Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda, Primate Tours Compared
Gorillas live in Bwindi and Mgahinga in the south-west; chimpanzees are trekked further north — in Kibale or in smaller forests by Queen Elizabeth. Doing both takes at least 3 days, and most primate trips run 5–8 days. GetYourGuide lists 56 of them; the median full price is about $3,250 with both permits — but only 12 trips include both, so check them before you compare.
Which Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda Trip Fits?
Three things split the 56 trips: how many days you have, where you fly in, and which permits the price already covers.
01Days
Three or four days fits both treks only with long drives. Five or six days adds a savannah park — usually Queen Elizabeth, which lies between the chimp and gorilla forests. Seven days and more is for the full western circuit, sometimes with Murchison and rhinos.
02Where you fly in
From Kigali the gorillas come first: Bwindi is a few hours from the border, and the chimps are on the way north. From Entebbe it is the other way round — Kibale is 5–6 hours west, and Bwindi comes at the end.
03Two permits
A gorilla permit costs $800 and a Kibale chimp permit $250 — together more than many tours charge for the trip itself. Only 12 trips include both; 19 add the chimp permit on top and 15 listings don’t make it clear.
Source: GetYourGuide listings and day-by-day itineraries (56 primate tours) · UWA rates via operator guides
02Two permits, five prices
Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda Permits, Both Prices
You need two permits, and they are priced very differently. The chimp permit also depends on the forest — many cheaper tours trek chimps outside Kibale.
Always neededMountain gorillasBwindi or Mgahinga$800
$600 in April, May and November 2026 (not reschedulable); one hour with a family; minimum age 15
Most toursChimps — KibaleKibale National Park$250
$300 from 1 January 2027; the largest chimp forest and the usual choice
CheaperChimps — KalinzuForest reserve by Queen Elizabeth$130
Used by budget trips from Kigali, including our 4- and 6-day picks
CheapestChimps — Kyambura GorgeInside Queen Elizabeth NP$100
$200 from 2027; a small community in a gorge — used by one 4-day pick
OptionalGolden monkeysMgahinga (Uganda) or Volcanoes (Rwanda)$60 / $100
Uganda / Rwanda; about an hour with the troop
Are they in the price?
Of the 47 trips with chimps:
12 include both permits
Gorilla permit17228
Chimp permit131915
IncludedExtra — we add itUnclear — check
Source: Uganda Wildlife Authority rates via 4x4uganda.com and dumaexplorer.com · golden monkeys: eastafricantrails.com and a GetYourGuide listing
Drive timesEntebbe → Kibale5–6 hQueen Elizabeth → Bwindi4–5 hKigali → Bwindi south4–5 hEntebbe → Bwindi8–10 h
Chimps or gorillas first?
It follows the airport. Trips from Entebbe or Kampala usually reach Kibale first and end in Bwindi; trips from Kigali trek gorillas first and finish with chimps on the way north. Neither order changes what you see.
Source: day-by-day itineraries on GetYourGuide listings · drive times as stated by operators and on our Kigali page
0411 tours · our 4 picks
3–4 Day Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda Tours
11 trips. The two best-reviewed chimp trips include both permits; the cheapest full price starts in Kigali.
Source: GetYourGuide listings and day-by-day itineraries (56 primate tours) · UWA rates via operator guides
08A third primate
Golden Monkey Trekking Uganda as a Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Add-On
Golden monkeys live only in the Virunga volcanoes — Mgahinga in Uganda and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. 14 of the 56 trips add them, usually the day before the gorillas.
Source: Uganda Wildlife Authority rates via 4x4uganda.com and dumaexplorer.com · golden monkeys: eastafricantrails.com and a GetYourGuide listing
Budget check
Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda Cost
Is a 4-day budget gorilla and chimpanzee safari realistic? Yes — from $2,050 with both permits, starting in Kigali. The saving comes from the chimp forest (Kalinzu instead of Kibale) and simpler lodges.
Under $3,000
11 tours
3–8 days; Kigali starts and budget lodges
$3,000–5,000
21 tours
4–19 days; the largest group
$5,000 and up
6 tours
8–18 days, or lodges at the top end
What’s in the price — check these five
Source: GetYourGuide listings and day-by-day itineraries (56 primate tours) · UWA rates via operator guides
Compare All 56 Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda Tours
Every gorilla and chimpanzee (or golden monkey) trip on GetYourGuide, with the full price including both permits. “Check” means the listing doesn’t make a permit clear.
iPrices are “from” per person. Full price adds $800 for the gorilla permit and $250 for the Kibale chimp permit when the listing leaves them out; one 3-day listing states a $150 chimp permit, and we used that.
Source: GetYourGuide listings and day-by-day itineraries (56 primate tours) · UWA rates via operator guides
109 answers
Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda FAQ
Can you do gorillas and chimps in one trip?
Yes — 47 trips on GetYourGuide combine them. Gorillas are in Bwindi or Mgahinga, chimps in Kibale or smaller forests near Queen Elizabeth.
How many days do you need?
At least 3 (one listing does it with both permits for $2,250). Five to seven days is more comfortable: it adds Queen Elizabeth and shortens the daily drives.
Which permits do I need and how much are they?
A gorilla permit ($800; $600 in April, May and November 2026) and a chimp permit — $250 in Kibale ($300 from 2027), $100–130 in Kyambura or Kalinzu.
Is a 4-day budget gorilla and chimpanzee safari realistic?
Yes. From Kigali the cheapest full price is $2,050 with both permits added. It treks chimps in Kalinzu rather than Kibale and uses simpler lodges.
Where do you see golden monkeys?
Only in the Virunga volcanoes: Mgahinga in Uganda ($60 permit) or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda ($100). 14 of the 56 trips include them.
Which comes first, chimps or gorillas?
From Entebbe usually chimps first, from Kigali gorillas first — it follows the road. The experience is the same either way.
Are both permits included in the tour price?
Only in 12 of the 47 chimp trips. We add whatever is missing to the full price and mark unclear listings “check”.
Is Uganda primate trekking safe for children?
Gorilla trekking starts at 15 and chimp trekking at 12, so a family trip with younger children can’t do either trek.
Will chimp permits cost more in 2027?
Yes — Kibale rises from $250 to $300 and Kyambura from $100 to $200 on 1 January 2027.
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