How much is a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda and Rwanda.
Visitors visiting Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Uganda’s Bwindi National Park, and Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park are required to have a gorilla trekking permit, which is provided by the Rwandan Department of Tourism (RDB). A gorilla trekking permit to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga costs $800.00 and is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Conversely, a gorilla permit to hike mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, costs $1500 per person. Foreign nationals and citizens of East Africa are eligible for a discounted rate in Uganda. An additional $800 will be required of non-Ugandan nationals residing in Southern Sudan, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, or Uganda for a gorilla permit.
Tourists from East Africa may visit gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga for 750,000 Uganda shillings. In order to book your gorilla permit and find out which category you fall into, please get in touch with Katland Safaris.
Explain Uganda’s decision to raise the price of gorilla permits from $700 to $800.
Prices for Uganda gorilla trekking permits had been $700 per person each trek from 2014 through 30 June 2024; however, from 1 July 2024 through 2025, the price will drop to $800 per person. The Ugandan government opted to tack on an additional $100 to ease the financial burden of the influx of visitors who saw gorilla safaris in Uganda as a more budget-friendly alternative to Rwanda, where the cost each trip exceeds $1500.
An other reason for the price hike is to support efforts to protect the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga, which were once considered endangered. Notably, the world’s highest population of mountain gorillas is found in Uganda. The most recent census, which took place in 2018, found that 50 mountain gorilla families and 450 people called Bwindi home.
Your $800 visit to Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla forests will go toward funding conservation efforts for mountain gorillas. Staff and rangers of the Uganda Wildlife Authority are paid using these funds. Community development initiatives also get funding from this source.
Trips to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda in 2024 and 2025 Three-day Bwindi Forest gorilla trekking adventure
Why does a gorilla permit cost less in Rwanda than in Uganda?
Gorilla trekking is the same in both Rwanda and Uganda, although the Ugandan permit is much less expensive. For instance, you’ll earn a diploma upon completion of your journey, spend an hour with mountain gorillas, and be led by rangers from your own country.
The question then arises as to why the price of a Rwandan gorilla permit—which allows visitors to observe mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park—is $1500, more than double the price of an equivalent ticket in Uganda ($800).
To portray Rwanda as a luxury tourism destination and to bolster conservation efforts to rescue mountain gorillas, among other reasons, the Rwandan government contemplated fixing the price of her gorilla licenses at $1500 per person.
In contrast to Rwanda, Uganda has not made significant investments in marketing or infrastructure and is still relatively unknown to many. Uganda has chosen to undercut Rwanda’s pricing in order to remain competitive.
How much does a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda and Uganda cost?
Despite the fact that gorilla licenses in Rwanda and Uganda cost different amounts. You may spend an hour with the gorillas, have a ranger guide lead you, feel safe in the jungle, and get a certificate at the end of your gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda or Uganda.
These gorilla permits may sound pricey, but they don’t include your transportation or lodging either before or after your expedition. Bwindi and Volcanoes National Parks are two destinations that Katland Safaris arranges all-inclusive gorilla safaris to. Gorilla safaris in Rwanda and Uganda are available here.
On what date can I get a permit to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda?
Tourists from all over the globe go to Rwanda and Uganda to go gorilla trekking. The majority of tourists that go to East Africa seek to observe mountain gorillas in their native environment. This has increased the level of competition in gorilla trekking.
To ensure availability, it is recommended to reserve your gorilla trekking permit at least four to five months, if not a year, in advance. In contrast to Rwanda’s ten gorilla families, Uganda’s nineteen gorilla families see an average of eight visitors daily.
Seeing mountain gorillas is as easy as contacting Katland Safaris and providing them with the dates and country of your choice.
It is our intention to investigate if permits are available in Rwanda and Uganda. We will check the system for availability, issue you an invoice, and then purchase the items on your behalf. After you pay, we will email you a scanned copy of the receipt so you may keep it for your records.
Accommodations in the Volcanoes, Bwindi, and Mgahinga National Parks
Various lodges in Rwanda and Uganda, ranging from budget to luxury, are closely associated with Katland Safaris. That being said, we can modify our gorilla safari to fit your needs, interests, and budget. Some of the Bwindi budget lodges that we partner with include the Buhoma Community Camp, Rushaga gorilla Haven Lodge, and Trekkers Tervan in Ruhija.
We may arrange lodging at Buhoma Haven, Engagi, or Nkuringo Mountain Gorilla Lodge for anyone who would rather stay in the Mid Range. A few examples of five-star lodges in the area include Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs, and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.
The lodge you choose will be determined by the permit that you have booked. Lodges in the northern area of Bwindi will be reserved for you if, throughout the booking/confirmation process, we are able to get gorilla permits for your trekking. We will reserve southern lodges if we are granted gorilla permission to travel in the south.
Directions to Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
From either Entebbe or Kigali International Airport, visitors may take a car trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park. Since the travel from Entebbe Airport in Uganda to Kigali International Airport in Rwanda is just four to five hours, rather than eight to ten, it is more convenient to fly into Rwanda and then hike gorillas in Uganda.
Take a look at our Rwanda to Uganda gorilla trekking packages. There are both scheduled and charter flights to Bwindi every day for those who would rather fly. Get in touch with us if you’re interested in gorilla safaris by air.
Those planning to visit Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda to embark on a gorilla trek should fly into Kigali and then drive two or three hours to get to the park. At any time of year, Katland Safaris can arrange all-inclusive vacations to Rwanda so that you may view the gorillas.
For more information about gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda, including the age limit, what to bring on a gorilla trek, whether it’s safe for elderly people to trek, and much more, get in touch with Katland Safaris.
You can’t go wrong with Katland safaris as your gorilla trekking guide in Rwanda and Uganda. They have been in the business for over a decade. Feel free to get in touch with us or check out our safari booking and TripAdvisor sites for additional details about what we offer.
