Uganda Activities: Gorillas, Chimps, Rafting

October 30, 2026

Travel advisory, as of October 2026: the US State Department lists Uganda at Level 4, Do Not Travel. The level was raised in May 2026 during an Ebola outbreak, which Uganda declared over in late August 2026, and the listing also cites crime, terrorism, unrest and the Anti-Homosexuality Act. The UK FCDO does not advise against travel to Uganda as a whole but warns that attacks are very likely, including in national parks. Under the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, same-sex sexual activity is illegal and carries long prison terms. Read the FCDO safety page and the US advisory before you book, and buy insurance that covers your route.

What Uganda Is Best For

Uganda’s main draw is wildlife you can meet on foot or from a boat: mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, hippos on the Kazinga Channel and the Nile, and rhinos at Ziwa. White-water rafting around Jinja adds an adrenaline option. Distances are long and roads are slow, so most visitors pick two or three regions rather than trying to see everything.

Gorilla Trekking

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park covers about 321 square kilometres and has four sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. Each permit is tied to one sector, and the sectors are two to four hours apart on rough road, so book your lodge in the sector named on the permit. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, near Kisoro, offers gorilla treks and golden monkey tracking.

Standard permit for foreign non-residents: about USD 800. In April, May and November the reported price is about USD 600, for fixed dates paid up front with no rescheduling.
Permits are non-refundable and non-transferable, and they are bought in advance through a licensed operator, never at the gate.
Minimum age is 15. Do not plan on exceptions.
Stay 7 metres from the gorillas. You get about one hour once the group is found. Masks are recommended, and anyone with a cold, cough or diarrhoea is turned away.

Security staff routinely accompany treks in both parks because of the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and you should not join any tour that crosses into that country.

Chimpanzee Tracking at Kibale

Kibale National Park, near Fort Portal, is the usual base for chimp tracking. The permit for foreign non-residents is about USD 250, or about USD 200 in the low months. The minimum age is 12, groups are capped at 8 and you spend about an hour with the chimps. Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park also offers tracking.

Rafting and Bungee Near Jinja

The Bujagali dam drowned Bujagali Falls, so rafting now runs from below the dam down to the Itanda rapids, graded IV to V. Operators portage or skip features depending on water level. Adrift runs family, Grade 3, Grade 5 and extreme trips; a full day on Grade 5 costs roughly USD 125 to 155 with transfers and lunch, and Grade 5 trips are typically for ages 16 and over. Adrift also runs a bungee tower at Kalagala Falls Overland Camp and River Club in Kangulumira, for jumpers weighing 35 to 110 kg. There is no bridge jump. Allow 2 to 4 hours by road from Kampala to Jinja.

Boat Cruises and Rhino Tracking

Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park: a launch cruise of about 2 hours for about USD 30, with hippos, buffalo and many birds on the banks. The park carries a specific warning, because two tourists and their driver were killed there in October 2023. Use an established operator and do not drive after dark.
Murchison Falls: the launch to the base of the falls costs about USD 30. The Nile squeezes through a gap about 7 metres wide and drops about 43 metres.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: you track southern white rhinos on foot with an armed ranger. Rhinos were also reintroduced to Kidepo Valley National Park in March 2026.

Do not swim in Lake Victoria, the Nile or the Kazinga Channel. Bilharzia, hippos and crocodiles make it a poor idea.

Practical Notes

Fees are quoted in US dollars and local spending is in Ugandan shillings, roughly 3,600 to 3,900 to the dollar. Park gates take cards or mobile money. Safari vehicles are 4x4s with pop-up roofs. FCDO advises against travelling outside main towns after dark and does not recommend matatus or boda-bodas. Apply for the e-visa at visas.immigration.go.ug , carry your yellow fever certificate and check the requirement for your nationality and route. Uganda restricted the Congo border from 27 May 2026 and screens arrivals at Entebbe, so check current health advice before you fly.

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