Gorilla Trekking: Uganda or Rwanda? Compared

	Uganda	Rwanda
Where	Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga national parks	Volcanoes National Park
Permit (international visitors)	Several hundred US dollars	US$1,500 per person
Terrain	Dense, steep rainforest	Bamboo and open volcano slopes
From the airport	A long drive from Entebbe, or a domestic flight	About 2–3 hours by road from Kigali
Also see	Chimps, savannah safari, tree-climbing lions, the Nile	Golden monkeys, Dian Fossey's research site, Lake Kivu

The gorilla experience

In both countries you trek in a small group with expert guides and trackers, and spend one hour with a habituated gorilla family. The animals are the same species — mountain gorillas — and the hour with them is equally unforgettable. The same rules apply: keep your distance, stay quiet and don't trek if you are ill.

Cost

This is the biggest difference. Rwanda's standard permit for international visitors costs US$1,500 per person (set by the Rwanda Development Board, with occasional promotions for some visitor groups); Uganda's costs several hundred US dollars. For a couple, or for anyone who wants to trek twice, Uganda is much better value. See Uganda safari cost.

The trek

Bwindi's forest is dense and steep, and treks can take from one to several hours each way. Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park has more open bamboo and volcano slopes, at high altitude. Both need reasonable fitness; porters help on both sides.

Travel time

Rwanda is compact: Volcanoes National Park is a few hours by road from Kigali, so a short gorilla trip is easy. In Uganda, Bwindi is far from Entebbe — around nine hours by road on our 4-day trek — though domestic flights can shorten the journey. Southern Bwindi is close to the Rwandan border, so some travellers fly into Kigali to reach it.

What else?

Uganda combines gorillas with a full safari: chimpanzees in Kibale, tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and the Nile. Rwanda offers golden monkeys, the Dian Fossey story, Lake Kivu and the clean, modern capital, Kigali.