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Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit Price 2026
Uganda's standard gorilla trekking permit is US$800, and on that figure almost every source agrees. Where they stop agreeing is the habituation experience permit — the longer, small-group option — which some 2026 articles quote at US$1,500 and others at US$1,800. Both are correct, just for different halves of the year: the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) held the rate at US$1,500 through 30 June 2026, with a rise to US$1,800 from 1 July. We could not independently verify this against a live UWA page — uwa.go.ug is not currently reachable — so treat the exact cut-over date as reported, not primary-sourced, and confirm directly with UWA or a licensed operator before budgeting around it.
Uganda gorilla trekking permit prices 2026
| Permit | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard gorilla trek (foreign non-resident) | US$800 | One hour with a habituated gorilla family, in Bwindi Impenetrable or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. |
| Standard gorilla trek, low season | US$600 | April, May and November only — UWA's own wet-season discount, announced 26 February 2026. |
| Gorilla Habituation Experience | US$1,500 → US$1,800 | Four hours with a semi-habituated family, Rushaga sector of Bwindi only, groups capped at 4. US$1,500 reported through 30 June 2026, US$1,800 from 1 July — see caveat above. |
The standard permit covers park entry, ranger guides, and armed escort where required. It does not cover transport, accommodation, meals, or porter and guide tips. Porters are optional but genuinely useful on Bwindi's steep, often muddy trails, and hiring one is also a direct way to put money into the local community bordering the park.
Why Uganda is priced below Rwanda for what looks like the same trek
Uganda and Rwanda both offer mountain gorilla trekking, from the same regional population sharing the Virunga massif and the wider Greater Virunga landscape, and the on-the-ground experience — trek, ranger, one hour with a family — is broadly comparable. The price gap is a deliberate positioning choice, not a difference in what you get: Rwanda markets Volcanoes National Park as a premium, lower-volume product; Uganda prices Bwindi and Mgahinga to draw a higher volume of visitors at a lower per-permit cost. Uganda also treks through genuine rainforest rather than Volcanoes' more open bamboo-and-grass terrain, which usually means a longer, steeper walk to reach a family.
Booking rules
- Full payment at booking, no reservation hold. As of March 2026, UWA removed the previous system that let operators hold a permit for a short window before payment — bookings are now confirmed with payment, not provisionally reserved.
- Minimum age 15, the same rule and the same underlying reasoning as Rwanda: disease-transmission risk to the gorillas, not just visitor safety.
- Two trekking parks, not one. Most permits are for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, split across four trailheads (Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo) that are a genuine half-day's drive apart — booking the wrong sector relative to your lodge can cost you hours. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, in Uganda's southwest corner near the Rwanda and DRC borders, has a single habituated family and is the smaller, quieter alternative.
How Uganda compares to Rwanda and Congo
| Country | Standard permit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Uganda | US$800 (low season US$600, Apr/May/Nov) | Bwindi Impenetrable or Mgahinga. Figures reported consistently across numerous 2026 tour-operator sources following UWA's 26 February 2026 announcement, but not independently checked against a live UWA page — uwa.go.ug did not resolve when we checked in September 2026. |
| Rwanda | US$1,500 | Volcanoes National Park; see our Rwanda gorilla permit page for RDB-sourced detail, including the low-season discount's real conditions. |
| DR Congo (Virunga) | ~US$400 when open | Not bookable as of 2026 — closed since 2020, and kept closed through 2026 by the M23 conflict around Goma. Treat as a historical reference figure, not a live option. |
For a side-by-side breakdown of what each country's price actually buys — and why the gap is so wide — see our Rwanda vs Uganda gorilla trekking comparison.
How to budget a Uganda gorilla trekking trip
A realistic floor for one person, one standard trek, in high season: the US$800 permit, a lodge near your chosen trailhead (Bwindi's four sectors each have their own lodge clusters, so this is worth fixing before you book accommodation), a driver-guide and 4x4 for the trek days (Uganda's park roads are rougher than Rwanda's, and self-drive is workable but demanding), and porter tips on the day. Combining Uganda gorilla trekking with Rwanda in one trip is common and genuinely practical — the Gatuna/Katuna border crossing between the two countries is a few hours' drive from both Bwindi and Volcanoes National Park.