How to buy Mgahinga gorilla permits in installments – Booking a gorilla Trekking Trip to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

It is extremely easy to get Mgahinga mountain gorilla permits in installments in order to ensure your position for gorilla trekking in this little but lovely mountain gorilla national park situated in the Virunga highlands.

A gorilla permit is a must-have license for anybody hoping to observe mountain gorillas of Mgahinga National Park in their natural environment.

Normally, gorilla permits are arranged in advance and constitute part of a gorilla trekking package.  Mountain gorilla permits are the most critical component of a gorilla trip, but pricey and rare.  One has to obtain them in advance upon making payment.  Uganda, via its body of Uganda Wildlife Authority, gives an option of paying for Mgahinga gorilla licenses in installments as depicted below.

Procedure by procedure on how to acquire Mgahinga gorilla permits in installments.

To obtain and confirm your place to observe mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park, you need a gorilla permit as already specified.  A gorilla permit may be paid in whole or in installments at the Uganda Wildlife Authority in advance.

If you have limited means but want to secure your gorilla permit in advance, you are advised to pay 30% of the total price of a permit, which is $800, and pay the remainder three months trekking date.

How much is 30% of $800 as an installment?

For those interested in purchasing Mgahinga gorilla licenses in installments, you will have to pay $210 each gorilla permit because it is the 30% of $800.  You must ensure to pay the remaining 70% three months before the trekking date.

For example, if you are going to climb with mountain gorillas next year, you will be able to pay 30% and the remainder three months before the actual date of your gorilla journey.  The 30% is proof that you will be trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park on the designated days as shown on your gorilla permit receipt.

Where and how to get Mgahinga gorilla permits in installments.

Whether you wish to pay or purchase your gorilla permits in advance, you must call Uganda Wildlife Authority reservations in Kampala to first check availability and then confirm with them.  Once there is room for your selected date/month and year, you will be permitted to reserve and then acquire your gorilla permit by paying for it.

You may opt to go straight and contact Uganda Wildlife Authority; this being a government organization, you may be disappointed.  It is therefore advisable to engage the services of a licensed tour operator in Uganda to perform all the hard work for you.

When you contact our bookings department at Katland Safaris, we will take care of everything to do with verifying availability, reserving, and acquiring your gorilla permit after making payment at Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Once the procedure of getting your Mgahinga gorilla permit is done, we will next help you to create a gorilla safari package to view mountain gorillas in Mgahinga.  If you are interested in additional activities such as chimpanzee trekking, mountain climbing, animal watching, or cultural tours, don’t worry, our safari designers can help you come up with a safari package that will fit your interests, time, and budget.

How do I pay the 30% and subsequently 70% of the permit price?

As already indicated, all payments must be made to Uganda Wildlife Authority directly or via a licensed tour operator.  If you contact Katland Safaris, we will give you an invoice detailing what you are expected to pay as 30% ($210 of $800) payment, and the 70% remainder to be cleared three months before the trekking date.

Upon getting our invoice, you will be able to pay by bank transfer or credit card, although the latter entails a 5% fee.  We urge you to submit to us evidence of payment by email so that we can move on to utilize our credit to get your gorilla permits.

We generally don’t wait for cash to show on our account and prefer using our credit because it may take 2-3 working days to materialize, although gorilla permits are provided on first come first serve at Uganda Wildlife Authority.  After paying 30% and collecting a receipt, we will email you a scanned copy as proof and even go ahead to remind you to pay the 70% when the time is due.

What happens when I fail to pay 70% last amount on time?

It is conceivable for one to fail to pay the 70% in time, and of course terms and conditions as established by Uganda Wildlife Authority would apply.  By failing to pay 70% in time, you stand to lose your seat.  If you book your permit via Katland Safaris, however, you don’t have to worry about this.

All you need to do is contact us via email, and we will submit an official letter to UWA requesting an extension of time, and if not, we will still pay the 70% using our credit on your behalf until you are prepared to pay us.  In other words, Katland Safaris has been permitted to arrange your trip if need be.

Is it possible to postpone my gorilla permit paid 30% deposit?

Uganda Wildlife Authority allows rescheduling of Mgahinga gorilla permits from one date to another as long as they are paid in full.  If it occurs due to unavoidable circumstances and you wish to modify the date/month/year of your gorilla permit purchased in installments, we will need you to pay the remaining 70% for us to file for a rescheduling from Uganda Wildlife Authority.

After topping up, UWA will permit us to change your Mgahinga gorilla permit to another day of your choosing.  Due to covid 19 Pandemic, Uganda Wildlife Authority realizes that anything may happen, and because of this, flexibility has been permitted to enable visitors not to forfeit their money due to one testing positive, for example.  Make sure you contact Katland Safaris offering explanations as to why you wish to transfer your gorilla permit to another date, and we will respond appropriately.

Further note that we may make numerous reschedules on your behalf following the existing terms and conditions of Uganda Wildlife Authority.  In case you are unable to go for health or other reasons, Katland safaris following the Uganda Wildlife Authority, will handle your refund or resell your gorilla permits to reclaim your funds.  Our safari advisers and bookings staff are always ready to lend a hand should you require it.

Is it also possible to pay for my Mgahinga gorilla excursion in installments?

Paying for your Mgahinga gorilla permit is the first step in booking a gorilla trekking journey to Mgahinga National Park.  Once this is done, the next vital step is to schedule additional services like as lodging in or near Mgahinga, transport to and from Mgahinga, as well as Airport transfers and Covid 19 procedures.

It is possible to pay for your Uganda gorilla trekking safari to view mountain gorillas in installments if you contact Katland Safaris.  To confirm your Gorilla trekking safari with Katland Safaris, we simply require you to pay either the full cost for gorilla permits and 20% of the rest of the expenditures for transport and lodging, or permits alone.

The remaining cost of the trip may then be paid two weeks before the commencement of your gorilla trekking vacation.  Does this sound great?  If so, click on any of the following popular Uganda and Rwanda gorilla trekking excursions, and we will give you a quotation or the same.

About Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park is the smallest of the Gorilla National Park in Africa and is situated in the Virunga mountains shared by three African nations of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Infact the three famous mountain gorilla national parks of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in Congo, and Mgahinga National Park comprise one continuous forest, only split by a colonial political line, leaving Mgahinga in Uganda.

Mgahinga National Park, situated in southern Uganda, features one habituated gorilla hiking family named Nyakagezi.  This also implies that just 8 gorilla permits are available every day for gorilla trekking.

Because of the type of vegetation, Mgahinga National Park is chosen by visitors and photographers owing to clear visibility compared to the forest of impenetrable Bwindi National Park.  On a regular day, Mgahinga gorilla permits sell out rapidly, and to secure space, one has to pay in advance.  Katland Safaris and Fixers will help with acquiring your gorilla permit upon payment of 30% as an initial deposit or full payment for the same.

How to go to Mgahinga National Park for Gorilla Trekking after buying a Mgahinga gorilla permits

There are two means of approaching Mgahinga National Park, and this is via road and Air travel.  The quickest method is to fly into Rwanda/Kigali International Airport and drive to Uganda via Chanika Border.  The travel from Kigali to Mgahinga is roughly 4-5 hours.

This leaves us with one choice: flying into Entebbe International Airport and traveling 9-10 hours in southeastern Uganda by road.  While the trip looks to be a lengthy one, there is a lot to see along.

This excursion gives a chance for a pause at the equator crossing for photography and coffee, meeting the Hima cattle keepers with their famed Ankole Long-horned cow unique to Uganda, and if luck, you will sight some impalas and zebras grazing in communal land.

These wild animals travel from Lake Mburo National Park and graze on the surrounding community grounds, a symbol of human-wildlife co-existence.  The route will take you via the undulating slopes of Kigezi to Kisoro town and to Mgahinga National Park.

The best but somewhat costly means of visiting Mgahinga National Park is by flying from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip.  Daily charter and scheduled flights are available provided by local domestic carriers.

A journey from Entebbe to Kisoro may take 2-3 hours, and only morning flights are available.  Upon arrival at Kisoro Airport, you will proceed by road to Mgahinga National Park foran overnight and acclimatization while you prepare for your gorilla hike the next morning.  For additional information about Flyin Safaris to view gorillas, please click here.

Where to stay in Mgahinga National Park 

Mgahinga National Park has limited alternatives when it comes to Accommodation.  Only one high-end accommodation establishment does exist at the park entry (Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge).  The adjacent Kisoro town offers you several cheap Lodges and campsites where you may arrange two nights’ lodging for your Mgahinga gorilla trekking expedition.

Please let us know your budget, and we will add a lodge to your package that will be compatible with your interests and budget.  Please note that Katland Safaris prides itself on creating gorilla trips to fit clients’ interests and budget.

What more is there to see and do at Mgahinga National Park?

It is feasible to spend up to 7 days at Mgahinga National Park alone, owing to the range of activities inside the tiny but lovely National Park.  On top of undertaking a gorilla trek in the bamboo forest, one is free to add on a golden monkey trek or golden monkey habituation experience. The park also has three possibilities for mountain climbing, including Mgahinga, Muhavura, and Sabinyo mountains.

If interested in walks, there is an intriguing route that brings you to the park run by the Batwa.  Batwa experience is also another popular activity that you may include in gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park.  The Batwa are the indigenous people who used to dwell in Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park before they were gazetted as National Park.

As soon as these woods were proclaimed National Parks, the Batwa people were relocated and resettled in the community.  This has, up to now, not been an easy trip for them.  Changing their lifestyle has been challenging, and they are among the most endangered ethnic groups in Uganda.  By conducting a Batwa cultural walk, you have the privilege of learning about how life was before and after.

Why you should book your Mgahinga Gorilla permit with Katland Safaris

Since its conception, Katland Safaris has been one of the most respected safari businesses offering spectacular vacations to Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

We have been able to achieve this due to the competent and committed crew of office and field guides who guarantee that your booking and genuine experience of your safari go on uninterfered with.