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Uganda Currency for a Gorilla Trip: Shillings, Dollars and Tips

The Uganda Currency is the Ugandan shilling, code UGX, and one US dollar buys about 4,277.89 UGX at the mid-market rate. For a gorilla trip, pay permits and tour balances in clean US dollar cash and carry shillings for tips, taxis and markets.

Quick answer The currency of Uganda and what to carry for a gorilla trek

About 4,277.89 shillings equal one US dollar at the mid-market rate, and the shilling is the Uganda Currency you will spend every day. Gorilla tours and permits are usually priced in dollars, so bring clean US dollar notes for those and change a small amount into shillings on arrival. Withdraw shillings from an ATM in Kampala or Entebbe before the drive to Bwindi because card acceptance near the parks is minimal.

Key takeaways

What is the main currency in Uganda?

The shilling runs daily life in Uganda.

The shilling runs daily life in Uganda. It is what drivers, market stalls and small lodges expect, so every gorilla trip needs some. The shilling is the currency of Uganda and has no subdivision today. It was officially divided into cents until 2013, but cents no longer circulate. The first shilling replaced the East African shilling in 1966 at par. A new shilling, the UGX in use now, was introduced in 1987 worth 100 old shillings. The Bank of Uganda has redesigned the currency seven times since then. The shilling predominates in most financial transactions. Uganda has a very efficient foreign exchange market with low spreads, which means changing money is cheap and easy in the towns. Source: Wikipedia, Remitly.

What is the best currency to take to Uganda?

Bring dollars for the big payments.

Bring dollars for the big payments. Bring a small stack of shillings, or a card to withdraw them, for everything else. Uganda accepts US dollars, euros and pounds sterling, and gorilla trekking tours and other high-value services often price in these currencies. Every tour on this site is priced in dollars for exactly that reason. The 3 Days gorilla trekking Safari tour in Uganda costs $2,600 per person, and the 4-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari costs $2,450 per person. Dollars beat euros and pounds for two reasons. First, more providers quote in dollars, so fewer conversions stand between your cash and the bill. Second, older dollar notes can be a problem, so request notes printed in a recent series in mixed denominations. Source: Remitly, Wikipedia.

How should I split my money for a Uganda gorilla trip?

This is the whole money plan for the trip in one table.

This is the whole money plan for the trip in one table. Get the split right and nothing on trekking day depends on finding a bank. The parks are far from cities. Card machines are rare near Bwindi and Mgahinga, so the last reliable ATM is in a major town on your route in. Do all your shilling business there. Blocks: Your dollars cover: - The tour balance, because gorilla trekking tours often price in USD, EUR or GBP - Permits bought separately from a tour - Any upscale lodge that quotes in dollars Your shillings cover: - Tips for rangers, guides and porters - Taxi and boda fares - Markets, shops and small restaurants - Bottled water and snacks on the road Blocks table: | Payment | Currency | Where to get it | | --- | --- | --- | | Gorilla tour balance | US dollars, clean notes | From home, in cash | | Permit bought separately | US dollars | From home, in cash | | Tips for guides and porters | Ugandan shillings | ATM or forex bureau on arrival | | Taxis and markets | Ugandan shillings | ATM or forex bureau on arrival | | Upscale lodge extras | Card or dollars | Card works mainly at upscale places | Porters at the park can carry backpacks and cameras and help on the route. The official pages do not print a porter fee, so agree it in shillings on the day and carry small notes for it. Source: Remitly, Visit Rwanda.

Which Ugandan notes and coins will I actually handle?

Learn two notes before you land.

Learn two notes before you land. The rest you will pick up in a day. Banknotes currently in circulation are 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 shillings. Circulating coins are 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 shillings. Smaller coins of 1, 2, 5 and 10 shillings also exist but rarely change hands in tourist settings. The 50,000-shilling note is the one worth spotting. It features the Stride Monument and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on the front, and silverback mountain gorillas on the back. You will likely pay tips from this note, so break one at a forex bureau rather than asking a ranger for change.

What is the exchange rate for Uganda Currency right now?

The rate moves every day, so check the Bank of Uganda rate or your bank app on the day you change money.

The Uganda shilling (UGX) is the only legal tender, issued by the Bank of Uganda, and its rate against the dollar moves daily. Prices in shillings run to four and five digits, so people quote everyday costs in thousands. Banks and forex bureaus set their own buy and sell rates, which sit below the mid-market rate, so ask for the day's rate before you change a large amount. The big costs of a gorilla trip are not paid in shillings at all. The Uganda Wildlife Authority prices the gorilla permit at $800 for foreign non-residents, and tours are priced in dollars on the booking page. Source: Ugandan shilling, Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Can I use a credit card in Uganda?

Treat cards as a backup for cities and top lodges.

Treat cards as a backup for cities and top lodges. Treat cash as the plan. Cash is essential in Uganda. ATMs exist in major towns, so Kampala and Entebbe are fine, and Visa is the most widely used card if you do pay by card. Expect surcharges where cards are taken at all. Near Bwindi and Mgahinga the picture changes. Small lodges, porters and roadside shops want shillings in hand. Withdraw shillings on your route in, and count on cash for the whole park stretch. If a card is your only backup, tell your tour operator in advance so the plan accounts for it. Source: Remitly.

How far does $20 go in Uganda?

Twenty dollars goes further in town than at a lodge, where meals and drinks are priced for tourists.

No official price list covers everyday spending, so treat $20 as a small daily budget for snacks, water and tips rather than a fixed sum. Lodges and safari camps price meals and drinks for visitors, so the same note stretches further in a town market than at a lodge bar. Staff around the trailhead are paid in shillings, so change some tip money at a bureau or ATM and carry small notes. Large notes are hard to break in the villages near the park gates. Source: Ugandan shilling.

How much is R100 in Uganda, and what about euros or pounds?

Rand has no local role in Uganda.

Rand has no local role in Uganda. The practical answer is to convert it before or on arrival. R100 is South African rand. Uganda's exchange market is built around the US dollar, with sterling and increasingly the euro also used, so rand is not a note you can spend or easily change in Kampala. Change rand into dollars at home, or use an ATM in Uganda if your bank allows it. Euros and pounds sterling are accepted in Uganda and high-value services often price in them, so a euro or pound cash user can manage. Dollars remain the smoothest option because more providers quote in them. Source: Wikipedia, Remitly, Visit Rwanda Bookings, Visit Rwanda Bookings.

Is it better to exchange money in Uganda or before travelling?

Split the job.

Split the job. A little cash at home for the first hours, the rest changed in Uganda at better rates. Forex bureaus in Kampala and Entebbe give competitive rates because Uganda has a very efficient foreign exchange market with low spreads. That makes changing the bulk of your cash on arrival the cheaper route. The small pre-trip amount covers your first taxi, water and any delay before you reach a bureau. If you cannot change money at home, Western Union transfers USD to UGX online, by app or at agent locations with cash pickup in over 200 countries and territories, which is an emergency route rather than a plan. Source: Remitly, Western Union.

What security features should I look for on Ugandan banknotes?

Uganda's notes are hard to fake, which helps you accept change with confidence.

Uganda's notes are hard to fake, which helps you accept change with confidence. Uganda was the first African country to introduce the SPARK security feature on a regular banknote. The current note family also uses colour-changing threads, crested crane watermarks and transparent sections with overlapping symbols. The designs depict mat patterns, basketry, the map of Uganda with the equator line, the Independence Monument and a Karimojong headdress profile. The same checks protect you in reverse. Any dollar cash you bring should be clean, undamaged and from a recent series, because bureaus and banks in Uganda often reject worn or old-design dollar notes. Source: Wikipedia, Remitly.

Tours That Fit

Trips priced in dollars, ready to book, where your shillings only need to cover tips and road spending.

Uganda Currency Questions

What is the main currency in Uganda?

The Ugandan shilling, code UGX, written USh. It has no subdivision now and predominates in most transactions. See the permit and cost basics in gorilla trekking cost.

What is the best currency to take to Uganda?

US dollars in clean, recent-series notes for permits and tour balances, plus shillings from an ATM for daily spending. High-value services often price in USD, EUR or GBP.

How far does $20 go in Uganda?

About 85,558 shillings at the mid-market rate of 4,277.89 per dollar. It covers a day of taxis, local meals, market buys and tips.

How much is R100 in Uganda?

R100 is South African rand, which is not used in Uganda. Change it into dollars at home or withdraw shillings on arrival.

Why do currency conversion rates differ between companies?

Banks and providers often set their own exchange rates, so customers pay more than the mid-market rate. Forex bureaus in Uganda usually sit close to the mid-market rate because spreads are low.

Do I need shillings for tips on a gorilla trek?

Yes. Rangers, guides and porters are tipped in shillings, so withdraw small notes before the park. Compare your options in private gorilla trekking safari uganda if you want a trip where the operator handles the big payments.

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