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Volcanoes National Park has a number of habituated gorilla families that visitors can trek, each led by a silverback and each with its own character, size and home range. You are matched to one at the morning briefing, based on fitness and where the family is that day. Families change over time.
Table of Contents
- What "a gorilla family" means here
- How a family is organised
- The families you are most likely to hear about
- How the names are given
- How trekkers are matched to a family
- Why the hike differs so much between families
- Where the research began
- What to ask your operator
- A note on ethical viewing
- What a good day with a family looks like
- How a family changes over the years
- Volcanoes, and the families beyond it
- Frequently Asked Questions
What "a gorilla family" means here
When trekking guides in Rwanda talk about a family, they mean a group of mountain gorillas that has been followed by trackers for years until it tolerates human observers at a respectful distance. That process is called habituation, and it takes a long time. It is why only some of the gorillas in the Virunga volcanoes can be visited.
Each habituated family is monitored daily by trackers, and visitors are limited to eight per family per day. If you are planning your first trek, our page on gorilla trekking in Rwanda explains how permits and family assignments work. This article gives you the background so you understand what you are being assigned to.
How a family is organised
A family is built around a dominant male, the silverback, named for the band of silver hair across his back once he matures. Around him are adult females, their infants and juveniles, and sometimes younger males called blackbacks. Some families have more than one silverback. Family sizes range from a handful of animals to more than twenty.
Our detailed piece on how a gorilla family works covers the roles in depth, including why the silverback is the group's protector, and why females and young gorillas move in and out of families over time. Knowing the vocabulary makes your hour with the gorillas far richer, because you begin to see relationships instead of just animals.
The families you are most likely to hear about
Several family names come up again and again in trip reports. The list below gives what is widely known about each. Composition and location change, so treat this as background and ask the guide on the day.
| Family | What the name suggests | What visitors often mention |
|---|---|---|
| Susa | Named for the Susa river | One of the older, larger groups, associated with the research history of the park and a longer hike |
| Sabyinyo | Named for Mount Sabyinyo, "old man's teeth" | Known for a very large silverback |
| Amahoro | "Peace" in Kinyarwanda | A well-known group on the higher, hillier ground |
| Umubano | "Neighbourliness" | Formed after a split from another group |
| Hirwa | "Lucky one" | A family formed from gorillas that came together |
| Kwitonda | "Humble one" | A group often mentioned in trek reports |
| Bwenge | "Wisdom" | Another established family with a Kinyarwanda name |
| Ugenda | "On the move" | Named for its wandering habits |
Names come from Kinyarwanda, which has an appealing habit of giving gorillas meanings that describe their character or story. If you want to learn a few words before you arrive, our short guide to Kinyarwanda phrases for travellers is a good start.
How the names are given
Rwanda's annual Kwita Izina naming ceremony is where infant gorillas receive their names in a public event. Family names, by contrast, usually come from the volcano, the founding silverback or a quality that the trackers noticed. It is a small, human detail in what can feel like a purely scientific process.
Naming matters because it lets researchers, trackers and rangers keep records for each individual. Over many years those records show which gorillas thrive, which have disappeared and how populations move. This monitoring, along with anti-poaching work, is one reason the mountain gorilla population has increased. Our article on why mountain gorillas are endangered explains what was at stake and what still is.
How trekkers are matched to a family
At the morning briefing, the guides at Kinigi place you in a group of up to eight visitors, then link that group to a family. Two things drive the match:
- Your fitness and comfort with steep ground. Guides ask you to be candid, and you should be.
- Where each family slept last night. A family that has drifted high up the slopes is a harder day than one that stayed near the forest edge.
You can state a preference, for example a family with a young infant, but the guides decide on the day. A common mistake is to pay extra for a specific family through an operator, then find that trackers cannot guarantee it. Ask your operator what they promise and what they only request.
Tell your guide if you want photography time or a gentler walk. A family that stayed low means more time with the gorillas and less time on the hill.
Why the hike differs so much between families
Each family has its own home range, and its movements follow food. Bamboo shoots, wild celery and vines are all seasonal, so a family that was easy to reach last month may be far up the mountain this month. This is why guides describe the hike as a matter of the day, not of the family. Our gorilla family trekking difficulty note explains how difficulty is judged and what you can do to prepare.
Some families are more habituated to visitors and easy to watch. Others remain wary, so you may see less of them. Neither is better, and the experience of watching a nervous group slowly relax is one many guests remember more vividly than an easy one.
Where the research began
The history of gorilla work in these volcanoes is part of the story of every family you meet. Dian Fossey started her work near Mount Visoke in 1967, and the Karisoke research centre grew from it. To understand the roots of the science, read who Dian Fossey was and what she left behind and our profile of Karisoke, Dian Fossey's research camp.
Research continues today, and the guides and trackers you meet are part of a long chain of people who have followed these animals through the decades. If you would like to pair your trek with a hike to the site of the original camp, our Dian Fossey tomb hike is one way to do it.
What to ask your operator
Before you book, ask the following:
- Will you request a specific family for us, and what happens if it is not possible?
- How many nights do you recommend near the park, given the possibility of a longer trek?
- Is a porter included, and is there a fee for one?
- What is your policy if a trek is cancelled by weather or gorilla movements?
- Who will drive us, and will the same driver-guide stay with us throughout?
A clear operator answers these easily. A vague answer is a sign to look elsewhere.
A note on ethical viewing
The gorillas are wild animals. You are a guest in their territory. The one-hour limit, the seven-metre distance and the rules on illness exist because human contact can carry disease, cause stress and change group behaviour. Choose an operator that respects those limits, and never ask a guide to bend them. Our overview of responsible tourism explains how permit fees support communities and conservation around the park.
What a good day with a family looks like
The gorillas' behaviour changes through the day, and knowing the pattern helps you enjoy it. Early in the morning families are often feeding, moving steadily through vegetation and pulling stems apart with their hands. Around midday they tend to rest, with adults lying back and juveniles wrestling nearby. Infants are curious, and it is not unusual for one to come close before a mother calls it back.
Do not expect a performance. Some mornings the family sits in dense bamboo and you see mostly fur through leaves. Other mornings they cross open ground and pass within a few metres of you. The guides read these signals and will position the group so everyone gets a view, so follow their lead and move only when they move.
How a family changes over the years
A family is not fixed. Infants are born, juveniles grow into blackbacks, old silverbacks lose status and females move between groups. A young male may leave to start his own family, and sometimes a family splits because two silverbacks cannot share leadership. That is how new families appear in the trekking list.
This is why any printed list, including the one above, ages. Trackers keep the records and pass them to the guides, and the briefing at Kinigi is the most reliable source of the current picture. If you have visited before and want to see a different family, tell your operator, because they can request one you have not yet met.
Volcanoes, and the families beyond it
The families you can trek in Rwanda belong to the Virunga population, which spreads across Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Visitors to Rwanda trek only on the Rwandan side. If you want a wider comparison of where gorillas can be seen, our guide to where to see gorillas in Africa explains the options, and our comparison of Bwindi and Volcanoes helps if you are weighing Uganda too.
Our Volcanoes National Park page describes the landscape around the trekking area, including the five volcanoes, the golden monkeys and the walking routes for days when you are not with gorillas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gorilla families can tourists visit in Volcanoes National Park?
There are several habituated families, and the exact number can change as groups grow, split or new ones are habituated. Ask your operator for the current list when you book.
Can I choose which gorilla family I trek?
You can state a preference, and the guides will try to meet it. The final assignment depends on your fitness, your group and where each family is on the day.
Which family is the easiest to reach?
There is no fixed answer, because families move with the seasons and their food. A family that spent the night near the park boundary is easy, while one high on the slopes is not.
How many people visit each family?
A maximum of eight visitors is allowed per family per day. This protects the gorillas and keeps your group small and quiet.
Do gorilla families ever split or merge?
Yes. Females can transfer between families, and a group can divide when there is more than one strong silverback. That is why family names and sizes are updated over time.
Are the gorillas fed or tamed?
No. They are wild and forage for themselves. Habituation only means they tolerate observers at a respectful distance.