Why are Rwanda gorilla permits expensive?

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda-sharing the experience.

The Rwandan tour operator organization EREKA-Group, which is leading the charge to promote Rwanda as a tourist destination, issued an invitation to us. This eight-day acclimatization trip included stops to Volcanoes National Park to gorilla tracking, Lake Kivu in Gisenyi for boat rides, and Nyungwe Forest National Park for a canopy walk.

Rwanda Air kindly provided transportation from Entebbe to Rwanda and return, as well as domestic flights to Nyungwe Forest National Park, as part of our tour. Lebambou Gorilla Lodge, Serena Hotel Rwanda, and Mountain Gorilla View Lodge were among the other sponsors.

Trekking with gorillas in Rwanda

I was most interested in hiking with the world-renowned mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, however we did visit many other sites in Rwanda, including as the genocide memorial center, Kings castle, Butale National Museum, and many more.

Getting ready to embark on the gorilla safari.

Our overnight stay at the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge was well situated to provide breathtaking views of the famous Virunga Volcanoes. For the first time ever, I was about to embark on this endeavor. We had breakfast and packed lunch in the restaurant first thing in the morning.

We borrowed vegetable groves from the Lodge, and the men were all prepared with long-sleeved shirts, trekking boats, raincoats, and pants. After we gathered our meals, we headed to Volcanoes National Park for a safety lecture on how to interact with gorillas. We arrived at the Park headquarters after a twenty-minute journey.

Guests were entertained by a local ethnic dance ensemble, and anybody who wanted to participate in could. The local dance troupe entertained us with music and dances as we sipped tea.

Split into smaller teams

We were soon divided into groups of eight, the maximum daily human contact with a gorilla family, since that was when they began to gather us. After introducing us to the gorillas, our designated tour guide began going over the rules of conduct for the day. We really enjoyed the exercise because of this man, and he never stopped pushing us to perform better.

Our guide informed us that we would be going on a hike with the UMUBANO gorilla family. We were thrilled to embark on this excursion, because the local language means “UMUBANA” (friendship). After a brief drive, we began our hike, winding past local gardens and homes until we arrived to the borders, where we were met by a group of porters.

Porters were chosen by some of my pals, but those of us who felt physically capable opted not to take them. We set out to climb the volcanoes as our guide gave us an educational speech. We initially saw a single silver back gorilla at an altitude of about 3,000 meters. Upon seeing him, our guide struck up a conversation with him, and after a while, he began directing us to the location of the other members of the group.

The story goes something like this: when a family has many silverbacks, they all have certain jobs to do. So long as one silverback stays with the family, the other may keep an eye out for trouble. Once we located the other members, this silver back continued to guide us.

Meeting the gorillas for an hour

It was like nothing I had ever seen before. There were probably five of them, and we saw them running and playing while the big silverback sat and watched them. He continued to sit there, unfazed by our presence, even while he attended to his family.

Your gorillas approached us and even reached out to touch us as we began to snap pictures! What an amazing adventure! We were only required to maintain a seven-meter distance from the gorillas in principle since their movements are completely unpredictable.

Depending on their attitude, it might be very different one minute and completely different the next. After an hour, we were informed to depart from the gorillas since they need some time to themselves. After leaving Volcanoes National Park, we began to fall.

In order to get our certificates for our gorilla trekking experiences and our contributions to the protection of these imperilled big apes, we were required to return to the park headquarters.

After checking into the Kigali Serena for the night, we had to make our way back to the airport to catch a flight to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda.

2025 Low season discounted permits announced.

Low season gorilla permits for 2025 are available from the Uganda Wildlife Authority for a reduced price of USD800.00 for international residents and 300,000 Uganda shillings for all East African locals. In an effort to boost Uganda’s image as a tourist destination,

Passengers from East Africa, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwandese, and Burindi, are exempt from the usual gorilla permit fees of 800 USD for non-resident foreigners, 700 USD for work visa holders, and 300,000 Uganda Shillings for East African nationals. If used properly, visitors visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park may save up to $300.00, which they can use toward lodging or transportation.

2025 Low season discounted permits announced.

Over 400 mountain gorillas call Bwindi Impenetrable National Park home, making Uganda a popular destination for gorilla tourists. Depending on the area of the forest, there are as many as eleven habituated gorilla families in Bwindi: Buhoma to the north, Ruhija to the east, Nkuringo and Ruhaga to the south.

Clients may rely on Katland Safaris to arrange trips and gorilla permits. Kindly inform us of the specific day, month, and year you are interested in going gorilla trekking in Uganda. We will then verify with the Uganda Wildlife Authority whether gorilla permits are available on that day, and we will inform you accordingly.

If you’re interested in that day, we’ll send you an invoice to pay with a bank transfer or a credit card (we currently accept Mastercard and Visa). Once the money is in our account, we’ll reserve your gorilla permits and scan and email you a copy of the proof of payment and the card for your records.

Before you go to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you will stop by our office to pick up your gorilla permits if you are doing it alone. This is so you won’t have to worry about paying for replacement gorilla permits and receipts when you encounter authorities from the Uganda Wildlife Authority throughout your expedition.

When you book an all-inclusive guided trip with Katland Safaris, we’ll see to it that everything is taken care of. the tour guide will even carry all of the necessary permissions and vouchers.

Please get in touch with Katland Safaris at your earliest convenience for details on the 2015 reduced gorilla permits, including availability, pricing, and booking procedures.

Katland Safaris Official Safari News Blog.

Thank you for visiting the official blog of Katland Safaris. Over the course of this blog, we will keep you apprised of all the most recent facts on tourism in Uganda, as well as new developments and information regarding gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda. In the event that there is any increase or modification in the prices of gorilla permits, accommodations, and any other factors that might have an impact on gorilla tourism

April gorilla trekking

Bwindi safari activities 2024-2025.

Great gorilla trekking in Uganda is in store for 2024 and 2025, and this piece will focus on safari activities in Bwindi, the home of almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas. When planning a trip to Uganda, one of the top destinations to see habituated mountain gorilla families is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Virunga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda’s Mgahinga National Park, and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park are all great places to see mountain gorillas. Even though mountain gorillas are the main attraction in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, there are plenty of other things to do there that will keep you occupied for days. Listed here are just a few of the many Bwindi safari activities available to you.

As an option for your Bwindi safari, you may go gorilla trekking.

Gorilla trekking is a popular activity in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. When the first gorilla family became accustomed and allowed visitors in 1993, the program began. Because they were the first gorilla family to be habituated, the Mubare gorilla family in Buhoma, northern Bwindi, is a must-visit for anybody interested in the history of gorilla trekking in the formidable and impenetrable Bwindi.

A gorilla permit, which is required for gorilla trekking as part of a Bwindi safari, costs USD800.00 for nonresident foreigners and USD700.00 for working permit holders. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, visitors from East Africa may spend shs300,000 to spend an hour in the company of mountain gorillas. In order to help you pick the perfect choice for your gorilla safari trip in Uganda, Katland Safaris is obligated to detail all Bwindi safari activities.

Habituation encounter with gorillas as part of Bwindi Safari

Gorilla habituation in the southern section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park permits you to see and photograph a family of habituated mountain gorillas for up to four hours, in contrast to the one hour allowed during gorilla trekking.

An individual must pay USD1500.00 for non-resident foreigners and USD1000.00 for working-permit foreigners in order to see a gorilla family during habituation; the maximum number of persons permitted per visit is four. If you are planning a gorilla safari vacation in 2024 or 2025, and would want more information about the habituation experience and the activities offered by Bwindi, you can get in touch with Katland Safaris.

Bwindi safari activities include hikes through forests and to waterfalls

As one may expect from a tropical rainforest, the scenery along any given path in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is quite breathtaking. The Uganda Wildlife Authority has laid up a network of routes across the forest that visitors may use to explore the area’s top attractions.

Forest treks at Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga, among other areas of Bwindi, provide excellent opportunities to see a wide variety of birds, trees, bushes, and monkeys. The experience is quite breathtaking, since the majority of the pathways are adorned with picturesque waterfalls. As an additional Bwindi safari activity, you might go on a village stroll in one of the nearby communities.

You may have a better understanding of the locals and how they are indirectly benefitting from gorilla tourism by visiting the communities around the forest. We are certain that you will want to extend your stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park after reading our description of the activities available on a safari there.

New gorilla families in Bwindi, Christmas and Katwe groups

Katwe gorilla family, Katwe gorilla group, Buhoma

2025 best chimpanzee trekking spots in Uganda.

If you are planning a trip to Uganda in 2025, you should definitely go chimpanzee trekking. It’s second to gorilla tracking as an unforgettable primate trekking experience. Where can one go to go chimpanzee trekking in Uganda in 2025? We’ll do our best to find out in this post.

Kibale Forest national park

For 2025, our top pick for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda would have to be Kibale National Park. Several habituated populations of chimpanzees call this national park in southwestern Uganda home. Your chimpanzee trip in Kibale National Park may also reveal eleven other primate species. One of the top chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda for 2025–26, Kibale National Park also offers a variety of woodland species for birdwatchers.

If you are interested in hiking habituated chimpanzees, Kibale National Park offers three different sessions. The sessions begin in the morning, continue in the middle of the morning, and end in the evening. Due to rising demand, the Uganda Wildlife Authority added a third session to Kibale National Park, which had previously just two.

You may spend an hour in the company of chimpanzees in Kibale for $300.00 per person. For those with a little more disposable income, there is the option of a chimpanzee habituation experience, which lasts for a whole day and costs only USD220.00 per person. Katland Safaris is the place to go if you want all the info.

Budongo forest reserve

Budongo Forest is the second-best place in Uganda to go chimpanzee trekking in 2025. Visitors to the Kaniyo Pabidi portion of Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park may go on a trekking adventure with chimpanzees. One may hike in the morning or afternoon with chimpanzee licenses for Budongo forest, which cost USD150.00 per person. Combining a visit to Murchison Falls with a wildlife drive or river boat will give visitors more time to see the chimpanzees in Budongo Forest.

An ecotourism location at Karinzu and the kyambura gorge

In western Uganda, you may find the Chambura gorge and the Karinzu ecotourism park, two of the best spots to go trekking with chimpanzees. A day permit to enter Chambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park costs USD100.00, whereas an hourly pass to Karizu costs USD100.

We have compiled a list of the top places in Uganda to go chimpanzee trekking in 2025. To learn more about chimpanzee trekking in Uganda as well as other wildlife and community activities, get in touch with Katland safaris.

Christmas gorilla family, Nkuringo gorilla groups.

The Christmas gorilla family is the newest gorilla group to have been fully habituated and made themselves available for gorilla trekking, according to the latest news from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In the Nkuringo area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park you may find the Christmas gorilla family.

Nkuringo and Rushaga form the vast southern region of the UNESCO-recognized Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The introduction of the Christmas gorilla family has increased the total number of habituated mountain gorilla families in Nkuringo to four, according to credible sources in Uganda, Wildlife Authority. In the past, there was only one gorilla group in the Nkuringo area; however, three groups have since emerged. (Nkuringo, Bushaho, and Holi).

Subject: Family of Christmas gorillas

The Christmas gorilla family, as mentioned before, lives in the Nkuringo area, which is in the southern portion of Bwindi. Nkuringo is now home to three habituated gorilla groups, including this third mountain gorilla family, making it an ideal location for gorilla trekking.

Ground reports and the Uganda Wildlife Authority both indicate that there may be as many as nine individuals in a single family of Christmas gorillas, with six of those members being the most often seen on treks.

A silverback named Christmas serves as leader of this gorilla group, which also includes one blackback, three females, and a newborn. Katland Safaris is a dependable tour operator in Uganda and Rwanda; they can help you get gorilla permits for the Nkuringo area if you’re interested in hiking with the Christmas gorilla family.

The holiday gorilla family’s effect on Nkuringo permits

With the addition of the Christmas gorilla group as a new gorilla family to Nkuringo, the number of gorilla permits that may be reserved and booked each day has increased. Nkuringo is one of the top areas to walk habituated mountain gorillas from 8 to 16 and currently 24.

Safaris Across Africa offers guided gorilla treks to Nkuringo, where visitors may see the Christmas gorillas, the Bushaho gorillas, and the Nkuringo gorillas in their natural habitat. Note that in order to trek with the Christmas gorilla family, one must first get gorilla permits for the Nkuringo area, and then, on the day of the journey, one must specifically request to travel with the Christmas gorilla group. This is due to the fact that trekkers are allowed to choose their own gorilla family based on their interests, physical health, and the time available on the day of the trip.

Bwindi permits and the Christmas gorilla family

There are now more gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, including the Christmas gorilla group (Nkuringo) and the Katwe gorilla family (Buhoma). Additionally, there are more gorilla permits available for booking and trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi.

There are now seventeen gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, up from fifteen before, and 136 gorilla permits are available every day because to the addition of these two groups. Every gorilla family can only be visited for one hour, and no more than eight persons may do so in a single day.

Getting to the Nkuringo area for a Christmas gorilla hike

This new gorilla family calls the Nkuringo area home. One may reach the Christmas gorilla group from Entebbe or Kampala by driving via Mbarara, Kabale, and Nkuringo. Alternatively, one may fly into Kigali Airport and then move to Nkuringo by car, which takes around 5-6 hours.

To reach Nkuringo, one may use either the Chanika or Katuna border. Scheduled flights departing from Entebbe International Airport and landing at Kisoro Airstrip are available every day for anyone interested in traveling to the southern region of Bwindi. Due to the local climate and elevation. The Kisoro Airstrip is our usual destination for our early journey.

Places to Stay in the Nkuringo State

The most dependable and trustworthy lodges in Nkuringo are Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Nkuringo Bwindi Lodge, both of which are within a 5-minute drive from the beginning site of treks with the Christmas gorilla family or other gorilla groups. There are a number of lodges in the Rushaga area where tourists may stay.

From Rusdhaga to Nkuringo, the journey takes about 45 minutes. If you book any of these gorilla safari packages with Katland Safaris, they will arrange for your transportation to and from Nkuringo, accommodation, and gorilla permits. Extending from Entebbe, there are three-day gorilla safaris; a five-day journey that includes chimpanzees is also an option.

Combining a gorilla habituation experience with a trip with a Christmas gorilla family is another option to consider while in Nkuringo. You get the opportunity to spend a maximum of four hours in the company of habituated mountain gorillas via the gorilla habituation experience. Exclusive to the southern region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, this encounter involves two gorilla families that have been set aside for it.

Get in touch with Katland Safaris, a dependable tour provider for Rwanda and Uganda, if you would like more details on the Christmas gorilla family or any of the other groups found in the Nkuringo area. When it comes to safari reservations and TripAdvisor reviews, Katland Safaris comes highly recommended. For budget-friendly vacations to Rwanda and Uganda that include gorilla trekking, contact us.