How Much Is a Golden Monkey Trekking Permit in Rwanda? Cost and What to Expect

A golden monkey trekking permit in Rwanda costs US$100 per person for foreign visitors, according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) booking portal. The minimum age is 12, groups are limited to 16 people, and the activity takes place once a day in Volcanoes National Park, starting from the Kinigi headquarters. Most walks take a few hours and the time with the monkeys is limited to one hour. It is the cheapest primate experience in Rwanda and an excellent companion to a gorilla trek.

This guide covers what you pay, what residents and East Africans pay, how the walk works, where the monkeys live and how to book. Rules change, so confirm them with the RDB or your tour operator before you pay. We checked the details in October 2026. It supports our complete guide to gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

The RDB lists these fees per permit on its booking page:

Residents need at least four consecutive months of residency status or a work permit in their passport. Check the latest figures on the RDB portal, because tariffs can change.

For many travellers, yes, because it adds a second primate species for a fraction of the gorilla price (the gorilla permit is US$1,500 for foreign visitors). The monkeys are fast and playful, the trails are generally easier than most gorilla treks, and the permit is a good choice for children from age 12 who are too young for gorillas. Compare it with other options in our guide to the golden monkey trekking in Rwanda and Uganda, where the same species is tracked in Mgahinga.

• Minimum age: 12 years.
• Group size: up to 16 visitors per golden monkey group.
• Fitness: a moderate walk on muddy ground. It is less demanding than the longest gorilla treks, though the altitude is the same.
• Health: anyone with a cold or flu may be refused, as with gorillas, because the monkeys can catch human illnesses.

You report at the Kinigi park headquarters at 7:00 for a briefing, and rangers match you with a group. A short drive takes you to the trailhead, then you walk across farmland and into the bamboo forest on the slopes of the volcanoes. Trackers know where the troop slept and guide you to it. Golden monkeys move quickly through the bamboo, eating shoots and fruit, so you see them leaping, feeding and grooming. You may stay with them for up to one hour.

The monkeys are lively and unhurried by people, which makes the visit easy for photographers. Read our photography guide for tips, because the light under the bamboo is dim and the animals rarely stay still.

Golden monkeys (Cercopithecus kandti) are found only in the Virunga volcanoes of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Rwanda they are tracked in Volcanoes National Park. In Uganda they live in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as endangered. Learn more about the park in our Volcanoes National Park travel guide.

The simplest plan is to trek the gorillas on one day and the golden monkeys on another, since both start at 7:00 from the same headquarters. Many travellers add the golden monkeys on the day after the gorillas, then visit the Musanze caves or a cultural village in the afternoon. For a longer plan, check the things to do in Volcanoes National Park.

Tours that include golden monkeys:

• 4-day golden monkey tracking and Lake Kivu tour
• 5-day golden monkeys and Musanze caves tour
• 4-day golden monkey tracking and cycling tour

1. Choose your date. Bookings are first come, first served.
2. Provide your full name, passport details, email and phone number at the time of payment.
3. Pay through the RDB portal or through your tour operator, who handles the application.
4. Carry your passport on the day, because documents are checked at the park gate. A wrong or false application leads to denied entry even if the permit was paid.

Booking through a tour operator means the permit is matched to your itinerary. Learn how to compare operators in our guide on how to choose a gorilla trekking tour operator in Rwanda.

Golden monkeys have a golden-orange patch on the back and sides, darker limbs and tail, and they live in troops that move through bamboo and forest throughout the day. They feed on bamboo shoots, leaves, fruit and insects, and they are quick and playful. Males and females live in the same group, with a dominant male, and the troop may number dozens of animals. Unlike the slow, settled gorillas, they spend a lot of time moving, so you walk with them for part of the hour. They are also noisy, with calls that carry through the bamboo.

Both activities start at 7:00 from the Kinigi headquarters and both limit you to one hour with the animals. The golden monkeys are not a substitute for gorillas, but they are an easy and affordable second primate.

Waterproof boots, a rain jacket, long trousers, a hat and a small daypack with water and snacks. A zoom lens or a phone with a good camera helps, and a fast shutter speed is useful because the monkeys move. Bamboo is dim, so raise the ISO and keep the flash off. Gloves protect against nettles. Read our photography guide for settings that work in low light.

Golden monkey tracking is one of the few primate activities open to children aged 12 to 14, which is useful for families who cannot trek gorillas. Older siblings can do the gorilla trek while younger ones track the golden monkeys, as long as the dates are arranged so that each activity runs on a different day. See gorilla trekking with kids and gorilla trekking with family for plans that include everyone.

• Travellers who want a primate experience for less money than gorillas
• Families with children of 12 and older
• Visitors who already have a gorilla permit and a spare morning

• Children under 12, who are not allowed
• Travellers who think the golden monkeys will replace gorillas; they are a different, faster and smaller experience

• Booking both gorillas and golden monkeys on the same morning. Both start at 7:00.
• Expecting stillness. Golden monkeys move all the time, so use a fast shutter speed.
• Forgetting ID. The name on the permit must match your passport.
• Arriving without rain gear. Showers are common in the bamboo zone.

US$100 for a foreign adult according to the RDB, with lower rates for residents and East African citizens. Check the portal for the current rate.

The minimum age is 12.

Up to one hour once you find them.

Both are good. Rwanda has the permit at US$100 and a larger infrastructure of lodges near the park, while Uganda's Mgahinga is quieter. See our Rwanda vs Uganda comparison.

Yes. The RDB lists US$100 for foreign adults, but prices change, so confirm the figure for your date before you pay.

Yes, in Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. See golden monkey trekking: Rwanda vs Uganda.

Tell us your dates and whether you want to add gorillas, the Dian Fossey hike or a cultural visit, and we will fit the permits together. Talk to Our Tour Specialist or see the 4-day Rwanda gorilla trekking tour.

Source: Rwanda Development Board.