Gorilla Trekking in Uganda: What It Really Costs (Permit, Trip, Extras)

Search for the cost of gorilla trekking in Uganda and you will mostly find one number: the permit. It matters, but it is only part of the bill. The rest is getting to the forest, a place to sleep near it, a guide and vehicle, and the extras nobody mentions until you are packing.

This guide looks at the whole trip. If you want the step-by-step booking process, our guide to how to get a Uganda gorilla trekking permit covers it. Here we stay with money. Prices are in US dollars, per person, for foreign non-residents.

The short answer

A gorilla permit in Uganda costs $800. A complete gorilla trip, with permit, lodging, transport and guide, starts at roughly $3,420 per person for nine days. That is the price of our Uganda Primates Positive Impact Safari for a group of six. Couples pay more, because the vehicle and guide are shared between fewer people.

For a trip that is only about gorillas, the permit is around a quarter of the total. The other three quarters is the journey to Bwindi, which is remote and a long way from Entebbe.

What the $800 permit actually buys

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) sets the price, and it is the same with every company. For foreign non-residents the permit is $800, and UWA's letter of 26 February 2026 keeps it at $800 when the tariff changes on 1 January 2027. You can check every rate on the UWA tariff page.

It pays for one hour with a gorilla family, a ranger guide, your park entry for the day and a contribution to the communities around the forest. It does not pay for the road to get there, a bed the night before, or a porter.

Standard permit or habituation experience?

UWA sells a second, more intensive gorilla permit: the gorilla habituation experience. Instead of one hour you spend up to four with a family that is still getting used to people, in a very small group. It is offered in Rushaga, in the south of Bwindi.

The price gap is large. Habituation costs $1,500 now and $1,800 from 1 January 2027, so it is $700 more than a standard permit today and $1,000 more from next year. For a couple, that is $1,400 to $2,000 extra.

Is it worth it? If gorillas are the whole reason for your trip, and you want time to watch behaviour rather than a glimpse, many people say yes. If this is your first trek, a standard permit is a wonderful day on its own. Habituation is something to add on a second trek, or when budget is not the limit. Our luxury itinerary includes one.

Low season: $600 instead of $800

In April, May and November, UWA drops the gorilla permit to $600. That saves $200 per person, or $400 for a couple, which is a night or two of better lodging.

Two things to know. These permits cannot be rescheduled, so book them only when your dates are fixed and your insurance covers cancellation. And these are the rainy months, so trails are muddier. Gorillas are still found, and there are fewer visitors in the forest. Our guide to the best time to visit Uganda explains what the weather means for the rest of your trip.

The rest of the trip: what a gorilla itinerary costs

Gorillas live in southwest Uganda, a full day's drive from Entebbe. Most trips combine them with other wildlife, and that is where the days and the dollars come from. Here are our itineraries that include gorillas, per person for a group of six (the price for two is in brackets):

• 9 days, about $3,420 ($5,220 for two): Uganda Primates Positive Impact Safari. Gorilla tracking in Bwindi, chimpanzees in Kibale, and time with the Batwa community. All primate permits are in the price.
• 10 days, about $4,210 ($6,000 for two): Explore Western Uganda. A longer loop that adds more parks and lakes.
• 15 days, about $5,910 ($8,930 for two): Primates of East Africa. A journey through Rwanda and Uganda: chimpanzees in Nyungwe and Kibale, golden monkeys, and gorilla tracking in Bwindi.

On the nine-day Primates trip, permits make up about $1,050 of the price ($800 for gorillas and $250 for chimpanzees in Kibale). The remaining $2,370 or so covers nine days of lodging, meals, a 4WD and an English-speaking guide, which works out to about $260 a day. See how much a Uganda safari costs overall for the same breakdown across other trips.

Adding chimpanzees

Many travellers add chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, which sits on the road to Bwindi. A chimp permit costs $250 now and $300 from 1 January 2027, and $200 in low season. Our chimpanzee permit guide explains the options.

Extras to budget for

A few costs sit outside the price of any itinerary:

• International flights to Entebbe.
• Visa. The eVisa is $50, through Uganda's official immigration portal. Use only the official site, because look-alike sites charge more.
• Travel insurance that covers medical evacuation and the cancellation of non-refundable permits. Gorilla permits are paid in full up front, so this matters.
• Porters. You can hire a local porter at the trailhead to carry your bag and help on steep sections. It also puts money directly into the community. Ask us about current rates.
• Tips for your guide, driver, rangers and porters, plus laundry and personal spending.

Paying and booking: what changed in 2026

Since 1 March 2026, UWA no longer lets operators hold a permit for seven days before paying. A permit is secured only when it is paid in full. For July to September and December to February, booking three to six months ahead is the safe approach. If a date matters, do not wait for a price to settle.

Uganda or Rwanda: the cost difference

Rwanda is the other place to see mountain gorillas, in Volcanoes National Park. The permit there costs $1,500, set by the Rwanda Development Board. That is $700 more than Uganda's $800, or $1,400 more for a couple. RDB does give a 30% low-season discount, which brings the permit to about $1,050 from November to May. But it is not a simple date discount. Under RDB's rules, you qualify only if you combine Volcanoes with Akagera or Nyungwe: two nights in one of those parks, or one night in each, with an activity paid. Each person gets one discounted permit per stay. A gorilla-only trip pays $1,500.

What you get for the difference is convenience. Volcanoes National Park is two to three hours from Kigali airport, so the trip can be short. Uganda has more gorilla families, so it is easier to find a permit for your dates, and it adds chimpanzees, big game and lakes at a lower price. Our Rwanda gorilla trekking guide covers the details, and our Revel in Rwanda itinerary (14 days, about $7,660) shows a full trip there. Start with the Uganda and Rwanda pages if you are still choosing.

Where to start

If gorillas are the priority, our nine-day Uganda Primates Positive Impact Safari is the place to begin: about $3,420 per person for six, with every primate permit included. To compare it with every other Uganda option, use our Uganda safari tours page.

Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we'll check permit availability and send a price within 24 hours. You can start your enquiry here.