You can see gorillas in Uganda in one day from Kigali or from a base in the southwest (Kisoro, Lake Bunyonyi or near Bwindi). From Kigali it is a 14–19 hour day: pickup at 2:00–3:00 am, the border at dawn, the trek, and back in Kigali between 5 and 9 pm. Full prices run from $1,100 (a $300 tour plus the $800 permit) to $1,400–1,800 with the permit included.
Yes — but only from two kinds of starting points, and from Kigali it is one of the longest days you can book on GetYourGuide.
Uganda’s gorillas live in Bwindi and Mgahinga in the far southwest. From Kigali, the drive to Mgahinga or Bwindi’s southern sectors takes about 3–5 hours each way including the border crossing, so day tours leave at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and get back in the evening. From Kisoro or Lake Bunyonyi you are already close: pickup is around 5:00 am and the drive is 2.5–3 hours.
Between the two drives is the trek itself: a briefing at the park, 1–8 hours in the forest depending on where the family is, and one hour with the gorillas. Day tours from Kigali work best for people who are fit, short on time and fine with a very early start.
Source: GetYourGuide listings (14 one-day gorilla tours) · UWA rates via operator guides
Check your dateFrom Kigali: 1-Day Gorilla Trekking in Uganda$1,200 all-in · ★ 4.9 (26)
04Already in the southwest
1 Day Gorilla Trekking Uganda from Kisoro, Lake Bunyonyi or a Bwindi Lodge
If you are already in the southwest — on Lake Bunyonyi, in Kisoro or at a lodge near Bwindi — a day trip is far easier: a 5:00 am pickup and 2.5–3 hours on the road. All tours here cost about $1,600–1,800 with the permit included; two listings don’t name the permit, so check before booking.
Tour
Park
Pickup
Format
Permit
Full price
Book
1 Day Uganda Gorilla Tracking Trip, Mgahinga Gorilla NPMgahinga · 5:00 am, Lake Bunyonyi, Kabale, Kisoro or Rushaga
Source: GetYourGuide listings (14 one-day gorilla tours) · UWA rates via operator guides · “check” = the listing doesn’t name the permit: ask the operator before booking.
05Hour by hour
1 Day Gorilla Trekking Uganda Timeline, Hour by Hour
The only listing with a full timetable — a private day tour from Kigali to Mgahinga or Bwindi. Other Kigali tours run within an hour of it.
!
Even earlier, even later
The cheapest Bwindi tour leaves at 2:00 am and gets back around 8–9 pm.
Early start · at the border around 6:30 am
3:00 am
Pickup at your Kigali hotel
≈ 6:30 am
Cyanika border into Uganda
7:30 am
Breakfast in Kisoro, UWA briefing
8:30 am
Trek starts: 1–3 h in Mgahinga, 2–6 h in Bwindi
11 am–1 pm
One hour with the gorillas — it falls inside this window, depending on how long the trek takesThe hour you came for
1:30 pm
Lunch at a lodge near the park
≈ 4:00 pm
Back across the border
5–7 pm
Drop-off in Kigali, hotel or airport
Source: GetYourGuide listings of two Kigali day tours (the clearest timetables)
06What you trade
1 Day Gorilla Trekking Uganda vs 2 or 3 Days
One day saves a night and about $200, but you trade sleep and margin for it.
1 day
2–3 days
Full price
from $1,100
from $1,298 (2 days)
Start
2:00–3:00 am
Normal morning
Time on the road
6–10 h in one day
Split over two days
Trek
After 4–5 h awake
Fresh, after a night near the park
If the trek runs long
Late drive back in the dark
Nothing to rush
Extras
None
Room for Lake Bunyonyi or golden monkeys on some 3-day trips
Take 1 day if
you’re fit, based in Kigali and have one free day.
Take 2–3 days if
you want to enjoy the hour, travel with less-fit companions, or can spare the night.
!Your flight leaves the same evening — check the return time
078 answers
1 Day Gorilla Trekking Uganda FAQ
Can you see gorillas in Uganda in one day?
Yes. From Kigali, day tours leave at 2:00–3:00 am and return in the evening; from Kisoro or Lake Bunyonyi pickup is around 5:00 am. You get the same one hour with the gorillas as on longer trips.
What time does a 1-day tour leave Kigali?
Between 2:00 and 3:00 am. The most reviewed tour picks you up at 3:00 am; the cheapest leaves at 2:00 am and returns around 8–9 pm.
Is the permit included in day tours?
In the four cheapest Kigali tours it isn’t — you pay $800 on top. Six day tours include it, at $1,400–1,800 in total.
Bwindi or Mgahinga on a day trip?
Mgahinga is closest to the Rwandan border and its treks are often shorter (one listing gives 1–3 hours against 2–6 in Bwindi), but it has only one gorilla family. The rangers and your permit decide the park.
How tiring is a one-day gorilla trip?
Very: 14–19 hours door to door from Kigali, with a 2–8 hour trek in the middle. A porter ($10–20 + tip) helps on the slopes.
What if I’m not allowed to trek on the day?
If a UWA warden rules you unfit because you are ill, you get 50% of the permit back. If the family isn’t found, it’s 75% back or a new attempt the next day — hard on a day trip, so read the tour’s own terms.
Do I need a visa for a day trip from Kigali?
Yes. A Uganda e-visa costs $50; the East Africa Tourist Visa ($100) covers Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya with multiple entries, so you can cross back into Rwanda on the same visa.
Can I fly out the same evening?
Some tours promise to get you back in time for evening flights, but returns range from 5 to 9 pm. Leave a margin, or fly the next day.
Most reviewed
