Uganda vs Rwanda Gorilla Trekking: Which to Choose

Quick comparison

Both countries host mountain gorillas in high-altitude rainforest. The one-hour rule and distance rules are the same in both. The differences are cost, terrain, access and what else you can do.

Rwanda access

Volcanoes National Park sits in the Virunga Mountains about two hours from Kigali International Airport, with some sources quoting up to two and a half hours. This is why Rwanda suits short high-impact trips of 2 to 3 nights. You can even do Uganda's Bwindi from Kigali in a day, as our 1-Day Bwindi Gorilla Tour from Kigali (Permit Extra) shows, with a 2 am pickup and a return between 8 and 9 pm.

Uganda access

Uganda's trekking is mainly in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with a small number of permits in Mgahinga. From Entebbe or Kampala it is a long overland journey, so short trips usually need return bush flights from Entebbe, which add cost. Many travellers instead build Uganda into a longer itinerary with safaris, chimp trekking or community time.

A neat middle path is to fly into Kigali and cross the border, like our 2-Day Uganda Gorilla Trek in Bwindi from Kigali, Permit Included at $1,750 per person.

One ecosystem, two parks

Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga in Uganda are part of the same ecosystem and gorilla troops cross the unfenced border. Mgahinga covers just 33.7 square kilometres and is Uganda's smallest national park, between 2,227 m and 4,127 m, with three extinct Virunga volcanoes.

Permits and park fees

A gorilla tracking permit in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park costs US$1,500 per person, with eight permits per group per day and 96 a day countrywide, and a minimum age of 15. Uganda's own permit price is not stated in the sources we link, though Uganda Wildlife Authority publishes that a maximum of eight visitors may visit one gorilla group per day and visits last one hour. Bwindi and Mgahinga park entry is US$40 a day for foreign non-residents, already included in the permit on the tracking day.

Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga costs US$60 for foreign non-residents, excluding entrance.

What a full trip costs

Our own tours show the range. The budget end is the 3-Day Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour from Entebbe or Kigali (Permit Extra) at $503 per person, with the permit bought separately. A one-day trek from Kigali into Mgahinga runs $400 per person, also permit extra.

All-inclusive options sit between the $1,750 two-day Bwindi trek from Kigali and the $2,600 three-day Bwindi trek with the Batwa Trail and a Lake Bunyonyi canoe ride. A comparable Rwanda itinerary would typically cost more, because permits, lodges and services there all carry a premium.

Terrain in each park

Bwindi earned its name from a dense ground cover of herbs, vines and shrubs, so trekking often goes off-trail. The forest is vast and deeply forested, and it is divided into several trekking sectors, which means difficulty and drive times vary a lot depending on where your permit is. Volcanoes National Park is compact and well organised, with worn-in paths.

Neither park requires acclimatisation.

How to prepare

Pack waterproof boots, gloves and a rain layer, and be honest about your fitness. If you want a gentler first trek, Volcanoes or the shorter Bwindi sectors are the choice. If you want a real jungle workout, ask for Bwindi.

The rules

In both countries, a maximum of eight visitors may visit one gorilla group per day and visits are limited to one hour. In Rwanda you cannot request a specific family, the rangers assign groups on the morning of the trek based on fitness. Rwanda has about a dozen main gorilla families, including Susa, Agashya, Kwitonda, Bwenge and Sabyinyo, ranging from about 9 to 35 individuals.

Bwindi has 25 habituated groups, and the Mubare group was the first habituated for tourism in Uganda, in April 1993.

Going deeper in Uganda

Uganda also runs a gorilla habituation experience, where you spend longer with a group being prepared for tourism. Our Private 5-Day Gorilla and Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda covers it, and it is something Rwanda does not offer on the same scale. Mgahinga has one habituated transboundary gorilla group and protects the endangered golden monkey.

On the ground

Rwanda is often praised as organised and stable, and its tourism industry runs smoothly around Volcanoes National Park. Uganda's trekking regions in the southwest are far from any trouble spots and welcome large numbers of visitors. Both countries use armed rangers and a strict permit system.

Book with a licensed operator and follow ranger instructions and both destinations feel secure.

Uganda's extras

Bwindi and Mgahinga entry is US$40 a day for foreign non-residents on non-trekking days, and around them you can add chimp trekking in Kibale, classic safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Batwa cultural trails. Our 8-Day Uganda Safari with Chimps, Gorilla Trekking and Queen Elizabeth is a good example, as is the 5-Day Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda: Kibale, Bwindi and Lake Bunyonyi. The 3-Day Bwindi Gorilla Trek with the Batwa Trail and a Lake Bunyonyi Canoe Ride pairs the trek with culture and a canoe ride.

Rwanda's extras

Golden monkey trekking and epic hiking are possible in the Virungas, and Mgahinga on the Uganda side offers golden monkey tracking too at US$60 for foreign non-residents, excluding entrance. Our 3-Day Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trek in Mgahinga, Uganda, from Kigali gives you both primates in one short trip. But Rwanda itself is a compact destination, and most travellers treat the trek as the whole point.

Choose Rwanda if

You have 2 to 3 nights, want to fly into Kigali and trek within hours of landing, value easier trails and high-end lodges, and the $1,500 (RWF not stated) permit fits your budget.

Choose Uganda if

You want more value, easier permit availability, tougher jungle trekking, the option of a habituation experience, and chimps, safaris or community visits built around the trek. Travellers with limited time can still get the best of both by starting in Kigali, as our one and two day Bwindi treks from Kigali show.