Gorilla trekking in Uganda : The best offers for a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda are determined by a variety of criteria, including the time of booking, the number of people travelling, and any additional activities you choose to include with the safari.
The cost of Uganda gorilla permits remains unchanged regardless of whether you book your gorilla trekking safari during the low or busy season. The Uganda gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for international non-residents, $700 for permanent foreigners, and 300,000shs for East Africans. In 2021, the Uganda Wildlife Authority stopped granting discounts on gorilla trekking permits.
Low-season gorilla trekking safari bookings frequently include discounts on logistics for this excursion. If you have a limited budget but want to go gorilla trekking, you may be able to negotiate a reduction on your accommodation charges because some facilities are trying to break even. Even if you want to get an upgrade, the low season may provide you with the opportunity.
Uganda’s low tourism season is usually around March, April, May, and November.
When embarking on a luxury gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, you must book your gorilla permit and supporting logistics in advance. This is because the finest options for these facilities sell out far in advance, leaving you with little or no options.
At Shen Tours and Travel, we provide safari packages in three categories: luxury, mid-range, and budget. Each of these packages has unique inclusions and exclusions to meet the needs and interests of our clients. We also tailor and customise gorilla safari packages to meet our clients’ specific demands and help them create lasting memories on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Where to Go on a Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda
The mountain gorillas live in two Ugandan national parks.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Uganda’s gorilla safaris take place in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In comparison to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this park contains the most considerable mountain gorilla population. Bwindi is a huge forest that covers approximately 327 square kilometres of tangled vegetation from the fissured earth.
The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is divided into four areas: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, and Nkuringo and Rushaga in the south. Gorilla trekking permits for this park are booked based on the area, which you should consider when booking accomodation.
Gorilla habituation is also possible in the southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The gorilla habituation experience involves travellers following a semi-habituated gorilla family into the bush and spending four hours with them.
When booking lodgings for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you must consider the region covered by your permit.
Mgahinga National Park
Mgahinga National Park is Uganda’s smallest, measuring only 33.7 square kilometres, but it is home to the Nyakagezi family of mountain gorillas. This gorilla family used to travel into Rwanda, but they now live in Uganda, and gorilla permits are available for pre-booking.
This park also has golden monkeys, a rare monkey species with a greater body structure than other monkeys. You can go golden monkey trekking or enjoy a habituation experience when visiting Mgahinga National Park. These primates may be habituated, yet they retain their typical qualities, keeping you on your toes while you’re with them.
How do I book Gorilla Trekking Permits for Uganda?
Booking Uganda gorilla trekking permits can be done through a travel organisation or by yourself.
Shen Tours & Travel is one of the few approved organisations with access to the Uganda Wildlife Authority permit list. We’d want these details when you contact us to enquire about gorilla permit availability and book a gorilla safari.
The day you want to go gorilla trekking in Uganda, as well as the start and end times of your safari. To prevent having to go back and forth, make sure to state how many permits you want to book.
When you contact us about a gorilla safari, our tour adviser checks the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s list of gorilla permits for availability based on your dates.
Our tour adviser will contact you once a gorilla permit is available. This is due to the gorilla’s status, which allows for modifications at any time and without warning. No gorilla permit is ever reserved without payment, and first-come, first-served rules are followed.
Later, submit your identifying information, including your full name as it appears on your passport, date of birth, nationality, and passport expiration date.
When is the ideal time to schedule a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda?
Although gorilla trekking is available year-round, the dry season (June, July, August, and September) is the most popular. Mountain gorillas graze closer to the ground during this season, and other forest residents are also easier to track.
The pathways are dryer and easier to navigate because there is less foliage to get in the way. Despite the fact that the Virunga area receives untimely rainfall, precipitation is lower during the dry season. Increased sunlight penetration through the dense canopy minimises the amount of water on the ground. The water at the several waterfalls in the woodland is clean and brilliant.
Demand for this season’s restricted number of gorilla permits is high, resulting in a shortage for last-minute bookers. It is possible to miss out on gorilla permits during high season, as well as the logistics that enable this expedition, as possibilities become few.
Demand for gorilla permits is lower during the low season (March to May and November), allowing for last-minute bookings. Even though it is the low tourist season, you must book your gorilla permit in advance because they can sell out at any time.
If you want to have the gorilla family to yourself and the folks you’re travelling with, the low season may provide you with this opportunity without having to spend any extra money to close other permits.
How much does a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda cost?
The cost of a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda begins with the gorilla permit fee. The gorilla permit in Uganda costs $800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for international residents, and $300,000 for East Africans.
When calculating the total cost of a gorilla trekking safari, Shen Tours & Travel takes into account criteria such as the number of days on safari, the number of people travelling with them, the time of booking, additional safari activities, and other products.
Shen Tours and Travel packages our gorilla safaris as upscale, mid-range, or budget. Our safari advisors are always ready to work with you to create a safari package that meets your specific needs and interests. They are always prepared to answer your safari enquiries based on the experience we have gained over the last ten years of preparing safaris in various African nations.
