There are around 1,060 mountain gorillas left on earth, and you can only see them in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. For almost every traveller the real choice is between the first two. Here is how they genuinely differ.

The permit

Rwanda charges $1,500 per permit. Uganda charges $800. Both are for a single trek and a strictly-enforced one hour with the family. That $700 gap is the single biggest factor in most people's decision, and it is worth being clear about what it does and does not buy.

Getting there

This is where Rwanda earns its premium. Volcanoes National Park is a two-hour drive on good tarmac from Kigali International Airport. You can land at lunchtime and be at your lodge for dinner.

Bwindi is eight to nine hours by road from Entebbe, or a light-aircraft flight to Kihihi followed by a two-hour transfer. If you are short on time, Rwanda saves you two travel days — which, once you price two extra nights of lodging and transfers, closes a good part of the gap.

The trek itself

Rwanda's Virunga slopes are open bamboo and farmland at the base, giving way to montane forest. Treks are typically two to four hours round trip, on steep but relatively clear ground.

Bwindi is called "impenetrable" for a reason. It is dense, tangled, often muddy primary rainforest, and treks can run from two to eight hours. It is harder — and a lot of people find it more atmospheric for exactly that reason. Hire a porter either way; it costs around $20, it makes the day dramatically easier, and it puts money directly into the local community.

What else is nearby

Uganda has more to add on: Queen Elizabeth National Park and its tree-climbing lions, chimpanzee tracking at Kibale, the Nile at Murchison Falls. If you want a full safari alongside your gorillas, Uganda is the better base.

Rwanda has golden monkey trekking in the same park, the Dian Fossey memorial hike, Lake Kivu, and Nyungwe Forest to the south. It is a smaller, more compact country and easier to cover in a week.

Our honest recommendation

If you have four or five days and want the least friction, go to Rwanda. If you have ten days, want a broader safari and the permit price matters, go to Uganda. Both give you the same hour, and it is an hour you will not forget either way.

Whichever you choose, book early. Permits are capped at eight visitors per family per day, and the good dates are gone six to nine months out.