Seasonal Discounts for Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking permits are not always fixed at their headline price. Both Uganda and Rwanda offer genuine seasonal discounts at certain times of year, and understanding exactly when these apply, what they cost, and what conditions come attached is one of the most effective ways for a budget traveler to reduce the single largest expense of a gorilla trekking trip. This guide covers the current 2026 seasonal discount structures for both countries, along with the booking rules that come with them.

Uganda's 2026-20230 Low Season Permit Discount

The Uganda Wildlife Authority reinstated discounted low season gorilla permits effective February 2026, covering treks scheduled during April, May, and November. During these three months, the standard 800 US dollar permit for foreign non-residents drops to 600 US dollars, a saving of 200 dollars per person, while foreign residents pay 500 US dollars instead of the standard 700. East African citizen pricing remains unchanged at approximately 300,000 Ugandan shillings. The same discount structure applies to both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Alongside gorilla permits, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has also discounted chimpanzee tracking permits at Kibale National Park during the same three months, dropping from 250 to 200 US dollars for foreign non-residents, which opens up the possibility of combining a discounted gorilla trek with discounted chimpanzee tracking on the same low season trip.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National park

Important Booking Rules for Uganda's Discounted Permits

The 2026 low season discount comes with two conditions that budget travelers need to understand before booking. First, discounted low season permits are strictly non-reschedulable, meaning that once a specific date is booked and paid for, it cannot be changed to a different date under any circumstances. Second, the Uganda Wildlife Authority eliminated its previous seven day soft hold reservation window as of March 2026, so full payment is now required at the time of booking to secure any permit, discounted or standard.

Foreign non-resident visitors are also now required to book gorilla permits through a licensed Ugandan tour operator rather than directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority's own booking system, a change that took effect in 2024 and remains in place for 2026. This means the fully independent, direct-to-authority booking process described for standard permits in some general planning guides no longer applies to non-resident travelers, and working with a registered local operator is now a required step rather than an optional convenience.

Why Uganda's Low Season Months Are a Good Trade-Off

April, May, and November correspond to Uganda's two wetter seasons, when rainfall is heavier but rarely falls as an all-day downpour, more typically arriving as intense, shorter showers. Visitor numbers drop noticeably during these months, meaning smaller, quieter trekking groups and a more intimate atmosphere in the forest. Gorillas often move to lower elevations to feed on fresh bamboo shoots during the rains, which can sometimes shorten the trekking time needed to find them. Lodge rates across the Bwindi and Mgahinga region also tend to soften during these months due to lower occupancy, compounding the savings beyond the permit price alone.

Rwanda's Seasonal Discount Structure

Rwanda does not discount its standard 1500 US dollar gorilla permit outright, but the Rwanda Development Board does offer a conditional low season discount of approximately 30 percent, bringing the permit down to around 1050 US dollars, for travel between November and May.

This discount is tied to a specific requirement: travelers must spend a minimum of two nights at either Akagera National Park or Nyungwe National Park as part of their itinerary in order to qualify for the reduced gorilla permit rate. This structure is designed to spread tourism income across Rwanda's other parks rather than concentrating it entirely on Volcanoes National Park, so travelers hoping to benefit from this discount need to build a slightly longer, multi-park itinerary rather than a standalone gorilla trekking trip.

For budget travelers focused purely on minimizing cost with the shortest possible itinerary, this Rwanda discount is less straightforward to access than Uganda's, since it requires additional nights and travel to a second park rather than simply choosing a different trekking month.

Comparing the Two Discount Structures

Uganda's low season discount is simpler to access, requiring nothing beyond choosing a trekking date in April, May, or November, and it applies to a standalone gorilla trekking trip without any additional park visit requirement.

Rwanda's discount offers a larger percentage saving but only becomes available once the added cost and time of two nights at Akagera or Nyungwe is factored in, which can offset some of the savings once accommodation and extra transport for the additional park are included. Budget travelers with a short, gorilla-trekking-only itinerary will generally find Uganda's discount more directly useful, while travelers already planning a broader Rwanda safari covering multiple parks may find Rwanda's discount fits naturally into their existing plans.

Sample Safari Itinerary: 3 Days Using Uganda's Low Season Discount

The following itinerary shows how a straightforward budget trip can be built around Uganda's April, May, or November discount window.

Day 1: Kampala to Buhoma Depart Kampala in the morning for the 8 to 9 hour drive to Bwindi's Buhoma sector, with a lunch stop en route. Check into a budget guesthouse near the park headquarters in the late afternoon, and confirm the following morning's briefing time before an early dinner and rest.

Day 2: Discounted Gorilla Trekking Wake early for breakfast, then head to the park headquarters for the 7:30 AM briefing, where rangers assign the group to a specific habituated gorilla family. The trek, using the discounted 600 US dollar permit booked in advance for this date, lasts between two and six hours round trip depending on the family's location, including the one hour observation period once the gorillas are found. Return to the guesthouse by mid to late afternoon to rest after the trek.

Day 3: Buhoma to Kampala After breakfast, depart Buhoma for the return journey to Kampala, arriving by early evening.

Booking Around These Discounts

Because discounted low season permits in Uganda are non-reschedulable and require full payment upfront, travel dates should be confirmed with certainty before booking, since there is no flexibility to shift the date if plans change afterward. Working with a licensed Ugandan tour operator, now a requirement for foreign non-resident visitors rather than an optional convenience, is the practical way to check real-time availability and complete the booking correctly. For Rwanda, confirming the Akagera or Nyungwe accommodation and transport logistics before committing to the discounted gorilla permit date helps ensure the full itinerary comes together as intended, since the two-night requirement is a firm condition of the reduced rate.

Ready to Book Your Safari?

Request a Quote