Looking to check availability or book some of the gorilla permits Uganda offers?
Uganda is home to over half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world.
You’ll need Uganda gorilla permits to visit these apes in their natural habitat.
Uganda gorilla permits are printed on papers containing all your information.
Upon reaching the park, this information is read by the system, and if your dates are valid, you will be confirmed and allocated a mountain gorilla family to trek.
There are slightly over 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the world, and Uganda harbors half of the remaining population in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The rest are found in the Virunga Conservation Area, which comprises Virunga National Park in Congo, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Cost of Gorilla Permits in Uganda
The price of gorilla permits in Uganda is not very high. Uganda gorilla permits cost only $700 each year-round.
There used to be a low season for Uganda gorilla permits, costing $450 each, but it was later scrapped following Rwanda’s increase in gorilla permit fees.
This Uganda gorilla permit discount applied for the months of November, April, and May.
The cost of gorilla habituation is, however, a little higher. One will have to pay $1,500 for a gorilla habituation permit, allowing you to stay with gorillas for four hours while learning how these gorillas are habituated to become friendly with humans.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has four sectors where you can trek gorillas.
These are Rushaga Sector, Ruhija Sector, Buhoma sector, and Nkuringo sector.
When acquiring a gorilla permit, it’s essential to get one in an area where you’re planning to stay or near your accommodation.
You can book permits for Nkuringo and stay in Rushaga, or vice versa.
The same applies to Buhoma and Ruhija.
Because of affordability, may tourists now opt for Kigali to Bwindi gorilla trekking tours to save on cost and driving distance.
How to book Gorilla Permits
The availability of Uganda gorilla trekking permits will affect your booking process.
Currently, there is no online permits booking system for Uganda.
You can book your Uganda gorilla permit through a tour and travel operator or go through the longer process of booking directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority and organize your own accommodation facilities.
Some operators can help you reserve your permit and hand it over to you upon arrival.
We offer this kind of service as well.
A maximum of eight people are allowed to visit a particular gorilla family in a day, and the group will be granted a full hour with the gorillas.
This magical hour is a great time to take photos and capture videos of these mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Eighty percent of the money collected from these gorilla permits in Uganda is used to conserve mountain gorillas and help their population grow.
This funding is also used to fight against poachers.
When you buy a permit, you are not just contributing to the country’s revenue but are also contributing to the welfare and growth of the gorilla population.
Before trekking gorillas, you are advised to carry essential gorilla trekking equipment and strictly follow the gorilla trekking regulations and rules.
Checking Uganda Gorilla Permit Availability Online
The best way to check online availability of Uganda gorilla permits is by going through a tour company like us or calling Uganda Wildlife Authority on their direct hotline.
Please note that it is hard to get accurate results as permits are booked and released often.
You must be willing to pay the full cost of gorilla permits in Uganda to be able to book them online.
If your preferred dates are full, it’s advisable to wait a few more weeks and inquire again.
However, if you keep failing to get availability, then it’s advisable to consider switching your dates.
You can book Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permits directly through our agency.
