Trek Uganda Gorillas via Rwanda: Trekking Uganda mountain gorillas via Rwanda is the most awesome and affordable experience to explore two countries at the same time, while discovering the home of the mountain gorillas – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
Uganda hosts nearly 50% of the world’s population of mountain gorillas living in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. That equates to around 500 individuals, according to the last official census in 2019, with 21 gorilla families currently habituated for tourism — more than in any other area of Africa. However, the driving distance from Entebbe to Bwindi is over 8-10 hours, yet it is only a 4-hour drive away from Kigali, Rwanda. As a result, it makes Entebbe to Bwindi a longer and unbearable route for visitors especially the first-time visitors to the country. Many travelers therefore prefer to trek Uganda gorillas via Rwanda.
This is one of the reasons for choosing this option. It is therefore more convenient to fly into Kigali International Airport then travel for 4 hours to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for gorilla trekking. This therefore makes it possible to achieve a one-day gorilla trekking tour which would have otherwise been impossible if starting and ending the trip from Rwanda.
A baby gorilla being held by its mother, one of your experiences when you trek Uganda Gorillas via Rwanda
If cost is an issue, you can trek Uganda Gorillas via Rwanda. The price of gorilla permits in Rwanda is $1,500 per person while in Uganda, it costs $700 per person for foreign non-residents, $600 per person for foreign residents and Shs. 250,000 for East African Community residents.
Another thrilling reason to trek Uganda Gorillas via Rwanda is the opportunity to experience the two African countries at a go. During your trip, you will drive from Kigali City while admiring the natural beauty of the rolling hills – from where the country derived the name “land of a thousand hills”. Then through the Northern Province to southern Uganda filled with densely forested and terraced slopes.
Rwanda’s gorilla trekking permits destination is the most accessible, just 3 hours’ drive from the city, but the high price of gorilla permits ($1,500 per person) makes it costly for budget travelers.
Due to countless direct flights Rwanda has, this has made it more accessible to arrive in Rwanda and trek Uganda gorillas. Such direct flights include those from London, Paris, Qatar, and Johannesburg among others.