Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Packages with the Permit Included

Package prices and terms

The Shalom Safaris trek is the cheapest at $2,650 and has the most reviews, 26. The Devine trek costs $2,687 with free cancellation 24 hours ahead and lunch included. The Hope Tours trek costs $2,675 but is all sales final, so it suits a traveller whose dates are locked.

The table compares the listings on price, length, rating and cancellation. Every price includes the gorilla permit.

Where the money goes

The Rwanda gorilla tracking permit for a foreign non-resident costs $1,500 per person per day on the RDB portal, and Visit Rwanda prints the same rate. That is more than half of every package price on this page.

The rest covers the 4x4, the driver-guide, lunch and the transfer from Kigali. Visit Rwanda calls the drive to the park three hours, which is what makes a single-day trip possible.

Uganda or Rwanda

Uganda's gorilla permit is $800 for foreign non-residents, and its treks run 2 to 7 hours. The 4-Day Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Tour at $2,500 includes one Uganda permit, and the full comparison is in Rwanda vs Uganda gorilla trekking.

Permit price and supply

The RDB portal and Visit Rwanda both list the foreign non-resident rate at $1,500 per person per day. The price rose from $750 to $1,500 for all visitors on 6 May 2017 according to an RDB notice.

Supply is tight. Only 96 gorilla permits are issued daily in Rwanda, eight per troop per day. Bookings are first come first served, and mountain gorilla tracking can be booked in advance. Book as early as your travel dates are firm.

An RDB low season discount gives 30% off permits from November to May, but only for combined trips that also include Akagera and/or Nyungwe with paid nights and activities, one discounted permit per 3 day, 2 night stay. Promotional rates for residents and African citizens do not apply from June to October.

From briefing to the hour

Briefing at Kinigi starts at 7am. Rangers assign each group of at most 8 visitors to one family, then you drive to the trailhead and track on foot, keeping 7 metres from the gorillas.

Hikes run 30 minutes to four or more hours at 2,500 to 4,000 metres. Porters are available at the start to carry packs and help on steep sections, and gumboots, raincoats and gloves can be hired at headquarters.

What to expect in and out of the price

The permit is your place in one group of eight on your trekking date. RDB does not publish what else it covers, so the vehicle, driver-guide and lunch are the package's part: Shalom Safaris lists lunch and soft drinks, Devine lunch and bottled water, Hope Tours refreshments and lunch. Tips and porters are extra on all three.

Shalom Safaris marks its permit non-refundable and subject to availability.

Difficulty in practice

The family you are given at the 7am briefing decides the effort, and the trek can run four or more hours at altitude. A porter lightens the day. The minimum trekking age is 15 years, set by RDB, so younger children cannot join at any fitness level.

The full picture is in is gorilla trekking in Rwanda safe.

Refund rules from the regulator

RDB's rules are clear. You get a 75% refund if you track all day without contact with a gorilla family. If the group's movement prevents tracking all day, you get another chance or a full refund. There is no refund for late arrivals or flight delays, so build buffer into your arrival plans.

This matters for package choice. The Shalom Safaris and Devine treks both offer free cancellation 24 hours ahead on the package side. The Hope Tours trek is all sales final, so pair it with flexible flights.

Verifying your permit

Ask the operator for the permit in your own name and passport number, and a copy once it is issued. RDB generates the permit automatically once the application is complete, and documents are checked at the park gate, where a wrong name can mean denied entry. Pay through the booking platform and keep everything in writing.

A quick decision path

If your dates might change, take Shalom Safaris at $2,650 or Devine at $2,687, both with free cancellation 24 hours ahead. If your dates are fixed and you want the longest day, take Hope Tours at $2,675, listed at 12 hours.

All three share the same park rules, the same one hour with the gorillas and the same $1,500 permit inside the price.