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Gorilla Families in Rwanda: Complete List & Guide

Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is one of the places to trek mountain gorillas. The park is located north of Kigali city, bordering Uganda in the Virunga Range volcanoes. Browse Rwanda tours to see how a gorilla family visit fits into your safari.

With over 15 mountain gorilla families, below are some of the most popular gorilla families you’ll trek in Rwanda. Want to see the full range of options first? Browse all itineraries covering these gorilla families.

Rwanda Gorilla Groups List

Below are some of the popular groups in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda.

Bwenge Gorilla Family

The Bwenge gorilla family derives its name from a local word that means wisdom. This is also the group that featured in the movie “Gorillas in the Mist.” Bwenge gorilla family was formed when the dominating silverback, Bwenge, broke away from his family in 2007 to form his own group. Bwenge can be trekked from the slopes of Karisoke, between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke.

Ugyenda Gorilla Family

The Ugyenda gorilla family derives its name from a local word that means “on the move.” This is because the family is always moving from place to place, making it even harder to trek. The group wanders around the slopes of Karisimbi and is composed of 11 members, including two silverbacks.

Hirwa Gorilla Family

The Hirwa gorilla family was formed by a combination of members who split off from the Sabyinyo gorilla family and the Agashya gorilla family. This is one of the lucky gorilla families to have a set of twins, born in 2011.

Kwitonda Gorilla Family

The Kwitonda gorilla family can be trekked on the slopes of Mount Muhabura. The group derives its name from the dominant silverback, Kwitonda, which means “Humble One.” The group is said to have migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Agashya Gorilla Family

The Agashya gorilla family, also known as Group 13, is dominated by Agashya, the silverback who took over leadership from Nyakarima. The group can be trekked around Mount Sabyinyo. Agashya is known for taking his family into higher slopes when he senses danger.

Sabyinyo Gorilla Family

The name Sabyinyo means “old worn-out teeth” in the local language. The group derives its name from Mount Sabyinyo, one of the Virunga ranges. The Sabyinyo gorilla family is dominated by Guhonda, the famous reigning silverback and the heaviest silverback in Volcanoes National Park. The group inhabits the slopes of Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga and is one of the easiest gorilla families to trek in Volcanoes National Park.

Umubano Gorilla Family

The Umubano gorilla family was formed when Charles broke away from his natal group after several fights with Ubumwe, who dominated the group. This group derives its name from a local word that means “Living together” and is composed of 13 members and two silverbacks.

Amahoro Gorilla Family

The Amahoro gorilla family can be trekked from the slopes of Mount Bisoke. The group derives its name from a local word that means “peace.” The group is one of the most peaceful families in Volcanoes National Park. They have even lost some members to the Umubano gorilla family.

Karisimbi Gorilla Family

The Karisimbi gorilla family, also known as Susa B family, broke away from the Susa A gorilla family in 2008. This is the hardest family to trek in Rwanda, inhabiting the higher slopes of Mount Karisimbi. The group is composed of 16 members with 2 silverbacks.

Susa Gorilla Family

The Susa A gorilla family was one of the most interesting gorilla families in Rwanda, with 42 members at the time of habituation before the group separated. This group was also thoroughly studied by Dian Fossey and was one of the lucky families to have twins, Impano and Bwishimo. The group can be trekked around the Susa river, in their home range on the slopes of Mount Karisimbi.

Titus Gorilla Family

The Titus gorilla family is one of the groups researched by Dian Fossey. The dominant silverback lost his family, including his father, to poachers. Dian Fossey noted that he had difficulties breathing and seemed underdeveloped but overcame this. The group derives its name from the silverback, Titus.

Other Rwanda Gorilla Groups

Other gorilla groups in Rwanda include the Igisha, Isimbi, Noheli, Kwisanga, Kigoma, Muhoza, and Urwego gorilla families.


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Our Reviews & Testimonials

Read what our clients have to say about us. You can read even more reviews on TripAdvisor.

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Wir haben ein zweitägiges Gorilla Trekking von kigali zum Bwindi Nationalpark in Uganda gebucht und hatten ein einmaliges Erlebnis! Alles hat reibungslos geklappt, unser Fahrer Naboth war toll und absolut zuverlässig - von der Abholung in unserem Hotel - über die Fahrten vor Ort bis zur Rückfahrt nach Uganda. Die Gorilla Wanderung war ein echtes Abenteuer und nach 2 Stunden Wanderung haben wir eine Gorilla Familie mit 16 Gorillas gefunden, der wir uns bis auf einen Meter nähern konnten um sie zu beobachten. Die gorillas haben sich dabei absolut nicht stören lassen. Es war unglaublich. Auch die Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge war toll. Ich würde diese Tour jedem empfehlen!
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Celine Kloss
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Absolutely outstanding experience. We did a 12-day safari across Kenya and Uganda (Gorilla trekking, Maasai Mara, Nakuru, Naivasha, Amboseli) in January 2026 and it exceeded expectations. The guides were exceptional: deeply knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely passionate. They ensured we learned not only about wildlife, but also about local cultures, traditions, and daily life, which made the trip truly immersive. Communication with the agency was flawless end to end—responsive, clear, and proactive. Everything ran smoothly, on time, and exactly as promised. I’ll recommend this agency to all my friends and relatives! Hopefully we’ll come back soon as well!
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Mario Gonzalez
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We spent two weeks in Uganda and Tanzania organized by Magical Gorilla Adventures and we had the best time. Communication was really good and fast via WhatsApp. The accommodations were great. Our guide Peter in Uganda was amazing. He was really friendly and a very good driver. He put a lot of effort to give us experiences and the best memories. We learned a lot about Uganda and its culture and he knew a lot about animals. We saw a lot of animals in Murchison Falls Nationalspark. The chimpanzee tracking in Kibale was very memorable. Our highlight in Uganda was the Gorilla tracking in Bwindi. We were very close to the gorillas and had the best experience. After an overnight stop in Ruanda we flew to Tanzania and were picked up by our guide Macha. We visited Central Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire Nationalpark and we saw so many animals. The cheetahs even played on our safari car and we saw more than 80 lions. Macha was a great driver and he spotted so many animals for us. The two weeks trip to Uganda and Tanzania was just amazing and we will never forget. Everything was organized very well. We definitely recommend Magical Gorilla Adventures and our guides Peter and Macha and would love to do another trip with them!
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Theresa
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We had an absolutely wonderful 17-day safari experience and can wholeheartedly recommend this company to anyone planning a trip. From the very beginning, communication was clear, professional, and fast. Emails were answered quickly, often much sooner than expected. Every question was addressed in detail, which gave us a lot of confidence before the trip. One of the biggest advantages was how flexible they were, both before and during the safari. They accommodated all our planning changes without any hesitation or feeling that we were “bothering” them. Adjustments to the itinerary were handled smoothly, and we always felt our preferences were truly listened to. The entire 17 days were organized seamlessly, and we could simply relax and enjoy the experience. Any changes or tweaks we requested on the road were taken care of quickly and efficiently. The trip felt very personal and tailored to us, rather than a standard, rigid package. Overall impression is that this is a company that genuinely cares about its guests and goes the extra mile to create a memorable safari. The combination of responsiveness, flexibility, and warm, attentive service made this one of our best trips ever. Highly recommended for anyone who values good communication, adaptable planning, and a worry-free safari experience
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Eran Vilensky
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Even though we booked very late, Magic Gorilla Adventures made it happen, allowing us to visit the Uganda Gorillas in their natural habitat. Our guide Colin first took us to Lake Bunyonyi, where we had a good lunch and a boat trip, and then to our lodge near the national park. The following day, we visited the Gorillas. Our Gorillas were up on the hill, so we had a challenging climb to reach them, but the rangers helped us. So, we could spend a fantastic time with them. Thank you, Colin, and thank you, Magical Gorilla Adventures, for these two beautiful days in Uganda.
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Rene Felder
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I had the best 7-day safari of my life with Magical Gorilla Adventures in Uganda. All communication and safari planning was very effective and clear from the start and they were supportive and patient with all the amendments and requests. Also, they give you great suggestions for the tour depending on your needs or wishes. Aina suggested me to do chimp trek, which was my favorite part of all the safari (thank you Aina!). As for our tour guide Eddie, he was the absolute best. He really went above and beyond for me to see all of the Big 5. I went to different safaris in Africa and had several tour guides and they all were good, but Eddie really was outstanding. I suggest that, if possible, book your safari with Eddie. Eddie always made sure to talk to other drivers and/or the national park’s authorities to look for the animals and he is also a good tracker, he knows where and how to look for the animals. He also made sure we were always safe and taking necessary precautions which is also a very important thing to look for in a tour guide. I strongly recommend Magical Gorilla Adventures for your safari, you won´t regret it.
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Elena Bravo
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**Wonderful Safari Experience** We had an amazing safari in Rwanda and Uganda, made even better by our guide, **Musa**. He was polite, professional, easy to talk to, and always looked after us. On the safari drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, he was fantastic at spotting animals and shared so much knowledge about wildlife, history, and the landscapes. The accommodations and food were excellent, and we felt very comfortable throughout the trip. We highly recommend this company — and especially Musa — for a great safari experience.
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Li Ka
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We had a great time on our safari! Our guide James was excellent, and Kolo was helpful in planning the whole trip according to our schedule and what we wanted to see. Highly recommended!
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Arvin Pal
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Magical Gorilla Adventures is zeker aan te raden. Reageren snel en ze hebben een prachtige 3-daagse safari voor ons geregeld. Alles was prima in orde! Goede en betrouwbare gids/driver, en prachtige lodges! Alles was perfect!
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Why Choose Us?

We plan gorilla treks that are enjoyable and affordable, because we love gorilla trekking as much as you do.

1

Who We Are

We are a gorilla trekking operator, agency, and Destination Management Company (DMC) based in Kampala, Uganda. Our Uganda Tourism Board license number is UTB/RTT/TO/2023/100931.

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We talk through your options, match you to the right gorilla trekking itinerary, and refine it based on your feedback.

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