Tracking Mountain Gorilla’s through the misty forests requires patience and stamina and often means walking for hours in the mud and the wet. But the effort is more than worth it! Coming face to face with a Mountain Gorilla is an inspiring moment. It is both magical and a privilege to spend time with these most gentle of creatures. The guides that we use are the very best, they are all highly qualified, and extremely experienced with outstanding knowledge levels of their environment.
Getting to see gorillas is not easy, nor are you guaranteed to see them. The trek to where the gorilla groups live takes you through very dense vegetation, up steep slopes and can last several hours. Gorillas move around so they aren't all that easy to track. The gorillas you'll be meeting are habituated to humans which is why you are able to get quite close to them. Some basic rules of tracking gorillas include:
- You have to be over 15 years of age
- You cannot be sick or have any infectious disease
- Only one hour is allowed with the gorillas and you have to keep a distance of at least 5 metres
- Maximum number of visitors per day is 6-12 people per group
- No flash photography is allowed
- Trekkers must be fit and well equipped, which includes warm clothing for the wet cool climate high in the mountains
- No eating or drinking in the vicinity of the gorillas
- No touching the gorillas (although they may decide to touch you)
Gorilla Permits
Most mountain gorilla safaris need to be planned well in advance because permits to see the gorillas are very restricted. You need an official permit handled by each of the National Parks to see the gorillas, we will arrange this for you.
In Uganda and Rwanda gorilla permits are USD 500 per day per person.