Gorilla Trekking Tours & Safaris

What to Expect on a Gorilla Trek

For a gorilla trek you need to be fairly fit, equipped for the humid, muddy conditions of a rainforest hike, and in good health – gorillas are susceptible to human illnesses but don't have our immunities, which means a common cold can be deadly to a whole family of gorillas and you won't be permitted to trek if you are unwell. Even in the dry season, the rainforest is a challenging environment: it’s humid, wet and muddy with some steep slopes, plenty of insects and thick vegetation. It is absolutely worth the effort to spend time with gorillas in the wild but be prepared to exert yourself on the trek.

Your professional guide and tracker lead you into the forest's secret paths, looking for a habituated gorilla family. Once found, you'll approach the gorillas quietly and settle down to observe them from between 7 and 10m (22 to 32 ft) away. You'll spend between 40 minutes and an hour with the gorillas, watching the adults forage and groom each other while the babies tumble and play. You'll be under the watchful gaze of the great silverback patriarch, whose soft brown eyes constantly sweep over his family protectively. Witnessing gorillas express typically human gestures and emotions is a truly profound experience and one of the reasons that gorilla trekking is such a life-changing encounter.

In the Congo, you'll don a face mask to protect the gorillas from human germs and have an optional fly net to keep the harmless (and stingless) but determined sweat bees from disturbing you. In Uganda and Rwanda, you'll leave any personal items or bottled water you're carrying with your porters and approach the gorillas with only your camera. You are not allowed to use a flash and it's best to use a camera that doesn't make loud clicks, whirring or other mechanical noises.

Chimpanzee trekking is quite different to gorilla trekking. Chimps are often found in easier trekking terrain than gorillas but they are wary of humans and harder to find. Only the habituated chimp families at Kibale Forest offer a similar encounter to gorilla trekking.

Quick links to gorilla trekking tips

• Learn the basics with our Gorilla Trekking 101
• Discover trekking in Central Africa: Congo Gorilla Trek
• Find out Where to go in Africa to see Gorillas
• Discover off-the-beaten-track destinations with The Road Less Travelled: Africa’s Most Unique Safaris

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