Considerations for trekking in Rwanda versus Uganda:

– Ease of getting to the Parks: Unless you are planning a whole country Uganda Tour your travel from Entebbe would be a short but costly morning plane flight plus two hours by road, or about 8-9 hours road travel to Bwindi versus 2-3 hour road travel from Kigali.
– Ease of getting to the gorillas: Uganda sells permits for a particular gorilla group which you can request when booking well in advance. Although keep in mind that the location of your accommodation influences which groups you can see as the driving distance is 2-5 hours between starting points. In Rwanda which group you will see is decided upon on the day by the guides as all groups start out from the same starting point. This allows for assignment of less athletic and older people to gorilla groups that are closer to the starting point. Hence, less fit people might consider this advantage. Also people that like to take longer hikes can state their preference. In Uganda your permit is for a particular group and that’s where you will go, regardless of their location that day. But remember, this is a “wild” experience and one can never predict where wild life will be exactly.
– Cost: Permit trekking prices are US$1,500 for Rwanda and US$600 for Uganda. Uganda visa (also valid for Kenya and Rwanda) for Americans is US$100, Rwanda visa is US$30.
– Ease of sighting: Although foliage depends on where the gorillas are located at time of visit, in general the foliage is thicker with bigger leafs in Uganda with Rwanda having more bamboo forests which have smaller leafs.
– Cultural considerations: A visit to a Batwa pygmy village in Uganda can easily be incorporated when visiting Bwindi from the south western area. In Rwanda you may visit a living cultural museum.
– Gorillas and Chimpanzees: Possibility of seeing gorillas as well as chimpanzees is currently easier accomplished in Uganda than in Rwanda, although one of the operators is developing an option in Rwanda which will be available in the future.
– Serengeti and gorillas:If you are also visiting the Serengeti, than Rwanda is the easier choice in regards to flight connections due to direct flights from the Serengeti to Kigali.
Note: if you are having a hard time to decide which area to visit, consider the option of visiting both Uganda and Rwanda gorillas as they are not too far apart across the border.
Please inquire for Rwanda and Uganda journeys as well as longer Rwanda journeys that include different areas of the country.
Rwanda’s tourism is best known for its gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. It’s hard to find the words to describe the sensation of looking into the eyes of a wild mountain gorilla standing so close you could touch it (but of course you won’t to avoid transmitting diseases). It’s a “bucket-list” experience not to be missed and Rwanda is a good place for doing it. Another fantastic primate-viewing area as well as a birders hotspot is Nyungwe Forest National Park. Best timefor gorilla trekking in Rwanda is during the dry season July-September and December to February..