda is 15 years. A maximum of 80 gorilla permits are issued per day and during high season these sell out far in advance, it is therefore important to book gorilla permits as early as possible. Gorilla Permits currently cost USD$ 1500 per person per trek.

If you are interested in planning a gorilla trekking safari, then please contact us and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have, advise you of current availability of gorilla permits and help you plan your safari.