Uganda or Rwanda, which country is better for a primate experience 

Uganda or Rwanda, which country is better for a primate experience? Uganda and Rwanda are top primate safari destinations each home to the endangered Mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees that can be trekked all year round.

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Primate treks are generally expensive and the main reason for this is that the primates most especially the gorillas are already endangered and need to be protected at all costs that is why the cost is high to limit and also regulate the number of people who track the primates in a day.

Uganda is recommended for tourists who are budget conscious and are looking at a variety of activities to do before or after the primate trek. Rwanda is more of a luxury destination and the best primate trek destination for tourists who are looking at splashing and don’t mind about their budget.

Uganda and Rwanda are home to a wide range of primate species and the most commonly trekked primates include Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, Golden monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, L’Hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, Ruwenzori monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and blue monkeys among others.

Rwanda’s tourism sector is growing at a faster pace, and you can decide to have a two-way primate safari in both Uganda and Rwanda. Below is a comparison of primate trekking in Uganda and Rwanda and you can decide on where to go for primate trekking, we however suggest that you try out the two countries since each has a unique experience to offer.

Primate tracking destinations: Uganda VS Rwanda

Uganda has several primate safari destinations and these are the chimpanzee trekking destinations and the gorilla tracking destinations. There are two gorilla tracking safari destinations in Uganda and these are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. When it comes to golden monkey trekking, this can only be done in Mgahinga National Park, and Chimpanzee tracking is mainly carried out in Kibale National Park, with other destinations including Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Budongo Forest and Kaniyo Pabidi in Murchison Falls National Park and Kalinzu forest.

Rwanda has only one gorilla trekking destination which is Volcanoes National Park and this is located about 2 to 3 hours from Kigali in the north-western part of Rwanda. Golden monkey trekking is also done in Volcanoes National Park and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is done in Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Primate trekking price in Uganda VS Rwanda

The primate experience in Rwanda is more expensive as compared to Uganda and this is because of the cost of the trekking permit in the individual countries, accommodation, transport, and other services. Rwanda is known to be a luxury safari destination and this is part of the effort of the government of Rwanda to make the country a higher end tourism industry.

Uganda on the other hand is a more budget friendly primate trekking destination when it comes to accommodation, Primate trekking permits, and other services. The cost of the gorilla trek permit in Uganda currently is $800 for foreign non-residents, 300,000 UGX for East African citizens, and $700 for foreign residents. And note that Uganda does not offer discounts on the permits and a permit can only be used by one person. 

Rwanda’s current gorilla trekking cost is $1500 for foreign residents, $500 for African citizens, and $300 for East African citizens. Rwanda in 2-23 started to offer discounts on permits as a bid to recover from the COVID 19 and this only works on African citizens and residents that have proof. Discounts are offered to tourists who come to the country for a conference and buy in bulk and tourists who have booked to also go for a safari in Akagera and Nyungwe Forest National Park.

The cost of the chimpanzee trekking permit in Uganda is $300 for foreign non-residents, $250 for foreign residents and 250, 000 UGX for East African citizens in Kibale National Park.

The cost depends on where you are going to trek and it is $50 for foreign residents and foreign non-residents in Kyambura, 30, 000 UGX for EAC citizens, Budongo for $150 for foreign non-residents, $110 for foreign residents, and $80 for EAC citizens.

Chimpanzee trekking permits in Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda is $25 for East African citizens, $1500 for foreign non-residents, and $75 for African citizens.

If there are any changes made when it comes to the cost of the permits, official announcements will be made on the website. And when purchasing permits, make sure you purchase them through the right channels because many frauds sell fake permits to make quick money.

Gorilla families: Uganda VS Rwanda

Uganda has 20 gorilla families that have been habituated one found in Mgahinga National Park and the 19 in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mgahinga National Park is home to over 80 Mountain gorillas but only has the Nyakagezi gorilla family which has been habituated and ready for gorilla tracking Gorilla families in Bwindi include the Rushegura family, Mubare gorilla family, Bitukura gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, Oruzongo family, Kyaguriri gorilla family, Christmas gorilla family, Nkuringo gorilla family, Nshongi gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Kahungye family, Mucunguzi, Bushaho gorilla family, Kutu gorilla family, Mukiza gorilla family, and Busingye gorilla family.

Rwanda has 15 habituated gorilla families that are open to tracking by tourists and these are found in the different parts of the Volcanoes National Park. The different gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park include the Susa family, Amahoro family, Umubano family, Sabinyo family, Kwitonda family, Uganda family, Hirwa family, Agashya family, Bwenge gorilla family, Titus gorilla family, Karisimbi gorilla family.

Permit purchase in Uganda VS Rwanda

The chimpanzee and gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda are printed and issued by the Rwanda Development Board. You can purchase the permit directly through the RDB website or a tour operator.

Uganda permits on the other hand can be booked through a tour operator or purchased directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority. When booking the gorilla permit, there is no need to specify the gorilla family because these are assigned on the day of the trek.

One of the most frequent questions about gorilla and chimpanzee permits is when to book. Permits are to be purchased 6 months or even a year before the trek date for proper planning and to avoid any inconveniences.

Accessibility: Uganda VS Rwanda

There are two ways to get to the primate trekking destinations in Uganda and these are either by road or air. The drive from Kampala to Bwindi and Mgahinga for gorilla trekking is a 9 to 10 hours drive with stopovers for lunch and stretching. Fly-in options are also available from Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airstrip to the local airstrips of Kihihi and Kisoro Airstrip for an hour and 15 minutes and you get to drive the rest of the way to the National Parks.

The drive to Kibale National Park from Kampala is 6 to 7 hours and if you decide to fly in, charter flights have to be arranged at least 3 days prior and it will take you to Semuliki airstrip or Kasese airstrip where you have to connect to the national Park by road.

Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda can be reached through a drive from Kigali. The National Park is 2 to 3 hours drive from Kigali and 4x4 safari vehicles are used to transport tourists to the Park and a complimentary bottle of water is provided. There is also a popular option of flying to Rwanda and using the land borders to drive to Uganda for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking. It will take you about 3 to 4 hours to drive from Kigali to the trekking destinations in Uganda.

You can get to Nyungwe Forest National Park either by flying from Kigali to Kamembe Airport where you will connect to the National Pak by road. The charter flights have to be arranged on time and the drive from the airstrip takes about an hour. If you are planning on using road throughout, the drive from Kigali to Nyungwe is about 4 hours and we advise that you use private means arranged by your tour operator.

Accommodation: Uganda VS Rwanda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four sectors including Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija and each of these has accommodation facilities that you can book on your gorilla trek safari. When you purchase a gorilla permit, you will be assigned a sector in Bwindi so make sure that the accommodation booked is close to the sector you have been allocated to.

Some of the accommodations you can use in Bwindi include Clouds Mountain Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Nshongi Camp, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge, and Ruhija Gorilla Camp among others.

Mgahinga National Park is a small park and most of the accommodation is located outside the Park in the nearby towns that are within driving range. Some of the accommodation facilities that you can use when gorilla trekking in Mgahinga include Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Kisoro Traveller’s Rest, Muhabura Motel, Landmark Guest House, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mutanda Island Lodge and Lwacu community camp among others.

Kibale National Park accommodations you can use when trekking chimpanzees include Chimps Nest camp, Primates Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, and Kibale Safari Lodge among others.

Rwanda has a variety of accommodation facilities that range from basic, mid-range, and luxury accommodation facilities, and each of these is located within a driving distance from the Volcanoes National Park (10 minutes or an hour and a half). Some of the accommodation facilities to use during gorilla trekking in Rwanda include One & Only Gorilla’s Nest, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Sabinyo Silverback Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, and Singita Kwitonda Lodge.

Nyungwe Forest National Park accommodation includes Café Restro Bar Keza, One & Only Nyungwe House, Gisakura Family Hostel, Kitabi Eco-Center, and Uwinka Campsite.

The trek duration: Uganda VS Rwanda

The minimum days one can spend on a gorilla trek in Uganda is three days that is two nights and three days and this is what most tour operators organize. It is hard to find a local tour operator organizing a two or one day safari in Uganda. You can however stay longer than 3 days and participate in other activities including the Batwa walks, bird watching, guided nature, and primate walks among others.

In Rwanda, you can organize a one day or two day primate trekking safari and this is because the Volcanoes National Park is more accessible as compared to the remotely located Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks. The recommended days are three you can still book for more days because there is a lot more to do when it comes to primate trekking in Rwanda.

The best time to go for a primate safari in Uganda and Rwanda

The best time to go for primate safaris in Uganda and Rwanda is the dry season when the primate track routes are easy to use and the primates are easy to spot, especially with the shrubs and bushes easy to go through. The dry season is from June to September and December to February and since it is also known as the peak season, you have to be ready for the large crowds and increase in the costs.

The wet season is from October to November and March to May and is also not a bad time to go for primate trekking, however, you need to be ready for the muddy and slippery track routes and the rain. 

Organizing a primate safari in Uganda and Rwanda is the best way to spot the different primates in East Africa and you will be guaranteed to have the best time spotting primates that have 98% DNA with the humans. Contact us to help you organize the safari for you and give you a specific quote on what to expect. Our staff will be ready to answer any queries that you might have about primate trekking in Uganda and Rwanda.