There has been a lot of comparison between gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda and how the experience differ in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National park but this article is not about the experience but it’s about costs involved and how gorilla trekking in Uganda is cheaper than Rwanda. Of course for those willing to trek mountain gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo will find it much cheaper but due to the fact that Encounter Africa Safaris does not operate in Congo, we will leave this chapter for another discussion.

How gorilla trekking in Uganda is cheaper

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is cheaper than Rwanda due to the fact that there is a difference in price that is charged by these two countries. While Rwanda Development board charges USD750.00 per gorilla permit per person, Uganda Wildlife Authority charges USD600.00 per gorilla permit per person. A gorilla permit allows one to see gorillas for one hour and includes guides fees and park entry fees. This therefore means that if one wants to trek gorillas in Rwanda, he/she will have to pay USD150.00 for a Rwanda permit. For those who want to save USD150.00, then we advise that you track mountain gorillas in Uganda. With this price difference, one can conclude that gorilla trekking in Uganda is cheaper than that in Rwanda.

Another reason why gorilla trekking in Uganda is cheaper than Rwanda is that in the months of April, May and November, Uganda Wildlife Authority offers low season discounted gorilla permits which cost USD450.00 per person per trek. It also implies that those who choose Uganda as their gorilla trekking destination in the months of April, May and November will save a hooping USD300 off each gorilla permit. With the above information, one can then choose where he or she wants to trek mountain gorillas from.

While gorilla trekking in Uganda is cheaper than Rwanda, there other selling points that favor Rwanda as a gorilla trekking destination. One of the strong and emphasized point is the distance from Airport to Volcanoes National Park. While it will take 8-9 hours to drive from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, it takes only 2-3 hours to drive from Kigali Airport to Volcanoes National Park. This therefore means also that it is possible to do a one or two day gorilla trek in Rwanda yet the minimum number of days for a gorilla trekking tour in Uganda is three. In our next topic, we will compare gorilla trekking experiences in both Uganda and Rwanda.