In this study, sawdust and wheat bran were selected to prepare effective and low cost adsorbent for the gold separation from either cyanide or chloride solution. Activated carbon produced from pyrolysis of wheat bran and sawdust (whereas; Eucalyptus and Cordial Africana) was activated using sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as activating agent at relatively low temperature (500oC). The activated carbons were characterized by measuring BET, DSC, and FTRI. The FT-IR analysis shows the presence of a variety of functional groups and the result were competed with commercial AC. The activated carbon prepared from wheat bran in this study had higher surface area. The characterization of prepared and commercial activated carbons showed that wheat bran was a better option over commercial or sawdust. Different adsorption parameters like adsorbent dose, contact time, pH and types of activated carbon on the gold adsorption were studied. Statistically designed experiments were performed at two levels of the one operating parameter, three levels of two parameter and five levels of one parameter which were the contact time, adsorbent dose, pH and types of activated carbon respectively and their studied ranges were 3.50-6 hr, 6 - 10.5 pH, and 1-2 g/l, respectively. The results showed that under the optimum operating conditions, more than 99% of gold was adsorbed onto activated carbon after only 3.50 hr. The equilibrium adsorption data were well described by the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Isotherms have been used to obtain thermodynamic parameters. Gold desorption studies were performed with aqueous solution mixture of sodium hydroxide and aqua regia solution at different temperatures. In general, the SIAC3 prepared activated carbon is a better product for gold ion recovery from cyanide or aqua regia solution.