Live amongst the majestic mountain gorillas

No spectacle is as overwhelming and humbling as coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla in its natural habitat. In the Volcanoes National Park – celebrated as the setting for the book and film Gorillas in the Mist – approximately 400 of these endangered animals live peacefully, making the area one of the best and easiest places to track gorillas.

The 16,000ha park – the oldest in Africa - offers the life-changing opportunity to trek through the dense Afromontane forest with golden monkeys swinging overhead, in search of these grandiose animals. The beady eyes of three-horned chameleons will watch your feet trampling across the forest floor. Gorilla trekking is not the only activity on offer in the park, as guided nature walks and challenging hikes take visitors through this incredibly biodiverse area. 

It was in this park that Diane Fossey spent 20 years of her life studying mountain gorillas and it was largely her dedication to these animals which ensured their safety from the terrors of poaching. The park now acts as a conservation area for mountain gorillas and is home to around half of the world’s population. It is for this reason that gorilla trekking permits must be arranged before coming to the park and strict conservation rules be abided by.

Highlights

  • Gorilla trekking through the rainforests
  • Home to around half of the world's mountain gorilla population
  • Walk in the footsteps of world-renowned researcher Dian Fossey
  • One of the most biodiverse parks in Central Africa
  • Over 180 bird species
  • Best time to go:
  • Best
  • Mixed

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