Uganda Travel Guide 2027: Gorillas, Costs, Best Time and Planning

Planning a trip to Uganda starts with a few big questions: when to go, what the gorilla permit costs, how long to stay and what to pack. Our Kampala team has answered each of them in a separate guide. This page brings them together so you can read in a sensible order: start with gorillas and permits, check the best time and costs, then pick a package and finish with the practical tips.

Gorillas and permits

• Gorilla and chimp permit cost 2027. The UWA tariff in plain language: $800 for a gorilla permit, $600 in April, May and November, with resident rates and how payment works.
• How to book a gorilla permit. Lead times, the pay-to-hold rule, sectors and reschedules, so you know what happens between enquiry and trek day.
• Gorilla permit availability 2027. How availability is checked with UWA and when we confirm your permit after the deposit.
• How we protect your permit money. What happens to your payment, and why permits are bought in your name.
• Gorilla habituation experience. About four hours with a gorilla family in Rushaga for $1,800, and how it differs from a standard trek.
• Mountain gorillas: Bwindi vs Mgahinga. Compare Uganda's two gorilla parks, from family groups to forest etiquette.
• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park guide. Location, access, weather and the walks and visits you can add beyond the trek.
• Bwindi sectors guide. Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo side by side for fitness, lodges and drive times.
• Bwindi gorilla lodges. Where to stay in each sector, from simple rooms to luxury, matched to your permit.
• How difficult is gorilla trekking?. Honest difficulty by sector, plus porters and simple training tips.
• Gorilla trekking age limit. The UWA minimum age of 15 and what families with younger children can do instead.
• Uganda vs Rwanda gorilla trekking. Permit prices, parks and travel time compared, to help you choose with confidence.
• Fly-in vs driving to Bwindi. When flying to Kihihi or Kisoro is worth the extra cost, and when the road suits you better.
• Book gorilla trekking in Uganda. Our gorilla trips from 3 to 14 days in one overview, with permits arranged.
• Bwindi destination page. An introduction to the forest that is home to about half the world's mountain gorillas.

Chimpanzees and other wildlife

• Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale. The $300 permit ($200 in the low season), trek times, group size and how to pair Kibale with Bwindi.
• Kibale Forest National Park. Uganda's primate forest, with chimps, colobus monkeys and rainforest walks.
• Big 5 in Uganda. Where to look for lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, and a route that links all five.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park. Ishasha's tree-climbing lions, the Kazinga Channel boat trip and open savannah.
• Murchison Falls National Park. Uganda's largest park, where the Nile squeezes through a narrow gorge.
• All Uganda destinations. Every park guide we have written, in one list.

Best time to visit

• Best time to visit Uganda. Weather by month, the drier months of June to September and December to February, and when permits cost less.
• Best time for gorilla trekking by month. A month-by-month look at rain, crowds and booking lead times for Bwindi.
• Low season gorilla safari. Trek in April, May or November with the $600 permit and your own guide.

Costs and payment

• Uganda safari cost 2027. Real 3, 7 and 10-day examples, lodge and transport costs, and what is not included.
• Deposits, balance and cancellations. Our 30% deposit, the balance due 60 days before departure, and cancellation terms.
• Is Mwanzo Tours legit?. Our licence and the checks you can run before you pay any tour operator.

Itineraries and packages

• Uganda safari planning guide. A step-by-step walk through trip length, permits, budget and circuits.
• 7-day Uganda itinerary example. A day-by-day route through Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi.
• Uganda safari packages 2027. Compare our packages from 3 to 14 days with from-prices on one page.
• All safari packages. Every curated package with day-by-day itineraries and named lodges.
• 3-day gorilla trekking in Bwindi. Our shortest gorilla trip, with the permit included.
• 8 days: gorillas, chimps and Big Five. The classic western circuit with both primate permits included.
• 10-day Uganda safari. Gorillas, chimps, savannah wildlife and culture in one longer journey.
• Self-drive Uganda safari. For travellers who want to drive themselves, with permits and a written quote.
• Uganda tours. Private gorilla and wildlife tours with a licensed Kampala operator.

Practical travel tips

• Uganda e-visa and health requirements. The official visa portal, fees, malaria advice and the updated yellow fever rule.
• Is Uganda safe for tourists?. What official advice says about Kampala and the parks, with sources and the date we checked.
• What to pack for gorilla trekking. Boots, gloves, rain gear and what to leave at the lodge.
• Family safari with children. Which parks and activities suit younger travellers.
• Solo female travel in Uganda. How a private safari works when you travel alone, with practical tips.

Travel with impact

• Regenerative safari in Uganda. How we run primate trips that give back to local communities.
• Serah Foundation and community tourism. Who the Serah Foundation helps and what every booking contributes.

Ready to plan?

Send us your dates, group size and the parks you want to see. We reply within one business day with a written quote. Our office is at Plot 96B Bukoto Street, Kamwokya, Kampala. You can also reach us on WhatsApp at +256 789 487 378, by email at info@mwanzotoursuganda.com, or through the Plan your journey form.