Travel Advise Uganda 2025
East Africa Travel Advice
East Africa is one of the leading tourist destinations in the whole of Africa with gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, and the great migration as some of the main highlights in the region. Masai Mara also still stands out as one of the must-visits.
Gorilla Trekking permits
Gorilla trekking can be done in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo through rates vary according to Country.
Uganda
In Uganda, gorilla trekking is done in two parks; Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park.
Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda go for US$800 for foreign non-residents and US$700 for foreign residents while Gorilla habituation goes for US$1500 for foreign non-residents and US$1000 for foreign residents as revised in 2024.
We recommend booking your July and August permits as early March. This is because these are the peek months in Uganda, therefore you are likely to miss out on the permits in case you consider booking in the time of late May and June.
Rwanda
Rwanda has one gorilla park found in the Virunga ranges which are shared among;Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo.
A gorilla permit in Rwanda goes for US$1500 per person; this makes it the most expensive gorilla permit among all the three countries that host mountain gorillas.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Congo is home to three types of mountain gorillas which also include the mountain gorillas. However, because of the insecurity in the country in the country; there are not many companies organizing trekking safaris in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Democratic Republic of Congo has the cheapest gorilla trekking permit going for US$400 per person.
Chimpanzee Tracking permits
Uganda
Chimpanzee tracking can be done in mainly three locations in Uganda; Semuliki wildlife reserve, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kibale forest national park. Kibale is the most expensive of all the three locations because it has almost 100% guarantee to see the chimpanzees while in the other two destinations, you have 60-70% chances of seeing the chimpanzee.
Permits range from US$30 in Semuliki national park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park at US$100 per person and US$250 in Kibale forest national park. However, Chimpanzee habituation (US$300) only exists in Kibale forest national park.
Tanzania
Gombe stream national park is one of the few parks in Africa where chimpanzees have been researched on. Anyone considering Chimpanzee tracking in East Africa mainly has two options; Kibale forest national park and Gombe stream national park. The two parks offer the highest possibility of spotting chimpanzees in the wild.
Car Hire
Logistics are a basic necessity in any itinerary; whether you are purchasing a safari package or considering a self-drive safari. Whichever the case; prices vary according to the type of car you are considering.
For some reasons; people choose car hire with a driver instead of simply hiring for self-drive. But it all depends on your budget; car hire with a driver is slightly more expensive though it will save you the time you would waste in trying to discover routes by yourself.
A self drive budget ranges from US$45 to US$100 per day without camping while hiring with camping gear ranges from US$50 to US$150 per day yet hiring with a driver ranges from US$90 to US$250 per day.
Park Entrance Fees
Park entrance vary according to the park and activity an individual considers indulging in. For instance, park entrance is simply US$40 per adult and US$20 for children in. Murchison Falls national park, Kidepo valley national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga Gorilla national park, Kibale forest national park, and Lake Mburo national park
East African VISA
You can apply for the East African Visa through the country you will land in first; that is Either Uganda or Kenya. Rwanda is currently revising its policy regarding the East African VISA while Tanzania requires a separate VISA altogether.
Travel Insurance
There are several travel insurance plans available however most if not all tour operators in Uganda recommend tourists to get travel insurance in their country of origin. However, besides your country travel insurance, All East African countries require you to buy travel insurance commonly known as “Comesa”. The price for Comesa varies according to the number of days. It is sold in packages of 2 weeks and a full month.
To make a booking contact our travel consultants through Call/Whatsapp: +256779612466 or send us an email at booking@4x4carhirekampala.com for detailed tour packages and travel tips.
