One Of The World's Most Expensive Tourist Attractions Is A $1,500 Safari Excursion In East Africa

Volcanoes National Park, located in Rwanda, offers one of the world's most exclusive wildlife experiences, but there is the expensive fee required of visitors before they are granted access into the area. This park, located in the northwestern area of Rwanda, not only encompasses five out of the eight volcanic areas in the Virunga Mountains, but it also covers a massive portion of the rainforest, and spreads out at a size of about 160 square kilometers, which equals 62 square miles of land mass.

All tourists that visit the park are required to pay a hefty sum of $1,500, as the permit fee per person and in return, they get to experience an exclusive one-hour mountain gorilla trek. It's a steep price for a short visit, but a few moments in life feel as powerful — or as unforgettable — as walking with these gentle giants. Note that the fee excludes access to seeing other endangered species of animals, like the golden monkeys that are re-homed in the park, plus other exclusive activities. Yet, it might not be a total waste of money, so don't go labeling it a tourist trap just yet.

That $1,500 permit isn't really a big tourism markup, it's an intentional investment. Firstly, it is part of a deliberate plan to limit access to only 96 people daily, to ensure minimal disruption to the endangered gorilla families homed in the park. Another part of it goes towards the funding of armed ranger patrols that protect gorillas from poachers, veterinary care for injured animals, and reforestation projects meant to expand the gorillas' habitat. Also, a part of every $1,500 permit goes straight into local schools, health clinics, and clean-water projects to help families earn a living without turning to logging or poaching. 

Visitors can even take part in Kwita Izina, the traditional "Gorilla Naming" ceremony, which has become a powerful way to connect people to these animals and has helped boost their numbers in recent years. That hefty fee also keeps group sizes tiny — just eight guests per trek, each led by expert trackers and biologists who keep a close eye on the gorillas' well-being. By limiting visitors and investing fees back into protection and community programs, Rwanda's model has lifted its mountain gorilla population well above the roughly 250 counted in the 1980s. It's pricey, but every dollar helps these primates thrive.

Even though that $1,500 permit can make you blink, nearly every visitor walks away transformed. On TripAdvisor, Rwanda Gorilla Trek has a 4.9 rating across over 100 reviews. Some call the gorilla trek "life-changing," with guests calling their face-to-face moments "humbling" and "unlike anything else on Earth." What really adds to the magic is that some of your guides used to be poachers, now turned conservationists. They will share first-hand stories about the gorillas' habits and personalities, bringing a surreal, insider view that keeps every interaction safe, ethical, and unforgettable.

By 2019, mountain gorillas numbered 604 — up from 480 — and that jump owes a lot to those trekking fees. Then, in 2024, Rwanda surprised everyone by cutting the foreign permit from $1,500 to $500. Visitors poured in, demand spiked, and the model proved its point; you can fund real conservation, uplift local communities, and still offer an exclusive, ethics-first wildlife experience that travelers can't resist.