Mountain Gorilla trekking Uganda Vs. Rwanda, 2021 cost of Gorilla Safaris Rwanda Uganda

Gorilla Trekking Uganda and Rwanda in Comparison 

Gorillas are something that many travelers and adventures are excited about and looking to try out. The best countries to visit for Mountain gorilla trekking in world are Uganda and Rwanda and there is absolutely no argument about that.

Mountain Gorilla Tracking or the experience of trekking mountain gorillas is the same in both Uganda and Rwanda and it is organized  professionally, gorilla tracking activities are ranked as the number one tourist attraction in both Rwanda and Uganda and in Africa. Uganda and Rwanda also have well developed accommodation ranging from low end accommodation to luxurious safari lodges around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda and around Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, the park guides/rangers in both countries are well trained and well informed as they guide you through the impenetrable forests of East Africa with useful information about gorillas and Africa. All park rangers/guides in Uganda speak good English and in Rwanda they speak both French and English.

But the question a lot of people end up asking is which country offers the best opportunities and experience for Gorilla trekking?

Prices of the Gorilla tracking permits

Rwanda and Uganda require you to purchase a gorilla permit before you can go gorilla tracking. Gorilla permits in Uganda are 700 USD each, while in Rwanda permits are 1500 USD each. Both permit give you a one-hour time to track a particular gorilla group where a maximum of a group of 8 tourists can track. The money paid is a conservation fund to support the gorilla conservation and the communities around the gorilla habitat. If you consider gorilla tracking permit as an important factor in choosing a country to track from, then you would consider Uganda, but if this is not the case, any can work for you. There are also more activities to add to your safari in Uganda.

Time and travel from the nearest international airport/capital city

Entry into Uganda is Entebbe international airport. It is a 9-10 hour drive from Entebbe international airport to Bwindi impenetrable forest and to one of the four starting points for gorilla trekking in the thick rain forest. You can charter a flight to Bwindi Impenetrable forest at an added cost of course. You will either have access to Rusagha and Nkuringo in the north of the Bwindi impenetrable forest or Buhoma and Ruhija in the south. If you choose to travel by road, however, you will need three days for gorilla tracking. The good thing is you can add many more things to do on your trip such as chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey tracking, game viewing, a dug out canoe safari or enjoy some cultural tourism.
   
In Rwanda, gorilla tracking is a 3 to 4 hour drive from the airport in Kigali. A two day safari is ideal in Rwanda. You can visit one wildlife park probably Akagera national park and go chimpanzee or golden monkey tracking in addition to the gorilla tracking, or explore Kigali and visit the memorial center.
This means, when you want to track in Bwindi and Mgahinga, you need a minimum of 3 days (that is day 1 is travelling to Bwindi or Mgahinga, day 2 is tracking date and day 3 is travelling back to the airport). Most tour companies now give a package of gorilla tracking in Uganda with other wildlife activities since there are several National Parks and game reserves along the way to Bwindi and Mgahinga NP. Rwanda’s pride on another hand is its ability for one to do the gorilla tracking experience even in one day and fly back home which is impossible in Uganda. In real practice, though, the one-day gorilla trek tour is not recommended because of the pressure it exerts on the trekker. Also note that, it might be easier to get a space/ticket available in Uganda than in Rwanda as there are more gorilla groups in Uganda than Rwanda.

Gorilla trekking difficulty and altitude variations experience

The experience in tracking mountain gorillas in both Uganda and Rwanda can be as short as 1 hour or as long as 6 hours depending on where the gorillas spent the night and which group you are tracking. But on average, it takes you about 2 hours hiking to see the gorillas in both Uganda and Rwanda. Generally, from my experience, Rwanda gorilla trekking may be slightly easier than Uganda gorilla trekking, but this is not a guarantee.

Viewing and photography:
Bwindi impenetrable forest is quite dark for if you want to take pictures, but whether you get good pictures depends on a number of factors such as the family you are visiting, and the location. But it is very possible to get good pictures of the gorillas within the impenetrable forest.
In Rwanda, you will be climbing up the side of a volcano, tracking through the vegetation might be a little challenging but you will still get a clear view of the gorillas and some pictures as well. So whether its Rwanda or Uganda, you will see the gorillas just fine, and will be able to take good pictures.

Altitude variations:

 It is important to consider the variation in altitude. In Rwanda, tracking takes place at 8000-10,000 feet above sea level, while in Uganda, tracking takes place 4000-8,000 feet above sea level. Visitors who have flown from a low altitude country should therefore think of acclimatizing before tracking in Rwanda. Although the altitude in Rwanda is not high enough for altitude sickness, it is high enough to knock the breath out of anybody, no matter how fit, who has just flown in from a low altitude. If you are from a low altitude country, it is therefore important to acclimatize in Rwanda before tracking the gorillas or track the Uganda groups.

Lodging:

Safari lodging in both countries is quite good. In Uganda there are a number of lodges and camps site located near Bwindi Impenetrable forest and in the nearby towns, many of them over look the forest. There is something for everyone, up-market, and budget lodges, so you can select one according to your budget and preference and as for Rwanda the accommodation is mostly found in towns.

Mountain gorilla populations

The mountain gorilla population in the African wild is over 880. Some of these are in Democratic Republic of Congo, some in Rwanda and some in Uganda. 1/3 of the 880 gorilla are found in Rwanda and 480 of them, which is more than half are found in Uganda. 400 of these are in Bwindi impenetrable forest and 80 in Mgahinga gorilla national park.
There are 10 groups of habituated gorillas in Rwanda, one in Mgahinga gorilla national park and 11 groups in Bwindi impenetrable forest. Habituated gorillas are gorillas that have adapted to human presence and are open to visitors.

Other country wildlife benefits other than tracking gorillas

The long drive to Bwindi/Mgahinga is quite enchanting with great sceneries all through like the Equator, abundant wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, terraced mountains with flowing rivers, and a lot of rural Africa and small towns. This is not the case for the drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park. You will certainly need to spend more on transport and time to track the mountain gorillas in Uganda than it’s for Rwanda although this cost is compensated for by a cheaper gorilla permit in Uganda.
Some sections of the roads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda are not so comfortable to drive on yet in the case of Rwanda, the drive on the tarmac is smooth at least up to the Volcanoes National Park head office. Not to mention though that the roads leading from the Volcanoes park office to the gorilla trek trail can only be accessed with a raised 4×4 vehicle.

GorillaTracking Experience or better gorillas

Gorilla tracking experience is no better between the two countries. If you go to Rwanda, you will find 10 habituated gorilla groups, meanwhile in Uganda, there are currently 14 gorilla groups. The mode and system of tracking gorillas in both Uganda and Rwanda are very similar. Gorillas are followed on a daily basis, therefore; the locations are virtually guaranteed.
The gorilla tracking experience may vary due to:

• Interest in a particular gorilla behavior,
• Interest in gorilla numbers, dynamics and group composition,
• Interest in the length and toughness of tracking,
• Interest in the customer care given by the park staffs.

The gorillas in both countries are of the same species and have similar behaviors, group composition and dynamics. All these characteristics may vary from group to group in a particular country. However, the drive from Kampala to Bwindi is a very fabulous one traversing at least one to three national parks that is Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for tree climbing lions and many other big mammals, or Lake Mburo National Park plus not missing the Equator. In a way, even before you arrive to Bwindi you have had a bit of travel around different national parks. To many, driving along paved eucalyptus avenues to the gorillas is not the best deal. Most tourists now prefer to do gorilla tracking in Rwanda first, then cross over to Uganda to do gorilla tracking and other wildlife activities like visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park for the BIG 5 safaris and chimpanzee tracking among other activities.