The short answer
What to know first.
As of August 2026, a Uganda gorilla trekking permit costs US $800 per person, or US $600 in the low season of April, May and November. Rwanda's permit is US $1,500 per person. Uganda's four-hour gorilla habituation experience is US $1,500, rising to US $1,800 from 1 January 2027. Prices are set by UWA and RDB and are always confirmed at booking.
At a glance
The planning brief.
Uganda trekking
US $800 per person; US $600 in the low season of April, May and November (UWA, 2026–27 tariff).
Habituation
US $1,500 per person now; US $1,800 from 1 January 2027 for the four-hour experience.
Rwanda trekking
US $1,500 per person under RDB's published rate; minimum age 15.
Sail verifies
Live permit availability, sector allocation, the tariff for your exact dates and every condition at booking.
01
The 2026/27 tariff at a glance
The figures below reflect the Uganda Wildlife Authority tariff covering July 2026 to June 2028 and the Rwanda Development Board's published rate, as last reviewed by Sail in August 2026. Permit prices are set by the park authorities, are not negotiable, and are confirmed for your exact dates at booking.
Uganda gorilla trekking
US $800 per person, with a low-season rate of US $600 in April, May and November.
Uganda gorilla habituation
US $1,500 per person for the four-hour experience until 31 December 2026; US $1,800 from 1 January 2027.
Rwanda gorilla trekking
US $1,500 per person in Volcanoes National Park; the minimum trekking age in both countries is 15.
Low-season condition
Uganda's US $600 low-season permits are issued for fixed dates and are not reschedulable, so the saving carries a flexibility cost.
02
What actually changed
The headline Uganda trekking permit held at US $800, which is quietly significant: after a period of speculation about increases, the authority chose stability for the standard experience. The material changes sit either side of it. A formal low season now prices April, May and November at US $600, and the gorilla habituation experience rises from US $1,500 to US $1,800 on 1 January 2027.
Chimpanzee permits move at the same time: Kibale's standard tracking permit rises from US $250 to US $300 in 2027, which we cover separately in the chimpanzee permit article linked below.
Rwanda's position is unchanged. The US $1,500 Volcanoes permit remains the anchor of a deliberately concentrated model, funding intensive protection and a high-end lodge landscape around a compact park.
03
How the low season really works
April, May and November are the wetter months in the Bwindi region. Trails can be heavier, treks can run longer, and camera conditions are less forgiving; the forest is also greener, quieter and often more atmospheric, with lodges at their calmest and their most generous rates.
The US $600 permit is a genuine saving of a quarter, but it is issued for a fixed date and cannot be rescheduled. For travellers with firm plans and a sense of humour about rain, it is excellent value. For complex international itineraries where a missed connection would cascade, the flexibility of the standard permit can be worth more than the difference.
04
Booking around the change
Gorilla permits remain limited to eight guests per habituated family each day, and the realistic booking window for peak dates and preferred Bwindi sectors is still six to twelve months. That arithmetic has not changed with the tariff.
If the habituation experience is on your list, the calendar now matters: a 2026 habituation date books at US $1,500, while the same experience from January 2027 books at US $1,800. Sail quotes whichever tariff is in force for your actual trekking date, and we say so explicitly on the proposal rather than leaving the year ambiguous.
05
Where the money goes
Permit revenue funds ranger and tracker teams, veterinary programmes and a revenue share with the communities bordering the parks. It is the financial engine of one of conservation's genuine success stories: mountain gorilla numbers have grown while almost every comparable species has declined. The price is substantial, and it buys something real.
Questions travellers ask
Useful answers, before you decide.
How much is a gorilla permit in Uganda in 2026?
US $800 per person under the UWA tariff in force as of August 2026, or US $600 in the low season of April, May and November. The price is set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and confirmed at booking.
When does the gorilla habituation price increase?
On 1 January 2027, the four-hour habituation experience rises from US $1,500 to US $1,800 per person. The tariff that applies is the one in force on your trekking date, not the date you book.
Is the US $600 low-season permit worth it?
It saves US $200 per person in April, May and November, when the forest is wetter but quieter and lodge rates are gentler. The permit is date-fixed and not reschedulable, so it suits travellers with settled plans rather than complex, connection-dependent itineraries.
How much is a gorilla permit in Rwanda?
US $1,500 per person for Volcanoes National Park, set by the Rwanda Development Board, with a minimum trekking age of 15. Rwanda has not announced a change alongside Uganda's new tariff.
What does the permit actually include?
Park entry for the trek, ranger guiding and tracker support, and one timed period with a habituated gorilla family. It does not include transport, accommodation, porters or tips. Availability, sector and all conditions are confirmed at booking.