Fewer than 1,100 mountain gorillas remain on earth. Every
single one of them lives in a narrow band of high-altitude forest along the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the
Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park — built on the Rwandan flank of the
Virunga Massif — protects more than twelve habituated gorilla families, each monitored daily by the
Rwanda Development Board's rangers and trackers, each available to permitted visitors for a one-hour encounter
that most people describe, without embarrassment, as one of the defining experiences of their lives.
We arrange access to those gorillas. Not the standard
access — private access. Your group, your guide team, your hour with the animals. No strangers in your
frame. No shared timing or compromised positioning. The full experience, structured entirely around your
party.
We also arrange what goes around it: the lodge, the
transport, the additional experiences at Volcanoes National Park and across Rwanda, and the specialist permits
required for professional photography and film work. Everything on this page is an official Rwanda Development
Board (RDB) product. Every price quoted is the published RDB rate.
OUR CORE RWANDA GORILLA EXPERIENCES
01
$1,500 PER PERSON
Standard Mountain Gorilla Trekking Permit
The standard gorilla trekking permit at Volcanoes National Park costs $1,500 per person and admits one
person to a gorilla family for one hour. A maximum of eight people are permitted per gorilla group per
day — which is why, when you book a private gorilla trek for your group of four, you are in the
forest with three other parties you have never met unless you hold the right permit. The standard permit
is the entry point. It is also, for the right kind of traveller on the right kind of itinerary, entirely
sufficient.
We arrange standard gorilla trekking permits as part of private Rwanda itineraries — where the
permit is one element of a wider journey rather than a standalone transaction. Our guides and transport are
private regardless of which permit tier you choose. The difference between products lies in what happens
when you reach the gorilla family.
PRICE$1,500 per person (Foreign Non-Resident rate)
DURATION1 hour with the gorilla family
GROUP CAPMax 8 people per gorilla family per day
MINIMUM AGE15 years
DEPARTURE07h00, Kinigi Park Headquarters
LOW SEASON RATE$1,050 per person (Nov–May, combined park itinerary required)
The Exclusive Mountain Gorilla Experience is Rwanda Development Board's dedicated private product. At
$15,000 for a group of up to eight people, it replaces the shared-group dynamics of the standard permit
with an encounter that belongs entirely to your party. No other visitors are assigned to your gorilla
family on the day of your booking, regardless of group size. Two people or eight pay the same price and
receive the same exclusive access.
What the Exclusive Experience adds beyond simply having the family to yourselves:
A park personnel representative visits your lodge on the morning of the trek to brief your group
personally — covering the specific family you will be visiting, their recent range, their current
silverback's character, and any notes relevant to your group's interests
A separate personalised briefing at Kinigi Park Headquarters from senior RDB staff before departure
Gorilla family selection by special request, accommodated when possible — relevant for
photographers targeting specific families, and for repeat visitors returning to a group they have
encountered before
Flexible starting time between 08h00 and 11h00, rather than the 07h00 standard time shared by all
other trekkers
PRICE$15,000 per group (up to 8 people)
DURATION1 hour, private
MINIMUM AGE15 years
FLEXIBLE START08h00–11h00
BOOKINGThrough licensed Rwanda-based operator only — not available on IREMBO directly
The Exclusive Experience is the right product for couples and small private
groups who want the gorilla hour to themselves; for photographers who need unobstructed positioning; for
honeymooners, anniversary trips, and significant birthdays where the experience is meant to feel singular;
and for anyone who has decided that sharing this moment with strangers is not the experience they came
for.
The Behind the Scene Package is a different product entirely. At $15,000 for a minimum of three
visitors over three consecutive days, it takes a private group inside the operational world of mountain
gorilla conservation in a way that no other gorilla experience on earth provides.
Includes every element of the Exclusive Experience, plus, over three days:
Conservation presentation by park management — population data, health monitoring protocols,
habituation progress reports, anti-poaching operational strategy
Trekking with tracking experts and gorilla conservation specialists who know each individual by
name and character
Live access to anti-poaching teams patrolling the park's boundaries and the buffer zone communities
Time with gorilla researchers conducting long-term behavioural studies on the habituated families
Gorilla Doctors veterinary team access — the vets who monitor family health and intervene when
medical issues arise
Community visit with former poachers, now integrated into the conservation economy
Complimentary golden monkey trekking (normally $100 per person)
Complimentary nature walks in Volcanoes National Park
Musanze Caves — the 2km lava tube network (normally $50 per person)
Buhanga Eco-park — Rwanda's sacred ancient forest (normally $40 per person)
Personalised signed photograph with the rangers, guides, researchers, and conservation experts
PRICE$15,000 for the 3-day package
MINIMUM GROUP3 visitors
MAXIMUM GROUP8 people
DURATION3 consecutive days at Volcanoes National Park
BOOKINGLicensed Rwanda-based operator, minimum 3–6 months lead time recommended
The Behind the Scene Package is for conservation professionals, serious
wildlife photographers on multi-day assignments, documentary film productions who need access to the
operational side of the park, and private groups for whom understanding the conservation story is as
important as the gorilla encounter itself.
Gorilla Filming and Professional Photography Permit
Commercial photography and documentary film work with mountain gorillas requires a separate filming
permit from RDB, in addition to the gorilla trekking permit or Exclusive Experience booking. The base
filming permit costs $5,000 and covers three consecutive days of professional photography and filming at
Volcanoes National Park.
For productions involving a crew — a director, cinematographer, sound recordist, and additional
personnel — an additional crew permit applies at $12,000 per day for a crew of up to eight people,
charged in addition to the $5,000 base fee.
PHOTOGRAPHY PERMIT$5,000 (3 consecutive days)
FILM CREW PERMIT$12,000 per day, max 8 crew members
FILMING IN VNP W/O GORILLAS$1,800 per production
CHIMPANZEE FILMING (NYUNGWE)$1,000 per group per day
OTHER NYUNGWE SUBJECTS$600 per group per day
APPLICATIONLicensed operator, min. 6–8 weeks lead time (photography); 3+ months for productions
Personal photography by trekking visitors —
for non-commercial, personal use — is covered by the standard gorilla permit. Flash photography is
prohibited regardless of permit type.
Volcanoes National Park offers a range of experiences
beyond gorilla trekking, all with official RDB permit fees. We arrange these as part of combined Rwanda private
itineraries.
Nyungwe National Park in southwest Rwanda protects
one of Africa's most significant remaining montane rainforests — 1,019km² of ancient forest home
to 13 primate species, more than 300 bird species, and some of the most dramatic forest walking in East
Africa. We arrange Nyungwe experiences as part of combined Rwanda gorilla and primate itineraries.
Rwanda Development Board offers a 30% discount on the standard gorilla
trekking permit during the low season months of November through May, reducing the per-person cost from
$1,500 to $1,050. The discount is conditional: it applies only to combined itineraries that include a minimum
of 3 days / 2 nights at Akagera National Park and/or Nyungwe National Park, with proof of booking required at
the time of permit purchase. The discount does not apply to the Exclusive Experience, the Behind the Scene
Package, or any filming permit.
The low season months are not a compromise. The forest is denser, the
light is softer, the trails are quieter, and the gorilla families are as present and accessible as at any
other time of year. Many photographers specifically prefer the overcast conditions and saturated vegetation of
the rainy season.
MICE delegates attending an international conference hosted in Rwanda
are eligible for a separate 15% discount — $1,275 per person — with proof of conference
registration, available year-round.
BOOKING PROCEDURES AND PAYMENT
How Booking Works
All Rwanda tourism experience permits are issued by Rwanda
Development Board (RDB) and booked through IREMBO (irembo.gov.rw/tourism) or through a licensed Rwanda-based
tour operator. Bookings are first-come, first-served.
For standard gorilla permits purchased directly through IREMBO, a
non-refundable deposit is required to confirm the booking, with the balance payable on arrival in Rwanda. For
bookings made through a licensed Rwanda-based operator, a deposit of 40% ($600 on the standard permit) is
required at the time of booking, with the balance due one month before the visit date. Advance bookings can
be made up to two years ahead.
Rescheduling is permitted with a minimum of seven days' advance
notice, once per booking, within 12 months of the original purchase date, subject to availability. RDB
contact for permit queries: reservation@rwandatourism.com
| Tel: +250 252 576 514.
Payment is accepted by Visa, Mastercard, China Union Pay, and other
major credit cards. Cash in USD is accepted at park offices, though card payment is preferred.
Plan Your Private Rwanda Gorilla Trip
Every private Rwanda gorilla trip we arrange begins with your dates and
what you want from the experience. From there, we confirm permit availability with RDB, propose the right
gorilla product for your group — standard permit, Exclusive Experience, or Behind the Scene Package
— select the appropriate lodge accommodation, arrange private transport, and coordinate any specialist
permits for photography or filming.
Peak season dates (June–September, December–February) sell
out early. For the Exclusive Experience and Behind the Scene Package, six to twelve months of lead time is the
practical minimum for preferred dates. Standard permits for low season travel can often be arranged with
shorter notice.
Why Book Through Us — Every Detail, Handled Privately
OFFICIAL RDB RATES, ALWAYS
Every permit we arrange is an official Rwanda Development Board
product, quoted at the published RDB rate — never marked up, never informal.
PRIVATE FROM START TO FINISH
Guides and transport are private regardless of which permit
tier you choose — the standard entry point or the fully exclusive experience.
48-HOUR PROPOSAL TURNAROUND
Tell us your dates, group size and preferred experience tier. We
reply with a bespoke proposal within 48 hours.
EVERY TREK FUNDS CONSERVATION
A meaningful share of every permit we arrange supports ranger
salaries, anti-poaching patrols, and community programs in the villages bordering each park.
