Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali

Tour comparison

The Uganda Gorilla Trek Day Trip from Kigali leaves at 3:00 am, crosses the border, treks in Mgahinga and drives back the same day. The 4-Day Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Tour spreads the trip over four days with the Uganda gorilla permit and a Rwanda golden monkey trek included.

The table compares the listings on price, length, the permit and rating.

How to choose between them

Pick the day trip if Kigali is your only base, your schedule is tight and you will buy the Uganda permit yourself. Pick the 4-day tour if you want nights near the parks, a golden monkey trek in Rwanda and one payment that covers the Uganda permit.

Drive Times from Kigali

The Uganda Gorilla Trek Day Trip from Kigali drives northwest to Mgahinga National Park in about 3 hours, with a stop at the border to clear customs and breakfast near the park. For Rwanda's own gorillas, Visit Rwanda calls the road to Volcanoes National Park a three-hour drive.

Border crossing

Check the visa you need before the day. The East Africa Tourist Visa at $100 covers Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya for three months, which suits a trip that crosses back into Rwanda the same evening.

Permit and tour prices

The Uganda Wildlife Authority sets the gorilla permit at $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and $500 for the rest of Africa. In April, May and November the foreign non-resident rate drops to $600. From 1 January 2027 tracking stays at $800 while the habituation experience rises to $1,800.

The day trip from Kigali costs $400 per person with the permit bought separately. The 4-day tour costs $2,500 with one Uganda permit included.

Uganda or Rwanda on Price

Rwanda's permit is $1,500, so the permit is the line that changes. The Rwanda vs Uganda guide sets the rest side by side.

What a 1-day trek involves

The 1-day trip picks up at 3:00 am in Kigali, drives about 3 hours to Mgahinga National Park, crosses the border, treks for up to 3 hours or longer and spends one hour with the family before lunch and the drive back. It works if your time is short, but it is a long day. The 4-Day Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Tour at $2,500 per person is the slower option.

What the trek day looks like

Uganda gorilla treks last between 2 to 7 hours with 60 minutes of observation once you find the family, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Bwindi has four sectors, Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo, and Mgahinga issues about 8 permits per day, so permits there are scarce and worth booking early.

The trade-offs

Uganda's gorilla permit is $800 for foreign non-residents and Rwanda's is $1,500. RDB's 30% low-season discount from November to May applies only to trips that add nights in Akagera or Nyungwe. Uganda also sells a Gorilla Habituation Experience at $1,500 for foreign non-residents, a longer visit with a family still being habituated.

If You Do Not Find the Gorillas

On the Rwanda side RDB refunds 75% of the permit if you track all day and meet no family. Ask the Uganda operator what UWA's terms are before you pay.

Seasons and booking

The drier months from June to early September give firmer trails, and permits go first then. Mgahinga issues about 8 permits a day, so book well ahead. April, May and November bring UWA's $600 low-season permit, with wetter trails.

Fitness and trek length

Uganda gorilla treks last between 2 and 7 hours, and you cannot choose how far the family has moved. Bring sturdy boots, long trousers and rain gear. For the Rwanda side and the border areas, read is gorilla trekking in Rwanda safe: Canada advises a high degree of caution along the DRC border.

Rules at the gorillas

Once the family is found, observation is limited to 60 minutes, with groups of up to 8 and a 10 metre distance in Uganda. Follow the ranger and stay with your group.