Is Gorilla Trekking Safe?

The gorillas are used to people

Every family you are allowed to visit is habituated, which means the gorillas are used to being around humans. Gorillas are not predatory or aggressive, but they can be defensive around their babies. A silverback is still an enormous animal.

The average adult male can weigh around 180 kg and stand 1.7 m tall, and some sources give a range of 150 to 180 kg. Despite that size, mountain gorillas are gentle and not interested in hurting humans.

The escort system inside the parks

In Rwanda all tourists are escorted by armed rangers while tracking, and the country is considered one of the safest in the world. In Uganda a standby military base works with armed rangers and tourism police inside Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Park. Before the trek itself, a rules briefing is conducted at Kinigi before visits in Volcanoes National Park.

You report to the Visitor Information centre at park entry at 07:00 and the briefing at the RDB offices in Kinigi starts at 7:00 AM on the trek day.

The full rulebook

You accept these rules at the briefing, and your guide enforces them on the ground. The distance rule of 7 to 10 metres has a health reason as well as a safety one, because it minimises the spread of infectious human diseases. The Rwanda Development Board portal states the same figure as 7 meters, about 22 feet, from the gorillas.

The Gorilla Friendly Pledge adds three more habits: maintain physical distance, wear a facemask at all times, and leave no waste in the park. Spitting in the park is strictly prohibited.

If a gorilla comes close

Stay submissive and avoid eye contact if a gorilla approaches you. Do not run and do not raise your voice. At times gorillas charge or get irritated by human presence, and visitors must observe the park guide's instructions.

The guide knows the family and will tell you exactly what to do, usually to crouch down and stay still until the animal moves on.

The incident record

For over 20 years there has been no security incidence in Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Park. A negative first-hand trip review from Bwindi does exist, where a reviewer describes a horrible gorilla trekking experience and argues it was not all magical. The same reviewer acknowledges that trekking is a main reason the animals are kept safe in Bwindi National Park.

So the honest picture is this: the serious risk people imagine, an attack or a security event, does not show up in the record for these parks. The realistic downside is a hard day in the forest and a visit that feels less magical than the photographs suggested. Manage your expectations and the trek will still be worth it, which is why gorilla trekking worth it remains the most common follow-up question here.

Gorilla trekking incidents you can actually control

The incidents worth planning for are small and avoidable. Book with a registered operator, check reviews before you pay, and never send money to individual accounts. Keep about 7 metres from gorillas and follow the guide.

Document doubts can also hurt you in Rwanda, because wrong or false applications can lead to denied entry even with a paid permit, so send supporting documents to the RDB reservation email before the visit.

How long and how hard

Gorilla trekking can take from 30 minutes to three quarters of the day, so you need to prepare for both outcomes. In Rwanda the tracking can be between 90 minutes and the whole morning depending on which family group is assigned. Trek length and difficulty vary by park, weather and assigned troop, and you can generally ask to be assigned a troop near or far from the starting point.

Trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is usually easier than other parks, though gorilla families sometimes move to higher altitudes and rain makes trails muddy and slippery. Guides will go at a comfortable pace with plenty of breaks if you ask.

What to wear and pack

The Gorilla Friendly Pledge recommends hiking boots or sturdy shoes, waterproof clothing, long sleeves and gloves. Gumboots, raincoats and gloves can also be hired at the park headquarters for the Bisoke hike, which is useful if you arrive underprepared. Porters are available to carry backpacks and cameras and help on the route, and hiring one also puts a local income behind conservation.

The sickness ban

The Rwanda Development Board states you must not visit if you are sick with a cold, flu or other contagious illness. This is the rule with the sharpest consequence for travellers, because gorillas catch human diseases easily. Know the money rules too, because illness on the day is not a refund case.

The RDB portal states that no refund is made in case of late arrivals, flight delay, absence or cancellation of trip for any other reason. If the group's movement prevents tracking all day, you get another chance or a full refund, and if you track all day but fail to contact a gorilla family, 75% of the tracking fee is refunded.

Rwanda, Uganda and Congo head to head

Rwanda is considered one of the safest countries in the world and all tourists are escorted by armed rangers while tracking. Uganda and Rwanda are stable countries, and for over 20 years there has been no security incidence in Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla Park. Virunga National Park in Congo is not always secure and open to tourists, visitors are escorted by armed guards and rangers, and the park sometimes closes.

On physical difficulty, trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is usually easier, while Bwindi's terrain varies more by trailhead. Check the Bwindi Gorilla Trekking from Kigali route if you want Uganda's forest with a Rwanda start.

Age, fitness and group size

The minimum age for gorilla tracking in Rwanda is 15 years, and a maximum of 8 visitors per group is allowed. Only 96 gorilla permits are issued daily in Rwanda, eight per troop per day, so book early to control your family assignment. If altitude worries you, remember the hike happens at 2,500m to 4,000m in Rwanda.

Ask for a family near the trailhead, request a comfortable pace with plenty of breaks, and hire a porter. On the money side, rescheduling a confirmed permit carries a processing fee of 20% of the application fee, approved automatically more than 7 days before the visit and subject to RDB approval within 7 days.

Your permit funds the guards

Permit fees fund conservation initiatives and anti-poaching efforts including park guardians and awareness campaigns. In Rwanda, 10% of permit revenue goes to local communities, which is why the reviewer at Bwindi acknowledged that trekking is a main reason the animals are kept safe. The current Rwanda permit price for a foreign non-resident is $1,500.00 per person per day according to the RDB portal, and the Gorilla Friendly Pledge asks you to wear a facemask at all times and leave no waste.

Follow those two lines and your visit is both safe and ethical. If you want to see how the day runs before committing, the Gorilla Trekking Day Trip From Kigali page shows the shortest possible itinerary.