Rwanda and Uganda are the two great homes of mountain gorilla trekking, and both are superb. The right choice comes down to your budget, your time, and the kind of adventure you are after.
Here is a clear, honest comparison to help you decide, drawn from what we plan for guests every season.
Rwanda or Uganda at a glance
- Permit Rwanda USD 1,500, Uganda USD 800, or USD 600 in low season
- Park Rwanda, Volcanoes; Uganda, Bwindi and Mgahinga
- Access Rwanda, about 3 hours from Kigali; Uganda, a flight or a long drive from Entebbe
- Terrain Rwanda, open and steep; Uganda, dense forest
- Extra time Only Uganda offers the four hour habituation experience
- Choose Rwanda for A short, seamless, ultra luxury trip
- Choose Uganda for Value, adventure and more time with a family
The quick answer
If you want the smoothest, most polished trip in the least time, choose Rwanda. If you want the best value and a wilder, deeper experience, choose Uganda. Either way, the hour among gorillas is unforgettable.
Cost compared
Uganda is the more affordable choice on permits, and the gap is meaningful over two treks or a couple travelling together.
| Rwanda | Uganda | |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | USD 1,500 | USD 800 (USD 600 low season) |
| Park | Volcanoes | Bwindi and Mgahinga |
| From the capital | About 3 hours | Flight or long drive |
| Terrain | Open, steep | Dense forest |
| Habituation, 4 hours | Not offered | From USD 1,500 |
For the full breakdown, see our gorilla trekking cost guide.
Getting there
Rwanda wins on ease. Volcanoes National Park is about a three hour drive from Kigali, so you can land and trek the next morning. Uganda's Bwindi sits farther from Entebbe, reached by a light aircraft flight or a long, scenic drive, which suits a slightly longer trip.
The trek and the scenery
Rwanda's Volcanoes is more open and often steeper, with photogenic slopes of bamboo and the silhouettes of the Virunga peaks. Uganda's Bwindi is thick, ancient rainforest, wilder underfoot and greener, with a real sense of the deep jungle.
Both give you the same gift, an hour that stays with you for life.
Lodges and luxury
Rwanda has a run of world class lodges around Volcanoes, which makes it the natural pick for an ultra luxury, short escape. Uganda's lodges are excellent and more varied in price, so it flexes further, from fine to truly grand.
Combining with the rest of your journey
Rwanda pairs beautifully with a Kenya or Tanzania safari for a short gorilla add on. Uganda rewards a longer stay, with chimpanzees, boat safaris and the wider primate circuit. The two also combine, since they share a border. See Rwanda and Uganda for more.
So, which should you choose?
Short on time and set on seamless luxury, go to Rwanda. Chasing value, adventure and more time in the forest, go to Uganda. Tell us how you like to travel, and we will match you to the right forest and the right lodge.
