Itineraries. Updated November 2026. 5 min read.
Two countries, two sets of rules
Americans need a Kenya eTA for Kenya and a Rwanda visa, issued online or on arrival at the time of writing. Gorilla permits cost $1,500 and sell out months ahead for the dry seasons. Rules and fees change: check both governments' official sites before you book.
Visit Rwanda (official)Rwanda's gorillas cost more than Uganda's, and many people choose them anyway. The permit is $1,500 against $800, but you reach the park in about 2.5 hours on good tarmac from Kigali, the treks are on average shorter, and the whole trip feels simpler. Put three nights in the Maasai Mara in front of it and you have two of Africa's great wildlife encounters in nine days.
The route: one night in Nairobi, three in the Mara, a short flight to Kigali, a morning at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, two nights at Volcanoes National Park with one gorilla trek, and home from Kigali. It starts at about $7,500 per person sharing, including one gorilla permit. It is a sample route we tailor, not a fixed departure.
Who this suits
- Travelers who want gorillas without long internal flights and rough roads
- Couples and older travelers who want the trek as short and well organised as possible
- Anyone already planning a Kenya safari who has a few days more and a gorilla on the bucket list
- Families with teenagers aged 15 or older, the minimum age for gorilla trekking
Rwanda or Uganda for the gorillas
| Rwanda: Volcanoes | Uganda: Bwindi | |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | $1,500 | $800 |
| From Nairobi | 1 hour 20 to Kigali, then about 2.5 hours by road | About 1 hour 15 to Entebbe, a light aircraft, then 1 to 2 hours by road |
| The trek | Often shorter on average, on volcano slopes and bamboo | Often longer, steep and wet, through dense forest |
| Lodges | Higher prices at the top end | More choice at mid-range prices |
| Visa | Rwanda visa, or the East Africa Tourist Visa | Uganda visa, or the East Africa Tourist Visa |
If budget is the deciding factor, Uganda wins and our Kenya and Uganda route shows how. If time and ease matter more, Rwanda usually does. Our Kenya vs Uganda guide sets the two countries side by side.
The gorilla day
The day starts at the park headquarters at Kinigi at about 7am, with coffee, traditional dancers and a briefing. Rangers assign each group of up to eight trekkers to a habituated gorilla family, matching the fitter walkers to the families further up the mountain; tell them honestly how you walk. Then you drive to the trailhead and climb, with trackers ahead in radio contact. The walk can take under an hour or several, on muddy, steep ground through farmland, bamboo and nettles. When you reach the family you have one hour with them, at a distance of several metres, cameras allowed and flash off. It is the hour people remember for the rest of their lives.
- Hire a porter at the trailhead: they carry your bag, help on the steep parts and the fee goes to the local community
- Wear long trousers, long sleeves, gardening gloves for the nettles and broken-in waterproof boots
- Pack rain gear, two litres of water and a snack; the weather changes fast at altitude
- You will not be allowed to trek with a cold or flu, because gorillas catch human illnesses
Permits and when to book
Permits are sold by the Rwanda Development Board and are tied to a date. For the dry seasons, June to September and December to February, book about six months ahead; the busiest weeks go sooner. We buy the permit first and build the trip around it, because a permit date cannot be moved as easily as a hotel. A second trek on the following day costs another $1,500 and doubles your chance of different light and a different family.
Kigali, and the memorial
Kigali is one of the cleanest and calmest capitals in Africa, and plastic bags are banned there as they are in Kenya. We spend the first morning at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi are buried. It is a hard visit and an essential one for understanding the country you are in; allow two to three hours. On the last Saturday of each month, Rwanda holds Umuganda, community work, and most roads are quiet until late morning, so we plan the drive to the volcanoes around it.
Visas and paperwork
| Item | At the time of writing | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya eTA | About $30 | Apply on the official site before you fly |
| Kenya inbound health insurance | About $52 with fees | Required for Kenya; not the same as travel insurance |
| Rwanda visa | About $50, online or on arrival | Check the current fee with Rwanda's immigration office |
| East Africa Tourist Visa | $100, covers Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda | Ask us whether it is still the better buy under Kenya's eTA system |
| Yellow fever certificate | Carry it | Rwanda can ask for it from travelers arriving from Kenya |
When to go
The best overlap is June to September, when the Mara is dry and often has the migration from late July, and the gorilla trails are at their driest. December to February also works well in both countries. March to May brings the long rains: treks are muddier and the Mara roads slower, but permits and rooms are easier to find.
Add-ons
- A second gorilla trek on day 8 instead of the drive back, for another $1,500
- Golden monkey tracking or the hike to Dian Fossey's grave in Volcanoes National Park
- Lake Kivu: two nights on the shore at Gisenyi, about 1.5 hours from the volcanoes
- Nyungwe Forest for chimpanzees, most of a day by road from Kigali, or a short flight
What is included
- All transfers in Kenya and Rwanda, and the flight from Nairobi to Kigali
- Flights between Wilson and the Mara
- Eight nights, full board in the Mara and at Volcanoes, bed and breakfast in Nairobi and Kigali
- One gorilla permit per person, park fees in the Mara and a private driver-guide in Rwanda
- The Kigali Genocide Memorial visit and our 24-hour support
What is not included
- International flights, visas, the Kenya inbound health insurance and travel insurance
- Porters on the trek, tips for guides, trackers and camp staff
- A second gorilla permit and other add-ons, drinks and personal items
How to book
Tell us your dates and how flexible they are. We check permit availability first, then the Mara camps and the flights, and send a written quote with every fee. You can pay in full or monthly with no deposit; the permit is the one item we pay out early, so we confirm it with you before buying.
