Can You Book a Gorilla Permit Yourself?
Yes, and it costs exactly the same — it's a fixed government fee. What you take on is the friction: bank transfers, days between replies, and sole responsibility for matching sector to lodge.
Read BlogEverything involved in trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda — permits, sectors, families, fitness, and what the day actually looks like.
Start hereAfrica's single most sought-after wildlife experience, explained end to end — what it involves, where to go, what it costs, and how to decide, with links to every deeper guide you'll need.
Read the guideYes, and it costs exactly the same — it's a fixed government fee. What you take on is the friction: bank transfers, days between replies, and sole responsibility for matching sector to lodge.
Read BlogNo — and none anywhere in southern Africa. The nearest wild population is around 3,000 km north. But Johannesburg is one of the better hubs for reaching them, which is why the trips pair well.
Read BlogNot one, anywhere on earth, and there never has been a lasting captive population. Every gorilla you've seen in a zoo is a different animal — almost always a western lowland gorilla.
Read BlogNo — and no operator selling you "Kenya gorilla trekking" should pretend otherwise. Where the gorillas actually live, what Kenya has instead, and how to put both into one trip.
Read BlogThere are none — Tanzania's great apes are chimpanzees. Where the gorillas really are, why the Serengeti combination still works, and how to read a listing that doesn't say so.
Read BlogThere's no road through Bwindi, so the four sectors are two to four hours apart and your permit names one of them. The single most consequential decision in planning a gorilla trek.
Read BlogEvery list of gorilla families online comes with exact member counts that are out of date by the time you read them — and you can't choose your family anyway. What's actually worth knowing.
Read Blog"Moderate fitness required" tells you nothing. An honest account of what the walking involves, what makes a trek hard, and the two free levers that change your day more than fitness does.
Read BlogThe seven-metre rule binds you, not the gorillas. What to do if a silverback charges, why trekking with a cold can kill a family, and the rules people most often get wrong.
Read BlogFour hours instead of one, in a group of four instead of eight, with the researchers doing the habituating. The real comparison isn't against one trek — it's against two.
Read BlogBook the lodge before the permit and you may end up two to four hours from your briefing point. The sequencing that works, how far ahead to book, and what's actually refundable.
Read BlogA gorilla permit is the biggest line item on any trekking trip — and a fixed government fee, not something any operator sets. A clear breakdown of permit prices in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo, and why they differ.
Read BlogYou've packed the boots and read the prep guides — but what does gorilla trekking day actually feel like? A realistic hour-by-hour walk-through, from the early wake-up to standing in front of a silverback.
Read BlogSame gorillas, two very different trips. We compare permit costs, travel time, terrain, and the wider safari — so you can decide whether Uganda or Rwanda is right for your gorilla trek.
Read BlogMountain gorillas are one of Africa's most awe-inspiring encounters. Here's how to prepare physically, mentally, and logistically for the trek of a lifetime.
Read BlogThree countries, three very different trips. A head-to-head comparison of cost, access, and the trek itself, to help you decide where to go gorilla trekking in Africa.
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