Rwanda-Gorilla-Familien: Welche kannst du besuchen?

The Rwanda gorilla families that visitors can trek live in Volcanoes National Park, and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) lists ten habituated families open to tourists. Names often listed include Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Susa, Karisimbi, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Hirwa, Bwenge and Ugenda. You cannot book a specific family, because rangers assign one on the morning of your trek, depending on fitness, requests and where the gorillas have moved overnight. What you can do is state your preference, so that the rangers can match you to a family with an easier or harder walk.

Family names, sizes and positions change over time, and sources disagree about the exact list, so treat the names here as a guide and confirm with the RDB or your operator. We checked the details in October 2026. This article supports our complete guide to gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

A family is usually led by a dominant silverback, an adult male with a band of silver hair across his back. Around him are adult females, their young, and sometimes one or more younger males. The silverback decides where the group feeds, rests and nests. A family might have under 10 gorillas or several dozen. Learn more in mountain gorilla family facts.

The names below appear in most guides. We give the rough meaning of the Kinyarwanda names and a short note, but we avoid precise sizes because they change every year.

Some sources add other groups or give different history for these names, so treat the list as indicative.

You can ask, but the rangers have the final say. The process goes like this. During booking, your operator can note your fitness and preferences. At the 7:00 briefing, the park guides divide the visitors into groups of up to eight and assign the families so that every family gets one group a day. The RDB can adjust assignments because the position of the gorillas changes. Read our guide on how to book gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

There is no permanent answer. Families that regularly feed on the lower slopes closer to the park boundary tend to need shorter walks, and groups that range higher need longer hikes. But gorillas can move a long way in a day, and a family that was close last week can be far away this week. Weather also matters. If you need an easier trek because of age, health or children over 15, tell your operator in advance and mention it again at the briefing. See how difficult gorilla trekking in Rwanda is and gorilla trekking for seniors.

Not necessarily. Each family is visited by one group of up to eight people a day, and the next day it is a different group. If you buy two permits on different days, you may be assigned the same family again or a different one, depending on where the gorillas are and what the rangers decide.

• Stay at least seven metres away, or as the guide instructs.
• Keep your voice low and avoid sudden movements.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke near the gorillas.
• Do not use flash photography; the photography guide explains the settings.
• Follow the guide if a gorilla approaches; stay still and look away.

Rwanda's families live in one compact park, and the lodges are close. Bwindi's families are spread across four sectors, so the sector you choose decides which families you can meet. Read how many gorilla families are in Bwindi and the best gorilla trekking sector in Bwindi.

Visitors often describe the families by how far they had to walk and by how the group behaved on the day, rather than by lasting traits. A family that was close to the road one morning may be far the next, and a calm group can be lively when young gorillas are playing. Names such as Susa and Karisimbi are often linked with longer walks because those groups range higher on the slopes. Sabyinyo and Amahoro are often described as closer, but that depends on the day. Treat any description of a family as a general guide, and plan for a range of walking times from a short walk to a long one.

Tell your operator at the time of booking, and repeat the request at the briefing. Use clear words: "we would like a shorter walk because of a knee problem" or "we are strong hikers and would be happy with a longer one". Rangers decide, but your request helps them match the right group to the right family. If you have a health problem or a fear of heights, say so privately to the head ranger. Do not exaggerate fitness, because the day is hard if the match is wrong. Our guide on how difficult gorilla trekking is explains what to expect.

Sometimes a family moves far in a day, and the trackers cannot reach it before the time limit. The RDB refund rules describe what happens: if you cannot track gorillas all day because the family moved, you may be offered another chance or a full refund, and if you walked all day but did not find them, you may receive 75% of the tracking fee. Rangers try to avoid this by assigning families that are within reach. Ask your operator how they handle a missed trek, and consider keeping a spare day in your plan.

You can buy more than one permit on different days and, in principle, meet different families. Some travellers do two treks to compare. Each trek needs its own permit, so the cost doubles. A cheaper way to see a second species is to add golden monkey tracking, which costs US$100 for foreign adults according to the RDB; see the golden monkey permit guide. For the number of families, read how many gorilla families are in Rwanda.

• Travellers who want to understand the choices before booking
• Photographers and families who want to request a type of trek

• Anyone who must see a specific family, because no operator can guarantee it

• Paying extra for a promised family. No operator can guarantee one.
• Relying on old family lists. Names and sizes change.
• Skipping the briefing. It is where you can state your fitness.
• Assuming the first answer from the rangers is final. Politely repeat your needs if your health changes.

Ten, according to the RDB. Read our guide to the number of families.

There is no best. Every family gives an hour with gorillas. Choose by fitness and walking time.

You can request, but not guarantee.

Yes. Rangers name families, often after a silverback, a place or a Kinyarwanda word.

Yes. The list and the sizes change, and sources disagree. Confirm which families are open for your dates with the RDB or your operator.

The trek starts at 7:00 and the time you meet the gorillas depends on the walk. The hour with the family is the same whenever it begins.

Tell us how fit your group is and how much walking you want, and we will pass the information to the park. Talk to Our Tour Specialist, or see the 5-day luxury gorilla trekking tour.

Quelle: Rwanda Development Board.