Rwanda vs. Uganda: For The Best Gorilla Trekking Experiences.
Clearly among the top gorilla trekking locations around are Rwanda and Uganda. Both have first-rate infrastructure for primate adventures, hence the major “Rwanda vs. Uganda” argument is on which one offers the finest gorilla trekking conditions. We aim to help you make the best choice by addressing some of those issues.
Tracking the gorillas in both nations entails walking up or down defined paths over the dense, twisted vegetation over mountainous terrain. Though practically everyone who sets out on this journey usually finds the gorillas, it is somewhat difficult.
Regardless of the nation you select for the expedition, trekking the steep mountain slopes to locate a mountain gorilla family and spending that one hour with the gorillas will be an amazing experience that will leave you breathless.
The choice of Rwanda over Uganda will most likely result from the availability of gorilla permits, the expense of the adventure, where to stay, access to the gorillas, and what additional activities may be included to your trip.
We advise looking for the permission and making decisions by consulting a local tour operator. Like Katland Safaris, most tour companies are ready to provide all the required information at no cost and can arrange gorilla trekking safaris in either nation.
gorilla permit availability
Uganda has advantage on the availability of gorilla permits. That is so because Uganda has twice the number of habituated gorilla groups and more gorilla trekking stations than Rwanda, therefore safeguarding more than half of the entire gorilla population.
Uganda grants more than 160 gorilla permits daily from 20 habituated gorilla groups in two National Parks: Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. doubled the Rwanda’s permission count.
In Uganda, you not only have a gorilla permit but also have more than five trekking locations scattered around the park borders, where you may discover a range of lodging. Bwindi alone consists of four sectors: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the west, Rushaga in the south, and Nkuringo.
With fewer than 80 permits daily, Rwanda has 15 habituated gorilla groups for treking. Starting from a single place in Kiningi, gorilla trekking trips disperse on the foot of the volcanoes. Kiningi is the hub for all the lodging.
The Price of Trekking for Gorillas
The price of the gorilla permit and lodging determines the cost of gorilla treks mostly. About the accomodation cost, Rwanda’s gorilla permit charge is more than double that of Uganda.
Since 2017, the permit in Rwanda has continued at $1500 per person per hike. Any visitor over 15 years may purchase the permit from Rwanda Development Board or from any licenced local tour operator at face value.
From 2019, the Uganda gorilla permit has cost $800 per person per trip. The permit is available from offices of Uganda Wildlife Authority in Kampala or via any licenced tour operator. Alternatively, Uganda grants a $1500 gorilla habituation permit (not in Rwanda) wherein visitors may spend more than four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family: an experience most would prefer over trekking in Rwanda.
Finding a permit in any nation during the busiest months of July through September and December through March is more difficult logistically than in the low seasons. If you want to come during the busiest times, make sure your permit is booked at least six months ahead.
Gorilla Access
With only about a 2-hour drive from the international airport to Volcanoes National Park on a well-surfaced road, Rwanda has the simplest access to gorillas. On the same day you may arrive at the Kigali airport and straight transport to your bush lodge close to the gorillas.
That cannot be true of Uganda, however. The gorilla reserves in Uganda are around 500 kilometers from Entebbe International Airport. Arriving in Entebbe, you are supposed to stay a night before starting a 10-hour trip across the nation to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Parks. For those who would not like to drive ten hours in the rear of a safari vehicle, two little airports are a two-hour drive outside Bwindi and Mgahinga.
Driving in Rwanda or Uganda will repay you greatly with the undulating rural scenes. Most seasoned visitors choose to drive in order to see these amazing vistas.
Both nations let you see the mountain gorillas only on foot. The park lacks roads, hence occasionally you may drive on an unpaved dirt road from the briefing site to the gorilla trekking starting point for around forty-five minute journey. Whichever nation you decide for, be ready to get muddy.
Trekking Relaxation
The trailheads of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park are at the absolute bottom, and the base of five dormant volcanoes stretches across Often, the gorillas climb the steep slopes, and you will be walking up to see them. The terrain might be rough and steep, hence modest physical fitness will help one negotiate it.
Trekking in Mgahinga National Park in Uganda resembles that of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Though most visitors would judge the difficult terrain of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park more demanding, that is far from the reality. The topography of Bwindi makes it difficult to forecast the gorilla habitat—down in the valley or up the slopes?
On any given day in Bwindi, you may be climbing or descending the mountains; it is not clear. On certain days, trekkers are fortunate to come upon the gorillas at the park borders; they do not have to go far into the forest. Though the Bwindi Forest is darker and denser than Volcanoes, the hiking trip is erratic at both sites.
You may be monitoring the gorillas for around thirty minutes to four hours in either Uganda or Rwanda; you cannot precisely estimate how long it would take as trackers have to follow their lead and they roam freely within their protected areas.
Alternatives for Accommodation
Though Rwanda’s lodging expenses might be a touch expensive on the premium market, hotel options abound in both nations compared to the availability of gorilla permits.
The gorilla trekking lodging in Rwanda is mostly in Kiningi; up-market selections surpass the more affordable ones. If you stay in a premium lodge with elegant facilities rather than a cheap motel and pay the expensive gorilla permit cost, you are more likely to enjoy Rwanda’s gorilla trekking experience.
Conversely, Uganda offers a great range of gorilla trekking lodging choices. From affordable hostels to cozy hotels and out-of-this-world woodland hideaways dispersed among the five gorilla trekking areas. On a given morning or evening foraging excursion, certain resorts in Uganda welcome unexpected gorilla visits that surprise visitors.
You may sleep just above the park canopy and then stroll five minutes to the Uganda hiking base. The gorilla trekking experience is that exciting in Uganda.
Additional Activities
Most visitors choose to mix their safari drive with their gorilla trekking adventure. Although both nations provide good activities for a combination safari, Uganda has the advantage with more choices.
The only and finest place for a laid-back big five safari excursion in Rwanda is Akagera National Park in northwest of the country. For nature walks and primates, the southern Nyungwe National Park will provide some of the greatest chimpanzee trekking opportunities in the area.
Apart from the gorilla encounter, most visitors want to discover Rwanda’s outstanding conservation and cultural tourist initiatives. And should the suffering of the 90s genocide appeal to you, it would be advisable to spend a night in Kigali and visit the memorial museums.
Uganda offers a more diversified safari experience, nevertheless. One may opt to observe the elephants traveling down the Nile at Murchison Falls National Park or sailing a boat on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park amid pods of Hippos, herds of buffalo, and antelope on the beach. Walking with our crazy chimpanzee relatives in Kibale Forest—rated as the finest primate experience globally—is another highlight of Uganda.
Both nations mix well with the neighbouring Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania for a more focused safari experience. One may simply travel between Kigali and Serengeti National Park or Entebbe and Masai Mara National Reserve to see the amazing Annual Great Migration.
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Safaris or Rwanda
Interested in tracking gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda, Katland Safaris has a committed staff of local experts who can assist you in selecting an appropriate location for your trip plans, schedule, and budget. We can also organize your lodging, arrange your travel, locate you a gorilla permit in any nation. Send us an email at and speak with a specialist.
