A Uganda gorilla trek from Kigali, there and back in a day
Kawira Safaris drives you from your Kigali hotel to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda and back on the same day. The listing starts at ~$400, and the $800 gorilla permit and the Uganda visa come on top. It is the cheapest way into a Uganda trek from Rwanda, and the longest single day on this site.
Why cross the border from Kigali
Rwanda has mountain gorillas of its own in the Virunga volcanoes. Rwanda's permit costs more than Uganda's, though, and that gap is what makes a day across the border tempting for travelers already based in Kigali.
Southern Uganda sits close to the Rwandan border. Kisoro and the southern edge of Bwindi are about 4–5 hours by road from Kigali, which puts a trek in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park within reach of one very long day.
The day trip we list, in plain numbers
The trip is run by Kawira Safaris and sold on GetYourGuide only, where it holds 4.9 from 26 reviews. The Kawira day trip at ~$400 is the listing price per person, and the $800 gorilla permit is not part of it.
| Item | Amount | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Kawira Safaris day trip | ~$400 | On GetYourGuide when you book |
| Gorilla permit, foreign non-residents (not included) | $800 | Booked separately; the UWA sets the fee |
| Uganda visa, single entry | $50 | E-visa before you travel, or on arrival |
| Porter (optional) | Set fee | Paid locally at the park gate |
| Tips | Your choice | Driver-guide and rangers |
The permit alone costs more than the trip itself. A GetYourGuide reviewer says the operator gets in touch after booking to process it, and our guide to the $800 permit explains why it needs your passport details.
What the listing covers
For a single fixed price, the day is well equipped. The GetYourGuide listing names these inclusions, and they cover most of what you would otherwise have to arrange yourself.
- A private 4x4 from your Kigali hotel and back
- An English-speaking driver-guide
- Park entry and government taxes
- A UWA ranger-guide on the trek
- Bottled water and a hot lunch
- Help with the border crossing between Rwanda and Uganda
- Up to 1 hour with the gorillas once they are found
The listing leaves out the gorilla permit, the Uganda visa, tips, a porter, your hotel in Kigali and travel insurance. None of these is unusual, but together they decide what the day really costs.
How the long day runs
This trip does not let you sleep in. Expect a pickup well before dawn, since the drive to the border and on to Mgahinga has to end before the early morning briefing at the park office. The listing gives the exact pickup time.
At the border the driver-guide helps with the formalities. You still need your passport and visa in hand, along with the yellow fever certificate, so keep the papers in a pocket rather than at the bottom of a bag.
After the briefing, a UWA ranger leads your group into the park to find the habituated family. Some groups reach their family in less than an hour while others walk for most of the day, and nobody can promise which. Once you reach the gorillas, your hour starts.
Then the same road runs in reverse, with a second border crossing and several hours back to Kigali. If the trek ran long, you may reach your hotel well after dark, so plan nothing for that evening.
The catch, said plainly
This is a lot of driving for one hour in the forest. Two border crossings and roughly 8–10 hours in a car frame a trek whose length nobody controls. If long rides wear you out, our page on how hard the trek is helps you judge the climb on top.
The price is also less of a bargain than it first looks. The trip is ~$400, yet the $800 permit and the visa are extra, so the real total lands far above the headline figure.
Reviewers rate it 4.9, but 26 reviews are a small base next to the multi-day trips on Viator. Read the recent ones on the listing before you book, and look for comments on the pickup and the border.
If one long day fits your Rwanda plans
Kawira Safaris' private 4x4 run from your Kigali hotel to Mgahinga, with a UWA ranger on the trek and help at the border. The $800 permit and the Uganda visa are not in the price.
One family on the Virunga slopes
Mgahinga is a small park on the Ugandan side of the Virunga volcanoes, near Kisoro. It usually has one habituated gorilla family, so the daily permits for it are few.
The park sits higher than Bwindi and feels more open, with bamboo growing on its slopes. Golden monkeys live there too, though a day trip leaves no time for them. Our Bwindi or Mgahinga comparison sets the two parks side by side.
Because there are so few permits, book as early as you can, and earlier still for the drier months. Our page on when to trek and when to skip shows which weeks fill up first.
Slower ways to reach the same gorillas
If the drive worries you, a night near the park splits the road into two easier halves. You trek fresh, and the return no longer follows straight after a hard climb. Ask an operator in Kigali for that version.
The other route starts in Uganda. Dav Safaris' 3-day trip at ~$2,600 collects you around Entebbe or Kampala and treks in Bwindi from a lodge near Rushaga. It holds 5.0 from 200+ reviews on Viator.
That trip costs more on paper but folds in the permit, two nights and meals. Set it against the day trip plus $800 and the gap shrinks a lot, as our gorilla trek cost breakdown shows.
If you have more days, Uganda rewards them. Our page on gorillas and chimps in one trip covers the longer loops that add Kibale.
Papers to carry across the border
You need your passport on the day, both at the border and at the briefing. Uganda also asks for a yellow fever vaccination certificate at entry, so pack it with the passport.
A single-entry Uganda visa costs $50. If your trip also returns to Rwanda later or goes on to Kenya, the East Africa Tourist Visa at $100 may suit you better. Rules shift, so check current entry rules before you go.
Pack light but well, because boots with grip and a rain layer matter most in Mgahinga's forest. Our packing list for the forest covers the rest, and the rules at the gorillas make good reading on the drive.