Best gorilla trekking, Rwanda or Uganda?

You may have on your travel wishlist to experience a gorilla trek, coming face to face with endangered mountain gorillas in East Africa. Are you debating where it is best to book your experience, Rwanda or Uganda? Here we compare the offerings from both countries and help share with you insight into how to make a decision. We are a full service travel agency, not just travel agents who book what you request - we’re here to help, inform and make recommendations to ensure your travel vision becomes a reality. Email us, traevl@princeadventures.com any questions you may have, or to get started planning with us.

Rwanda boasts a more sustainable approach to gorilla trekking, offering limited time with the family you visit, limited interactions daily for that family, and also limited gorilla habituation vests - which means these wild animals stay wild.

Uganda offers treks that can be longer in duration, and often, more challenging terrain - if you are extremely physically fit and active, seeking a difficult to strenuous hike, this may be best for you to choose.

Rwanda’s gorilla trekking permit fees are higher than those of Uganda, but more of their funds are going to support community conservation efforts surrounding the National park that is home tot the gorillas. If you are prioritizing sustainability in planning your gorilla trekking experience, it matters to support these community conservation efforts - helping to reduce human - wildlife conflict and empowering local communities with financial resources to ensure their way of life is sustained by the tourism dollars generated when we visit.

Uganda’s roads and infrastructure are less robust and clean as those in Rwanda. Often to trek in the southern part of Uganda, it is actually best to fly into Kigali, Rwanda and take a shorter drive. If you fly into the capital of Uganda, Kampala, your drive can be 9+ hours to get to the area of the country where you experience gorilla trekking. Kigali is the safest capital city in Africa and the cleanest with excellently maintained roads and infrastructure.

There are many factors to determine where you should choose to seize the opportunity to observe these gentle giants wild in nature. Email us travel@princeadventures.com to start the conversation so we may guide you to the best experience for your ability, and interests. We hope you invite us to be a part of your travel planning!

Watch our Rwanda YouTube playlist here, including footage from our chimpanzee trek and gorilla trek experiences.

Read our Top Ten Things to Know Before Visiting Rwanda (coming soon)

Thanks for reading! - Jakki Prince, CEO of Prince Adventures, a Canadian based travel agency team