Rwanda and Uganda
Does travel insurance cover gorilla trekking?
Yes. Gorilla trekking is not named in the exclusions of RoamRight Pro, ProPlus or CancelFlex, so their medical and evacuation benefits apply on trek day as on any other day of the trip. Three things decide whether a gorilla trek is actually protected: the permit has to be inside the trip cost you insure, the evacuation limit has to reach a hospital that can treat you, and the reason you miss the trek has to be one the policy lists. A ranger turning you away for a cough is not, on its own, one of those reasons.
Reviewed by Al Ste-Marie, Founder, Expedition Insure. Last updated November 4, 2026.
Rwanda and Uganda gorilla trekking compared
The insurance question is the same in both countries. The numbers behind it are not.
| What to check | Rwanda | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
| Gorilla permit, per person per trek | US$1,500, issued by the Rwanda Development Board | US$800, issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority |
| Where you trek | Volcanoes National Park | Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park |
| Permit refunds | Non-refundable under nearly all circumstances | Narrow refund terms, so treat the permit as non-refundable once paid |
| Where serious cases are usually flown | Nairobi or Johannesburg | Nairobi |
| Country guide | Rwanda travel insurance | Uganda travel insurance |
Permit prices and refund terms are set by each park authority and can change. Confirm the current figure with your operator before you set your insured trip cost.
Put the permit inside your insured trip cost
Trip cancellation reimburses the unused, non-refundable prepaid payments for your trip when you cancel before departure for a reason the policy lists. On the plans we quote, those reasons are a death, a sickness or injury that needs medical treatment and that a physician certifies is disabling enough to cancel the trip, and a defined list of other covered events.
A couple doing two treks in Rwanda holds US$6,000 of permits before a lodge night is counted. Leave the permits out of the insured trip cost and the cancellation limit falls short by that amount. You also lose the pre-existing condition waiver, which requires you to insure 100% of the non-refundable cost.
If a ranger turns you away on trek day
Rangers can refuse trekkers who show signs of illness, to protect the gorillas. Once you have left home, the benefit that applies is trip interruption. It pays for unused prepaid land or water arrangements when a covered sickness or injury, certified by a physician, is so disabling that it prevents you from continuing the trip.
A ranger's decision is not one of the reasons the policy lists. The plan requires a certification by the treating physician that medical restrictions prevented your participation, so see a physician the same day and keep that certification with the permit receipt.
Cancel for any reason does not help on trek day. On RoamRight CancelFlex it pays 75% of the non-refundable trip cost only when you cancel 48 hours or more before your scheduled departure date.
Medical evacuation from Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi
Evacuation pays to move you to the nearest hospital or medical facility where suitable treatment is available, when your local physician and the plan's assistance provider agree that your condition is acute, severe or life threatening and that adequate treatment is not available nearby. The assistance provider, On Call International, has to arrange and approve the evacuation, so call the number on your certificate before anyone books a flight.
When it is medically necessary, the same benefit returns you home or to a hospital near home, by a method the assistance provider approves in advance.
These are the evacuation and medical maximums in each plan we quote for gorilla trekking.
| Plan | Medical evacuation | Emergency medical | Cancel for any reason | Pre-existing waiver window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RoamRight Pro | $500,000 | $25,000 | Not in the wording | Buy within 14 days of your first trip payment |
| RoamRight ProPlus | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | Not in the wording | Buy within 21 days of your first trip payment |
| RoamRight CancelFlex | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | 75% of non-refundable trip cost | Buy within 21 days of your first trip payment |
Figures are the maximum benefit amounts in each plan's policy wording, checked in November 2026. Which plans you can buy depends on where you live, and your certificate states the terms that apply to you.
How a safari evacuation works with an air ambulance membership: safari medical evacuation and AMREF Flying Doctors.
Altitude and the mountaineering exclusion
Gorilla trekking and hiking are not named in the exclusions of RoamRight Pro, ProPlus or CancelFlex. Their mountaineering exclusion is defined as scaling mountains that generally require picks, ropes or other special equipment.
If you add a volcano climb to the trip, check it against that definition and against the altitude and mountaineering clause, plan by plan, before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Does travel insurance cover gorilla trekking?
Will travel insurance refund my gorilla permit?
What if I am turned away from the trek because I am sick?
Where will I be evacuated to from a gorilla trek?
Is cancel for any reason worth it for gorilla permits?
When should I buy gorilla trekking insurance?
Get a gorilla trekking quote
Tell us your permit dates and the total trip cost. We quote plans with the permits inside the insured cost and show the evacuation limit before you buy.
Get a quoteThis page is general information about travel insurance for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda. It is not legal or medical advice. Your certificate of insurance states the terms that apply to you.