Booking a gorilla permit in Uganda

Booking the Uganda gorilla permits is done at the Uganda wildlife Authority. This is the all Uganda wildlife controlling body. For any gorilla trekking safari in Uganda whether heading for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park, you need a gorilla permit.

Selecting the date when you expect to do gorilla trekking is vital in the process of booking the permit. The gorilla permit is the entry ticket to accessing the mountain gorillas of Uganda.

 Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done at Bwindi Impenetrable National park, which hosts almost half the total number of the mountain gorillas in the world. Locally the word Bwindi means impenetrable and indeed this double meaning is fit for this park.

Most Popular Gorilla Safaris

• 3 Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking
• 5 Day Gorilla and Chimp
• 8 Day Gorilla Tracking
• 2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Via Kigali
• 3 Day Uganda Gorilla Via Kigali
• 5 Day Chimp and Gorilla Habituation
• 3 Day Fly in Gorilla Habituation
• 3 Day Fly in Safari to Murchison Falls National Park
• 3 Day Bwindi Double trek via Kigali
• 5 Day Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

 Its forest is thought to have existed since the prehistoric era and a survivor of ice age period. Its rich vegetation favors the survival of a wide range of wildlife like over 350 bird species, over 10 primate species, more than 200 tree species, 51 reptiles, over 310 butterfly species and others.

 Mgahinga National Park may be small occupying over 33.7 square kilometers of land but is a biosphere reserve because of its varied vegetation zones. More than 115 bird species are residents here, more than 39 mammal species and others.

Mgahinga national Park’s lash vegetation starts with montane woodland, then bamboo zone, montane forest, Ericaceous zone with giant tree heathers

This area of Uganda is endowed with a variety of attractions ranging from wildlife to the topography, which you can include to your gorilla trekking itinerary.

How To Book A Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit

Select the dates when to do gorilla trekking safari in Uganda. The Uganda gorilla trekking permits are sold per day all year round. You must have either a confirmed date or tentative date to base on the search.

Know the number of people expected to travel with for gorilla trekking. In case you are solo, you may wish to take a second gorilla trekking date too. Those travelling in groups must have a clue on the numbers of people expected to include in the safari party.

When you send an enquiry with these details, our safari consultant checks availability as per your dates of preference. Encounter Africa Safaris is one of the lucky Uganda safari companies to access the Uganda wildlife Authority gorilla permit-booking list. That former hassle of searching for the mountain gorilla permit availability the entire day is off our sleeves.

Our turnaround time for gorilla permit availability in case we find that your preferred date is sold off is 24 hours. We have good relationships with fellow tour operators so in case your date is out of sale, we may liaise with the company that bout them and if lucky obtain one for you. This is not guaranteed. 

Buying the gorilla trekking permit is the only confirmation that you are interested in taking this safari. Immediately we find positive gorilla permit availability, we advise our customers to purchase there permits as soon as possible.

This is because availability changes so fast because of the first come first served basis at the authority. Nobody is allowed to close off any gorilla permits without payment. Because of the high demand for the gorilla trekking permits worldwide, they are sold off very fast so the status of availability changes in a flash.

When you purchase your gorilla trekking permit, we require you to provide us some personal details like your full names as per your passport, nationality, date of birth, passport expiry date and others as requested by Uganda Wildlife Authority.

These personal details are for Uganda Wildlife Authority tourists’ data collection purposes and some are filled on your gorilla trekking certificate of accomplishment.

How Much Is Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit

At the moment the Uganda gorilla trekking permit costs $700 per foreign nonresidents, $600 foreign residents and 250000 shs for East African residents.

 The cost of the uganda gorilla trekking permit include park fees, ranger guide fees, security fees, gorilla medication fund, park maintenance, 20% of annual profit from gorilla trekking safaris is given back to the local community and so much more.

Which Area Is Best For Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla trekking permits to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are sold according to area. This is because of the wide area occupied by the park making it challenging to cross from one area to another.

Four gorilla trekking areas make up Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that is Buhoma area and Ruhijah area to the north of the park. Nkuringo area and Rushaga area to the south of the park. each of these areas is endowed with great gorilla families all characterized of different traits.

Depending on what you wish to see when you meet a gorilla family may determine the feeling you get after meeting the mountain gorillas.

Some areas have gorilla families that have many infants, stubborn infants, authoritative silverback, many silverbacks, many family members and so much more. No matter where you are allocated to do gorilla trekking, having an open mind on what to see when you meet the gorilla family makes the trip interesting.

How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking is sometimes strenuous depending on the factors prevailing in the forest like proximity of the mountain gorilla food, in case the mountain gorillas fight with a wild family and others.

 The topography of the gorilla trekking area of Uganda is generally volcanic yet the mountain gorillas at times feed from the slopes especially during the severe rainy seasons.

Going through the entangled creeper and having to slide the slippery slopes to the starting point of the trek may bring some challenges but this is fun.

 To overcome some of the huddles in the forest, one needs to have some level of fitness. You do not need to be in the gym all the time, but stretch your muscles to a level that can take you through the forest.

Pack the right gorilla trekking gears especially comfortable safari shoes that will support you through the thick soggy ground at times.

What Time Do You Locate The Mountain Gorillas

Time for locating the mountain gorillas depends on the proximity of there food. Mountain gorillas are generally vegetarian. They need to search for a meal that will take there sheer bodies through night and day. This cannot be located in one area so the gorillas have to keep on the move.

Locating the mountain gorillas may take between 2 hours to three quarters of the day depending on the proximity of there food, conditions prevailing in the forest and others.

The Mountain gorillas family may do a spy network so avoid deviating from the gorilla trekking rules given during briefing.

When you locate the mountain gorillas, you only one hour is allowed to view them. you need to keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas.

What Accommodation To Book for Gorilla Trekking In Uganda

A variety of accommodations are available for you to book during gorilla trekking. They range from Luxury accommodations to Mid-range accommodations to Budget accommodations. Bwindi Impenetrable National park and Mgahinga National park have accommodations located in there vicinity.

In order to secure gorilla trekking accommodations in Bwindi, you must know the area where your gorilla permit is booked. This is to avoid driving early morning to catch up with briefing in another area. The obstacles you may encounter on the way driving in the night are many like slippery roads, tree logs crossing the road and so many others.

Some Of the Bwindi accommodations Include:

Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Silverback Lodge, Lake Kitandara Tented Camp, Gorilla Resort, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Chameleon’s Lodge, Trekker’s Tarven, Buhoma Lodge and others.

Some of Mgahinga National Park Accommodations include:

Volcanoes Camp, Mgahinga gorilla Triangle, Mutanda Lake Resort, Traveller’s Inn, Community Camp, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, ,Majambere Iwachu, , Mountain Gahinga Lodge. More lodges can be booked in Kisoro town

What Else To Include With Gorilla Trekking Safari In Uganda

Golden Monkey Trekking

Mgahinga National Park in Uganda is the renowned home of the golden monkeys. There body structure is larger than other monkey species. They have a charming nature that keep you on your toes while trekking to locate them.

There body is covered with golden hairs in the back and stomach area.

Birding in Uganda

 A birding safari in Uganda cannot be complete without visiting Bwindi impenetrable National park and Mgahinga National Park. A number of birds including Albertine endemics are residents of these parks. These include crowned hornbill, black kite, crowned cranes, Rwenzori Turaco, Western Green Tinkerbul, Mountain Masked and chestnut, Collared Apalis, Red-faced Woodland and others.

Nature walks

After gorilla trekking, you may go for nature walks to enjoy more beauties that the Virunga area is proud of. Some of the other primates you may encounter during nature walks include black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, bush babies and others.

Community walks like Batwa and Garama cave visit

The gorilla trekking area is endowed with a number of community activities like Batwa community and Garama cave visit in Mgahinga National park, Buhoma community visit, the Nkuringo community visit. All these take you into the life of the local people like beer brewing, medicine man visit and others.

Game Drives in Game Parks

After gorilla trekking, you may go for game drives in parks like Queen Elizabeth National Park which is about 5 hours away from Buhoma in Bwindi Impenetrable National park. This park is placed at the rift valley floor with great views of both dry and wet craters.  The amazing landforms like Rwenzori ranges make a uganda safari here exceptional.

 Some of the wild animals you may get to see during game drives in Queen Elizabeth National park include lions, elephants, cape buffaloes, waterbucks, bush bucks, topis, magoose and others.

A Launch trips on Kazinga channel of Queen Elizabeth gives a relaxing experience of a three hours voyage on this channel. The trip may give you chance to view schools of hippos, yawing Nile crocodiles, thirsty wild animals like herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, waterbucks, bush bucks, warthogs and others.

Murchison Falls National park in Uganda is another game park that you can add with gorilla trekking. This park is bisected by River Nile but its northern bank is the game rich area. During the early morning game drive, you may get to see animals like lions, giraffes, herds of elephants, waterbucks, reed bucks, leopards, Giant Otter Shrew, Bell’s Hinge Backed Tortoise and others.

A launch trip to Murchison Falls is the highlight of this park. Where you watch river Nile squeezing through a 6 meters wide bend to burst out vigorously and produce a thundering sound. The boat turbulence changes when the water rushing down the 44 meters high cliff touches the bottom to continue with the course.

 A hike to the top of the falls may stimulate some adrenaline when standing at the Baker’s point to the Devil’s Cauldron.

 White Water rafting On River Nile

White water rafting on River Nile is done on Itanda Falls. After gorilla trekking, you may go white water rafting. You do not need any experience because there are instructors in place to take you through all necessary procedures.

The adventure has different levels but you can select which one you can maneuver. There are Kayaks, tubes and others activities for anyone not interested in taking the white water rafting .

Visit Source Of River Nile

River Nile is the Longest River In The world traversing Uganda, South Sudan, The Sudan, Ethiopia has its tributary, and Egypt. Its source is worth viewing because of the drama at the point where Lake Victoria water separates from River Nile. It is so amazing how water emerging from the same point underneath suddenly become vigorous and Lake Victoria water calmly flows away.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking with chimpanzee trekking in Uganda gives you the practical answer to the difference between the two huge primates. In Africa, Uganda’s Kibale National park is the home of the largest number of habituated chimpanzees In Kibale National Park. You need to book a permit.

Chimpanzee trekking can also be done in Kyambura gorge In Queen Elizabeth National park, Kaniyo Pabidi in Murchison Falls National park, Ngamba Chimpanzee sanctuary and others.

Contact us for more information and check out our trip advisor.