Almost everyone planning a gorilla trip ends up comparing Rwanda and Uganda directly, since both offer genuinely excellent trekking to habituated mountain gorilla families.
The trade-offs
- Price: Uganda ($800) is nearly half Rwanda's price ($1,500)
- Access: Rwanda's Volcanoes NP is a short, well-paved drive from Kigali; Uganda's Bwindi is a longer, rougher drive from Entebbe
- Trek difficulty: Bwindi's terrain is generally steeper and denser; Volcanoes NP treks tend to be shorter
- Combine with: Uganda pairs naturally with a Big Five safari; Rwanda pairs naturally with Nyungwe chimps and a short, efficient trip
If budget and time allow only one country, and you want the lowest-stress logistics, Rwanda wins. If budget is the deciding factor, or you want gorillas plus a full savannah safari, Uganda wins.