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A gorilla trekking day starts before dawn with the drive to Kinigi, then a briefing, an assignment to a gorilla family, a hike of one to four hours or more, and one hour with the gorillas. You are usually back at your lodge by early afternoon. Wear boots, carry water, and keep your camera ready.
Table of Contents
- The short version of the day
- The evening before
- The drive to Kinigi
- The briefing and your gorilla family
- What the guides ask you to do
- The drive and walk to the trailhead
- Trackers, rangers and the search
- Meeting the gorillas
- Photographing without spoiling the hour
- The walk out and the rest of your day
- Mistakes that spoil the day
- Frequently Asked Questions
The short version of the day
A gorilla trekking day in Rwanda follows the same shape every time, even though no two treks are alike. You wake early, reach the park headquarters at Kinigi for a briefing, are assigned to one gorilla family, hike with guides and trackers until you find them, spend one hour in their company, and walk back out. Some groups are back at the trailhead within two hours of setting off. Others walk for four or five.
This article follows the day in order, so you know what is happening and what is expected of you at each stage. If you have not yet booked, start with our page on gorilla trekking in Rwanda, which explains the permit, the parks and how we organise the trip. The permit, as of this writing, costs USD 1,500 per person, and it is the one fixed cost that every other decision is built around.
The evening before
Most of the work of a good trek is done the night before. Lay out your clothes and check your bag. Fill your water bottle, charge the camera battery and clear the memory card. Put your passport copy and permit confirmation in a plastic bag, because the day can be wet even in the dry season.
Eat a proper dinner and go to bed early. The alarm will be early, and you will hike better if you have slept. If you are still deciding what to bring, our list of what to pack for gorilla trekking covers boots, gloves, rain gear and layers in detail.
Gardening gloves are cheap and worth carrying. The forest is full of stinging nettles and thorny stems, and you will use your hands to steady yourself on steep ground.
The drive to Kinigi
If you sleep in Kigali, the drive to Musanze and the park headquarters at Kinigi takes roughly two to two and a half hours on tarmac, so you leave in the dark. Many guests choose to spend the night before in or near Musanze instead, which turns the morning into a short drive and gives you a slower start. Our note on where to stay near Volcanoes National Park compares the options.
Your driver will reach Kinigi at the time your permit specifies, usually early morning. <!-- VERIFY: current briefing start time at Kinigi -->There is tea or coffee, and often a short traditional dance performance by local performers while guests gather. It is a good moment to use the toilet, buy a walking stick if you want one, and sort out a porter.
The briefing and your gorilla family
Guides brief every group before it sets off. They explain the rules, describe the gorilla families available that morning and match visitors to families. A maximum of eight visitors can join a family in one day, which is why permits sell out and why your group is always small.
The match is made on fitness, age and preference. Tell the guide honestly how you feel about steep ground. If you want an easier walk, ask for it. If you are fit and want a long climb toward a family that lives high on the slopes, say so. The guides do their best to accommodate you, though where the gorillas slept the night before decides the walk more than anything else. Our guide to how gorilla families are named and how they differ explains what each family is known for.
What the guides ask you to do
The rules are simple, and they protect the gorillas as much as you:
- Stay about seven metres from the gorillas, and move back if they come closer to you.
- Keep your voice low and do not point or make sudden movements.
- Never eat, drink or smoke near the animals.
- Turn your flash off.
- Do not touch a gorilla, even if a young one approaches.
- Cover a cough or sneeze, and tell your guide if you are unwell, because gorillas can catch human illnesses.
Follow the guide's instructions the moment they give one. They read the group's mood far better than you can.
The drive and walk to the trailhead
After the briefing, each group travels by vehicle to the trailhead for its family. This can be a short ride or up to half an hour along rough village roads, so a four-wheel-drive is used. Then you walk. The first section usually crosses potato fields and farmland, and you will pass the low volcanic stone wall that marks the park boundary.
Beyond the wall the land changes. You enter bamboo, then thicker montane forest, with the Virunga volcanoes rising above you when the cloud lifts. The ground is uneven, often muddy and sometimes steep. The pace is set by the slowest person in the group, and the guides stop as often as needed.
Trackers, rangers and the search
Trackers leave earlier in the morning to find where each family spent the night. They follow trails, nests and dung, and radio your guide when they have located the gorillas. Armed rangers walk with you as well. They are there mainly for the risk of buffalo or elephant, and they rarely need to do more than watch.
The wait for that radio call is a large part of why a trek can last from about one hour to around four or more. If you would like a fuller picture of how demanding a trek can be, read how fit you need to be for gorilla trekking.
| Stage | Typical time | What you are doing |
|---|---|---|
| Drive from Kigali | 2 to 2.5 hours | Early start, tarmac to Musanze |
| Briefing at Kinigi | About 1 hour | Rules, family assignment, porters |
| Drive to trailhead | 15 to 30 minutes | Rough village roads |
| Hike to the gorillas | 1 to 4 hours or more | Farmland, bamboo, forest |
| With the gorillas | 1 hour | Watching, photographing |
| Hike back and drive | 1 to 3 hours | Return to Kinigi and lodge |
Meeting the gorillas
Near the gorillas the guide asks you to leave your bag and walking stick with your porter, and to bring only a camera and a little water. Then you step forward slowly, often through a tunnel of vegetation, and suddenly the group is in front of you. You might see a silverback resting with his back to you, a mother grooming an infant, or juveniles playing in the branches.
Your hour begins when you reach them, not when you left the vehicle. Keep still for the first few minutes and let the gorillas decide how close they are comfortable with you. Then watch. Learning who is who is easier than it sounds if you know what a family is made of, and our piece on how a gorilla family works gives you the language to follow what you are seeing.
Photographing without spoiling the hour
The light under the canopy is low and green. Use a fast lens if you have one, raise your ISO rather than using flash and keep spare batteries in a pocket. Even so, put the camera down for a while. Guests who spend the whole hour behind a lens often say afterward that they did not really look at the gorillas. Our guide to photographing mountain gorillas covers settings and framing in more detail.
The time limit with the gorillas is one hour, and the guide will call it when the hour is up. Gorillas move constantly, so it is normal to change position several times during that hour.
The walk out and the rest of your day
Guides give the signal at the hour and you leave the gorillas quietly. The walk back is usually easier, and the mood is high. Most groups reach the trailhead in early afternoon, drive back to Kinigi and meet their vehicle. This is also the moment to thank your porter, and to ask your operator how tipping guides and trackers is usually handled.
If you are staying near Musanze, a hot shower and a late lunch are the right response. If you are returning to Kigali, plan to arrive in the evening. Our 3-day gorilla trekking itinerary is built to give you a night on either side so you are never rushing back.
Mistakes that spoil the day
A few small things cause most disappointment:
- Wearing new boots. Break them in for a few weeks first.
- Under-packing water. Take more than you think.
- Skipping the porter on a hard trek. Read our note on whether to hire a porter.
- Telling the guide you are fitter than you are, then struggling on a long climb.
- Booking an early flight out the same afternoon. Weather and search time can extend the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a gorilla trek take from start to finish?
The walk to the gorillas can take from about one hour to four hours or more, depending on where they slept. Add the hour with them, the walk back and the drive, and most people finish between midday and mid afternoon.
What time do I need to be at the park headquarters?
You need to arrive early in the morning for the briefing. Your operator will confirm the exact time on your permit, and if you sleep in Kigali you should expect to leave before sunrise.
Can I choose which gorilla family I see?
You can state a preference, and guides will try to match it to your fitness and the day's availability. The final assignment depends on where each family is that morning and on who else is in your group.
Do I need to be very fit to trek?
Some treks are short and gentle, and others are steep and long. Tell the guide your ability at the briefing so you are matched to a suitable family, and consider a porter if you are unsure.
Can I take a bag with me to the gorillas?
Carry water and a camera, and leave the rest with a porter or in the vehicle. Guides ask you to bring as little as possible into the gorilla area.
What happens if it rains?
The trek goes ahead in most conditions. Rain makes the ground slippery and the forest darker, so wear waterproofs and boots with a good tread.