How to Book a Gorilla Trekking Permit; After all, in order to visit the mountain gorilla’s visitors must have a valid permit to access the nature inhabits of these great mountain gorillas whom we share 98% of DNA. However, there permits can be obtained directly to the governmental body in each country, in Uganda can be purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority Offices ‘’UWA’’ and in Rwanda can be bought direct to Rwanda Developmental Board or through help of trustworthy tour operator with registered Uganda safari tour company. The costs of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is USD700 for foreign nonresident, USD600 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 East Africa members per person per day. But we recommend you to always book your permits in advance during peak season which starts from June to September and December to February. Always do your bookings by the trustworthy tour operator who will help you to reserve your hotel, plan your visa, provides transportation and help you in other touristic destination within Uganda or Rwanda.
What is a gorilla permits?
To many visitors tend to ask themselves what is all about a permit/ a gorilla permits – A gorilla permits is an authorized ticket that allows you to encounter these unique mountain gorillas.
More so, is a valid ticket that allows you to see gorillas in their nature inhabits and allows countries to control the amount of visitors visiting gorilla groups or families. The gorilla permits grant trackers access to one trek and one hour with the gorillas. The one hour given to visitors allows you to observe them as you learn and enjoy their life style, feed, plays, groom their younger ones as well as enjoying memorable photography.
Gorilla trekking; This is an impressive activity which starts very early morning after your breakfast go for briefing at the park headquarters and after a park ranger groups you in eight groups and leads you to the assigned gorilla families. As you will be able to spot other species as you trek for mountain gorillas in thick montane rain forest or bamboo forest. The activity can take 30 to 7 hours trekking depending on their location from where they last viewed the previous day. Once you locate them only one hour is given to you to observe them as they enjoy their lifestyle , play around ,enjoy video taking and photography.
Gorilla Habituation Experience;
There is also gorilla habituation activity which can only be done Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park in Rushaga sector one of the four gorilla trekking sectors. Gorilla habituation is process first taken to train gorillas on how to get used with eye contact to humans. A process takes 2 to 3 years till the park ranger notices that they are already used to people and after the family will be introduced to the public for tourism. Fact Gorilla habituation is a fully day trekking experience done with the park ranger, researchers, doctors and once you locate the gorilla family four hour will be given to you to watch them as they play, feed, build their nest high on the ground or on tree branches.
Gorilla habituation permits costs USD1,500 in Uganda paid per person per day.
Meanwhile, Uganda, Rwanda and Congo is the only home where you can see the world’s famous population of Mountain gorillas thus making these countries popular destination for Eco tourists yearning to catch a glimpse of these critically endangered species. Note, one to be able to visit the mountain gorillas must have a valid permit in order to access their nature inhabits.
In Uganda –Gorilla trekking can be conducted in two famous national parks that is; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park and Mgahinga Gorilla National park both found in southwestern region of Uganda approximately 8 to 9 hours’ drive right from Kampala to each main destination. Alternatively, you can fly to park’s airstrip with a domestic flight Aerolink Airline Uganda from Entebbe International Airport of Kajjansi Airstrip to land you to Kihihi airstrip near Bwindi or Kisoro near to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
In Rwanda –Gorilla trekking can be done in Volcanoes National park that lies northwestern part of Rwanda. Rwanda gorillas trekking permits costs USD1,500 per person per day.
