Travel advisory, last checked 23 September 2026: the US State Department rates Uganda Level 4, “Do Not Travel”, an advisory issued in May 2026 because of Ebola. WHO declared Uganda’s outbreak over on 27 August 2026; the outbreak in the neighbouring DRC continues. Read our dated safety guide before you decide.
Uganda Travel Guide
What a Uganda gorilla permit costs, who can buy one, how dates and sectors work, and exactly what happens if you need to change or cancel.
A Uganda gorilla permit is your entry to one trek and one hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family, on one date, from one trailhead. Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), limited to eight visitors per family per day, and paid for in full when booked.
Under UWA’s previous tariff, valid from July 2024 to June 2026 and now expired, a gorilla permit cost US$800 for foreign non-residents, the category covering most US, UK and European visitors. That is a past rate, not a current price. Changes for 2026–27 have been reported, but at the time of writing (September 2026) UWA had not published a new tariff, so the current rate must be confirmed at booking. Read every fee on this page with its date.
For what the trek itself is like, see our gorilla trekking guide. This page is about the permit: price, purchase, availability and the rules for changing or cancelling it.
Prices
Previous rates, shown for reference: UWA’s Conservation Tariff for July 2024 to June 2026, which has expired. These are not current prices, and current rates must be confirmed at booking. They were per person, per trek, and applied equally to Bwindi and Mgahinga.
| Visitor category | Gorilla trekking | Gorilla habituation experience |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign non-resident (most US, UK and EU visitors) | US$800 | US$1,500 |
| Foreign resident in the East African Community | US$700 | US$1,000 |
| Rest of Africa | US$500 | US$1,000 |
| East African citizen | UGX 300,000 | UGX 750,000 |
The tariff expired on 30 June 2026, and UWA’s rates page listed the 2026–27 schedule as “coming soon” when we checked on 23 September 2026.
2026–27
Ugandan safari companies and park news sites have reported that, in late February 2026, UWA announced a package of tariff changes. The main points reported are a reduced low-season rate for gorilla permits in April, May and November, an increase for the habituation experience, and changes to some chimpanzee permits.
Two booking changes were reported alongside them. Low-season permits are said to be non-reschedulable, and the seven-day window in which a permit could be held before payment is reported to have ended on 1 March 2026, in which case full payment is due at the moment of booking.
The effective date is where the reports conflict: some give 1 July 2026, others 1 January 2027, and none cites a published UWA document. Until UWA publishes its tariff, we do not quote new figures, and we confirm the rate for your trekking dates in writing before you pay. If Rwanda is also on your mind, our Rwanda vs Uganda comparison sets the two countries’ permits side by side.
Inclusions
UWA’s tariff describes the gorilla permit as including the guide fee, park entry for the day and a community development contribution. In practice, that means:
Booking
UWA’s guidelines set the process. This is how it runs when we plan your trip.
A permit is valid for one date at one of five trailheads: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga or Nkuringo in Bwindi, or Ntebeko in Mgahinga. We check availability across sectors for your travel window before choosing any lodge.
UWA states that foreign non-resident permits can only be booked through tour operators licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board, and that it has no agents of its own inside or outside Uganda. Our vetted Ugandan partner makes the reservation with UWA on your behalf.
UWA requires full payment in advance, and permits can be bought up to a year ahead. With unpaid holds reportedly withdrawn, a permit is only secure once it has been paid.
Each permit is issued in the traveler’s name. Before trekking, the booking is updated with passport details, and you carry your passport on the day.
Only then do we confirm your lodge, close to the trailhead on your permit. UWA fines trekkers 50% of the permit value for tracking at a different location, so a lodge in the wrong sector is an expensive mistake.
Availability
Availability follows the number of habituated families at each trailhead, which shifts over time as groups split or move. In general terms:
| Trailhead | Availability | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Rushaga (southern Bwindi) | The most habituated families, so usually the widest choice of dates | Base for the habituation experience, and the Bwindi sector closest to Kigali |
| Nkuringo (south-western Bwindi) | Fewer families | Steep terrain; pairs naturally with lodges along the Nkuringo ridge |
| Ruhija (eastern Bwindi) | Fewer families | The highest sector, popular with birders combining a trek with Mubwindi Swamp |
| Buhoma (northern Bwindi) | Several families, in steady demand | The easiest sector to combine with Ishasha and Queen Elizabeth |
| Ntebeko (Mgahinga) | One family, about eight permits a day | Books up early; pairs well with golden monkey tracking |
We don’t publish family counts per sector, because they change; we check live availability for your dates.
Changing Dates
From UWA’s gorilla and chimpanzee tracking guidelines of July 2024:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| How many changes | Up to two reschedules per permit |
| Cost | The first is free, subject to availability; the second costs 25% of the permit value |
| Notice | Requests should arrive at least 14 days before the trek; later requests depend on availability and carry the 25% charge |
| New date | Within 12 months of the original date, in the same conservation area and for the same activity |
| Refunds afterwards | A permit that has been rescheduled can no longer be refunded |
| Exceptions | Promotional and complimentary permits cannot be rescheduled, and low-season permits are reported to follow the same rule |
Cancellations
Cancellations go to UWA in writing, and refunds are paid less taxes and bank charges. Entrance fees and other activity payments are not refundable.
| Situation | Refund |
|---|---|
| Cancelled 61 days or more before the trek | 75% |
| Cancelled 46–60 days before | 50% |
| Cancelled 15–45 days before | 25% |
| Cancelled 14 days or fewer before | None |
| Illness confirmed in the park before tracking | 50% |
| Accident in the park before tracking | 50% |
| No gorillas found after a full day of tracking | A trek the next day if possible, otherwise a 60% refund |
Source: UWA guidelines for the management of gorilla and chimpanzee tracking, July 2024. Given how steeply refunds fall as the date approaches, look for travel insurance that covers permit costs.
Timing
For June to September and the December–February holiday period, we recommend securing permits six to twelve months ahead, and earlier still for Mgahinga or the habituation experience, which have very few places a day. Shoulder months usually leave more room, and April, May and November the most.
Because the sector decides the lodge, we always hold the permit first and build the itinerary around it. A lodge booked before the permit risks a long pre-dawn drive to a distant trailhead, or the wrong-sector fine. Our Bwindi guide explains how the four sectors differ.
Safaris
Kigali · Rushaga · Mgahinga
Travelers with a week who want two gorilla treks at Uganda’s permit price and the simplest international access
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary · Murchison Falls · Kibale Forest · Queen Elizabeth NP · Ishasha · Buhoma · Lake Mburo
Travelers with close to two weeks who want primates, savanna and the Nile, and are happy with a few long road days
Kidepo Valley · Murchison Falls · Buhoma
Travelers who want Uganda’s wildest corner and its gorillas without spending whole days on the road
Experiences
Primates
Spend up to four hours with a gorilla family that is still learning to accept people, alongside the researchers and trackers doing the work, in Bwindi’s southern Rushaga sector.
Where to go
Good to know
The current rate must be confirmed at booking, because UWA had not published its 2026–27 tariff when we checked on 23 September 2026. For reference, the previous tariff (July 2024–June 2026, now expired) set a gorilla trekking permit at US$800 for foreign non-residents and the habituation experience at US$1,500.
Not as a foreign non-resident: UWA’s guidelines say those permits can only be booked through tour operators licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board. UWA also states that it has no agents of its own. In practice, your safari company or its licensed Ugandan partner makes the booking.
Six to twelve months ahead for June to September and the December–February holidays, and as early as possible for Mgahinga or the habituation experience. Permits can be bought up to a year ahead, and only full payment secures one.
It is rare, but UWA’s rules cover it. If your group fails to find its family after a full day of tracking, you are offered a trek the next day, or a 60% refund if that isn’t possible.
Yes, up to twice. The first change is free if there is space; the second costs 25% of the permit, and requests should reach UWA at least 14 days before the trek. The new date must fall within 12 months, and a rescheduled permit can no longer be refunded.
Tell us when you would like to travel, who is coming and how many gorilla days you want. We check permit availability first, then design a private Uganda journey around it, with nothing booked until you approve.
Plan My Uganda Safari