Uganda Safari Cost 2025: Prices & What to Expect

Wondering about the Uganda safari cost is one of the first steps when planning a route through this country. A destination where tourism is far from cheap, especially due to the high fees to enter national parks or to take part in some of the most iconic activities, such as mountain gorilla trekking.

However, although the Uganda safari cost is always on the higher side, it can vary significantly depending on how the trip is organized. In this post, you’ll find all the details about how much my 10-day trip to Uganda cost and the price differences between traveling independently or booking with a tour operator.

Budget for a Trip to Uganda: How Much I Spent in 10 Days

I decided to take a 10-day trip to Uganda with a local tour operator, since after comparing prices for the type of trip I wanted, I saw that in my case, the difference in cost wasn’t too big (less than 100 USD).

In total, I paid €3,520 for my entire trip to Uganda. Here’s how those costs were distributed:

• Flights: €306. I only bought a one-way ticket, as I continued my 7-month journey through southern and eastern Africa afterward.
• Visa: €45. I paid 100 USD for the East African Visa, since after visiting Uganda I went to Kenya. So I considered 50 USD as the portion relevant to Uganda.
• Local SIM card: €14. A 30-day SIM card with 10 GB of data from Airtel, which I bought right outside the airport.
• 10-day tour with a local operator: €2,900. I paid 3,000 USD for the 10-day tour (I was traveling solo, which made it more expensive).
• Tips: €250. Most of the tips went to my guide during the ten-day safari, as well as to the rangers and trackers for the gorilla, chimpanzee, and golden monkey treks. I also tipped some of the lodge staff.

Obviously, the biggest part of the Uganda safari cost was the price of the tour with the local operator, which included all meals, accommodation, permits, guide, and transportation during the 10-day route through the country. I paid 3,000 USD, which is actually a very good price considering I was traveling alone.

Currently, prices have gone up (for example, the permit for mountain gorilla trekking increased from 600 USD to 800 USD), and for a 10-day route with a local operator for two people, you can generally expect to pay around 3,500 USD (although in low season, you might find some deals).

Uganda Safari Cost: All Expenses Detailed

To truly understand the Uganda safari cost, it’s much more helpful to know exactly how the total cost of the route through the country is distributed. This can be practical whether you’re planning to travel independently or book a trip with a local operator, as it helps you evaluate the trip’s costs and determine if the budget is reasonable or not.

Flights to Uganda

There are no direct flights from Spain to Uganda, and most routes involve one or two layovers.

In my case, I flew from Barcelona to Uganda with two layovers — one in Amsterdam and another in Nairobi. I only bought a one-way ticket, as I continued traveling through eastern and southern Africa afterward, and paid €308 for a ticket that included one checked bag of up to 23 kilograms.

Flight prices can vary significantly, mostly depending on the time of year (July, August, and September tend to be more expensive) and how far in advance you book. In general, for a round-trip flight to Uganda from Spain, a good price would be between €600 and €700, although it’s not unusual to pay a bit more.

Visa

To travel to Uganda, it is necessary to apply for a tourist visa through this website. It costs 50 USD, and it’s recommended to apply one or two weeks before the trip.

If you also plan to visit Kenya or Rwanda, it’s more efficient to apply for the East African Tourist Visa. This visa is valid for 90 days from the date of entry and allows free movement between Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda. It’s important to apply through the embassy of the first country you will visit. This visa costs 100 USD.

Permits, Entry Fees, and Activities

The most important part of the Uganda safari cost comes from permits or entry fees to national parks, along with the various activities available within them.

Most travelers know that the most expensive activity is the gorilla trekking in Uganda, which currently costs 800 USD per person. But in reality, you also need to pay to enter the national parks where safaris take place, as well as for chimpanzee trekking or golden monkey tracking.

To check the official information on all these fees, you should visit the Uganda Wildlife Authority website or refer to this PDF guide.

Based on this information, I’ve put together this guide outlining the typical costs to consider when planning the various nature activities Uganda has to offer:

Cost to See Gorillas

The gorilla trekking in Uganda has a fixed cost, regardless of whether you do it in Bwindi National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Currently, the cost is 800 USD per person.

If you book your trip with a local operator, they will handle the permit arrangements. If you’re traveling independently, the best option is to arrange it through the car rental company, which usually charges a handling fee of 25 USD.

Cost to See Chimpanzees

Another highlight activity in Uganda is chimpanzee trekking. The most famous place to do this is Kibale National Park, where the cost is 250 USD per person.

You can also choose the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, which allows you to visit a group of wild chimpanzees undergoing the habituation process (the procedure to get them used to human presence, making observations safer and more rewarding). This experience allows you to spend up to 4 hours with the chimpanzees, but the cost increases to 300 USD per person.

However, chimpanzee trekking is also possible in other forests across the country. These places usually make it harder to spot chimpanzees, and sightings are not always guaranteed. That said, the activity fees are more affordable. Specifically, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge (within Queen Elizabeth National Park) costs 100 USD per person; and in the Kalinzu Forest Reserve, the cost is 50 USD per person.

These experiences are an important part of the overall Uganda safari cost, especially if you’re looking to explore primate life beyond just the mountain gorillas.

Fee to See Golden Monkeys

On the other hand, the trekking to see the endemic golden monkeys — an experience that can only be enjoyed in Uganda at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park — costs 60 USD per person.

In this case, you can also choose the Habituation Experience, which costs 100 USD per person.

These activities, while more affordable than gorilla or chimpanzee trekking, are still important to factor into your overall Uganda safari cost, especially if you’re aiming to experience Uganda’s unique primate diversity.

Entrance Fee for Murchison Falls National Park

In Uganda, you also need to pay to enter the different national parks. Specifically, entry to Murchison Falls National Park costs 45 USD per person per day (every 24 hours). Additionally, there is a 50 USD fee for vehicle entry.

One of the most popular activities in this national park is the boat cruise to the base of the falls, which costs 35 USD per person. You can also hike to the top of the falls, which has an additional cost of 10 USD per person.

These entrance and activity fees are key components of the Uganda safari cost, particularly if your itinerary includes multiple parks like Murchison Falls.

Entrance Fee for Queen Elizabeth National Park

Again, to access this national park and go on safari, you need to pay 40 USD per person per day. There is also a 15 USD fee for vehicle entry.

In this region of Uganda, a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel is highly recommended, where you can see many hippos, crocodiles, and elephants. This activity costs 30 USD per person.

In recent years, an activity to track lions and leopards has also become popular in this national park. Basically, individuals wearing GPS collars—used mainly for monitoring and studying these animals—are located. This activity costs 200 USD per person.

These entrance and activity fees are an essential part of the overall Uganda safari cost, especially if you want to experience a variety of wildlife encounters.

Cost to Enter Lake Mburo National Park

The entrance fee to this national park is 40 USD per person per day. Additionally, walking and cycling safaris are very popular here; if you hire a guide, the cost is 25 USD for a walking safari and 30 USD for a cycling safari.

Price to Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Visiting the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is another common expense within the Uganda safari cost budget. This reserve is home to Uganda’s only white rhinos, which live semi-wild and are part of a breeding program to reintroduce them into national parks where they were once extinct.

Entry to this wildlife sanctuary costs 20 USD per person. Additionally, the popular Rhino Tracking experience costs 30 USD per person.

Cost to See the Shoebill Bird in Mabamba Swamp

Seeing the shoebill bird is a very popular activity among bird lovers and is often included at the start or end of a trip to Uganda, as it can be done near Kampala or Entebbe. The best place to try to spot this unique bird is Mabamba Swamp, a vast wetland area located on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The excursion is done in a small canoe guided by a local expert. The cost ranges from about 45 to 55 USD per person, depending on the number of participants and whether the tour is booked directly with the local community or through an agency.

This activity is a nice addition to your itinerary and should be considered when calculating your overall Uganda safari cost.

Transportation

When traveling through Uganda, using public transport is not a very comfortable or recommended option, as it is much slower and often very difficult to reach the national parks.

Therefore, for transportation, you should consider renting a 4×4 vehicle. To estimate the price of renting a car for a trip of 10 days or more, the typical rates are:

• €59 per day for a small 4×4, like a Toyota RAV4.
• €89 per day for a Toyota Land Cruiser.

When traveling with a local operator, it is common to use a Toyota Land Cruiser or a 4×4 van adapted for safaris.

If traveling independently and deciding to rent a car, you can also hire a driver for about €40 per day.

Accommodation

Uganda offers accommodations for all budgets, and camping is even possible in some places. Therefore, accommodation costs can vary widely.

Here is the list of lodgings where I stayed and their current prices for two people:

• Viavia Entebbe: 77 USD, including breakfast.
• Tilenga Safari Lodge: 400 USD, including breakfast.
• Kibale Forest Camp: 135 USD, including breakfast.
• Buffalo Safari Lodge: 288 USD, including breakfast.
• Mutanda Lake Resort: 185 USD, including breakfast.
• Travelers Rest Hotel: 120 USD, including breakfast.
• Heritage Lodge Hanuharo: 135 USD, including breakfast.

Most accommodations are mid-range, and some were better and more expensive than what the local operator initially offered me. However, traveling in low season and thanks to agreements they had with some lodges, they could offer me some upgrades at no extra cost. That’s why I ended up staying at Tilenga Safari Lodge and Buffalo Safari Lodge. When traveling independently, other options can be found for around 120 USD per double room.

So, on average, for a trip to Uganda you can expect to pay between 60 and 80 USD per person per night for mid-range accommodations. If opting for simpler lodgings (often tented camps), expect to pay between 30 and 50 USD per person per night.

Food

Food in Uganda is not especially expensive; however, prices at lodges tend to be somewhat higher. If you plan to have your meals at the lodge, it is usually more economical to book full board (you can have lunch upon arrival or they often prepare a picnic lunch for the following day).

Generally, meals at lodges cost between $8 and $10 per person.

If you eat at a local restaurant, prices usually range from $4 to $6, although cheaper options can sometimes be found. However, to avoid food poisoning, I recommend avoiding the cheapest restaurants.

Tips (An Additional Cost to Consider in Your Uganda Safari Cost)

Although tipping is not mandatory in Uganda, it is often expected, so it is an important factor to consider when budgeting for your trip.

It is better to give tips in the local currency, Ugandan shillings.

Here are some approximate tipping amounts:

• When traveling with a local operator, it is generally expected to tip your guide about €15 to €20 per day.
• For primate trekking guides: between €15 and €20 per person.
• Hotel staff: between €2 and €10 per day per person (there is usually a communal tip box for all staff).

How Much Would All This Add Up to for a 10-Day Itinerary?

For a 10-day trip like the one I did (you can check the detailed itinerary in my post Uganda in 10 Days), if you travel independently (renting a car without a driver) and split costs between two people, the current cost per person would be approximately:

• Flight: €650
• Visa: Around €45 (50 USD)
• Local SIM card: €14
• Tips: €150
• Permits and activities: Around €1,325 (1,490 USD)
• Permit processing fees: Around €35 (40 USD)
• Car rental: €300 (total would be €600, divided by two)
• Accommodation: €650
• Food: €150
• Fuel: €190 (total would be €380, divided by two)

So, the entire 10-day route would cost about €3,620 per person. The average daily cost during the trip (excluding flights, visa, tips, and extras) would be around €240 per day.

You can reduce the cost a bit (by around €150 to €250 per person) by choosing cheaper accommodation or camping. Traveling with more people (three or four) is also ideal to share expenses.

On the other hand, if you book your trip with a local operator, the current average price for a 10-day itinerary for two people is about $350 USD per person per day, totaling roughly $3,500 USD (around €3,150), but this does not include flights, visa, or tips. Adding all these costs, the total would rise to around €4,000 per person.

Traveling in low season and opting for cheaper accommodation can lower this budget somewhat.

This is an approximate calculation but gives you a good idea of how prices compare between independent travel and going through a local operator. As in many trips, traveling independently is cheaper, but in a destination like Uganda, the logistical support, guide knowledge, and safety that come with a local operator clearly justify the additional cost.

Also, note that the independent travel cost was calculated based on renting the cheapest 4×4 vehicle, whereas local operator typically provide larger, more comfortable, and more robust safari vehicles.

Want a Travel Budget for Uganda with a Local Operator?

If you’d like a more precise estimate of how much a trip to Uganda with a local operator would cost, you can use this form to specify exactly the kind of trip you want to take. I will connect you with trusted local operators that I have personally used on my trips, who will prepare a personalized itinerary and budget for you—completely obligation-free.

This way, you can evaluate the real cost of the trip and compare it with the alternative of traveling independently or visiting other destinations.