Booking a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda

Booking a gorilla permit in uganda: A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document or card that is issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to any visitor above the age of fifteen allowing him or her to visit the habituated gorilla family for one hour in either Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park. Uganda is known as the pearl of Africa because it harbors half of the world’s mountain gorillas which are found in two destinations which include

Bwindi impenetrable national park

The national park is the most popular gorilla trekking destination in Uganda because it harbors the highest number of the mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern Uganda in Kanungu district and it harbors about 19 habituated gorilla families which are found in four sectors namely Rushaga sector in the south with 8 gorilla families, Buhoma sector in the north with 4 gorilla families, Ruhija sector in the east with 4 gorilla families and Nkuringo sector in the south with 3 gorilla families.

Bwindi impenetrable national park also offers gorilla habituation experience which is an activity where the wild mountain gorillas in the park are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Gorilla habituation experience is only carried out in Rushaga sector southern part of the park and the process takes about 2 to 3 years to be complete. The habituation process only allows four visitors who are allowed to spend four hours with the gorillas under habituation.

Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern Uganda in Kisoro district bordering Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. The national park is another gorilla destination in Uganda that harbors two habituated gorilla families namely Nyakagezi and Hirwa family.

Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda

A single gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park costs $600 for foreign non-residents, $500 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for East African citizens. Uganda however increased the price of a gorilla trekking permit by $100 effective 1^st July 2020 therefore the foreign non-residents will be paying $700 and $600 for foreign residents. The gorilla trekking permit is valid for one day and allows you to spend one hour with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat though trekking itself takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on the location of the gorillas.

Visitors who are interested in gorilla habituation experience will have to first acquire a gorilla habituation permit which costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents and UGX 750,000 for East African citizens.

How to book a gorilla trekking permit

A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda can either be acquired directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority a tourism body in Uganda by contacting the head offices in Kampala via email or telephone calls. A gorilla trekking permit can also be booked by contacting a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris.

• When booking via a tour operator you will contact us with the date, month, year and destination when you want to trek the endangered mountain gorillas
• We will then check for gorilla trekking permit availability depending on the dates and when there are some permits available you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit.
• Once the deposit has been made you will be asked to send a scanned copy of your passport which will be used to register for your permit.
• When the money has been received we will acquire a gorilla trekking permit for you and send a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.

Booking through a tour operator is the best option in that we will not only acquire a gorilla trekking permit for you but we will also plan for the whole gorilla trekking safari which involves transportation, meals, accommodation, other activities to engage in apart from gorilla trekking among others.

What is included in a gorilla trekking permit?

A gorilla trekking permit includes one hour in the presence of the mountain gorillas though gorilla trekking itself takes about 30 minutes to one hour. During the one hour with the endangered mountain gorillas you will get an opportunity of taking photos, recording the moments and learning about their lifestyle, behaviors, habits among others.

A gorilla trekking permit also includes the park entrance fees of Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park therefore once you pay for a gorilla trekking permit in all the gorilla destinations you don’t have to worry about the entrance fees because it will be included on the permit.

A gorilla trekking permit includes the services of a park guide or park ranger who will be showing you the gorilla trails to follow in the forest and also sharing information about the mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park. The park guides are trained and informed about the animals in the park, bird species, plants and will help you to spot other primate species.

A gorilla trekking permit includes the services of a gorilla tracker, trackers are trained staff in the gorilla destinations who wake up very early to look for the habituated gorilla families and once found communicate with the park guides or rangers so as to make gorilla trekking easy. The gorilla trackers keep on following the gorilla movements in the forest as they communicate with the park guides therefore on your gorilla trekking safari you should be assured that after paying for a gorilla trekking permit, you have 98% chances of viewing the mountain gorillas.

A gorilla trekking permit also includes safety and security for example Uganda has tourism police which ensures that you’re safe when trekking in the forest and we also have well trained park rangers who ensure that there are no wild animals to disturb you during trekking.

When to book for a gorilla trekking permit

Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park should be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are competitive and usually get sold out especially during the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February therefore in order to avoid disappointments at the last minute you are advised to book in advance.

Last minute visitors can book a gorilla trekking permit during the low season because during this period there are less people travelling due to heavy rainfall in the tropical forests of Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park therefore last minute travellers have a chance of acquiring a gorilla trekking permit.

Contact Achieve Global Safaris to acquire an affordable gorilla trekking permit in order to visit the gentle giants in Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park for breathtaking and incredible experiences.