Uganda and Rwanda both offer extraordinary mountain-gorilla encounters, but the journeys around them feel different. Uganda offers more trekking sectors across Bwindi, the volcanic landscape of Mgahinga and the option of a longer gorilla habituation experience on selected dates.
Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park is reached more quickly from Kigali, making it well suited to a shorter journey. Its bamboo-covered volcanic slopes can feel more open, while Bwindi's ancient rainforest is denser and the approach more varied.
Permit prices, availability and regulations are set nationally and can change. We compare the current details at the time of planning rather than relying on an old headline figure.
Choose Uganda when you want the gorilla trek to sit inside a wider journey of forests, lakes and savannah. Choose Rwanda when time is limited or when its volcanic route fits the rest of your plans. For some travellers, the right answer is both.
