Gorilla Trekking in 2026: Rwanda or Uganda, Permit Prices and 14 Lodges Compared
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 6 October 2026
A gorilla permit costs USD 1,500 in Rwanda and USD 800 in Uganda in 2026, before a night’s accommodation. Rwanda suits a short trip and has the most expensive lodges; Uganda costs less and is the only country selling the four-hour habituation experience. In both, you get one hour with a gorilla family, in a group of eight at most, and the minimum age is fifteen. Of fourteen lodges and operators compared on what they publish, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge in Uganda leads at 75 of 100. Only six of the fourteen print the permit price, and seven say plainly that it is charged on top of the rate.
Rwanda or Uganda?
Rwanda is best for
A short trip: Volcanoes National Park is about two and a half hours by road from Kigali. The highest-priced lodges in the category are here, from about USD 2,500 per person per night at Bisate and Singita Kwitonda. The permit is USD 1,500.
Uganda is best for
Value: the permit is USD 800 and published lodge rates start at USD 250 per person per night. Bwindi is a full day by road from Entebbe, or a short flight to Kihihi or Kisoro. Only Uganda sells the habituation experience, a four-hour visit to a family still being habituated.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is not an option at present: Virunga National Park’s own site states that gorilla treks are closed until further notice. For the season in each country see the best time for Rwanda gorilla trekking, and for the whole budget see what a Rwanda gorilla safari costs.
Permit prices in 2026
| Country | Permit, foreign non-resident | Rules | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rwanda | USD 1,500 | Minimum age 15 · 1 hour · 8 visitors per family | On 21 September 2026 the Rwanda Development Board portal labelled its USD 1,500 table as promotional and not applicable from June to October 2026, with no standard-season figure published. Confirm the price for your dates. |
| Uganda | USD 800 · habituation USD 1,500, reported to rise to USD 1,800 | Minimum age 15 · 1 hour · 8 visitors per family; habituation is four hours | A new Uganda Wildlife Authority tariff took effect in July 2026. Operators quoting it report the standard permit unchanged at USD 800, a USD 600 permit in April, May and November, and a higher habituation price; they differ on when that rise starts. Confirm with the authority or your operator. |
| DR Congo (Virunga) | no current price published | 6 visitors for families above ten members, 4 below | Virunga National Park states that gorilla and Nyiragongo treks are closed until further notice. |
Mountain gorillas remain listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and the permit price is how visitor numbers are held down.
How hard the trek is, and what can stop you going
- Fitness. None of the fourteen companies publishes trek difficulty or distance. Ask the lodge which families are nearest and whether porters are available.
- Age. The minimum is fifteen in both countries. Five of the fourteen publish it: Clouds, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Singita Kwitonda and One&Only Gorilla’s Nest.
- Illness. Both authorities state that a visitor with a cold or other infectious illness may be refused. The permit is not ordinarily refundable, so a guest can lose USD 1,500 to a head cold on the morning of the trek. None of the fourteen publishes an illness policy, and only Buhoma Lodge publishes what happens to permit money if a trek is missed.
- Insurance. See high-altitude trekking insurance for cover that names the activity.
Fourteen lodges and operators, scored on what they publish
| # | Company | Permit price printed | Rate from | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clouds Mountain Gorilla LodgeUganda · Nkuringo, Bwindi · Permit price, rate and a conservation figure, all published | USD 800 | USD 800 pp a night | 75 |
| 2 | Gorilla Safari LodgeUganda · Bwindi · The permit price, the service fee and the rate all stated | USD 800 | USD 250 pp a night | 55 |
| 2 | Wilderness Bisate LodgeRwanda · Volcanoes National Park · The Rwanda permit price printed beside the rate | USD 1,500 | USD 2,569 pp a night | 55 |
| 4 | Volcanoes SafarisRwanda and Uganda · four lodges · USD 50 per guest per night to its trust, stated as a figure | not printed | USD 7,240 pp a trip | 54 |
| 5 | Wilderness Bisate ReserveRwanda · Volcanoes National Park · Permit price published, nothing on the trek itself | USD 1,500 | USD 3,518 pp a night | 50 |
| 6 | Buhoma Lodge (Uganda Exclusive Camps)Uganda · Bwindi · The only company here publishing a permit refund policy | not printed | USD 350 pp a night | 39 |
| 6 | Singita Kwitonda LodgeRwanda · Volcanoes National Park · A rate, and a levy named without an amount | not printed | USD 2,720 pp a night | 39 |
- Permit disclosure (30). Whether the company states the permit price, and whether it says if the permit sits inside or outside its rate.
- Rate disclosure (20). Whether a real rate is published for a named room, package and season.
- Trek information (20). Difficulty or distance, altitude, the minimum age and the one-hour limit.
- Conservation quantified (20). A contribution published as a figure: a percentage, a per-guest levy or a stated sum.
- Policy disclosure (10). What happens if a guest is unwell on trek day, and what happens to permit money if the trek is missed.
| Company | Permit /30 | Rate /20 | Trek info /20 | Conservation /20 | Policy /10 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | 30 | 20 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 75 |
| Gorilla Safari Lodge | 30 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| Wilderness Bisate Lodge | 30 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| Volcanoes Safaris | 14 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 54 |
| Wilderness Bisate Reserve | 30 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Buhoma Lodge (Uganda Exclusive Camps) | 14 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 39 |
| Singita Kwitonda Lodge | 14 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
Which lodge is best for what
- Best documented overall: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Uganda (75). Permit, rate and conservation figure all on the page.
- Best value in Uganda: Gorilla Safari Lodge (55), from USD 250 per person per night, with the permit and a USD 25 service fee stated.
- Top end in Rwanda: Wilderness Bisate Lodge (55), from USD 2,569 per person per night, with the permit price beside the rate. Singita Kwitonda (39) is from USD 2,720 and prints no permit price. For the groups behind them, see Singita vs andBeyond vs Wilderness.
- Clearest conservation contribution: Volcanoes Safaris (54), USD 50 per guest per night to its partnership trust.
- If you worry about losing the permit money: Buhoma Lodge (39), the only one with a published refund policy.
- Gorillas plus a big-game safari: a planner, not a lodge. See below.
What each of the fourteen publishes
| Company | Permit price printed | Where the permit sits | Rate from, and what for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clouds Mountain Gorilla LodgeUganda | USD 800 | charged on top of the rate | USD 800 pp a night: deluxe or family cottage, high season |
| Gorilla Safari LodgeUganda | USD 800 | charged on top of the rate | USD 250 pp a night: chalet, full board, low season (March, April, May, November) |
| Wilderness Bisate LodgeRwanda | USD 1,500 | charged on top of the rate | USD 2,569 pp a night: 2026–2027 season, fully inclusive |
| Volcanoes SafarisRwanda and Uganda | not printed | depends on the package | USD 7,240 pp a trip: four-night Virunga Gorilla Safari, 2026–2027 |
| Wilderness Bisate ReserveRwanda | USD 1,500 | charged on top of the rate | USD 3,518 pp a night: lowest rate, March and April 2027 |
| Buhoma Lodge (Uganda Exclusive Camps)Uganda | not printed | charged on top of the rate | USD 350 pp a night: double or twin, low season (April, May, November) |
| Singita Kwitonda LodgeRwanda | not printed | charged on top of the rate | USD 2,720 pp a night: per adult sharing, including 18% VAT |
| Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla LodgeUganda | not printed | charged on top of the rate | USD 445 pp a night: Deluxe Cottages |
| Gorilla Trek AfricaUganda, Rwanda and DRC | USD 700 (the authority charges USD 800) | not stated | no rate published |
| Mahogany SpringsUganda | not printed | not stated | USD 325 pp a night: Superior Deluxe Suite, twin or double, low season |
| Chameleon Hill LodgeUganda | USD 800 | not stated | could not be read |
| One&Only Gorilla’s NestRwanda | not printed | not stated | could not be read |
| Sabyinyo Silverback LodgeRwanda | not printed | not stated | could not be read |
| Sanctuary Gorilla Forest CampUganda | not printed | not stated | could not be read |
Gorilla Trek Africa prints a Uganda permit price of USD 700; the authority charges USD 800. It is the one tour operator in this index, which makes it the company a traveller is most likely to ask for a quotation. Clouds prints both USD 700 and USD 800 as seasonal figures, which reads as a dated structure. The fourteen-fold spread between USD 250 and USD 3,518 sits on top of the same permit and the same hour with the same gorillas: the money buys the lodge, the guiding and the ground operation. Our safari operator price comparison covers who publishes rates across the wider field, and how to verify a safari operator sets out the checks.
Conservation, with and without a number
- Volcanoes Safaris: USD 50 per guest per night to the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust, established in 2009.
- Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge: a USD 25 per night fee, and close to USD 2 million generated for communities and conservation since 2008, by its own figure.
- Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge: a cumulative SACOLA figure of USD 3,535,583 to February 2021.
- Named without a number: Singita Kwitonda (three levies in its exclusions list), Bisate Lodge (120,000 trees planted), Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (its Gorilla Junction Foundation) and Mahogany Springs.
Gorilla tourism is justified by visitor money funding protection, so a figure matters here more than in most categories. Singita and Bisate may contribute more than the three that publish figures; this index can only read what is on the page.
Extraordinary Journeys
The lodges above sell the nights beside the forest. A trip that pairs gorillas with the Maasai Mara or the Serengeti needs permits, flights and camps in two or three countries lined up in the right order, which is a planner’s job. Extraordinary Journeys plans private trips in both Rwanda and Uganda and publishes a starting price on its itineraries.
- Unforgettable Kenya and Uganda tourGorilla trekking, a Maasai Mara safari and a beach stay16 days · from US$30,000 pp
- RwandaVolcanoes National Park, from KigaliIts Rwanda trips →
- UgandaBwindi and the south-westIts Uganda trips →
Extraordinary Journeys is a planner, not a lodge, and is not scored on this index. Its price was read on its own site on 6 October 2026.
The seven ranked companies in detail
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge: 75/100
Uganda · Nkuringo, Bwindi · permit, rate and conservation figure all published
Clouds leads at 75 and is the only company of the fourteen to publish all three things a guest most needs: the permit price, its own nightly rate, and a conservation contribution as a number. It prints USD 700 and USD 800 seasonal permit figures alongside the USD 1,500 habituation experience, states that the permit sits outside the rate, and publishes a nightly figure of USD 800. From February 2025 it applies a USD 25 per night group-wide conservation fee and states that guests have generated close to USD 2 million for local communities and conservation since the lodge opened in 2008. One caution: its rack rate document is dated valid to 30 June 2025, so confirm the rate.
Gorilla Safari Lodge: 55/100
Uganda · Bwindi Impenetrable Forest · permit, service fee and rate all stated
Gorilla Safari Lodge scores 55, the same as Bisate at a tenth of the price. It publishes the Uganda permit at USD 800, adds a stated USD 25 service fee, says the permit is charged separately, and publishes a nightly rate from USD 250. The USD 25 fee is the kind of charge that usually first appears on an invoice; here it is on the page.
Wilderness Bisate Lodge: 55/100
Rwanda · Volcanoes National Park · the permit price printed beside the rate
Bisate Lodge scores 55. It publishes the Rwanda permit at USD 1,500, states that it is charged on top of the accommodation, and publishes a nightly rate of USD 2,569 attached to a named product and season. The lodge cites 120,000 trees planted through its reforestation programme without connecting guest spending to a figure, so the conservation criterion scores zero. See our Wilderness record for the wider group.
Volcanoes Safaris: 54/100
Rwanda and Uganda · four lodges · USD 50 per guest per night to its own trust
Volcanoes Safaris scores 54 and has the clearest conservation disclosure in the index. The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust, established in 2009, receives a stated USD 50 per night from each guest, a figure a reader can multiply by the length of the stay. It publishes a four-night package from USD 7,240 per person. It does not publish a permit price, and it describes the permit as package-dependent, which costs it sixteen of the thirty points on the heaviest criterion.
Wilderness Bisate Reserve: 50/100
Rwanda · Volcanoes National Park · permit published, nothing on the trek
Bisate Reserve scores 50. Like its sister property it publishes the USD 1,500 Rwanda permit, states that it sits outside the rate, and publishes a nightly figure, here USD 3,518, the highest rate in this index. It publishes nothing about the trek: no difficulty, no altitude, no minimum age and no mention of the one-hour limit. Its sister lodge publishes the minimum age on its own page.
Buhoma Lodge (Uganda Exclusive Camps): 39/100
Uganda · Bwindi Impenetrable Forest · the only permit refund policy in the index
Buhoma Lodge scores 39 and is the only company assessed that publishes what happens to permit money if a trek is missed. Both authorities reserve the right to refuse a visitor who arrives with a cold, and the permit is not ordinarily refundable, so that policy answers the most expensive question in the category. It publishes a nightly rate from USD 350 and does not publish the permit price.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge: 39/100
Rwanda · Volcanoes National Park · a rate, and a levy named without an amount
Singita Kwitonda scores 39. It publishes a nightly rate of USD 2,720 attached to a named suite and season, and states that the permit is charged separately. It does not publish the permit price. Its exclusions list names a Conservation and Community Partnership Levy, a Carbon Offset Levy and a Tourism Levy without an amount for any of them. See our Singita record.
Three things to settle before you book
- Ask whether the permit is in the price, and get the figure. Seven of fourteen say it is charged on top and six say nothing.
- Ask what happens if you wake up with a cold. Both authorities can refuse you and the permit is not ordinarily refundable. Get the answer in writing at booking.
- Ask for the conservation contribution as a number. Three companies publish one.
What changed in gorilla trekking in 2026
Uganda’s new conservation tariff took effect in July 2026, with the standard permit reported unchanged at USD 800. Rwanda’s booking portal labels its USD 1,500 table as promotional and not applicable from June to October 2026, with no standard-season figure published. Virunga National Park remains closed to gorilla treks with no reopening date. And Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge introduced a USD 25 per night conservation fee in February 2025. For the wider field see the luxury safari operator index and which safari country suits you.