Uganda and Rwanda both offer world-class gorilla trekking in the same wider Virunga and Albertine Rift ecosystem, and travellers often ask us to simply pick one — the honest answer is that both are excellent, and the right choice depends on what matters most to your trip.
Permit cost
Rwanda’s permits are generally priced higher than Uganda’s, reflecting Rwanda’s positioning as a more premium, shorter-transfer destination. If permit cost is the deciding factor, Uganda is typically the more accessible option.
Travel time and logistics
Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is under two hours from Kigali airport, making it the faster option if your travel time is limited. Uganda’s Bwindi is a longer drive (or a short flight) from Entebbe, but rewards the extra time with more overall wildlife diversity if combined with a savannah park.
Combining both
Because the two parks sit close together, many travellers don’t choose at all — combining Uganda and Rwanda gorilla trekking, or gorilla trekking in one country with chimpanzee tracking or game drives in the other, is a genuinely popular and practical option.
