How Much Does Gorilla Trekking Cost in Rwanda and Uganda?

Permit prices side by side

Here is the combined table for both countries in one place. In Rwanda the permit is priced per person per day with no separate validity period, and a no-show on the visiting date voids the permit.

Cheaper rates if you qualify

Uganda sells permits to foreign residents for $700 and to residents of other African countries for $500, with East African citizens paying 300,000 shillings. Rwanda currently prints promotional rates of $500 for African citizens and foreign residents and $200 for Rwandan and East African citizens, but those rates are not applicable from June to October. Rwanda also runs a 30% low-season discount on permits from November to May if you combine the trek with two nights in Akagera or Nyungwe with one paid activity, one discounted permit per three-day stay.

What your money buys

In Uganda the permit includes the hour with the gorillas, the guide, rangers and park entry. Uganda treks last between 2 and 7 hours, so the guide and rangers are with you the whole time. In Rwanda the RDB portal tracking page does not state what the permit covers.

Visit Rwanda says a visit starts with a briefing at park headquarters, then a trek to the park boundary. Guide and included items are not stated officially for Rwanda.

Habituation rates and what you get

The habituation permit in Uganda costs $1,500 for foreign non-residents, $1,000 for foreign residents and residents of other African countries, and 750,000 UGX (about $200) for East African citizens. Experiences run mostly in Bwindi's Rushaga sector and give you up to four hours alongside researchers, instead of the one hour on a standard permit. For the same $1,500 you could instead trek in Rwanda, where viewing time is limited to one hour.

The extra line items

Here is how the rest of the budget breaks down. Visas matter for the total. Rwanda charges $50 for a V1 single entry holiday visa and $100 for the East Africa Tourist Visa, which is valid for three months across Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, ideal if you trek in both countries.

Our tour prices

On our own listings, day treks start at $260 per person with Vista Safaris and $342 per person with Universal Ventures, both with the gorilla permit bought separately. Two-day trips cost $715 per person with Kingfisher Journeys, permit separate. Full safaris with more included start at $1,860 per person for the three-day Uganda gorilla and Batwa experience to $2,687 per person for a one-day Rwanda trek with Devine African Safaris.

Check each tour page for exactly what the price includes before comparing totals.

Trek day timings

In Rwanda you report to the Visitor Information centre at park entry at 07:00, with the briefing at the RDB offices in Kinigi at 7:00 AM on the trek day. Hikes last anything from 30 minutes to four or more hours at altitudes of 2,500 m to 4,000 m, or between 90 minutes and the whole morning depending on the family assigned. In Uganda treks last 2 to 7 hours with 60 minutes of observation.

Gorilla trekking can take from 30 minutes to three quarters of the day, so prepare for both ends.

Booking windows

Permits often sell out months ahead, especially in peak seasons, and the standard advice is to book 3 to 6 months ahead for the June to September and December to February peaks. In Rwanda, bookings are first come first served and the permit is generated automatically once your application is complete. You can also pay 40% to 99% of the visiting fee in advance for a slot and pay the balance before 30 days to confirm, with processing in about one day.

Cash payment at the park is not permitted.

Add-on hikes near the park

If you have an extra day around Volcanoes, the RDB portal lists the Mount Bisoke hike at $75 for foreigners, the Dian Fossey tomb hike at $75 and the Sabyinyo hike at $75, all reporting at 07:00. Golden monkey tracking costs $100 for foreigners with a minimum age of 12 and a maximum of 16 people per group.

Where the permit money goes

Of permit revenue, 15% goes to government, 10% to local communities and 75% to gorilla conservation. Visit Rwanda confirms that 10% of permit revenue goes to local communities. Rwanda raised its permit from US$750 to US$1,500 for all visitors on 6 May 2017 and lifted the community revenue share from 5% to 10% at the same time, according to the RDB notice announcing the change.

The scarcity adds to the price. Rwanda issues only 96 gorilla permits daily, eight per troop, and Bwindi has 25 habituated groups with about 459 gorillas counted in Bwindi and Sarambwe in the 2018 census.

The cost verdict

Uganda also has cheaper resident and African rates and the four-hour habituation option. Rwanda fights back for short trips: Kinigi is about 100 km from Kigali on tarmac, so a day trek from the capital is realistic, and the promotional resident rates of $500 and $200 bring it close to Uganda outside the June to October blackout. Compare the full picture for yourself on rwanda vs uganda gorilla trekking before you pick.

Get there from Kigali to save

Many Uganda trekkers fly into Kigali and drive to Bwindi to cut transfer time. Katuna (Gatuna) connects Kabale in Uganda to Rwanda, and Chanika (Cyanika) connects Kisoro District to Burera District of Rwanda. The East Africa Tourist Visa at $100 covers Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya for three months, so crossing borders costs no extra visa money.

Rwanda refund and reschedule rules

The RDB portal prints that no refund is made in case of late arrivals or flight delay, absence or cancellation of trip for any other reason. If you track all day but fail to contact a gorilla family, 75% of the tracking fee is refunded. If the group's movement prevents tracking all day, you get another chance or a full refund.

Rescheduling a confirmed permit carries a processing fee of 20% of the application fee. More than 7 days before the visit it is approved automatically, within 7 days it is subject to RDB approval.