In 2025, the best places for gorilla trekking are all situated in the eastern part of Africa. The destinations are all situated in the western arm of the Rift Valley known as the Albertine Graben. These destinations include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Virunga National Park. They are situated in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Gorilla trekking in 2025 will involve an acquisition of a gorilla permit first to be allowed a chance to trek a habituated gorilla family in their natural home. Then you will be at the trailhead on trekking day by 7:00 AM. After knowing the habituated gorilla family to trek, you will be led into the forest by experienced trackers and armed rangers. You will find the family and spend an hour observing their behavior. You are also allowed to photograph them.
The best destinations for gorilla trekking in 2025 are described as follows,
Volcanoes National Park
This is an Afromontane ecosystem found in the northwestern part of Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park has a total size of 160 square kilometers within the Virunga Conservation region. Volcanoes National Park houses over 30% of the total mountain gorilla population in the wild. There are more than 12 habituated gorilla families that are offered for gorilla treks everyday. Only luxury gorilla treks are offered in Volcanoes National Park that was established in 1925.
Volcanoes National Park has 5 volcanoes, the highest number of all the 3 national parks in the Virunga region. These include Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Bisoke and Muhabura. In 2025 you will enjoy more activities in Volcanoes National Park besides gorilla treks. These include hiking the volcanoes, visiting the Dian Fossey tomb, golden monkey trekking, Batwa trail and birdwatching among others.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This is a UNESCO World Heritage site covering about 321 square kilometers and found in the southwest of Uganda. With around 459 mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is where to find almost a half of the total global population of these primates. Since its establishment as a national park in 1991, this has remained one of the best places in Africa to see gorillas. At least 22 gorilla groups have been habituated for trekking each day of the year.
In its medium altitude moist evergreen forest and high-altitude submontane forest plenty of wildlife reside there. These include birds, other primates besides gorillas, mammals, reptiles and amphibians etc. These, in addition to the presence of the Batwa community adjacent to the forest offers more tour experiences besides gorilla trekking. Other activities include Batwa trail, birdwatching, photography, forest walk and many others.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
This was established as a national park in 1991 and is one of the best destinations for gorilla trekking in 2025. Situated in the Virunga Conservation Area, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is where you will find the Nyakagezi gorilla family. This is the only habituated gorilla group which can be trekked throughout the year. With a size of approximately 33.7, Mgahinga is the smallest national park and found in southwestern Uganda.
In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park you will find 3 of the 8 volcanoes in the Virunga region. These include Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. The bamboo forests house the endangered golden monkeys. Its Afromontane habitat is where you will find plenty of other primates including olive baboons, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus etc. Besides gorilla treks you can also go for the Batwa trail, birdwatching, forest walk and golden monkey trekking etc.
Virunga National Park
This is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Africa, covering an impressive 7,900 square kilometers in eastern DRC. Virunga National Park contains habitats that are so diverse, including marshland savannas, rivers, lakes, forests, volcanoes and permanent glaciers etc. Virunga National Park was established in 1925 making it Africa’s oldest national park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and houses over 200 mountain gorillas that thrive there.
For years, conflicts among various armed groups in the region have affected gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park. Even in 2025, the armed conflicts have been widespread and have led to closing of Virunga National Park to tourist. However, we shall keep you informed when security has been restored in the region. At the moment, you can trek mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda, where security is guaranteed.
Best time to go for gorilla trekking in 2025.
Gorilla trekking in 2025 is available all year-round. This is especially true in Uganda and Rwanda. In the DRC, the current political instabilities might make trekking gorillas there quite difficult. In 2025 we however recommend to go for a gorilla trekking adventure during the dry season. With clear blue skies, warmer temperatures and less amounts of rainfall, the dry season offers bearable hiking experiences in the wild.
Gorilla trails and access roads to the gorilla trekking destinations are easier to traverse since they are less muddy. The undergrowth in the forests have sparce undergrowth to ease movement within the forest. June to August are dry seasons in the gorilla trekking destinations. December to February tends to offer dry and warm weather conditions as well. Do travel with your light rain jacket however. This is because rains can fall unexpectedly even in the dry seasons.