Items13The creator’s order
  1. 1Volcanoes National ParkVolcanoes National ParkThe most polished mountain gorilla trek, and the priciest: Rwanda's standard permit is $1,500. That buys well-run briefings at Kinigi and groups of no more than eight, with a 7-meter distance rule, and a share of every permit goes to the surrounding communities. Families range from easier groups to…0
  2. 2Bwindi Impenetrable National ParkBwindi Impenetrable National ParkBwindi holds about half of the world's mountain gorillas, which is why it offers the most families and the widest choice of trek. As of November 2026, Uganda's standard permit costs $800 against Rwanda's $1,500, with a cheaper rate for treks in April, May and November, for the same one hour with a…0
  3. 3Mgahinga Gorilla National ParkMgahinga Gorilla National ParkUganda's corner of the Virunga volcanoes is small, at about 34 square kilometers, with a single habituated gorilla family and only eight gorilla permits a day. That makes it quieter than Bwindi, and the volcanic slopes of Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo feel nothing like Bwindi's dense forest. It…0
  4. 4Odzala-Kokoua National ParkOdzala-Kokoua National ParkThe place for western lowland gorillas, the species most people have only seen in zoos. Odzala-Kokoua in the Republic of the Congo covers about 13,500 square kilometers, has been run by African Parks since 2010, and once recorded the highest densities of western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees in…0
  5. 5Loango National ParkLoango National ParkGabon's coastal park offers one of the most tightly rationed gorilla visits anywhere: the Atananga group, habituated by a Max Planck Institute research project that began in 2005, takes a maximum of four tourists for a one-hour visit per day. Visitors wear surgical masks and keep seven meters back,…0
  6. 6Kibale National ParkKibale National ParkIf you want the surest chimpanzee sighting in East Africa, start here. Kibale's 776 square kilometers of rainforest hold more than 1,000 chimpanzees among about a dozen primate species, and the standard trek ends with an hour in a community's company. For more time, the habituation experience runs…0
  7. 7Budongo ForestBudongo ForestBudongo is the quieter, cheaper alternative to Kibale. Its 825 square kilometers of mahogany forest sit within the wider Murchison Falls Conservation Area, and treks follow the Kaniyo-Pabidi community of around 100 chimps, while two research communities stay closed to visitors. Sightings run at…0
  8. 8Nyungwe ForestNyungwe ForestRwanda's chimp forest is harder work than Kibale, with steep hills, treks of two to six hours and a sighting rate of roughly 80 to 90 percent. The usual target is the Cyamudongo troop, easier to find and more relaxed around people, but Cyamudongo is typically a drive of up to two hours from the…0
  9. 9Gombe National ParkGombe National ParkThe chimps Jane Goodall made famous. Goodall arrived in July 1960, and Gombe's Kasakela community is the world's most closely studied group of wild chimpanzees, which gives an hour here a depth of known personalities and family history no other site matches. Tanzania's smallest national park is…0
  10. 10Mahale Mountains National ParkMahale Mountains National ParkThe remote, splurge choice for chimpanzees. Mahale has no road access at all: visitors fly in by charter or scheduled aircraft from Arusha, Dar es Salaam or Kigoma, then finish by boat along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. It covers 1,650 square kilometers and holds the largest known…0