Uganda gorilla trekking is seen as the more affordable way to see the mountain gorillas than its close neighbour, Rwanda. At the time of writing, the permit cost for visiting these awe inspiring animals is U$D800 per person which gives you around an hour with one of the troops in either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

With chimp trekking available in the nearby Kibale National Park and good safari viewing in both Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National park, Uganda offers much more than just gorillas however.

Please see take a look at a few suggested itineraries for more prices and information.

The main periods of dry, calm weather in Uganda occur between June and August and again between December and February.

The reason these periods are preferred by many is that the trails and roads in the country are that much drier which makes getting between locations all the easier and the trekking to see the gorillas that much more enjoyable.

Outside of these periods, however, the prices do fall considerably and so, for those that don’t mind a bit more of a workout, travelling in between times can be a very cost effective way to visit Uganda.

Please see our section on best times to visit for a more in depth run through.

Uganda is often considered as a gorilla trekking destination for those who are on a bit more of a budget but with a bit more time than those who head to Rwanda.

With a variety of different parks and topographies, Uganda offers a wide range of animals…from chimps and gorillas to elephant, crocodiles and lion, it is a country that offers a bit of everything. For those birders out there, the Mabamba Swamps, an hour out of Entebbe, offer the chance to see the ellusive shoebill stork in particular.

Normally speaking, the itineraries in country are vehicle based with some realatively long drives to get from the entry point of Entebbe to Murchison or Bwindi but, for those that would rathern avoid these drives, it is also well connected by air.

Please have a look at our wildlife section for more information about the animals you can often see while there.

With the high altitude and the often muddy and steep slopes of the mountains, many are put off gorilla trekking by the thought that it will be too strenuous. 

These concerns are, to a certain degree, valid but, with each of the gorilla troops being constantly monitored as to location and terrain, there are plenty of ways to mitigate should you be less physically capable.

One of these is to be allocated a troop that is nearby and located in less harsh terrain resulting in shorter trekking times (of between 2 and 3 hours) and less arduous inclines. Another is to choose the drier periods of the season when the footing is more solid.

In the main, those with a reasonable level of fitness should be able to cope with most of the terrain that is encountered with those of a more energetic disposition able to trek for up to 7 hours should they choose.

Sharing a border with some of the more remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo does not hugely help Uganda as far as how it is percieved in the world, both medically or physically.

This being said, Uganda is one of the most established safari destinations in Africa and many of its tourism areas are remote and so set away from any of the potential threats that may occur so, in the main, it is a good and well priced option for those that are wanting to avoid the high prices of some of Africa’s more well trodden destinations such as Tanzania, Kenya or Botswana.

For more travel advice we would recommend looking at the British Foreign Office web site which is a reliable and up to date source in the main.