Uganda's Park Fees and Activity Costs, Itemised

Short answerPark entrance is $40 a day at most major Ugandan parks and $45 at Murchison, charged per 24 hours rather than per visit. Activities are priced separately on top — a launch cruise is $30, a nature walk $25. A gorilla permit already includes that day's entrance.

These numbers sit inside every quote you receive and are almost never itemised. Knowing them lets you check whether a quote is reasonable, and lets you budget the things operators leave out because they are optional.

Everything here is taken from the Uganda Wildlife Authority's Conservation Tariff for July 2026 to June 2028, at the foreign non-resident rate.

Park entrance fees by category

How entrance fees actually work

• A ticket lasts 24 hours from entry, not for the length of your visit. Extra time is charged as another day.
• Entrance is independent of activities. A game drive, boat cruise or nature walk is charged on top.
• Gorilla permits include that day's entrance, plus the guide fee and a community contribution.
• Gorilla permit holders get a free day at Mount Elgon and Toro-Semliki, usable within a month either side of tracking — activity fees there are still payable.
• Annual passes exist but only for foreign residents and East African citizens, and never cover package activities.
• Bring ID. Resident and citizen rates require proof.

Activity fees, park by park

Two of these have their own guides: lion, mongoose and hippo-census tracking in Queen Elizabeth and golden cat tracking in Kibale.

Guided walks and hikes

That last point deserves attention. Our guide to Bwindi's sectors explains that moving between them by road takes hours because there is no route through the forest. The Buhoma–Nkuringo long walk is the exception: you cross on foot, with a guide, for $100.

Vehicle, boat and aircraft fees

Charged per 24 hours, and normally invisible inside a quoted price:

• Tour company vehicles and 4x4s — the band most safari vehicles fall into, and notably higher than a saloon car.
• Saloon cars and minibuses — lower bands, relevant if you are self-driving.
• Murchison charges more than other parks across every vehicle class.
• Aircraft landing fees apply per landing and scale with seat count — relevant to fly-in itineraries.
• Boats are charged separately from passengers.

Our comparison of self-drive versus a driver-guide covers how these land on a self-drive budget.

Fines — including the one that matters

What this means for your budget

1. Count entrance per 24 hours, not per park.
2. Add activities separately. Cruises, walks and drives are all on top of entrance.
3. Travel in April, May and November for discounted gorilla and chimpanzee permits.
4. Ask whether a quote includes park fees. See what's included in a safari package.
5. Cheap activities are genuinely cheap. Mongoose tracking, the equator experience and nature walks cost very little against the headline permits.

For the whole-trip picture, see what a Uganda safari actually costs and how Uganda compares with its neighbours.

Ask us for a fully itemised quote — park fees, activities and permits listed separately, so you can see exactly where the money goes.

Park fees and activity costs: common questions

How much is park entrance in Uganda? $40 per adult per day for foreign non-residents at most major parks — Kidepo, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Mgahinga, Kibale and Lake Mburo. Murchison Falls sits in its own higher band at $45. Category B parks like Semuliki, Mount Elgon and the Rwenzoris are $35, and other reserves are $10.

Is park entrance included in a gorilla permit? Yes. The Uganda Wildlife Authority states that gorilla permit rates include the guide fee, that day's park entrance and a community development contribution. A gorilla permit holder also gets a day's free entrance to Mount Elgon and Toro-Semliki, usable within a month either side of tracking.

How long is a park entrance ticket valid? Twenty-four hours from the time of entry. Any time spent in the park beyond that is charged as an extra day, which is why multi-night stays accumulate entrance fees rather than paying once.

Are children charged park entrance in Uganda? Children aged 5 to 15 pay a reduced rate — $20 at most major parks and $25 at Murchison — and children under 5 are exempt entirely. Gorilla trekking has a minimum age of 15 regardless.

What is the fine for gorilla tracking in the wrong location? 50% of the permit fee. Your permit is issued for a specific sector, and turning up at a different one carries that penalty — which on an $800 permit is $400. There is also a 25% fine for late rescheduling of gorilla and chimpanzee permits.

Can you get an annual park pass for Uganda? Yes, but only for foreign residents in Uganda and East African citizens — not for visitors. An individual annual pass is $350 for foreign residents, and it covers park entrance across all protected areas but not package activities like gorilla or chimpanzee tracking.