Every gorilla package we run in Uganda and Rwanda, from 2-day permit-and-go trips to two-week primate and wildlife safaris. All can be adjusted to your dates.
A gorilla tour is built around one fixed point: the date on your permit. Everything else, including the drive or flight in, the lodge, and what you pair it with, is arranged around that morning. Below is how our packages differ, so you can pick a starting point. We then tailor it to your dates, group and budget.
Permit and go. From Kigali, try the 2-day Rwanda trek. From Entebbe, choose the 3-day Bwindi fly-in or the 3-day road safari.
Gorillas plus one more highlight: chimps in Kibale, the Dian Fossey hike, Lake Bunyonyi, or a game drive in Akagera or Queen Elizabeth.
The classic primate safari: gorillas, chimps, tree-climbing lions, the Kazinga Channel boat cruise, and often Murchison Falls or Lake Mburo.
Uganda end to end, or Uganda and Rwanda together, with double gorilla treks, rhino tracking and the Nile.
Uganda permits cost US$800 and there are more families to choose from. The drive is longer unless you fly. See Uganda gorilla trekking. Rwanda permits cost US$1,500 and the park is 2½ hours from Kigali. See Rwanda gorilla trekking. Both countries on one trip works well for 8 days or more; see combined safaris.
Not included: international flights, visas, travel insurance, porters and tips. Our tipping guide covers what is customary.
| If you... | Consider |
|---|---|
| have only 2–3 days and are flying into Kigali | 2-day Rwanda gorilla trek or 3-day Rwanda gorilla safari |
| have 3 days, are flying into Entebbe, and don't want long drives | 3-day Bwindi fly-in |
| want the most time with the gorillas | 3-day gorilla habituation safari |
| want both great apes | 5 days gorillas and chimps or the 6-day primates and wildlife safari |
| want gorillas plus Big Five wildlife | 9-day primates and Big Five or the 4-day Rwanda game drive and gorillas |
| want to see all of Uganda | 12-day or 13-day Uganda tours |
| want both countries | 8-day Uganda and Rwanda safari |
Whichever tour you choose, trek day follows the same rhythm. You have an early breakfast, and your guide drives you to the park headquarters for the briefing (7:30 am in Uganda, 7:00 am in Rwanda). Rangers assign families and porters are available. Then you walk anything from under an hour to most of the day, spend one hour with the gorillas, and return to the lodge by the afternoon. Your driver-guide waits at the trailhead or collects you at the finishing point, which is sometimes different from the start. Full detail is on Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwanda gorilla trekking.
All our gorilla tours run privately, on the dates you choose. That means no waiting for a group to fill, no strangers in your vehicle, and a guide who can adjust the day when a trek runs long or the weather turns. Solo travellers are welcome. Per-person costs are higher for a solo traveller because the vehicle isn't shared, and we keep them down with efficient routes. See safaris for solo travellers and Rwanda gorilla trekking for solo travellers.
Book 4–6 months ahead for Uganda and 6–12 months for Rwanda for June–September and December–February, especially for groups who want to trek together. In the wet months, a few weeks' notice is often enough. Uganda's US$600 low-season permit in April, May and November can make a real difference to a group's total. See best time to visit and gorilla permits.
Almost every guest says the hour with the gorillas is the highlight of their time in Africa, and many say of their lives. The cost is high, but it pays directly for the protection that has brought mountain gorillas back from the edge. For an honest view, read is gorilla trekking in Uganda worth it? and what happens if you don't see gorillas.
From Entebbe, the road to Bwindi takes 8–10 hours through the countryside of central and western Uganda. You cross the equator at Kayabwe, pass the long-horned Ankole cattle ranches around Mbarara, and climb into the terraced hills of Kigezi. Many guests enjoy the drive as part of the experience, and it keeps costs down. A fly-in tour replaces each drive with a one-hour scheduled flight from Entebbe to Kihihi or Kisoro. It costs more, but saves two full days, which makes a gorilla trek possible on a short itinerary. Domestic flights usually limit luggage to around 15 kg in soft bags. A popular compromise is to drive in, seeing more of Uganda on the way, and fly out.
Kigali has become the fastest gateway to both countries' gorillas. Volcanoes National Park is 2½ hours away, and Uganda's southern Bwindi sectors are 3–4 hours via the Katuna or Cyanika borders. That means you can choose Uganda's US$800 permit without the long drive from Entebbe. See Kigali to Uganda gorilla packages and Entebbe to Rwanda gorilla safari.
Tour prices are per person and fall as the group grows, because the vehicle, driver-guide and fuel are shared. A private 4x4 comfortably seats up to 6–7 passengers with window seats and the pop-up roof. Large groups travel in convoy with a guide in each vehicle. On the trek itself, each family can take up to eight visitors, so a group of more than eight will be split across families.
Gorilla trekking is possible for travellers with limited mobility or older travellers who find steep trails difficult. In Bwindi, a team of porters can carry a visitor in a sedan chair to the gorillas and back, and rangers can assign a family that is closer to the trailhead. We plan these trips with shorter drives, lodges with level access, and extra rest days. Read gorilla trekking for disabled travellers and ask us about the options.
Two days from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. From Entebbe, a fly-in trip to Bwindi takes three days, or four to five days by road.
Yes. Your vehicle and guide are private to your group. On the trek itself, up to eight visitors share each gorilla family, as the wildlife authorities require.
Yes. Add a second permit and a night. Guests often trek from two different sectors to meet two different families.
A 5–8 day Uganda trip that combines gorillas, chimps and a savannah park gives the fullest picture. With less time, the 3-day Rwanda trip is the simplest.
Yes. All our gorilla packages include the permit(s), booked in your name, unless you tell us you already hold one.
Yes. Every tour is private and runs on your dates, subject to permit availability, which we check first.
Yes. Most short tours extend easily by 1–3 days to include Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo or, in Rwanda, Akagera and Nyungwe.
Yes. Many of our guests are over 60. Rangers assign closer families on request, porters help on steep sections, and carrier teams can be hired if needed.
Our 12- and 13-day Uganda tours and 8-day Uganda and Rwanda safaris, which can extend to 20 days, cover gorillas alongside chimps, big game and lakes.
Tell us your dates, budget and interests. We reply within 24 hours with a costed itinerary.
