How To Book A Gorilla Permit
A gorilla permit is an important tool all visitors must have to be part of gorilla trekking journey in Uganda Rwanda, or Congo. But what most tourists still do not know is how to book their gorilla permits. Are you among those who are puzzled about how to book a gorilla permit? Here, we have provided a breakdown on how to book a gorilla permit whether you want to visit Uganda or Rwanda or Congo to see mountain gorillas. Our updated guide also highlights the current cost or price of gorilla permits, when you should book a permit, age eligibility, and other essential travel tips.
Book a gorilla permit through a reliable tour operator
To start with, a gorilla permit should be booked through a trusted and reliable tour operator on ground/destination where you plan to visit to trek gorillas. Reserving a permit through a tour operator/company is most recommended because it makes the entire process smoother and less challenging. Dealing with a local tour operator saves you the money and time involved to go through the dreary steps to secure a permit.
To book a gorilla permit in Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo, you can contact Bujuku Eco Tour. We are a registered and licensed safari company/tour operator with offices based in Uganda. At Bujuku Eco Tours and Travel, we don’t only stop at booking a permit, we go extra mile to plan the entire trip. Booking a permit marks the initial stages of planning your unforgettable gorilla adventure and on top of it, we can reserve accommodation, transportation, and putting everything else for a successful gorilla trip. You can talk to the team at Bujuku Eco Tours and Travel to start the process via contact here or WhatsApp: +256785982744 or +256757203420.
You can simply contact us with details of your preferred gorilla trekking dates, number of visitors intending to trek gorillas, and your passport details including full name, nationality, and passport number. When you have contacted us with these details, our team proceeds to check permit availability at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). This marks the start of booking process for you.
Booking your permits
When you book a permit via Bujuku Eco Tours and Travel, our team will send you a scanned copy of the permits with confirmation details. You don’t need to travel to physically collect your permit like it is a case if you booked a permit as an individual. It can be costly to travel just to pick a permit or engage in booking process as it takes time.
Useful Considerations to Note;
Gorilla permit availability highlights
Gorilla permits are essential for your gorilla trekking adventure but take note that they are scarce. They can easily be sold and the demand tends to be extremely higher during the peak/high seasons i.e June to August and December to February. Not to miss any chance, consider booking a slot at least 3-6 months in advance or even earlier than that.
Know the cost/price of gorilla permits
Permits have a set rate and varies depending on the destination you plan to do a gorilla trekking tour from. A valid gorilla permits alone in Uganda costs USD 800 per visitor applying to all foreign non-residents, USD 700 per tourist under foreign resident visitor category, the rest of Africa visitors pay USD 500 and citizens from East Africa including Ugandans pay UGX 300,000.
In Uganda, guests can also secure gorilla habituation permits specifically for habituation experience in Bwindi. Foreign non-residents (international visitors) pay USD 1500 to obtain a gorilla habituation permit, USD 1000 as foreign residents, and citizens in East Africa purchase habituation permits at UGX 750,000 per person.
Price of gorilla permits for Rwanda currently stands at USD 1500 and this is applicable to all categories of tourists interested in visiting gorillas in Volcanoes National Park which is located in Ruhengeri.
Age Eligibility
You must be above 15 years to be allowed to book a permit for gorilla trekking. Age eligibility is standard across all destinations for gorilla trekking –Rwanda, Uganda, and Congo.
Decide on the destination to visit
4 places to choose for gorilla trekking in Africa, especially if you are interested in seeing mountain gorillas include Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park are some of the best places to visit for you to track mountain gorillas.
Bwindi and Mgahinga are inhabited by a total of about 25 groups of gorillas translating to about 200 gorilla permits. 13 groups of mountain gorillas that reside in the Volcanoes National Park represent about 104 gorilla permits. In the DRC, about 64 permits are available for the Virunga National Park, then 40 can be booked for the 5 groups of Eastern lowland gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Gorilla family per group
Each gorilla group can carry up to 8 pax (visitors) per day. Gorilla groups are allocated to visitors on the actual date of gorilla trekking and this is done during the pre-trekking briefing session. The pre-gorilla trekking briefing is done from the 4 sectors in Bwindi –Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo, and Rushaga. While in Mgahinga, you can assemble at Ntebeko area where you can meet the park officials to take you through the guidelines then assign the park ranger guide.
When should you book a gorilla permit?
A gorilla permit should be reserved in advance – you don’t wait till the actual date of visiting gorillas to secure one. Considering our experience, we recommend that you have your permit booked at least 3-6 months before the actual date for gorilla trekking.
Best time to see gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo
Gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo are best spotted during the peak dry season. A gorilla trek tour can planned around the long dry months from June to September or December to February. These are the peak months for gorilla trekking and be aware that the demand for permits, lodges, and other amenities can be high. Consider booking everything in advance not only gorilla permits.
Off-months/seasons are also open for tourists to participate in the gorilla trek in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. The off seasons often fall around April, March, May or October –November. These are ideal months, especially if you are a budget traveler but interested in tracking mountain gorillas in Africa. The off/low months usually record low number of visitors who come to track gorillas with some of the accommodation offering discounted rates or packages. This makes it affordable for even tourists with tight budget to engage in the trek with mountain gorillas.
Can a gorilla permit be rescheduled?
Depending on the destination, permits for gorilla trekking can be rescheduled. But this must be done according to the park authorities’ guidelines that is Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
A gorilla permit in Uganda can be rescheduled for free in Uganda if you are doing the rescheduling for the first time. But for the second time reschedule, you can incur a cost about 25% charge. The extra charges are considered as cancellation and rebooking.
You should be keen enough on cancellation policy of the park authorities to avoid any kind of disappointments. Our team shall always guide you on every step and what is involved when booking a gorilla permit in Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo.
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