The association of Uganda Tour operators (AUTO) has a list of Tour companies allowed to book gorilla permits in Uganda to see mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable National Park and or Mgahinga National Park. Encounter Africa safaris is a full member of AUTO and Licensed by Uganda Tourism Board to conduct tour and travel business in Uganda and Rwanda. So when you contact Encounter Africa safaris, you are guaranteed of great and timely service while booking your gorilla trekking safari. Click here for Uganda gorilla tours with guaranteed gorilla permits

Why you need to book your gorilla permit through a tour company

Encounter Africa safaris is one of the few tour companies or operators allowed access to Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit database. We have a 24/7 access to permits for Mgahinga National Park as well as Bwindi impenetrable National Park and are in position to check and advise availability anytime any day.  When you book your gorilla trekking permit through us, you will be guaranteed fast response about the number of permits available on a given date and month to enable you make a proper decision pertaining your visit.

Not all companies in Uganda have the above privilege and once we find permits, we are also allowed to reserve them for a maximum of seven days are we wait for you to make payment. In the seven days we will send you an invoice to you to make payment and that is done, we expect you to send us POP (proof of payment) since it normally takes 3-4 working days for money to show on our Bank Account. We in most cases use our credit to pay and secure your gorilla permit even before your money show on our account. We accept both Electronic transfers as well as Credit/Debit card payments much as the later attracts a 5% surcharge.

As soon as gorilla permit are paid for at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) we will send you scanned copies of the receipts by email and 2 weeks to your trek, we will again go back to UWA to pick your gorilla permit cards which will have to be presented on the day of trekking.

About Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit online booking system

In order to ease the work of checking availability and reserving of gorilla permits in Uganda, Uganda Wildlife Authority developed an online system which allows authorized and selected Tour Operators to  check availability and reserve gorilla trekking permits there and then online without hassle. This system was introduced I 2016 and is currently being used by selected Tour Operators such as Encounter Africa safaris.

Initially, when a company would receive an inquiry about gorilla permits and tours, they had to contact UWA head office staff on phone or drive to their offices to check availability. This became time consuming and inconvenienced both tour operators and individual tourists. There was no chance of holding or reserving permits for 7 days as it is now meaning that gorilla permits were issued out on first come first serve to whoever would come with cash.

Due to so many telephone calls and emails, it became very hard to get audience or response something that was a problem to tour operators. With the introduction of this online system, working of checking gorilla permits has been made easy.

Who is able to check gorilla permits online?

Ever since Uganda gorilla trekking permits went online, its only selected tour operators that can view and reserve them. Encounter Africa safaris is one of the few privileged tour operators who have access to this database and we normally provide availability to our potential clients as soon as possible.

 What happens when the gorilla permit online system is down/Not working?

Sometimes Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit online systems can develop complications just like any software. Once this gorilla permits online system is down or slow, we will call UWA head offices and be able to check availability on your behalf. We also have our representative who normally visits UWA offices daily and can always assist in checking and reserving your gorilla trek permit.

Can I book my gorilla permit directly with Uganda Wildlife Authority?

This is one of the many frequently asked question by people who are planning to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga. Is it possible? The answer is yes. Booking gorilla permits directly with Uganda Wildlife Authority requires you to make a phone call or send an email which will be replied to by one of their reservations staff. He/she will provide the availability of permits on the requested date and send you an invoice to make payment on UWA bank Account. Once payment is made, your gorilla permit card will be issued and you will have to collect it yourself after providing proof by show of driving permit or passport.

While this looks a simple and straight forward method of booking your gorilla permit, those who have tried calling or sending an email tend to receive late responses which can sometimes be frustrating. We have had clients who came to us confirming how stressful this was. We hope that this will improve with time but at the moment , we encourage you to book your gorilla permit with a recognized Tour company in Uganda to eliminate all this hassle. Contact Encounter Africa safaris and you will not regret at all.

Updates on Uganda gorilla permit price for 2020-2021

From 1^st July 2020, Uganda gorilla permit price to see mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga will cost $700 for foreign non residents, $600 for Foreign residents with a working permit and 250,000 Uganda shillings for citizens of East Africa. Those interested in trekking gorillas at a discounted price of $600 for non residents should do so before 1^st July 2020.

Uganda also offers an opportunity to spend more time with mountain gorillas when you book a gorilla habituation experience permit which cost $1500 per person for four hours. Gorilla habituation experience safaris are currently being conducted in the southern part of Bwindi impenetrable National Park in Rushaga and Nkuringo. For more information about Gorilla habituation safaris conducted by Encounter Africa safaris, please click here.