Are there still Slots for Gorilla Trekking in October 2026?

Are there still slots for gorilla trekking in October 2026? Yes, there are still slots for gorilla trekking. It just depends on a first come first served basis to get your trekking slot. It is because this is a high demand activity worldwide. That is why it is better if you book a gorilla trekking slot in advance, like 3 months before trekking date. To fill one of the slots, you must buy a gorilla trekking permit sold by Uganda Wildlife Authority. But, all foreigners must book their gorilla permits with a reputable tour operator for instance Standard Safaris.

How Much is a Uganda Gorilla Trek?

For only $800 a foreign non-resident can get a gorilla trekking permit. Meanwhile, what a foreign resident needs is $700 to get a permit. Only 300,000 Uganda shillings and $500 are required if you are from the East African Community or Rest of Africa respectively. A gorilla permit is a document that allows each visitor full access in the gorilla destination for a gorilla tour. This is meant to be issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Once you have it, entrance to the gorilla destination is included. Plus, fee for guiding and contribution to community development are included.

How to Buy a Gorilla Permit?

Gorilla permits are issued and availed for purchase by a government authority or board for example Uganda Wildlife Authority. In Uganda, every foreign non-resident can buy a permit only through a tour operator. The operator is meant to be fully registered by the Uganda Tourism Board, hence with a license. As mentioned, the gorilla permit has to be bought in advance to maximize chances of trekking on the preferred date. A gorilla permit is officially yours when you pay the full amount required for it.

Why Book your Gorilla Trekking Permit with us?

Standard Safaris is the best at organizing authentic safari experiences and gorilla trekking is no exception. We have done this countless times and our clients have appreciated the services in Uganda and beyond. Check out a huge number of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor to get a glimpse of what we are capable of. Planning a gorilla trek in Uganda, Rwanda or DRC? Contact us and we plan together your customized tour package. This is one that will also incorporate meals, accommodation, transportation, guiding and other activities.

When to do a Gorilla Trek?

Any day. Do not hesitate to plan a gorilla trek on any day of the year. But, as previously mentioned, this is a first come first served tour. Therefore, you can book a specific date for trekking when there is a free slot for you. However, the season of the year determines whether the gorilla trek is more or less challenging. Less challenging gorilla treks are planned in the dry season, i.e. June to August and December to February. Advantages of this season is drier gorilla trails, less rainfall, lower vegetation cover and less humidity. Thus, clear gorilla views and comfortable trekking in the forest.

For the more challenging gorilla treks, do this in the wet season, i.e. March to May and October to November. Forests are dense with more undergrowth when the weather is so rainy. This offers wonderful background for gorilla photography. But, you just have to come in great physical shape to walk on muddy terrain, to prevent slipping or falling. Also, you must expect heavy downpour any time which might interrupt your trek. Fortunately for people who love such thrills, you will have a great time trekking the gorillas.

What are The Best Destinations for Gorilla Trekking?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

With a large size of 321 square kilometers, Bwindi National Park is among the best gorilla destinations in Africa/on earth. Situated in Uganda, Bwindi is now a UNESCO world heritage site because of its position at the Albertine Rift region. The destination has more than one mountain gorilla safari—2 in fact. One is the gorilla trekking tour and the gorilla habituation experience. In a standard gorilla trekking tour, you observe a habituated gorilla family for an hour. In a habituation experience, it is 4 hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family.

Virunga National Park.

Considered the oldest national park in Africa, Virunga has a 7,769 square kilometers land size. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that offers some of the best gorilla treks in Africa. Eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas live in Virunga. As part of the Virunga Conservation Area, 604 mountain gorillas live in the entire ecosystem. Of the 1,063 mountain gorillas worldwide, Virunga shelters a third of them. Volcanoes found here include Nyiragongo, Nyamuragira and Mikeno etc. However, Virunga’s gates have been closed even in 2026 because of armed conflict in and around it.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

In its 33.7 square kilometer land, the national park houses a single habituated mountain gorilla family. It offers close intimate gorilla encounters, thus one of the best gorilla destinations on earth. Also situated in the biodiverse Virunga Conservation Area with 3 out of the 8 volcanoes found there. Volcanoes are Gahinga, Muhavura and Sabyinyo, with Muhavura having the highest summit, at 4,127 meters above sea level. Mgahinga is at the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Volcanoes National Park.

This is a 160 square kilometer mountain gorilla destination also found in the Virunga Conservation Area. However, it is specifically in northwestern Rwanda where you should travel to explore the gorillas in the forest. The Virunga volcanoes found inside Volcanoes National Park are 5 out of the eight. These are Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Karisimbi, Muhavura and Gahinga. Volcanoes is among the best places to see gorillas in Africa/worldwide.

Soledad Gomez

Fun Safari. Loved it. Godwin was an amazing guide! He was informative, funny and took us around well. He was able to find so many animals and the weather was amazing. He allowed us to take time at each spot when we saw an animal we were looking forward to seeing. All our lodges were carefully chosen by Coleb and we all loved them. We booked the 6 days safari and highly recommend it to everyone visiting Uganda. We had a wonderful time!. 10/10 recommended!!

Maria Torondel

We rated this experience top of everything, because it truly was outstanding in every way! From our pickup which was punctual, quick and comfortable to our Safari in Murchison falls, Kibale and Bwindi NP, Standard safaris delivered to the dot. Our guide was a very Kind, punctual and extremely knowledgeable person who could tell us many facts about each and every animal we encountered. Due to his insights we were able to spot 4 of the Big Five, the Rhinos, buffaloes, lions and Elephants multiple times, as well as Hippos, Crocodiles, Giraffes and many more. Thanks to his calm and patience we were even able to watch an elephant fight right in front of us without any safety concerns. It was truly a very memorable day with a lot of fun and also good food.This is truly an experience for everyone, from solo travellers to big groups! Great tour company with a great guide!!!!!!!

Alexis F

This was an amazing experience organised by Standard Safaris through Coleb. During the tour itself, we got a chance to see so many animals and we learned a lot of interesting facts from our tour guide Godwin. He was funny and made sure we all got a chance to speak and see the full beauty of Uganda. We had an excellent time and a good tour for the whole family.

Elena Hoya

It was my first time in Uganda and honestly it was an amazing tour. Our pick up and drop off were comfortable. Our guide throughout the safari was excellent at his job. He was attentive with everyone and was very knowledgeable about all the cultures and landscapes of the country. During planning, Coleb did his best in tailoring our itinerary to fit our travel needs. I'm so glad we booked this tour. It was one of a kind.

E A

My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From gorilla trekking to game drives, every moment was magical and the wildlife encounters were simply breathtaking. Our guide Godwin was knowledgeable and attentive, and every detail of the trip was perfectly organized. Uganda’s beauty exceeded all our expectations, and the team took wonderful care of us throughout. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa, we’ll cherish these memories forever. Highly recommended

KLAU conde

I LOVE MY SAFARI WE DID GORILLA TREKING AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BIG FIVES, Everything was phenomenal the drivers the lodges my favorite one was Acacia Lodge, where you open the door of your lodge and you have the Elephants and hippos there . we also went to the Ecuatorian line very cool

Elisa Peralta

We spent a WONDERFUL time in Rwanda, thanks to Standard Safaris and especially thanks to our amazing driver George. If you plan to go on safari in Rwanda with Standard Safaris, ask him as your driver guide. He will share all his knowledge and experience about animals, nature, people, food etc… He drives very safely and is friendly. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals ( especially the big 5😃 in Akagera NP) and Know so much more about Rwanda. We were travelling with our 2 children (7 and 11 years old), and they were delighted. We feel very lucky and we are grateful for this wonderful safari in East Africa.

Susana Lara Valenciano

We booked a 9-Days safari in Uganda with Standard Safaris, all-inclusive with a driver guide, all tour activities, permits and lodges. Honestly, we were very happy to have George as our guide. He drove us safely around the country and explained many things along the way. Thanks to him, we were able to spot many animals in the national parks, and we always stayed on track with our itinerary. The jeep was new and well maintained, however, the seats in the back were quite high with small windows, which made it difficult to look outside. But nevertheless, we still had a 10/10 safari experience in Uganda. We look forward to returning for another safari next year and telling our friends about Standard Safaris.

Pablo Sanchez Rubio

My wife and I had a gorilla safari of a lifetime in Uganda late last month. Our driver/guide Denis was incredible. He gave us so much information about Uganda and was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, cultures, people, politics, the geography, etc. By the end of the week we considered him a friend and we will recommend him and Standard Safaris to anyone looking to go to East Africa. Thank you so much guys!

Salome Ochando

If there were 10 stars I would give them. From my first "Hello" with Coleb to our last set of selfies on the equator with Denis, this tour company out-did themselves!! Absolutely professional and helpful from beginning to end. We're already booking another trip for next year! They had organised everything- gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, all national park entrance fees, lodgings, every meal included. It was so easy I didn't even know where we were going until we were there! Pure relaxation. We had a few extra free days at the end so Coleb suggested adding on Mabamba Wetland and this was a wonderful experience with the shoebill and all these beautiful birds. Denis is the best tour guide I've ever met. 100% knowledgeable and professional and accommodating and..a new friend😊.. Thank you Standard Safaris!!