The Hirwa gorilla family is one of Volcanoes National Park’s most celebrated gorilla groups — and one of the most famous in the world for a remarkable reason: the Hirwa family has twice produced twins, an extraordinarily rare event in mountain gorillas. Trekking Hirwa offers the chance to spend an hour with a family that has made wildlife history, in one of the most dramatic landscapes in Africa.
Plan Your Gorilla Safari
Expert permit bookings, handpicked lodges, and private guides — we handle every detail.
- ✓ Gorilla permit secured — Uganda (USD 700) or Rwanda (USD 1,500)
- ✓ Bwindi or Volcanoes NP lodge confirmed for your dates
- ✓ Airport transfers and 4×4 safari vehicle arranged
- ✓ Porter booked for your trek day
- ✓ 24/7 on-ground support throughout your safari
About the Hirwa Family
The name “Hirwa” means “lucky one” in Kinyarwanda — and the name has proved prophetic. The family was formed from a coming-together of individuals from multiple other gorilla groups, an unusual social event that rangers documented and named accordingly. From that unlikely beginning, Hirwa grew into a stable, thriving family that became one of the most requested gorilla groups in Rwanda.
Hirwa’s fame rests largely on its twin births. Mountain gorillas almost always give birth to a single infant — twins are extraordinarily rare, occurring perhaps once every few decades in a given population. The Hirwa family’s twin births attracted international media attention and became a symbol of the recovery of the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga Massif.
The family typically numbers between 12 and 16 individuals and is led by a dominant silverback. Their home range sits on the lower slopes of the Virunga volcanoes, within Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, at an altitude of approximately 2,500 to 3,000 metres.
The Trekking Experience
All gorilla treks in Volcanoes National Park begin with a briefing at the Kinigi park headquarters, which opens at 7:00 am. Trekkers are divided into groups of up to eight and allocated to a gorilla family based on fitness level. The Hirwa family is generally considered a moderate trek — not the most demanding in the park, but more substantial than some of the lower-altitude families.
Trek duration to Hirwa typically ranges from two to five hours return, depending on where the family has moved overnight. The landscape is open and dramatic on the lower volcano slopes before you enter the denser forest that Hirwa favours. On a clear morning you may have views of the Virunga volcanoes rising above the bamboo and Hagenia forest canopy — one of the most beautiful settings for gorilla trekking anywhere.
The one-hour observation with the family gives you time to watch feeding, grooming, play between juveniles, and the family’s relaxed daily routine. The presence of young gorillas — given Hirwa’s record of twin births — often makes this one of the more dynamic families to observe.
Getting to Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is located in northwestern Rwanda, approximately two and a half hours by road from Kigali. Most visitors fly into Kigali International Airport and transfer directly to the park, staying in one of the many lodges in and around Kinigi village at the park gate. A wide range of accommodation is available, from ultra-luxury wilderness lodges to mid-range camps and comfortable guesthouses.
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is frequently combined with a Kigali city tour, a visit to Akagera National Park (for big game), or Nyungwe Forest National Park (for chimpanzee trekking and canopy walks).
Booking Your Trek
Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost USD 1,500 per person. Permits are issued by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and must be booked through a licensed Rwanda safari operator. Given Rwanda’s limited daily permit quota and high global demand, permits for popular families like Hirwa should be booked six to twelve months in advance.
