Where to buy or book your gorilla permit in Uganda or Rwanda – Gorilla trekking Safaris in East Africa. 

Gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda. Where to buy or book your gorilla permit in Uganda or Rwanda.  The selling body for any Uganda gorilla trekking permit is the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Rwanda Development Board sells the licenses for gorilla treks on behalf of the Rwandan Government. These two entities are tasked with overseeing all of the national parks in the nations where they exist.

You must have a permit issued by Uganda or Rwanda to be allowed to engage in a gorilla trekking safari in Africa. It is the admission ticket for any event held in the gorilla parks.

Two Gorilla Trekking parks in Uganda are Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Together sharing a Border are Virunga National Park in Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, all of them in southern Western Uganda.

Apart from gorilla trekking in these Parks, every birding safari in Uganda must include a visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park.

Volcanoes National Park, in the northern part of Rwanda, is the Gorilla trekking destination in Rwanda. Other primates in Volcanoes National Park include golden monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus, and others call the park homeform gorilla trekking. Over 90 bird species call Volcanoes National Park home; 13 of these species are endemic placed on the red list of IUCN.

How much do Gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda cost?

Right now, the Uganda gorilla trekking permit costs $800 per person. To get this card—which has some of your personal information—you have to pay in full. You must provide specifics such as your country, date of birth, passport expiration date, complete names as per your passport, and others.

Sales of gorilla permits for Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park follow the areas of Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga.

Anyone wishing to reserve lodging in any of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has to know where their permit is registered. This is thus related to the size of the park, which calls for a considerable road distance to link one part to another. Sometimes the roads are unworkable, or logs shut off access to the opposite side.

Should you sleep elsewhere, all these challenges might prevent you from reaching the briefing point. You could not be allowed to go gorilla trekking in Uganda if you skip the briefing.

Currently, a Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person for each trek. You also have to provide certain personal information for the yearly Rwanda Development Board review and accountability.

What’s Included in the Gorilla Permits in Uganda and Rwanda

One of the methods to get money to support gorilla conservation is through saling Gorilla trekking permits. Some of the funds go towards park maintenance, ranger guide pay, gorilla medicine, and certificates of success after gorilla trekking.

Twenty percent of the overall proceeds from the gorilla trekking sales are returned annually to the community to assist their initiatives. Among the community initiatives are roads,  hospitals, schools, and much more. Its one means of inspiring the people to cherish the mountain gorillas among them.

How to Purchase Gorilla Trekking Permits in Rwanda or Uganda

You have to know the date you want to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda. Tell the Katland Safaris consultant in advance if it is a definite date or just an approximation.

Booking the gorilla permits is much easier when you know the approximate number of persons you want to include in your group or the total number of travellers with you.

Ask about your dates and the frequency of the mountain gorilla trekking you plan to do. While some people prefer to conduct gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda, others wish to do double gorilla trekking. You have to decide where to go gorilla trekking; at Katland  Safaris, we suggest you do so properly.

Then, depending on the state of the day, our safari advisers verify availability per your request. Katland Safaris is one of the fortunate businesses that exceeds the Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board gorilla permit availability lists as a registered member of the Uganda Tourism Board and the Rwanda Development Board.

Should availability exist, the Safari Consultant gets back to you right away. We cannot reserve a permit for anybody without fees, as we have no access to the gorilla permit booking system. Uganda Wildlife Authority has this policy as they apply first come first served basis.

The great demand globally drives quick sales of just 8 gorilla trekking permits, which are issued for public booking for each gorilla family.

Since status changes any time, particularly in the peak season from June to October and from December to January, we ask all of our customers to get their permits right away.

Can one pay for  Gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda in instalments?

Indeed, and not reliant on the terms and circumstances decided upon for this agreement, either by Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board.

A specific amount of your purchase of a gorilla trekking permit at least 90 days before the date of your gorilla trip might be approved. This is just on condition; you top up before the journey day, 90 days away. Your sole proof of your desire to embark on this journey is paying for your gorilla trekking permit.

Between Uganda and Rwanda, which is the best country for gorilla trekking?

Generally speaking, regardless of where you go, a gorilla trekking experience is a lifelong journey in the forest. From Kigali Airport to Volcanoes National Park, the journey distance in Rwanda is around three hours on winding roads with beautiful green forest cover. In Uganda, the distances traversed on the route to reach Mgahinga National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are 540km and 530km, respectively. This might go from eight to nine hours.

While the Uganda gorilla trekking permit costs $800 per person, the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is presently $1500 per person.

Before the day of the gorilla walk in Rwanda, you may sleep in Kigali, the capital of this nation. It is not feasible to sleep in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and then hike the gorillas in Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park the following day.

About six hours separate traveling for a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda via Rwanda from driving across Uganda to go trekking in Rwanda without stopping over. The car trip is somewhat lengthy and hence exhausting.

Uganda has a range of additional activities that you might mix with gorilla trekking, including white water rafting on the  River Nile, Chimpanzee trekking, wildlife drives, boat cruises, and others.

Rwanda, on the other hand, offers few places for safaris. Apart from mountain gorilla attractions, wildlife drives in Akagera National Park and Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park appeal to some of its main visitors.

Because they sometimes wander into Uganda or D.R. Congo, the mountain gorillas of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda are untrustworthy. There is just one gorilla trekking family here, known as Nyakagezi. Every gorilla family in Rwanda is always clearly inside its borders all year long.

Do Mountain gorillas pose a threat?

Mountain gorillas have black hair covering a large body form with sunken brown eyes.  Mountain gorillas cherish peace and have never attacked anybody in the history of gorilla trekking, despite their looks.

Wild mountain gorilla families must become habituated before they are suitable for visitors. This is the activity of bringing a gorilla family used to human presence without changing their surroundings. One of the methods to establish a connection with the mountain gorillas is respecting their environment.

Stay close to the group to avoid seeming suspicious of ambushing the gorilla family you are walking with. Following the directions provided during the briefing helps you avoid provoking the mountain gorillas.

When Should You See The Mountain Gorillas?

Finding the mountain gorillas might take two hours from the beginning point till three quarters of the day.  Though their mobility may not be quick, they must seek their own nourishment. Usually vegetarian, they have to eat enough food to last them through the day and into the night.

Usually, mountain gorillas do not feed very far from where they spent their night, hence increasing the chances of seeing them.

You follow the trail leading to where they were last spotted the previous day because they eat from a designated area for some time until food runs out.

Should they engage in conflict with a wild family, the mountain gorillas might go to another location if they are the losers.

The gorilla family suffers too when a family member passes away; so, if you come during this period, you may find it difficult to discover the mountain gorillas.

A family having a baby is eager, and you can find them in a good mood.

These times help one to discover the mountain gorillas and create the atmosphere one gets while visiting the family. Though they are wild creatures, they also have emotions, just like people do.

The Difficulties of Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Rwanda

Although mountain gorillas reside in a usually hilly terrain, various gorilla groups occupy different locations depending on the circumstances in the forest.

Karisimbi, Gahinga Mountain, Muhabura Mountain, Sabyinyo Mountain, and Bisoke Mountains circle the geography of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. These cause the whole region to be steeper than other gorilla trekking Parks.

The Age Limit For Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda and Uganda

Gorilla trekking is only allowed for those  15 years and above. This is so because being on a quest for the gorillas calls for a great degree of patience. Sometimes they go into the deeper reaches of the forest, which increases the distance traveled.

Children below this age often find the first view of the mountain gorillas frightening because of their vast surroundings. It might induce some adrenaline, which would not sit well with the mountain gorillas, raising some mistrust.

What to Pack for African Gorilla Trekking Trips.

Whether you’re gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda, you will need some kit to get you through the whole trip.

Garden gloves will shield your hands should you have to tighten a grip.

Safari’s Boots can survive in the wilderness in waterlogged circumstances, should the rivers overflow.

a folding safari cap with a broad brim designed to shield your hair from water running off the tree leaves

Safari long shirt and trouser built to survive in wilderness conditions. They have to be in tones like tan or khaki to hide dirt.

First aid bag including emergency supplies, particularly in case of a noncommunicative infection that can call for quick medical attention.

Medicated insect repellent meant to deter wilderness stinging insects

To save memories of your safari, a camera will record highlights of the gorilla trekking expedition.

Two binoculars can help you to bring near the far distant objects of your interest.

particularly if your skin is susceptible to certain kinds of bodily toxins.

When hungry, energy bites to eat and keep you going.

Shoe bags help you to retain your filthy shoes in particular, particularly in cases of limited time to clean them after the trip.

Hard cash to convert into local money, should you have to buy any mementos. Because of the involved method of getting money from them, credit cards are little utilized in Africa.

Get in touch to get more information.