Table of Contents
- How much is gorilla trekking in East Africa?
- Option #1: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
- Option #2: Gorilla trekking in Uganda
- Option #3: Gorilla trekking in DR Congo
- What are the other costs associated with gorilla trekking in Africa?
- Is gorilla trekking worth the price?
- Do you need to get a gorilla trekking permit in advance?
- Can you do gorilla trekking in East Africa on a budget?
- The verdict: Which is the best option for gorilla trekking in East Africa?
Gorilla trekking in East Africa – the best wildlife experience on the planet? I certainly think so!
If you’ve started researching your gorilla trekking options, you will be aware that three countries in East Africa provide gorilla trekking opportunities: Rwanda, Uganda, and DR Congo.
In this article, I introduce you to each of these options, weighing up the pros and cons of each, before providing you with a helpful resource that will give you more information about the destination in question.
I also answer some FAQs relating to gorilla trekking in East Africa to help you make up your mind about whether you should opt for gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, or DR Congo in 2023 and beyond!
How much is gorilla trekking in East Africa?
The price of gorilla trekking in East Africa depends on the country in which you do it. In Rwanda, a permit costs $1,500; in Uganda, the same permit is $700, while a permit to trek gorillas in DR Congo costs $450.
While the difference between gorilla trekking in each country varies significantly, you’re essentially paying for the same experience: a trek through the wilderness to spend around one hour in the company of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Although it’s expensive, gorilla trekking is by far the best animal experience I have ever had, and I loved every second of my trek back in 2012. I would love to do it again someday soon, but I will need to get better at saving money!
In what remains of this article, I provide you with a complete guide to your East African gorilla trekking options in 2023. I run through the cost of the activity in each of the three countries that offer this unique wildlife adventure and help you decide which is the best option for your budget.
I begin with the most expensive option – Rwanda – and work through to the cheapest – DR Congo. After reading through each of the options, the choice of which to opt for is very much yours!
Option #1: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
At $1,500, gorilla trekking in Rwanda is twice the price of the same activity in neighboring Uganda and three times the price of the same activity in DR Congo. So, why is it so expensive in Rwanda?
Well, it’s not an easy question to answer, as there are various factors that contribute to the cost of acquiring a gorilla trekking permit. I would speculate that gorilla trekking is so expensive in Rwanda because it is the country’s focal tourism activity, while Uganda has more to offer the tourists that arrive in the country each year.
What’s more, Rwanda has invested heavily in infrastructural development since the 1994 genocide, and a visit to Rwanda is extremely convenient for tourists, given the small size of the country and the ease of accessibility to its various points of interest.
I’ve visited Rwanda on three separate occasions, and each time I’ve been struck by how organized the country is. It’s also like a microcosm of East Africa, offering stunning mountain views, lakeside retreats, and unrivaled wildlife opportunities, as evidenced primarily by gorilla trekking in the Park National Des Volcans.
But if you plan to visit Rwanda for your gorilla trekking adventure, you need to be prepared to pay the big bucks, and the fact that the cost of a permit is so much higher in Rwanda than in Uganda and DR Congo will be off-putting for many potential visitors to this part of the world.
Pros of gorilla trekking in Rwanda
- Rwanda is super organized, with great roads and excellent tourist infrastructure, making traveling in the country largely hassle-free for tourists.
- The Park National Des Volcans – the location of gorilla trekking in Rwanda – is nothing short of spectacular, with incredible views and amazing photo opportunities at every turn.
- Many flights from Europe fly directly into Kigali, making Rwanda slightly more accessible than Uganda and DR Congo for some tourists.
Cons of gorilla trekking in Rwanda
- The biggest downside to gorilla trekking in Rwanda is the cost. At $1,500, it is three times the price of the same activity in DR Congo and twice the price of trekking in Uganda. For some tourists, it’s simply too much money to spend.
More information?
If you would like more information about gorilla trekking in Rwanda, head to the dedicated page at Visit Rwanda.
Option #2: Gorilla trekking in Uganda
When I went gorilla trekking in 2012, I did so in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The experience was beyond my wildest expectations, and it was genuinely one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever done in my life.
Spending an hour with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is so rewarding, and to see these guys up close and personal is something that will truly stay with me forever.
In all honestly, I didn’t choose Uganda over Rwanda or DR Congo specifically; I simply opted to go gorilla trekking in Uganda because I was in the country for another purpose.
But when I consider the cost of the activity in Rwanda and the political instability in DR Congo, I believe that gorilla trekking in Uganda is the best option for most tourists.
Uganda is safe for tourists, and Ugandan people are extremely welcoming. In comparison, the roads and infrastructure are behind neighboring Rwanda, but Uganda more than makes up for it with access to so many wildlife opportunities in addition to gorilla trekking, with the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha just over an hour’s drive away from Bwindi National Park.
So, if I had to recommend one option over the other two, I would recommend gorilla trekking in Uganda as your best bet. I’ve listed the pros and cons below in the interest of fairness to the other destinations!
Pros of gorilla trekking in Uganda
- At $700 for a permit, gorilla trekking in Uganda is half the price of the same activity in neighboring Rwanda.
- While gorilla trekking is one of the main tourist activities in Uganda, there’s so much else to see and do in the country at the same time. You can visit Queen Elizabeth NP, Murchison Falls NP, and even Kidepo NP for the ultimate safari experience.
- Trekking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is an experience like no other, and it’s a true wilderness. The moment you finally see the gorillas in their natural habitat is a joy to behold, making the trek through the unforgiving terrain worth every second.
Cons of gorilla trekking in Uganda
- Bwindi National Park is located in the extreme southwest of Uganda. If you’re traveling directly from Entebbe/Kampala and going by road, it will take you a full day (10+ hours) to reach your destination, with around 3-4 hours of the journey on bumpy murram roads. You can book a domestic flight to Kihihi Airstrip, but internal flights are expensive, and you will then need to arrange a transfer from Kihihi to Bwindi.
More information?
For more information about gorilla trekking in Uganda, visit UWA’s official listing for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Looking for a decent place to stay when you visit Bwindi for your upcoming gorilla trekking experience? Check out our piece introducing five affordable accommodation options in Bwindi.
Option #3: Gorilla trekking in DR Congo
The third and final option for gorilla trekking in East Africa is DR Congo. Disclaimer – I’ve never been to DR Congo, even though I live less than 1km from the border between Congo and Uganda!
Although gorilla trekking in DR Congo is the cheapest option in East Africa, it is often overlooked by tourists, who favor trips to Rwanda or Uganda.
The main reason for this is that DR Congo is not particularly safe for tourists, and there has been a lot of civil unrest in recent times, particularly in Eastern Congo, where gorilla trekking is an option.
It’s not my intention to turn this article into a discussion about politics and civil unrest in DR Congo, but you should read your government’s advice carefully before planning a trip to the country, and take out all of the necessary insurance if you do opt to go gorilla trekking there.
To highlight this point, at the time of writing, the UK Government advises against all travel to most of the regions in Eastern DR Congo. Therefore, please check and follow your government’s current advice before planning a trip to this region.
Pros of gorilla trekking in DR Congo
- At $450, a gorilla trekking permit in DR Congo is the cheapest option in East Africa.
- There are some fascinating places to visit in DR Congo. For instance, Nyiragongo is an active volcano close to Goma that provides incredible hiking opportunities.
Cons of gorilla trekking in DR Congo
- At the time of writing, most governments consider travel to Eastern DRC to be unsafe and advise against it. Therefore, you should review all travel advice before planning to travel there.
- Although a gorilla trekking permit is comparably cheap in DRC, the lack of tourist infrastructure and the expense of hotels in Eastern DR Congo add to the overall price of your trip.
More information?
You can find out more information about gorilla trekking in DR Congo by visiting the official website of the Virunga National Park.
What are the other costs associated with gorilla trekking in Africa?
Whether you go gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Uganda, or DR Congo, the cost of the permit itself is just one of a number of things you need to think about before checking this incredible wildlife experience off your bucket list.
Of course, you will need to think about the expense of getting to East Africa in the first place, including things like flights, visas, and inoculations. But when you’re in the region, there are a number of things that you need to prepare for.
The biggest expense in each of the gorilla trekking regions is the cost of accommodation, which is offered at eye-watering prices.
I live just 45 minutes away from Bwindi National Park, and it blows my mind that many of the lodges that surround the National Park offer rooms for more than $1,000 per night!
To help you find budget accommodation options in Bwindi, I’ve put together this helpful guide to affordable spots to stay in and around the National Park to alleviate the financial burden of the activity.
As well as accommodation, you need to plan for your transport to the destination. Most tourists arrange for safari companies to take them to the respective national parks in each country, which is the safest and most comfortable way of reaching the gorilla trekking destinations in East Africa.
I’ve partnered with the good people at AJ Tours and Travel, who offer excellent rates for internal transfers in and around East Africa. They can also help you with affordable lodgings around each national park, saving you from spending the big bucks when it comes to making reservations at the most popular lodges!
Is gorilla trekking worth the price?
Something I have come to realize is that price is subjective. For some people, the thought of paying between $450 – $1,500 to spend an hour with gorillas is crazy!
But to others, it’s the pinnacle of wildlife tourism, and the opportunity to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is worth practically any price.
I’m in the latter of the two camps, and having been gorilla trekking; I can honestly say that it’s an incredible experience. The trek through the forest and the time spent in the company of the gorillas was absolutely worth the price I paid (I think permits were around $500 at the time).
I also spend a lot of time in Bwindi, living so close to the park, and I regularly speak to tourists who emerge from the forest, commenting on how it’s quite simply the most remarkable thing that they’ve ever done.
So, in my personal opinion, gorilla trekking is absolutely worth the price. You should also note that a significant proportion of the fee that you pay goes towards the contribution of the mountain gorillas for future generations, which helps many people justify the price of the experience.
Do you need to get a gorilla trekking permit in advance?
While you can arrange a permit when you arrive in the country, it’s always better to get it in advance. You can arrange your permit via the three links provided earlier in this article.
If you’re looking for a budget tour company to arrange a permit on your behalf, I again recommend my friends at AJ Tours and Travel, but you can also arrange a gorilla trekking safari with practically every tour provider in East Africa.
The reason that it’s important to arrange your permit in advance is that each country only issues a specific number of permits on any given day, so you need to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Can you do gorilla trekking in East Africa on a budget?
Unfortunately, gorilla trekking is one of those activities that is super difficult to achieve if you’re constrained by budget. The cost of the permit, the accommodation fees, and the travel to the destination in East Africa makes it a pretty expensive experience overall.
Of course, traveling by public means and staying in budget hotels along the way can significantly reduce the cost of gorilla trekking, but it’s still an expensive experience.
If you’re a citizen or resident of East Africa, you can apply for a permit for a reduced fee. Again, you can find information on reduced permits via the links already provided.
The verdict: Which is the best option for gorilla trekking in East Africa?
In my humble opinion, and with all things considered, Uganda represents the best option for gorilla trekking in East Africa. But that being said, and in spite of the cost, Rwanda is also a super popular destination for this once-in-a-lifetime activity.
While DR Congo offers the cheapest gorilla trekking permits in the region, the civil unrest in the country and the fact that most governments deem the country to be unsafe rules it out for many tourists.
If you’ve got any questions about gorilla trekking in East Africa or would like to share your own recommendations, please do so in the comments below!
3 thoughts on “A Complete Guide to Gorilla Trekking in East Africa: Three Options! (2023)”