Gorilla trekking is sold in two countries at very different prices, and the permit alone can decide which itinerary a client buys. The difference is USD 700 per person at standard rates, and it multiplies across the group.
The figures below come from each country’s official source: the UWA Conservation Tariff 2024–2026 and UWA’s 26 February 2026 letter for Uganda, and Visit Rwanda for Rwanda.
What does each permit cost?
| Rwanda | Uganda | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Volcanoes National Park | Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla national parks |
| Foreign non-resident | USD 1,500 | USD 800, or USD 600 in April, May and November |
| Foreign resident | Not listed separately on Visit Rwanda | USD 700, or USD 500 in low season |
| Rest of Africa | Not listed separately on Visit Rwanda | USD 500 |
| East African citizens | Special offers for Rwandan and EAC residents | UGX 300,000 |
| Minimum age | 15 | 15 |
| Group size | 8 permits per family per day | 8 visitors per group |
| How to book | Irembo online, or a licensed operator | Licensed operator (required for non-resident and rest-of-Africa permits) |
Visit Rwanda says special offers are available for Rwandan and East African Community residents but doesn’t publish the rates on that page. Confirm them with the Rwanda Development Board before quoting East African or resident clients.
What does the gap mean for a group?
The permit line is travellers × the rate for their category and month. For two foreign non-resident clients:
- Rwanda: 2 × USD 1,500 = USD 3,000
- Uganda, standard months: 2 × USD 800 = USD 1,600
- Uganda, April, May or November: 2 × USD 600 = USD 1,200
For a couple, that’s USD 1,400 at standard rates and USD 1,800 in the low season, before any lodge or transport is costed. For a group of six, the standard-rate difference is USD 4,200.
In Uganda, the permit also includes that day’s park entrance (UWA tariff). A Uganda costing should not add a separate Bwindi entrance fee for the tracking day.
What else differs for the operator?
Paying and holding permits. Since 1 March 2026, UWA’s system secures a permit only on full payment at booking. The seven-day unpaid reservation window is gone. Uganda’s lower permit price therefore comes with an upfront cash cost: the full permit amount per traveller, paid when you book.
Rescheduling. Uganda’s low-season permits cannot be rescheduled, and a late reschedule of a standard permit costs 25% of the permit fee. The cheapest Uganda option is also the least flexible, and the client should know that before choosing it.
Who books. In Uganda, foreign non-resident and rest-of-Africa permits can only be booked through licensed tour operators. In Rwanda, clients can also book directly on Irembo. So the permit is not a line that only you can supply.
What’s coming. Uganda’s gorilla tracking rate stays at USD 800 in the tariff that takes effect on 1 January 2027. Habituation and chimp tracking go up. The full table is in our Uganda gorilla & chimp permits guide.
How should you quote the choice?
When a client is choosing between the two countries, send both as priced options rather than asking them to pick one first:
- Keep the permit as its own line in each option. Don’t hide it inside a package total. It is the line that differs most, and seeing it is what lets the client understand the price gap.
- State the category and month each permit was priced at, since the same trek can cost USD 600 or USD 800 per person depending on the month.
- Put the low-season no-reschedule condition on the Uganda option if it uses April, May or November dates.
Build each option from the same tour costing sheet structure so the comparison is like for like, then present it in a clear quote.