Mountain gorillas: Uganda or Rwanda?

Mountain gorillas live only in a small area straddling Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and there are little more than a thousand of them in the wild. They can be seen only with a permit, in small groups accompanied by rangers, for one hour with a family habituated to human presence.

What the permit costs

In Rwanda, in Volcanoes National Park, the permit costs $1,500 per person. In Uganda, in the Bwindi and Mgahinga parks, $800. The permit covers park entry, the rangers, the trackers who locate the family at dawn and the hour with the gorillas; it does not cover transport, accommodation or porters.

Rwanda: quicker, more expensive

Volcanoes National Park is about three hours by road from Kigali, and the trails through bamboo and up the volcanic slopes are generally shorter. You walk at between 2,500 and 3,000 metres, and you feel the thin air. It is the choice for those with only a few days and a generous budget.

Uganda: slower, more varied

Bwindi is a dense, steep forest, with treks that can last anything from a few hours to a full day, and reaching it overland from Entebbe takes many hours on the road. In return the permit costs almost half as much, there are many habituated families, and the trip combines easily with chimpanzees and the savannah of the country’s other parks.

What to know beforehand

The minimum age is 15. Groups are small, at most eight people per gorilla family, and anyone with cold or flu symptoms may be turned away: gorillas are vulnerable to human diseases. You will need hiking boots, long trousers, gloves for the vegetation and a waterproof. In the busiest periods permits sell out many months in advance.

Ebola: what to know today

Since 16 May 2026 the World Health Organization has considered the Ebola outbreak (Bundibugyo strain) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. Uganda has health checks and compulsory online registration for anyone passing through Entebbe; Rwanda refuses entry to foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 30 days; on return to Italy, anyone who has been in Uganda is subject to the Ministry of Health’s surveillance measures. Before booking, check the Viaggiare Sicuri pages (Italian Foreign Ministry) on Uganda and Rwanda, or your own government’s advice: we will help you decide whether and when to travel.

Our view

If time is short and the budget allows, Rwanda. If you want a longer, more complete trip, or are travelling as a larger party, Uganda. Either way it is a journey in its own right, not an extra day tacked on to a safari in Tanzania.