Uganda and Rwanda are, for most visitors, straightforward and welcoming places to travel. That is the accurate general answer. Here are the specifics behind it, including where we would give you a caveat.
- Gorilla treks
- Armed ranger escort on every trek, without exception
- Biggest real risk
- Road travel, particularly at night
- Petty crime
- Opportunistic, mainly in cities
- DR Congo border
- Situation-dependent; we advise case by case
- Emergency cover
- Medical evacuation insurance is a condition of booking
- Also check
- Your own government's current travel advice
On the trek
Every gorilla trek goes out with a guide and armed rangers. The weapons are for forest elephant and buffalo rather than gorillas, and are rarely more than carried. Habituated gorilla families are calm around people — that is what habituation means. Silverbacks occasionally mock-charge; the instruction is to crouch, look down and stay still, and your guide will brief you on it. Injuries are vanishingly rare.
Roads
This is the genuine risk, and it is the one nobody asks about. Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of injury to visitors across the region. We use maintained 4x4s and employed driver-guides, we do not drive long distances after dark, and we build itineraries so that no day requires it. Wear seatbelts, and avoid boda-boda motorcycle taxis — the single most common way travellers get hurt here.
Crime
Kigali is exceptionally safe by capital-city standards. Kampala and Entebbe require normal urban sense: don't display phones or cash, use hotel safes, take arranged transport at night. Rural areas and the parks see very little crime against visitors.
The DR Congo border
Eastern DRC is a different situation
Bwindi, Mgahinga and Volcanoes National Park have run tourism safely for many years. Eastern DRC has seen repeated instability that has closed Virunga National Park to visitors more than once. We do not sell Congo trekking speculatively; we give you the current position from our own contacts and will tell you when the answer is not this season.
LGBTQ+ travellers
Uganda's laws relating to same-sex relationships are among the most restrictive in the world and carry severe penalties. Rwanda does not criminalise same-sex relations, though social attitudes are conservative. We are not going to pretend this is not a factor. Same-sex couples do visit both countries, and we book them; we would strongly encourage you to read your own government's current travel advice and make your own assessment, and we are happy to talk frankly about it before you book.
Practical habits
- Carry a passport copy; leave the original in the hotel safe except on trekking days, when it is checked at the briefing.
- Do not photograph military installations, police or border posts in either country.
- Camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians in Uganda and Rwanda.
- Register with your embassy if it offers the service.
- Keep insurance and emergency numbers on your phone and on paper.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is gorilla trekking dangerous?
No. Habituated families are calm around people and every trek carries an armed ranger escort. The riskiest part of a gorilla safari is the drive to the trailhead.
Is Uganda safe for tourists?
The tourism circuit — Entebbe, the western parks, Bwindi — has operated safely for many years. Normal precautions apply in cities. Check your government's current advice for regional specifics.
Is Rwanda safe?
Rwanda has a strong reputation for safety and low crime, including in Kigali at night. It is one of the more relaxed countries in the region to travel in.
Next
Keep planning
- Health and vaccinations — medical cover and evacuation
- Congo gorilla trekking — the honest position on access
- Getting there and around — how we handle road travel
- Booking terms — insurance requirements