This is one of the highlights of any wildlife adventure to Uganda.
Being the major reason why the tourism in both Uganda and Rwanda is thriving, the information highlighted here is to give you information that you need for your gorilla trekking adventure In Uganda.
Gorilla permit
A gorilla permit is an authorization card that allows you to visit the mountain gorillas, be it in Uganda and Rwanda. With this permit per person, you pay to spend one hour in company of one family of mountain gorillas.
Regardless of how long the hike to see the gorillas takes, the cost of a gorilla trekking permit stays the same and after the meeting them you will have one hours with them.
When you think about gorilla trekking, the first question that pops up in your mind is the gorilla trekking permit.
A gorilla trekking exercise to the tropical bushes in search for the gentle giants in their natural habitat.
When is the best time to see mountain gorillas?
Gorilla trekking involves moving through hiking through the rugged landscape which at times is a difficult hike, so gorilla trekking is best done during month with rains since during less rain months its easier.
Gorilla trekking can be conducted all year around in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. The best time to go gorilla trekking in during the months of June, July, August, September and December. This is because there are less rains and the parks are drier, making it simple to hike and see the gorillas .In Bwindi the average temperature throughout the year is 11°C/52°F in the morning and 23°C/73°F in the afternoon.
January and February: Low season offering less huge crowds. Very little or on rain.
March, April and May: Its rains a lot during these months. Most challenging during the trek, the slopes are slippery.
June, July & August: Peak season, its important to buy your permits early since they run out. Best time for gorilla safari in Uganda and Rwanda.
Regarding accommodation, there are different ranges of hotels around the parks which offer different accommodation rates starting from as low as 60usd up to as high as 2500usd for a double room, the determinant is majorly the facilities, food, services, location etc
How to make a gorilla tour cheaper
- Do not travel alone.
- Stay in best budget lodges.
- Choose Uganda over Rwanda.
- Avoid public transport buses they do not leave on time.
- Avoid chartered flights.
- Book Your gorilla tour during low season.
Where Can I See Gorillas in Africa?
You can see gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. However, note that gorillas are mainly divided into the mountain and the lowland with a couple of other sub-species in that. We suggest Rwanda, Uganda for views of the mountain gorillas and the Republic of Congo for the lowland gorillas. It is also possible to find mountain gorillas within the DR of Congo however due to the instabilities within the country, it has been challenging in some areas. Some tourists think that you can find gorillas even where you opt for safaris in Tanzania This is wrong. However, Tanzania and Kenya can be a great addition to your safari tour especially during the great wildebeest migration where herds of animals cross the Mara River into the Serengeti plains! On google, you find searches as Kenya gorilla trekking. There are no gorillas in Tanzania, Kenya or South Africa. These are multi destination safaris which we always encourage you to visit especially in East Africa. Generally, the lowland gorillas are smaller and have brownish-Gray far coats and a distinct brow ridge, whereas the mountain gorillas are larger with darker black coats. The Mountain gorillas are the most uncommon primates in the entire world with less than 800 surviving in the African wilderness.
Where To Go For Gorilla Trekking In Uganda
Gorilla trekking inUganda can be done in two national parks namely, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. With a total of 18 gorilla groups or families from which you can only track only one group a day. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has 17 gorilla group making it the best place , and being s home to more than half of the worlds gorilla population or park where you can see the gorillas in the wild. Bwindi an ancient forest has 90 mammal species, with an extra of 11 primates including the black and white colobus monkey.
Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Groups
| National Park | sector | Gorilla Family name |
| Bwindi impenetrable national park | Ruhija trek | Mukiza |
| Oruzoogo | ||
| Bitukura | ||
| Kyaguliro | ||
| Nkuringo | Christmas | |
| Nkulingo | ||
| Bushaho | ||
| Rushaga | Kutu | |
| Bikingi | ||
| Mishaya | ||
| Busingye | ||
| Kahungye | ||
| Rwizi | ||
| Muchunguzi | ||
| Bweeza | ||
| Nshongi | ||
| Buhoma | Habinyanja | |
| Katwe | ||
| Mubare | ||
| Rushegura | ||
| Mgahinga gorilla national park | Nyagagezi |
What Country Provides The Best Option For Seeing The Mountain Gorillas ? Comparing Uganda Vs Rwanda
This is quite a tricky question since they are all mountain gorillas living in the forests! Almost same environment. Comparing Uganda to Rwanda is not a good idea since Uganda has more wildlife than Rwanda. Besides the mountain gorillas, you can visit Murchison Falls, or see other primates in Kibale Forest National Park. If its about the cost, please note that gorilla permits in rwanda are sold at $1500 per individual and then in Uganda they go each for USD 700. The permit offers you one hour with the mountain gorillas in a group of 8 people. In case you are threatened by the price look at it in this point of view that you are contributing to the conservation of mountain gorillas and as a form of thank you, you will be rewarded with an hour in the midst observing and enjoying their company. Keep in mind that just 80 people are allowed to see the gorillas in their natural habitat each day. Because their habitat is very fragile, every time you walk in this forest you leave a footprint. Conclusion, Uganda is the best place to see gorillas.
Packing List for Gorilla Tours in Africa
- Waterproof hiking boots.
- Day pack.
- Insect repellents.
- Light weight rain jacket.
- Poncho
- Binoculars,
- Bottled water
- Boots: hiking boots,
- Gloves, old pair of gardening gloves
- Long pants or trousers
- Energy snacks.
How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking?
Gorilla Trekking has a numerical rating of 50 to 100 Difficult Rating: Moderate Hike There are many factors that influence the gorilla trekking difficulty and the commonest is your physical fitness. Others include weather conditions and your pack weight. It is possible to ask for a gorilla group that will march your fitness levels. A porter is important, Gorilla Trekking is not very hard, some people in their 60’s and 70’s have done it. So how strenuous is the hike? To begin with 60% of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has an elevation of over 6,600ft. Elevation of the entire park is from 3,904 to 8,553 ft. It has steep slopes in some areas. The experience takes between 2 to 6 hours depending on the gorilla family.
Gorilla Tracking Rules for Post Covid Visitors
With these apes sharing 98% of our genes, it’s possible that gorillas can get corona virus. Gorillas can catch flu and other airborne diseases making Covid 19 a big threat to the survival of the gorillas.
- Observe a distance of 7 meters away from the gorillas.
- Age limit of 15 years or more stands.
- You are allowed only 1 hour to see the gorillas
- Wearing of masks is important
- Avoid sneezing.
- Sanitize and observe other SOP guidelines.
What To Expect on A Gorilla Safari
On the day of your trek, expect to leave early enough, move to the briefing point by 7:30am. After briefing, tourists will be allocated different tracking routes, each 8 tourists. Head to the forest accompanied by guides and rangers as you begin you search for gorillas. In the forest, you may see monkey species, butterfly species, mammals and so much more. Sometimes the forest is challenging and a good level of fitness will be required. At the end of the day, expect to be muddy and sweaty. Once you see the gorillas, it’s okay to take photos with your camera or iPhone but avoid flash or else the gorillas might charge. You will spend between 40 minutes and 1 hour in company of these gentle giants. It will be such a life changing experience. After the trek, head back to you accommodation or opt for a cultural village experience of the Batwa pygmies.
How About the Gorilla Habituation Experience?
Gorilla habituation is the training of wild gorillas to get used to humankind. Gorillas are trained by researchers and park rangers for a period of 3 years. It’s during the training that that you can join the group of researchers and park rangers. Only 4 visitors are allowed. This makes it special. The cost of gorilla habituation is $1500 per person per day. The most exciting reality about this experience is that you actively engage in the gorilla habituation!
How To Get a Gorilla Trekking Permit in Uganda
Within Uganda, Gorilla trekking is conducted in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or in Mgahinga National Park. But because of the inconsistency of gorillas in Mgahinga, majority of the sold permits are for Bwindi NP. In Uganda, every gorilla permit goes for US $ 700. In the past years, April, May and November used to cost US $ 450.Please note that these offers no longer exist. On a single day, nearly 72 people travel into Bwindi to see gorillas and only 8 people are allowed to see a gorilla family. We strongly encourage you to book your gorilla permit with us the most prominent mistake is to book a gorilla family which is far away from your choice of accommodation! The routes to Bwindi and its various regions are often tricky; this is a remote area. If you would like to do the gorilla trekking safari on your own so as to save costs, you might end up incurring more. Safari guides have been trained to help you with this.
Gorilla Safaris Permit Price
- Uganda gorilla permit costs $ 700 (1 Hour with the gorillas)
- Uganda Gorilla Habituation Permit Costs $1500 (A full Day Experience)
- Rwanda gorilla permit Costs $ 1500
- Congo Gorilla Trekking Permit Costs $ 400
- East African Citizen, pay 250,000 shillings for the permit
Several travellers intending to trek gorillas have found this process tiring and they have opted to the quicker less tiring option of reserving their trekking permits through our office. we won’t charge you for purchasing a gorilla permit in case you are going to use our tour services such as transfers however if you simply want only a permit from us then we will put an extra charge of up to US$100 per gorilla permit we book, since we need to make calls, pick the permit, from Uganda Wildlife Authority and deliver it to you and other administrative costs. The process is more like the above, although the we normally speed up the reservation so you will be able to confirm your gorilla permit faster.
- You inform us of the dates for your tour to Uganda and specify the date for trekking the gorillas
- we will inform you if your preferred dates are available for trekking and also temporarily book them.
- They will send you our bank details so that you can transfer the money for the gorilla permits or even pay by credit card.
- We will send you an acknowledgement email for the money transfer. Please remember to instruct your bank to deduct the bank charges for the transaction from your account. they don’t ask for any extra money for the gorilla permit if you are reserving the rest of your tour through us. Any additional costs will be for services like telephony and transport that will be incurred when acquiring the permit.
- You will send a copy of your passport availing the details which will be used to register for your permit. Normally we need just your full names, nationality and the passport number
- Your names will be registered and then we acquire the gorilla permit. On receiving the payment, we will buy the gorilla permit but then having this permit doesn’t 100% guarantee you seeing the gorillas although chances of seeing them are about 98%
