Planning a Gorilla trekking safari on Christmas in Rwanda and Uganda
One of the most amazing African holiday experiences is spending Christmas with the mountain gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda.
Giving the mountain gorillas good news for Christmas is a unique experience. Christmas is a time to celebrate and make memories that will last till the next year. In order to remember each other of this event, you can go gorilla trekking on Christmas with family or friends.
The holiday season is Christmas. Booking gorilla permits for Rwanda, Uganda, or both during this season is great because vacation demand is at its highest.
Obtaining gorilla permits is a need for organizing a Christmas gorilla trekking expedition in Rwanda or Uganda. You must comprehend the meaning of a gorilla permit and the need of obtaining one prior to planning a gorilla safari.
What is the permit for gorillas?
A gorilla permit is a card or document that serves as a one-hour admission ticket for gorilla trekking once you’ve found the mountain gorillas. Even though an hour might not seem like much, it is worth going to view mountain gorillas in the wild as opposed to those housed in captivity. You have to find a family of habituated mountain gorillas in the wild in this seek-and-find game.
How much do gorilla permits cost during the Christmas season?
A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500 for foreign visitors, $500 for foreign citizens, and $300 for inhabitants of East Africa.
Foreign nonresidents must pay $800 per person for a Uganda gorilla permit, while foreign residents must pay $700 and East African residents must pay 300,000 shs.
What does the price of a gorilla permit include and exclude?
The following is covered by the gorilla permit fee:
Park admission costs.
costs for ranger guides.
safety when trekking for gorillas.
assistance from the local community.
support for conservation.
a certificate for finishing the gorilla trek.
The mountain gorillas for an hour.
Tips, snacks for the gorilla hike, a packed lunch, and any other personal belongings are not included in the price of the gorilla ticket.
To arrange a gorilla safari package for Rwanda or Uganda, get in touch with katland Safaris. Wherever feasible, we offer free, pertinent advice and customize your Africa Safari itinerary to meet your needs.
When Is the Best Time To Reserve A Rwandan Or Ugandan Christmas Gorilla Permit?
It’s a great idea to get your gorilla permit ahead of time for Christmas. Booking your gorilla permit is possible at least six months to a year prior to Christmas Day, which falls on December 25 of each year.
By the final quarter of the year, both accommodations and gorilla permits for the holiday season are completely booked.
Keep in mind that gorilla trekking is only available to kids who are at least 15 years old if you are taking a family vacation over the Christmas break. A youngster under this age may find the misty Virunga jungle and its terrain uncomfortable. A child under the age of fifteen may find it difficult to follow the gorilla trekking safari restrictions.
Reserve lodging for use on the Christmas gorilla trek in Rwanda or Uganda.
The lodging you intend to utilize on the gorilla safari is the next step after obtaining the gorilla permit. This is because there are fewer lodging options available when Christmas or the holiday season approaches due to increased demand.
You must be aware of the region in which your gorilla permit is reserved if it is in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Your gorilla permit can be reserved in four different locations of Bwindi Forest: the Buhoma area, the Ruhija area, the Rushaga area, and the Nkuringo area.
Since the roads linking the various regions are somewhat distant and subject to local weather conditions, it is advisable to spend the night closer to the areas where your gorilla permit is reserved. To be permitted to go gorilla trekking, you must arrive early for the briefing.
Those who engage in gorilla trekking more than once are required to attend the briefing on each gorilla trekking day. You must be informed about what to expect on each journey because mountain gorillas are not all the same and have mood swings.
Gorilla trekking safari accommodations are categorized as luxury, mid-range, and budget.
Gorilla Safari Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi View Bandas, Silverback Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Safari Lodge, Clouds Lodge, Gorilla Resort, Trekker’s Tavern, Chameleons Lodge, and other accommodations in the impenetrable national park of Bwindi
Accommodations in Mgahinga National Park include Mutanda Lake Resort, Majambere Iwachu, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle, Gahinga Lodge, and Community Camp.
Accommodations in Volcanoes National Park include the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Hotel Mill Collines, Hotel La Palme, Hotel Muhavura, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, and Kinigi Guest House.
Where to go on a Christmas gorilla trip
In Uganda
Uganda’s most notable mountain gorilla habitat is Bwindi’s inaccessible national park, which spans roughly 327 square kilometers. At the moment, 18 gorilla families are completely acclimated and available for booking by the general public. In the southern region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, two gorilla families are available for gorilla habituation experiences.
Only 152 gorilla permits are made available for public booking each day, and demand is highest during the festive season, so you must reserve your Uganda gorilla permits in advance.
Other nine primate species, such as chimpanzees, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus, L’Hoest’s, potato, and others, can also be found in the Bwindi forest.
More than 350 bird species, including endemics of the Albertine Rift, can be found in the Bwindi forest.
Park Mgahinga National
There is currently only one gorilla family, the Nyakagezi, in Mgahinga National Park, which is renowned for its breathtakingly wild landscape. It was difficult to reserve gorilla permits in advance since the Nyakagezi gorilla family used to stray into Rwanda.
Mgahinga gorilla permits can be reserved in advance, subject to availability, as this gorilla family has been residing in Uganda for a considerable amount of time.
The park is home to a variety of other primates, such as olive baboons, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, golden monkeys, black and white colobus, and blue monkeys.
With ornithologists confirming approximately 115 bird species, including Albertine endemics, as park inhabitants, the Mgahinga forest’s bird list continues to grow.
In the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda
The only place in Rwanda where mountain gorillas may be seen is Volcanoes National Park, which is located in the country’s northwest. In Rwanda, there are just 15 gorilla families that are officially accessible for gorilla trekking.
Other primates found in this park include olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, golden and blue monkeys, and more.
Volcanoes National Park is home to over 300 species of birds, including endemics of the Albertine Rift.
How Can I Reserve a Gorilla Permit in Rwanda or Uganda for Christmas?
Gorilla permits must be reserved at least six months to a year in advance for the holiday season. This is due to the fact that they sell out quickly—even before the year’s last quarter—due to strong global demand.
You must choose whether you want to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda when you reserve a gorilla permit for Christmas.
Determine how many other individuals you want to go gorilla trekking with and how many times you can go gorilla trekking on different days.
Our safari adviser looks for availability from the Rwanda Development Board permit list or the Uganda Wildlife Authority when you inquire about gorilla trekking during the Christmas season. One of the authorized businesses with access to this list is katland Safaris.
We urge customers to buy their gorilla permits as soon as availability is confirmed because they sell out quickly. Although gorilla trekking permits are purchased on a first-come, first-served basis, no gorilla permits are reserved without payment.
Reserve transportation to gorilla trekking locations.
By road
Road transportation is available to Uganda’s gorilla trekking locations via routes such as:
To the Impenetrable National Park of Bwindi
Travel from Kampala to Ntungamo, Rukungiri, Kihihi, and Buhoma
Nkuringo to Kabale to Kampala
Kabale, Kampala, Kanungu, and Buhoma
National Park Queen Elizabeth to Kihihi to Buhoma
To the National Park of Mgahinga
Kabale, Kisoro, Ntebeko, Kampala
To the National Park of Volcanoes
Musaze to Volcanoes National Park from Kigali
By Air
Uganda offers daily domestic flights to Kihihi or Kisoro from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airstrip.
Charter flights to Kihihi or Kisoro are offered from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip.
Charter flights to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park are offered from Kigali airport.
To what extent is the Gorilla Trekking Adventure challenging?
Know that the terrain of this region is rough, with elevations resembling plateaus or ridges covered in tangled foliage, whether you choose to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda. You must trek because mountain gorillas occasionally eat from the slopes. When it rains, the path may become slick and wet due to the water logging, resulting in marshy conditions. The thick canopy of the forest reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the ground.
Safari boots that can endure such conditions are necessary because the route might occasionally become damp due to flooding caused by the thick network of rivers.
Trekking to the locations where the mountain gorillas might be spending the day or relaxing requires a certain level of fitness.
How Much Does a Gorilla Safari Cost in Rwanda or Uganda Around Christmas?
Luxury, mid-range, and budget packages are used to package gorilla safaris in Rwanda and Uganda. The price of gorilla permits is the same for both Rwanda and Uganda, regardless of whether you want to embark on a gorilla tour.
A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500 per person per trek, whereas in Uganda it costs $800 per person every trek.
The following elements are taken into account while determining the price of the gorilla safari packages:
When scheduling a gorilla safari over the holiday season, service companies charge exorbitant fees because of the high demand.
The volume of Christmastime gorilla trekking travelers
The cost of the gorilla safari decreases with the number of participants. You bear the full cost of the safari if you are traveling alone.
Other pursuits in addition to gorilla trekking
The cost of a safari package rises when additional activities like game drives, chimpanzee trekking, birding, fishing, and others are included.
Which country in Rwanda and Uganda offers the finest gorilla trekking over Christmas?
The experience of encountering mountain gorillas is remarkable, whether you are gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda. Some visitors claim that you are able to forget about whatever hardships you may have had in getting ready for this Christmas vacation.
The distinction between Rwanda and Uganda as the top destinations for gorilla trekking over the Christmas season can be highlighted with
The price of a gorilla permit
A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500, whereas one in Uganda costs $800 per person.
The number of families that go gorilla trekking
There are two gorilla habituation experience families and 19 gorilla trekking families in Uganda.
Activities that can be added to gorilla trekking
There are further optional activities available in Uganda, such as wildlife drives, chimpanzee hiking, white water rafting, and visiting the Nile River’s source. Game drives, chimpanzee trekking, and visits to genocide memorials are among the few extra activities available in Rwanda to combine with gorilla trekking.
The duration of the travel from the airport to the locations for gorilla trekking
While it takes roughly eight to nine hours to drive from Entebbe airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park, it takes three hours to go from Kigali airport to Volcanoes National Park.
Things to Bring to the Gorilla Trekking Safari Packing List for Christmas
A wide-brimmed safari hat to shield your hair from the raindrops that fall from the trees.
Binoculars for an excellent view of birds and animals with fur.
Apply sunscreen on your skin to prevent sunburns and while traveling to the gorilla trekking locations.
If you need to give your possessions to a porter, pack them in a backpack. It also needs to be waterproof.
Packing several long-sleeved shirts and convertible pants would be ideal. Clothing should be packed in dirt-friendly colors, such as Khaki. Having more clothing to change into after gorilla trekking would be ideal.
A raincoat to protect yourself in the event of unexpected downpours while in the forest.
Steer clear of vivid hues like black, blue, and white since they can draw stinging insects that could cause injury to your body.
Gorilla trekking snacks are necessary because breakfast is eaten too early to last the whole journey.
A camera to capture memories of your Christmas vacation in Africa, whether it’s in Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
In the event that you require an in-person transaction, some hard cash to convert into local currency.
In the event that one battery falls low, there is a backup fully charged battery.
Use insect repellent since stinging insects in the woods can cause skin damage.
A first aid kit should be kept on hand in case you have a recognized ailment or require immediate medical attention.
Toiletries, in case they are not provided by the lodge. Since certain skins are quite sensitive, you must feel at ease with them.
Energy nibbles to munch on during pack activities, like as game drives.
