Uganda gorilla trekking is a guided hike to observe wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, available in two national parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs $800 per person for foreign non-residents, issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Bwindi alone shelters close to half of the world’s estimated 1,000-plus remaining mountain gorillas, according to the IUCN. Each trek allows up to eight visitors to spend one hour with a habituated gorilla family. The best time to trek is during Uganda’s two dry seasons, June to September and December to February, when forest trails are firmer and easier to hike. This guide covers permit costs, where to go, the best time to trek, how to book, and what to expect on the day.
How much does Uganda gorilla trekking cost?
The headline cost is the permit: $800 per person, set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. That fee covers park entry, an armed ranger guide, trackers, and one hour with the gorillas once your group reaches them.
Uganda is the most affordable country for mountain gorilla trekking. The same experience in Rwanda costs $1,500, set by the Rwanda Development Board. If you want to understand the full price difference before deciding, see our breakdown of the cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda.
For travelers who want more time with the gorillas, the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi’s Rushaga sector costs $1,500 and allows up to four hours with a semi-habituated family, rather than the standard one hour.
Beyond the permit, budget for accommodation near the park, transport from the airport, an optional porter ($15 to $20), and tips. The bottom line: at $800 per permit, Uganda delivers the lowest-cost route to seeing mountain gorillas in the wild.
Where to trek: Bwindi vs Mgahinga
Uganda has two gorilla parks, and the right choice depends on what you want from the trip.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to roughly half of the world’s mountain gorillas and the great majority of Uganda’s habituated families. It is divided into four trekking sectors, Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo, which together offer the widest choice of gorilla groups and the highest trek success rates. Rushaga is also the only place to book the four-hour Habituation Experience. For a fuller picture of the park, see our guide to the tourist attractions in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the Bwindi destination overview.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the southwest corner of Uganda has a single habituated group, the Nyakagezi family. Because the family sometimes crosses into Rwanda or the DRC, sightings are slightly less predictable, but the park is quieter, the scenery across the Virunga volcanoes is dramatic, and you can pair gorillas with golden monkey trekking. Read more in our guide to gorilla trekking at Mgahinga National Park.
The conclusion: choose Bwindi for the best choice of gorilla families and the highest chance of a sighting. Choose Mgahinga if you want a quieter trek, Virunga scenery, and the option to add golden monkeys.
Best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda
You can trek gorillas year-round, but the dry seasons are clearly the best windows: June to September and December to February. During these months the forest trails are firmer, the hike is shorter and less slippery, and rangers locate the gorillas more reliably.
The wet seasons, March to May and October to November, bring lush scenery and thinner crowds, and some lodges discount their rates. The trade-off is muddier, steeper trails and a higher chance of rain on your trek. Bwindi is a tropical rainforest, so a downpour is possible in any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entebbe | 28°C | 28°C | 28°C | 27°C | 26°C | 26°C | 25°C | 26°C | 27°C | 27°C | 27°C | 27°C |
| Bwindi | 25°C | 25°C | 25°C | 24°C | 24°C | 24°C | 25°C | 25°C | 25°C | 24°C | 24°C | 24°C |
| Dry season | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Wet season | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
The conclusion: June to September is the optimal time to trek, offering the best weather and the highest success rates. Because it is also the busiest season, book your permit three to six months ahead.
How to book your Uganda gorilla permit
Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and only eight are available per gorilla family per day. They sell out for the peak months, so early booking matters.
Most international visitors book through a licensed tour operator, which secures the permit and ties it together with accommodation, park transfers, and a guide. As a Kigali-based operator, Rwanda Eco Company can also arrange the popular Kigali route: you fly into Kigali, Rwanda, then drive three to four hours to the Bwindi sectors in southern Uganda. This is often faster and cheaper than the eight to nine hour drive from Entebbe, and it is the basis of several of our itineraries, including our 2-day Uganda gorilla trekking safari and 4-day Uganda gorilla trekking safari.
What to expect on trek day
Treks start with a morning briefing at the park headquarters around 7:30am, where rangers assign you to a gorilla family. The hike to reach them takes anywhere from 30 minutes to seven hours, depending on where the gorillas moved overnight, across steep and often muddy forest terrain.
A few practical points:
- Minimum age is 15 years, set by UWA.
- Hire a porter for $15 to $20. They carry your daypack and help on the steep sections, and the fee supports the local community.
- Pack sturdy hiking boots, a waterproof jacket, long sleeves and trousers, gardening gloves, and plenty of water.
- Time with the gorillas is limited to one hour once your group reaches the family, kept at a distance of seven metres to protect them.
Many travelers combine gorilla trekking with other Uganda highlights such as chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, or extend into a longer circuit like our 7-day epic gorilla tracking and wildlife safari.
Plan your Uganda gorilla trek with Rwanda Eco Company
Rwanda Eco Company is a Kigali-based safari specialist and a member of RTTA, ASTA, ATTA, and USTOA, with a 5.0 rating from 238 reviews on TripAdvisor. We handle permits, lodging, and transport for gorilla trekking across Uganda and Rwanda, including the cross-border Kigali route. To start planning, browse our Uganda gorilla trekking tours or get in touch for a tailored itinerary.
Updated May 22, 2026