Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali: Routes, Permits and Prices

By Anna Axelson, Operations Manager, East Africa Safaris · Updated October 2026

Yes, you can trek mountain gorillas in Uganda from Kigali, and for Uganda's southern gorilla parks it is the shorter way in: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi's Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors are reported to be 3 to 5 hours from Kigali by road, crossing the border at Cyanika or Gatuna (Katuna on the Ugandan side). Uganda's gorilla permit costs $800, or $600 in April, May and November, and our private trips from Kigali include it in the price, from $1,870 per person for three days. The shortest option is our 2-day trip, which crosses the border on day one and treks the next morning.

Checked: October 2026. Permit prices and park rules come from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), and border posts and visa rules from Uganda's and Rwanda's immigration services. Figures from other publishers are marked "reported." Our tour prices were checked on our tour pages on October 13, 2026; they are per person and include the gorilla permit.

Our Uganda gorilla trips from Kigali

Every trip below is private, starts and ends in Kigali, and includes the gorilla permits, park fees, lodging, meals as listed and a private safari vehicle (a Land Cruiser, Toyota Prado or safari van, by group size) with a driver-guide.

Sources for every figure are listed at the end of this page.

Prices fall as your group grows, because the vehicle and driver-guide are shared. Solo travelers pay $2,618 on the 3-day trip, $3,450 on the 4-day trip and $4,350 on the 4-day double. Three trips are priced on request: tell us your dates and group size, and we will quote them.

Uganda's $800 permit is $700 less than Rwanda's $1,500, which is why our 3-day Uganda trip costs less than our 2-day Rwanda trip at every group size, with an extra day and golden monkeys. Our Rwanda vs Uganda gorilla trekking guide sets the two countries side by side, and our gorilla trekking cost guide covers flights, visas, tips and the rest of the budget.

Kigali to Bwindi and Mgahinga: routes, borders and drive times

Uganda's two gorilla parks are in the far southwest of the country, near the Rwanda border. From Kigali, our trips cross at Cyanika, which leads to Kisoro, or at Gatuna, called Katuna on the Ugandan side, which leads to Kabale. Both are official border posts between Rwanda and Uganda.

Kigali to Bwindi's southern sectors

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four trekking sectors. UWA names Rushaga and Nkuringo as the southern sectors, the side closest to Rwanda, and where our tour pages name a Bwindi sector, it is one of these two, depending on permit availability. Buhoma and Ruhija, the other two, are farther from the border: UWA puts the road from Kabale to Buhoma, by way of Ruhija, at about 95 km and 4 hours on unpaved road.

Our double-trek trips drive straight to a lodge on the park's edge. Our 2-day trip sleeps in Kisoro and drives in on trek morning, and UWA says that last 35 km takes at least an hour, so expect an early start.

Kigali to Mgahinga

Mgahinga is Uganda's corner of the Virunga volcanoes, and UWA names Kisoro as the closest town. The road from Musanze, next to Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, reaches the Uganda border at Cyanika, which puts Mgahinga on the same route as Rwanda's golden monkeys. Our 3-day and 4-day trips track golden monkeys in Volcanoes before they cross, and our 4-day double comes back that way for them at the end.

Mgahinga is Uganda's smallest national park. UWA lists one habituated gorilla group there and about eight permits a day, so our trips treat it as one option alongside Bwindi, chosen by permit availability and your preference. Mark, from our team, wrote about his own trek in Mgahinga, including the moment a silverback walked past him on the trail.

Why start in Kigali rather than Entebbe?

• Less time on the road. Entebbe to the gorilla lodges is reported at 8 to 10 hours, and UWA puts Kampala to Kisoro at about 9 hours. From Kigali, it is 3 to 5 hours (reported).
• No domestic flight needed. UWA lists daily scheduled flights from Entebbe to Kisoro airstrip for the southern sectors, about 1 hour 10 minutes, but you still need a road transfer to your lodge.
• Rwanda is on the way. Volcanoes National Park is about 2.5 hours from Kigali, on the road north, so golden monkeys or a Rwanda gorilla trek fit in without backtracking.
• One round trip. All our Uganda gorilla trips start and end in Kigali, so you can book a round-trip flight to Kigali International Airport.

The trade-off: you cross the border twice, so you need the right visa (see below).

2-day gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali, day by day

Our 2-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Adventure from Rwanda is the shortest way to use Uganda's permit from Kigali. It is priced on request.

Day 1: Kigali to Kisoro. Your driver-guide collects you from your Kigali hotel and drives north to the border, crossing at Cyanika or Gatuna. Kisoro is about four hours away, including the border formalities, through steep, terraced farmland. You arrive in the late afternoon, with time for a walk through the nearby villages before dinner. Lunch and dinner are included.

Day 2: Gorilla trek in Bwindi and back to Kigali. After an early breakfast, you drive to Bwindi for the rangers' briefing, where your group is assigned a habituated gorilla family. UWA says treks take 2 to 7 hours, depending on where the gorillas are, and once you reach them you have one hour with the family. After lunch at the lodge, you drive back across the border, and your guide drops you at your Kigali hotel. Breakfast and lunch are included.

Day 2 ends with a long drive, so check your flight time with us before you book it, or add a night in Kigali. If you want golden monkeys too, our 3-Day Uganda Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trekking adds a night near Volcanoes National Park and a golden monkey trek before the crossing.

A double gorilla trek from Kigali, day by day

A second trek gives you a second hour, with a different family. Our 4-Day Uganda Double Gorilla Trekking and Golden Monkey Safari treks in two parks on back-to-back days:

Day 1: Kigali to Bwindi. An early pickup at your Kigali hotel or the airport, then about 4 to 5 hours to a lodge on the edge of Bwindi, including the border crossing. Dinner is included.

Day 2: First trek, in Bwindi. After the ranger briefing, trackers go ahead to find your assigned family, and you follow your ranger guide through steep, dense forest. After your hour with the gorillas, you drive to Kisoro, between Bwindi and Mgahinga.

Day 3: Second trek, in Mgahinga. You climb through bamboo and mountain forest on the volcano slopes to a different family, then cross back into Rwanda for a night near Volcanoes National Park.

Day 4: Golden monkeys and back to Kigali. You track golden monkeys in the bamboo forest of Volcanoes National Park, visit the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Ellen DeGeneres Campus, then drive about 2.5 hours to Kigali.

The order of the two parks can change with permit availability. The trip costs from $2,996 per person for six or $3,633 each for two, with both gorilla permits and the golden monkey permit included.

For two treks in three days, our 3-Day Uganda Double Gorilla Trekking Safari from Kigali makes both treks in Bwindi's Rushaga or Nkuringo sector, with a Batwa community visit between them and a stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial on the way out. You reach Kigali on the evening of day 3, and airport transfers are extra. It is priced on request.

Uganda gorilla permit: price and rules

UWA sets the price, so a permit's face value is the same whichever operator books it. These are the current rates for foreign non-residents:

UWA's rules are the same in both parks. You must be at least 15, each gorilla group takes up to eight visitors, and you get one hour with them. Keep 10 m (32.8 ft) away, and do not use flash. If you have a cold or other infectious illness, do not trek: gorillas can catch coughs and colds from people.

When to go. Treks run year-round, and so do our tours. The $600 months fall in Uganda's rainy seasons, which the Uganda Tourism Board gives as March to May and September to November, so expect wetter, slipperier trails. Our best time for gorilla trekking guide goes month by month.

For refunds, Rwanda's rules and 2027 prices, see our gorilla trekking permit cost guide. For what happens on trek day, how hard it is and what to pack, see our complete guide to gorilla trekking.

Booking: who books the permit, how far ahead and changing dates

• We book the permit. UWA sells gorilla permits to foreign visitors only through licensed tour operators, so you cannot buy one at the park gate. Every price above includes your permits. A 50% deposit confirms your booking, we then secure your permits, and the balance is due 30 days before you travel. Since March 1, 2026, UWA secures a permit only on full payment at booking; that does not change our deposit terms.
• Book 6 months ahead for peak dates. For July and August, and for peak dates generally, we recommend booking 6 months ahead. Book Mgahinga and double-trek dates as early as you can, because Mgahinga issues about eight permits a day and a double trip needs two permits on back-to-back days.
• If your dates move. Permits are non-refundable once issued. Where UWA allows a change, it fines 25% of the permit fee for a late reschedule and 50% for tracking in a different location, and the $600 low-season permits cannot be rescheduled at all. If an approved date change requires rebooking, our fee is USD 300 per permit. Talk to us before you change flights or cancel, because moving dates often keeps more value than cancelling.

Visas, yellow fever and the border crossing

• Visas. A trip from Kigali into Uganda and back enters Rwanda twice, so a single-entry Rwanda visa ($50) is not enough. The simplest option is the East Africa Tourist Visa: $100 for 90 days and multiple entries in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya only. Apply through the country you enter first, which on these trips is Rwanda. The alternative is a Rwanda multiple-entry visa ($70) plus a Uganda single-entry e-visa ($50), applied for online. Rules depend on your passport, so check them before you travel.
• Yellow fever. Uganda stopped requiring a yellow fever certificate for entry on October 2, 2026. Rwanda still requires one from travelers arriving from countries with yellow fever risk, and its list includes Uganda, so carry your certificate for the crossing back.
• Your passport. Keep it with you on both crossing days. Our drive times include the border formalities.
• Travel advisories. Check current travel advisories before you book; our FAQ has our latest note.

Which trip should you choose?

• You have two days: the 2-day Uganda trip gives you one trek in Bwindi at Uganda's permit price, with a night's rest before it. Priced on request.
• You want the lowest published price: the 3-day Uganda gorilla and golden monkey trek, from $1,870 per person for six or $2,240 each for two, adds golden monkeys in Rwanda.
• You want time between the treks: the 4-day Uganda gorilla and golden monkey safari, from $2,130 for six or $2,604 each for two, adds a Batwa cultural performance and a canoe ride on Lake Mulehe.
• You want two hours with gorillas: the 4-day Uganda double treks in two different forests, from $2,996 for six or $3,633 each for two. The 3-day Bwindi double does it in fewer days, priced on request. Every family behaves differently, so the second hour often shows you what the first one missed.
• You want gorillas in both countries: the 5-day Rwanda and Uganda double starts with a game drive in Akagera, treks in Volcanoes, then crosses for a second trek in Bwindi. It is priced on request; the two permits alone cost $2,300 per person.
• You want a longer Uganda safari: the 7-day Best of Uganda safari adds chimpanzees in Kalinzu and game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park before the Bwindi trek, and the 9-day Best of Uganda and Rwanda safari takes it slower. Both start in Kigali and are priced on request.
• You would rather not cross a border: Volcanoes National Park is about 2.5 hours from Kigali, so see our guide to gorilla trekking in Rwanda for trips that stay in Rwanda.

Ready to plan your Uganda gorilla trek?

We plan trips from Musanze, next to Volcanoes National Park, and from Cedar City, Utah. East Africa Safaris is the trading name of East Africa Safari Tours, Inc., a Utah corporation, licensed by the Rwanda Development Board (license RDB/TL/2026/02/TO/00995).

Related guides: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; Mgahinga Gorilla National Park; golden monkey trekking; and how many days for gorilla trekking.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali?

Yes. Uganda's southern gorilla parks, Mgahinga and Bwindi's Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors, are reported to be 3 to 5 hours from Kigali by road, against 8 to 10 hours from Entebbe. You cross the border at Cyanika or Gatuna, sleep near the park and trek the next morning. Our private trips from Kigali run 2 to 5 days, include the Uganda gorilla permit and start from $1,870 per person for a group of six.

How far is Kigali from Bwindi?

Bwindi's southern sectors are reported to be 3 to 5 hours from Kigali by road, including the border. Our itineraries allow about four hours from Kigali to Kisoro and four to five hours to a lodge on Bwindi's southern edge. From Kisoro, UWA puts Rushaga and Nkuringo 35 km away, at least an hour on a winding road. Bwindi's other two sectors, Buhoma and Ruhija, are farther from the border.

How much is a Uganda gorilla permit?

The Uganda Wildlife Authority charges foreign non-residents $800 per permit in Bwindi or Mgahinga, or $600 in April, May and November, when permits cannot be rescheduled. The standard rate stays $800 from January 1, 2027. The permit covers one hour with a habituated family, your guide, that day's park entry and a community contribution. Every price on our Uganda trips includes it.

Can you do a 2-day gorilla trek in Uganda from Kigali?

Yes. Our 2-day trip drives from Kigali to Kisoro on day one, about four hours including the border, then treks in Bwindi the next morning and drives back to Kigali after lunch. It includes the Uganda gorilla permit, a night's lodging, meals as listed and a private vehicle with a driver-guide. It is priced on request, so tell us your dates and group size for a quote.

Which border do you cross from Kigali to Bwindi or Mgahinga?

Our trips cross at Cyanika, which leads to Kisoro, or at Gatuna, known as Katuna on the Ugandan side, which leads to Kabale. Both are official border posts between Rwanda and Uganda, and Cyanika is the crossing on the road from Musanze, next to Volcanoes National Park. Our drive times include the border formalities, and you cross both ways, so keep your passport with you.

Do I need a visa to trek gorillas in Uganda from Kigali?

US travelers need a visa for both countries, and because you enter Rwanda twice, a single-entry Rwanda visa is not enough. The simplest option is the $100 East Africa Tourist Visa, valid for 90 days with multiple entries in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya; apply through the country you enter first. The alternative is a $70 Rwanda multiple-entry visa plus a $50 Uganda e-visa, applied for online.

Is Mgahinga or Bwindi better from Kigali?

Both are reached through Kisoro, and the visit is the same: one hour with a habituated family. Bwindi is steep rainforest at 1,160 to 2,607 m, with several trekking sectors. Mgahinga covers the slopes of three extinct volcanoes at 2,227 to 4,127 m, with one habituated group and about eight permits a day. Our trips use either, depending on permit availability and your preference, and the 4-day double treks in both.

Can I book a Uganda gorilla permit myself?

Not as a foreign visitor. UWA sells gorilla permits to foreign non-residents only through licensed tour operators, and since March 1, 2026 it secures a permit only on full payment. Book a trip with us and the permit is in the price: a 50% deposit confirms your booking, and we then secure your permits. For July and August, book about 6 months ahead.

Sources

Official sources and our tour pages were checked on October 13, 2026. Official sources come first, then reported figures, then East Africa Safaris.

1. UWA Conservation Tariff, July 2024 to June 2026 (official PDF; UWA's rates page now labels it "July 2024 to December 2026" and re-uploaded it, with the same content, on October 12, 2026): https://ugandawildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/UWA-Conservation-Tariff-July-2024-June-2026.pdf and https://ugandawildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/UWA-Conservation-Tariff-July-2024-June-2026.pdf. Supports the $800 gorilla permit in Bwindi and Mgahinga and the $1,500 habituation experience in Bwindi; that the rates include the guide fee, park entrance for the day and a community development contribution; gorilla permits for foreign non-residents booked only through licensed tour operators; the gorilla rules (minimum age 15, eight visitors per gorilla group, one hour per group per day, a 10 m (32.8 ft) distance, no flash, no visits with a cold or other infectious illness); and the fines of 25% of the permit fee for a late reschedule and 50% for tracking in a different location.
2. UWA notice, "Introduction of Low Season Gorilla and Chimpanzee Permit Rates and Revised Tariff Structure," Ref TDO 93/04, February 26, 2026, signed by Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi (official PDF): https://ugandawildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Tariff-changes-2026-2027.pdf. Supports $600 gorilla tracking in April, May and November; "the low season permits cannot be rescheduled"; gorilla tracking at $800 and habituation at $1,800 from January 1, 2027; and permits secured only on full payment at booking from March 1, 2026.
3. UWA, Rates and Tariffs (official): https://ugandawildlife.org/uwa-rates/. Supports that the tariff and the February 26, 2026 notice above were the current documents listed on October 13, 2026.
4. UWA, Gorilla Tracking (official): https://ugandawildlife.org/activities/gorilla-tracking/. Supports treks of 2 to 7 hours with one hour with the family, Bwindi's four sectors (Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo), and Mgahinga issuing about 8 permits a day.
5. UWA, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (official): https://ugandawildlife.org/national-parks/bwindi-impenetrable-national-park/. Supports Rushaga and Nkuringo as the southern sectors; 1,160 to 2,607 m; the 35 km road from Kisoro to Nkuringo or Rushaga taking at least one hour or an hour and a half; Kabale to Buhoma by way of Ruhija at about 95 km and 4 hours; and daily scheduled flights from Entebbe to Kisoro airstrip for the southern sectors.
6. UWA, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (official): https://ugandawildlife.org/national-parks/mgahinga-gorilla-national-park/. Supports Mgahinga as Uganda's smallest national park (33.7 km2); one habituated transboundary gorilla group; 2,227 to 4,127 m; three extinct volcanoes of the Virunga range; Kisoro as the closest town; a drive of about 9 hours from Kampala to Kisoro via Kabale; and flights of about 1 hour 10 minutes from Entebbe to Kisoro airstrip.
7. Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Border Management (official): https://migration.gov.rw/our-services/border-management. Supports Cyanika and Gatuna as border posts between Rwanda and Uganda.
8. Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Visitors Visa (official): https://www.migration.gov.rw/visa/visitors-visa. Supports the tourist visa at $50 for single entry (30 days) or $70 for multiple entries (90 days), and the $100 East Africa Tourist Visa with multiple entries, issued on arrival, online or at a Rwandan mission.
9. Uganda National Citizenship and Immigration Control, Uganda Tourist Visa, single entry (official): https://immigration.go.ug/services/tourist-visa. Supports the $50 single-entry tourist visa, applied for online through the immigration portal.
10. Uganda National Citizenship and Immigration Control, East African Tourist Visa (official): https://www.immigration.go.ug/services/east-african-tourist-visa. Supports $100; Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda only; multiple use; valid 90 days; the issuing country being your first entry point; and no renewal after leaving the three countries.
11. Uganda National Citizenship and Immigration Control, "Official Notice: Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is No Longer Mandatory for Entry into Uganda," October 2, 2026 (official): https://www.immigration.go.ug/node/254. Supports the end of the mandatory certificate for entry into Uganda.
12. Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Info note for travelers (official): https://rbc.gov.rw/info-note-for-travelers/. Supports the yellow fever certificate being mandatory for travelers arriving from yellow fever endemic countries, a list that includes Uganda.
13. Uganda Tourism Board (Explore Uganda), Traveler Tips (official): https://exploreuganda.com/traveler-tips/. Supports the rainy seasons, March to May and September to November.
14. RDB booking portal, Mountain Gorilla Tracking (official): https://visitrwandabookings.rdb.rw/rdbportal/web/rdb/mountain-gorilla-tracking. Supports Rwanda's $1,500 permit for foreigners, used for the comparison and the 5-day trip's permit total.
15. Horizon Guides, "Is Uganda Or Rwanda Better For Gorilla Trekking?" by Charlotte Beauvoisin, last updated August 6, 2026 (reported): https://horizonguides.com/guides/gorilla-trekking/rwanda-uganda. Supports 3 to 5 hours by road from Kigali International Airport to Uganda's gorilla tracking areas, and 8 to 10 hours from Entebbe International Airport to the gorilla trekking lodges.
16. Daily Monitor, "New Uganda-Rwanda border post excites locals," October 6, 2023 (reported): https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/new-uganda-rwanda-border-post-excites-locals-4391878. Supports the paired border names, Katuna/Gatuna in Kabale District and Kyanika/Cyanika in Kisoro.
17. East Africa Safaris tour pages: https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/2-day-uganda-gorilla-trekking-adventure-from-rwanda/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/3-day-uganda-gorilla-and-golden-monkey-trekking/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/3-day-uganda-double-gorilla-trekking-safari-from-kigali/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/4-day-uganda-gorilla-and-golden-monkey-trekking-safari/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/4-day-uganda-double-gorilla-trekking-and-golden-monkey-safari/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/5-day-rwanda-and-uganda-double-gorilla-trekking-safari/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/7-day-best-of-uganda-gorilla-trekking-and-wildlife-safari/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/9-day-best-uganda-and-rwanda-safari-experience/ and https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/2-day-gorilla-trekking-in-volcanoes-national-park/. Supports the prices (solo, two sharing and six sharing; five trips priced on request), the permits and inclusions, the parks and sectors, the Cyanika or Gatuna crossing and about four hours from Kigali to Kisoro on the 2-day trip, about four to five hours from Kigali to Bwindi on the double-trek trips, about 2.5 hours from Volcanoes to Kigali, the 2-day Rwanda trip's prices ($2,668 solo to $2,030 each for six, all above the 3-day Uganda trip at the same group size), the day-by-day plans, the order of the parks on the 4-day double changing with permit availability, airport transfers being extra on the 3-day double, the 50% deposit after which we secure permits, and year-round, 7-days-a-week availability.
18. East Africa Safaris, Payment and Cancellation Policy, Rev. September 12, 2026; Mark Axelson's answers of September 29, 2026; and Mark Axelson's and Anna Axelson's answers of October 5 to 6, 2026: supports the balance due 30 days before travel, non-refundable permits, the USD 300 rebooking fee, the deposit rule being unchanged by UWA's full-payment rule, the 6-month lead time for July, August and peak dates, Mgahinga or Bwindi chosen by permit availability and client preference, the vehicles used, the 2.5-hour drive from Kigali to Volcanoes, office locations and the legal name, East Africa Safari Tours, Inc., a Utah corporation.
19. East Africa Safaris, "A Gorilla Encounter I'll Never Forget at Mgahinga": https://eastafricasafaris.com/a-gorilla-encounter-ill-never-forget-at-mgahinga/. Supports Mark's account of his Mgahinga trek.
20. East Africa Safaris, FAQ: https://eastafricasafaris.com/frequently-asked-questions/. Supports the RDB license number, RDB/TL/2026/02/TO/00995.