Book a gorilla permit | When to book a gorilla permit | How to book a gorilla permit | need a gorilla permit to see gorillas
You need to book a Gorilla permit to trek the Mountain Gorillas. Most tour operators in Uganda including safari to See Gorillas provide relevant information on how to book a gorilla permit for Rwanda, Congo and Uganda that enables you plan your Gorilla tracking safari to see gorillas very well. You always have to book a gorilla permit or obtain a permit 3-4 months or even 2 years in advance while booking a Gorilla tour, you are advised pay your Gorilla permit fee in advance to enable us acquire it for you.
Gorilla trekking to see gorillas is guaranteed when you acquire a Gorilla pass. Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla permits are very competitive and scarce most especially during peak seasons of June, July, August, September, December and February. Sometimes Gorilla tracking permits get sold out four months in advance so any traveller needs to book a Gorilla permits 3-4 month in advance or even 2 years ahead.
What’s a Gorilla trekking permit?
This is a document or an electronic card issued by, Uganda Wildlife Authority of Uganda, Rwanda Development Board of Rwanda that gives access to any tourist above 15 years of age to trek Mountain Gorillas in any of the three habitats. This permit gives you access to view Gorillas for only one hour but the Gorilla trekking itself can take a minimum of 30 minutes or up to nine hours while looking for Gorillas in the forest.
Price for Gorilla trekking permit
A Uganda Gorilla trekking permit costs USD700.00 per person per trek to see gorillas, that is to say with this kind of permit a tourist is given one hour to spend with the Gorilla. A Gorilla habituation permit on the other hand costs USD1500.00 per person per trek, with this type of permit a tourist is given four hours to spend with the Gorillas.
When you book a Gorilla permit it can only be used once (single day), by a single person and to trek Uganda Mountain Gorillas in only two destinations in Uganda. When you book a gorilla permit make sure you go to the section the gorilla permits is booked for either in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
You can only book a gorilla permit at Uganda wildlife Authority head offices in Kampala and they cost of USD $700.00 per person for foreign nonresidents, USD 600.00 for foreign residents with valid work permits and UGX 250,000 for East African Citizens. Great Adventures Uganda organizes all inclusive tours to see Mountain Gorillas
For Rwanda you book a gorilla permit for Gorilla trekking to see gorillas in Rwanda with the Rwanda Development Board in Kigali or Ruhengeri town (near the PNV) and the Rwanda gorilla permit costs USD 1500.00.
ONCE YOU BOOK A GORILLA PERMIT HOW THEN DOES IT WORK?
When planning to do Gorilla trekking in Uganda, you have to consider the type of a Gorilla permit you hold or planning to have. The permit determines the Region in which you will be trekking Gorillas and the accommodation lodge (place to stay). Unlike other Mountain Gorilla National Parks, Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park has several sectors so this means that each sector has its own Gorilla families and accommodation properties. So therefore you need to book a gorilla permit with this in mind. If you book a gorilla permit for Northern part of the park you need to book your accommodation as well in the north.
Bwindi Gorilla trekking sectors include:
- Nkuringo in the South.
- Rushaga in the South
- Ruhija in the East
- Buhoma in the North
For Gorilla permit booking, confirming any accommodation property it has to be determined by the Gorilla permit you will be holding.
Each sector has its own Gorilla groups or gorilla families and for those interested in trekking given sectors should let Great Adventures Uganda know so that we act accordingly while you book a Gorilla permit.
It’s more important that the Gorilla family allocation happens on the day of trekking where tourists are grouped depending on their physical abilities and interests. You will need to express your interest so that they allocate you a Gorilla group that will help you achieve it. .
How can you obtain a gorilla trekking permit?
Kindly contact us for any information you need in preparation to plan your Gorilla tour, for example desired trekking dates, month and year, you have to also select a country of our expertise either Uganda or Rwanda. After you have checked with us we will have to contact the Uganda Wildlife Authority to check the availability of the Gorilla permits on the days you submitted to us and after we shall get back to you for confirmation. We accompany it with the invoice so that payment is made to our account so that we buy your Gorilla permit in advance and send scanned copies to you.
You will have to send scanned details of your passport details as a requirement for Uganda Wildlife Authority to print out and issue your Gorilla trekking permit.
Now that we have provided most of the information on to book a Gorilla permit, please check out these special all inclusive packages with gorilla trekking options:
Bwindi Queen Elizabeth and Kibale Safari 6 days
Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth Safari – 4 days
See Gorillas in Bwindi Forest – 3 days
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This park consist of almost half of the number of Mountain Gorillas that is believed to be remaining in the whole world.It’s also believed that the remaining Chimps in the entire world Co-exist in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. For any interested person willing to visit Ugandan gorillas, you must pay for a permit that goes for USD 700.00 per trek per person
Mgahinga National Park; this park is found in Virunga ranges shared between Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. This park is also another place that is known for being a home of Ugandan gorillas.
Gorilla trekking experience: for a person to have a wonderful, memorable, unforgettable adventure you will have to endure with all the efforts needed to reach Bwindi and trek through this wonderful natural forest. There are thirteen habituated gorilla groups for tourists to trek. And all these groups are found in different sectors such as Buhoma, Nkuringo, and others are habituated in Ruhija and Rushaga regions of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Gorilla Habituation experience here visitors get more time (4hours) to spend with the gorillas.
Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but each habituated gorilla family is visited by a maximum number of four people. The habituation gorilla trekking permit goes for a cost of USD 1500.00. Safari to See Gorillas is your number one handler of all gorilla habituation experience. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
This reserve was gazetted in 1942, and was later upgraded to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in 1992. Later in 1994 it was recognized as a World Heritage site. In Rukiga local language IMPENETRABLE means Bwindi. 327km of Bwindi is tangled vegetation draped over a deeply fissured landscape of steep, slippery valleys and high draughty ridges.
Bwindi impenetrable forest is African’s most ancient rain forest and for this, it’s a favorable home of the endangered Mountain Gorillas hence ranking it as the world’s premier Wild Life harbors.
Bwindi in most times it’s always cold mostly during morning hours and also during the night, the annual average temperatures of of Bwindi ranges 70C-200C. June and July are the coldest seasons of this area. This always calls foe warm clothes and cold weather gears since Bwindi has up to 2390mm of rain every year. This is experienced between too wet seasons that are to say Short Rains in March-May and Heavy Rains in September- November. Instead of of short tropical deluges, rain in the areas of Bwindi often falls as long hours of soft drizzle.
A person planning to do gorilla trekking in Uganda, you will need to follow the guidelines issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (Rules and regulations of gorillas) as seen below;
Departing for Gorilla trekking/On the day of gorilla trekking
In Uganda a maximum of 8 tourists may visit a a group of habituated mountain gorillas in a day. This is done to ensure minimal behavior disturbance to the gorillas and the risk of their exposure to human borne diseases.
Make sure you wash your hands before your trekking exercise.
Trails to Gorillas
- Please always keep your voices low. This will enable you observe the great bird life and other wildlife in the forest.
- DO NOT leave rubbish in the park. Whatever you bring into the forest should be taken back with you.
- You will be taken to where the guide last seen the gorillas a day before. From there you will fallow the trails to find them. Look out for the gorillas nesting sites along the way.
- When approaching he gorillas the guide will tell you to get ready.
Once you meet / see Gorillas
- A 21 feet ie 7metres distance should be revised to observe at all times from the gorillas. The further back you are, the more relaxed the group will be.
- You might need to stay in a tight group when you are near the gorillas
- Keep down your voices at all time. However, it’s ok to ask the guide questions.
- Do not smoke, drink, or eat when you are near the gorillas. Eating or drinking inevitably will increase the risk of food /drink morsels/droplets falling, which could increase the risk of disease transmission.
- A time the gorillas charge. Follow the guides example (crouch down slowly, do not look at the gorillas directly in the eyes and wait for the animals to pass). Do not attempt to run away because that will increase the risk.
- Flash photography is not permitted, when taking pictures move slowly and carefully.
- Do not touch the gorillas, they are wild animals.
- You must spend one hour with the gorillas. However if the gorillas become agitated or nervous, the guide will finish the visit early.
- After the visit keep your voice down until you are 200 meters away from the gorillas.
Health rules while with the gorillas;
- The fact is that mountain gorillas are so sensitive to human diseases. The following guidelines should be followed to minimize the risk your visit might cause to them.
- Honor the limits put up on the number of visitors allowed with the gorillas each day. This minimizes the risk of disease transmission and stress to the group.
If you are feeling somehow ill/ sick, or having any contagious disease, volunteer to stay behind. An alternative visit will be arranged for you or even your money will be refunded. - If you can’t hold sneezing or coughing, when you’re near the gorillas, please Endeavour to turn your head away from the gorillas and even cover your nose and mouth to reduce the spread of bacteria or viruses.
- Always stay 21 feet/ 7metres away from the gorillas. This helps in prevention of human borne diseases.
- Endeavour not to leave rubbish behind or even food wrappers in the park. These can be harbor diseases or other contaminants.
- In case you need to go to the toilet while in between your trekking, ask the guide to dig you a hole with his panga. But make sure the hole is 30cm deep and fill it with soil when done.
What to go with on a Gorilla trek.
- Comfortable hiking shoes should be put on. These are suitable for steep muddy slopes.
- Put on ear plugs for those who feel uncomfortable with jungle sounds
- Packed lunch and enough drinking water should be carried.
- Rain gadgets, sunscreen lotions, a hat for unpredictable weather and also insect repellent.
- Cameras and fully charged batteries should not be forgotten. Flash lights are not permitted.
- Hire the services of a porter / helper
- A walking stick
