Gorilla Trekking Permit Costs: Uganda vs. Rwanda, Compared Honestly

Uganda's permit is $800 per person for foreign non-residents in high season, dropping to $600 in the discounted low-season months of April, May and November — a genuine, UWA-announced discount, not a marketing gimmick. Rwanda's permit is a flat $1,500 year-round, with no equivalent seasonal discount. That is a substantial gap, and it is not the only difference: Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park is a shorter drive from Kigali's international airport, treks tend to involve less strenuous terrain on average, and the overall infrastructure feels more polished. Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest offers a genuinely wilder, denser-forest experience across four distinct trekking sectors with more gorilla families overall, a lower cost even at high season, and equally strong conservation outcomes. Neither country's experience is 'better' in absolute terms — Rwanda suits travelers prioritizing convenience and willing to pay for it; Uganda suits travelers who want the lower price point, do not mind a longer drive from Entebbe, and want the option to pair trekking with genuinely excellent savanna parks (Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls) in the same country. We build both, but the majority of our clients choose Uganda specifically for the value gap.

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