Uganda vs Rwanda for Gorilla Trekking: 2023/2024 Guide to Choosing Between Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo
Are you planning to visit gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda or Congo in the African continent? You have to know some vital information about these critically endangered species of apes.
It will help you choose Uganda or Rwanda for gorilla tours and plan for a memorable trekking experience with ease. For this reason, we have decided to list some of the most frequently asked questions about mountain gorilla tracking below.
Should you need more information other than this, please feel free to contact us. We as a gorilla safari company ensure we give you right information before and after booking your gorilla safari Uganda or Rwandan tours.
Expectations from Uganda or Rwanda gorilla safari packages
Expect a tiresome journey when you go trekking with gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda. The hike can take up to 8 hours if unlucky. Lucky clients can even see gorillas after just 2 hours.
This depends on the current and previous day movement of gorillas and the speed at which your group is moving.
You should also expect to see gorillas. The chances of seeing these gorillas irrespective of whether you choose Uganda or Rwanda for gorilla tracking is 99.9%. The 0.1% is due to unforeseen obstacles that can prevent you from seeing gorillas and among these include sickness.
These include sickness before the trek, getting injuries before or as you trek and a few more obstacles. You should expect an adventure that will stay memorable in your life.
Trekking with gorillas is an absolute once in a lifetime opportunity and you will surely enjoy it especially when booking under a gorilla safari company or specialist like us.
Best time to visit Uganda or Rwanda for gorilla trekking
The best time to visit gorillas is when the trails are dry. It becomes much easier to hike to the habitat of gorillas. Rain can mess up the adventure sometimes reason why each tourist is advised to book their tours for the best months possible.
These months include: June through to late September and December to February. June to September turns out to be the best time to see gorillas in Africa – Uganda, Rwanda and Congo in particular.
Booking outside these months is okay but chances of rainfall are usually high, which might mess up your trek. The worst month to book your gorilla safaris in April. This month has the highest amount of rainfall in a year.
Good thing is Uganda’s climate is tropical. Even if it rains, the sun usually comes out, dries the soil and the day gets back to normal like it never rained.
You can still book your safaris during the months of rainfall as some clients get lucky and finish their gorilla tours without seeing a single drop of rain.
Usually the corresponding tour consultant from our gorilla safari company will advise on whether to pack for warm or wet weather.
Minimum age requirements for gorilla trekking tours
You must be 15 years or older to see gorillas. Children younger than this will not be allowed to trek gorillas irrespective of whether they choose Uganda or Rwanda for their trip. In some scenarios, children who are at least 14.5 years old can be allowed to join the trek only with clear consent from Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The parents have to write a letter to Uganda Wildlife Authority through our agency at least 3 months prior to their safari and wait for approval. Our gorilla tour company assists you in this process by talking to the officials in charge personally and requesting them to approve your application.
Once approved, your kid has to be strong enough to hike the trails and mature enough to follow whatever guidelines that are communicated during the morning meeting.
Selecting the ideal gorilla trekking company in Uganda and Rwanda
We might not be the best gorilla tour company, but we are definitely among the best companies for gorilla tracking in Uganda and Rwanda.
We mainly specialize in organizing gorilla tours alongside other safaris. This has since given us an edge over competitors and has helped us gain a lot of experience in organizing tours in Africa.
We not only book your tour, we advise you on the gears to buy, give you the rules and precautions and ensure you get the best mountain gorilla families to track. This is important information irrespective of your choice of visiting Uganda or Rwanda for gorillas.
We also give discounts to groups of 10 or more travelers. When you book with us, your comfort comes first! We book the best safari lodges for both luxury gorilla tours and budget gorilla safari trips.
Choosing your gorilla trekking tour package for Uganda and Rwanda
Your budget, schedule and safari interest will determine how many days you are likely to spend on a gorilla trek irrespective of whether you visit Uganda or Rwanda for gorillas.
If your only interest is meeting gorillas then you only need a minimum three days for gorilla treks in Uganda from Kigali, two days for gorilla tracking in Rwanda and at least three days for gorilla tracking in Congo.
For budget tourists, you can opt to arrive from Kigali in Rwanda and trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with our Uganda gorilla safari packages from Kigali.
If you can afford the $1500 gorilla permits fee for Rwanda, trekking gorillas in Rwanda is the shortest. You can even do it in one day. For longer trips, you can go for seven to twenty one days depending on what you prefer.
Regarding the style, you can either go for budget or luxury trekking depending on your budget. A luxury gorilla safari will guarantee you a 4×4 safari land cruiser for transportation. This applies when you visit Uganda or Rwanda for gorillas.
Our budget and mid-range trips are carried out in 4×4 safari vans or super customs. For a hustle free experience, we suggest you go for luxury.
Can you arrive through Rwanda and trek gorillas in Bwindi Uganda?
Arriving through Kigali in Rwanda, trekking gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and departing through Rwanda has become a trend nowadays.
It saves you permit fees. Rwanda gorilla permits cost $1500 each where us Uganda gorilla permits cost $700 each. By arriving through Kigali, carrying out trekking in Bwindi and departing via Rwanda will save you about $900. Secondly, the distance is shorter.
It is about eight hours from Entebbe to Bwindi forest national park and just four hours from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This saves you about 5 hours of driving.
Lastly, you also get to explore two different countries in a single trip. We often advise most of our clients to begin and end their trips from Rwanda because of the reasons mentioned above.
Where to find Mountain gorillas in Africa
Mountain gorillas can only be found in three countries in the whole world. These include Uganda in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Rwanda in Volcanoes National Park and Congo in Virunga National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the only independent of these. Mgahinga, PNV and Virunga all share the same region; The Virunga Conservation Area (VCA). Over half the remaining population of gorillas live in Bwindi forest.
Rwanda has the second highest number of gorillas and Virunga comes in third. So if you want to see mountain gorillas in Africa, you should consider visiting any of the three countries.
Its only for these destinations that you will see a gorilla walking in a bush. As you plan to visit Uganda or Rwanda for gorillas, you should know that Ugandan gorilla permits cost $700 each, Rwandan permits cost $1500 each where as Congo permits cost $400 each.
For a luxury gorilla experience, consider Rwanda first then Uganda second. Budget trekking is best done in Uganda and Congo respectively.
Gorilla trekking costs in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo
The price of visiting gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo are different. Rwanda stands out as a luxury gorilla tour destination because of their huge $1500 gorilla permits fee.
Uganda and Congo offer both luxury and budget trekking options.
To get the total cost of gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda or Congo, you have to consider the permits fee, accommodation fee, transportation fee and professional fees charges by your gorilla safari company to organize the safari for you among other minor charges.
Our tours are very affordable and start from as low as $1100 per person for a two or three days package.
How to secure gorilla trekking permits for Uganda and Rwanda tours
You need a gorilla permit to trek gorillas. Ugandan permits are bought from Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters in Kamwokya, Kampala.
Rwanda gorilla permits are bought from Rwanda Development Board in Kigali where as Congo permits are bought from Virunga National Park in Goma.
Permits cost $700, $1500 and $400 for Uganda, Rwanda and Congo respectively. They are sold on first come first basis hence, ought to be purchased way in advance especially for competitive months like June, July, August, September, December and January.
Why choose us as your gorilla safari company for Uganda or Rwanda gorilla safaris?
Ever thought of booking your gorilla safaris with a gorilla tour company? We mainly specialize in organizing mountain gorilla safari holidays and have since gained experience in this. We bring your ideas and suggestions to life in the best way possible.
Whether you book a gorilla safari Uganda or Rwanda package, all our tour guides are experienced and knowledgeable enough to explain anything regarding gorillas to you. We keep you informed regarding the gears, weather, what to pack and more.
All this ensure your experience goes as smooth as it can. Click the book now image below to get started.
