How Much Does It Cost To See Gorillas In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in 2024-25?

How much does seeing gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park cost in 2024-25? The cost of gorilla safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park starts with the cost of the gorilla permit. While in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can do gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience. The gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, and 300000shs for East Africans.

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The gorilla habituation experience permit costs $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents, and 750000shs for East Africans.

Gorilla trekking safari is an adventure where tourists follow a fully habituated gorilla family and spend one hour with them. The maximum number of people allowed to do gorilla trekking is eight people per gorilla family. Currently, Uganda has about 21 gorilla families open for gorilla trekking.

The gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where a maximum of 4 tourists accompany a team of researchers to search and find a semi-habituated gorilla family and stay with them for four fours. Only two gorilla habituation experience families in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are currently open.

Other than the gorilla permit cost, other gorilla safari expenses include transport to and from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, accommodation to use during the gorilla safari, transport expenses, and gorilla gear personal shopping.

If you have additional Uganda safari activities to combine with gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you have to pay park entrance fees where necessary. Uganda is a country gifted by nature, so you can do game safaris, chimpanzee safaris, whitewater rafting, visit the source of the River Nile, golden monkey trekking, and other safaris.

What is Included in the cost of Gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

The gorilla permit cost includes park entrance fees lasting 24 hours on the day of the trek, ranger guide fees, security on the day of the trek, mountain gorilla conservation, certificate after the gorilla safari, community support, four hours of gorilla habituation experience or one hour of gorilla trekking, researcher fees during gorilla trekking and others.

Exclusions in the cost of gorilla permit for Bwindi

Accommodation, porter hire, tips, and any other personal expenses.

What is the cost of seeing mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Besides the gorilla permit cost, the entry ticket to gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gorilla permits are sold on a per-person basis and are non-transferable. 

When booking gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, they are reserved according to the four areas under which the park is divided: Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga. These areas play a significant role in securing other logistics that support the gorilla safaris in Bwindi.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we cost and package our gorilla safaris for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park according to Upscale, Mid-range, and Basic packages. We also tailor gorilla safaris to match our clients' needs. When costing our gorilla safaris, we consider factors like:

Number of days on gorilla safari

The least number of days to be on a gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is three days gorilla safari. 

On the first day, you drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Entebbe or Kampala for about 530 kilometers, taking approximately 8 to 9 hours, excluding stops.

The second day is gorilla safari day, either trekking or habituation experience, whose ending time is hard to determine because it is influenced by factors prevailing in the wilderness. Only one hour is allowed with the gorillas during gorilla trekking and four hours during gorilla habituation experience.

The more days on a gorilla safari in Bwindi's impenetrable national park, the higher the safari cost.

Number of people booked to do gorilla safari in Bwindi 

Other than the gorilla permit, which is charged per person, when traveling for the gorilla safari with other eligible people 15 years and over, the per person cost is less. You get to share expenses on vehicle hire, ranger guide fees, gas expenses, and accommodation cot, especially if booked in twin rooms or doubles.

The additional Uganda safari activities to combine with gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

Making a combo of gorilla safari with other Uganda safari activities is remarkable. Uganda is gifted by nature, and you can participate in game safaris and chimpanzee safaris, visit the source of the River Nile, and other activities. Sometimes, you may be required to pay park entrance fees, especially in National parks, which you have to add to the safari cost. Park fees last 24 hours from the time you enter the national park.

Some of the Uganda safari destinations you can add to your gorilla safari destinations include Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, birding destinations like Mabamba Swamp, Mpanga Forest, and others.

Cost of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Accommodations

Accommodations in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are categorized into Luxury, mid-range, and basic facilities. When booking accommodation for gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, ensure you have noted the area where your gorilla permit is secured.

Bwindi is divided into four areas: Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Ruhija. Geographic features and dense vegetation separate these areas, making it challenging to cross from one to another, especially if you are heading for an activity.

Since gorilla safaris start early morning with a briefing, you must be at the ranger station before 0800hrs. When taking an early morning drive from one area to another, chances of encountering obstacles like slippery roads, vehicle damage, poor visibility, and others. Spending the night within or closer to the area where your gorilla permit is booked is a great decision. 

You need to secure accommodations for your gorilla safari nights before as soon as you confirm a gorilla permit because the options of the lodges run out, especially during the peak season.

You need to know the offers included in the accommodation cost before traveling for the gorilla safari so that you can plan. Although most up-country accommodations offer complete board services, some offer Half Board, Bed and breakfast, and Bed only. 

Cost of transport to Bwindi impenetrable National Park

Hiring a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition driven by a professional and experienced driver guide makes you feel comfortable and safe during the drive. Some of the roads in the countryside are in bad condition, especially during the wet season when they get slippery and soggy. Even the volcanic nature of the terrain of the greater Kigezi sub-area makes travel by road challenging. Bwindi impenetrable national park also has several routes leading to it, which a knowledgeable driver guide must be acquainted with in case the need to use alternatives arises.

Even the fuel cost is included in the transport cost. You need a full tank because finding gas stations to refill in the countryside is challenging. 

Vehicle maintenance, driver guide fee per day, and other expenses must be included in the transport cost.

Purchase Gorilla safari gear.

You must go shopping for your gorilla safari to Bwindi, inclusive of the right gear. You need safari boots, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat, garden gloves, insect repellant, and other gear for gorilla safari.

It is okay to over-pack for your gorilla safari, but what is necessary for your days on this Uganda safari? Having so many bags is inconvenient. 

Tipping during gorilla safari

Tipping is a noble gesture for a service provided. Although tipping is not compulsorily giving a token of appreciation to the service providers, it encourages them even to do better. We always encourage tourists to extend that hand of appreciation to the lodge staff, ranger guides, and others, as this is one way to lure them into loving and conserving wildlife. Many have joined the campaign to conserve nature and the surroundings sustainably. 

As you budget for your gorilla safari, you may include tips, too.

When is the best time for Gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? 

Gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are open all year, but the dry season is most sought after June, July, August, September, December, and January. Usually, the Bwindi forest is known to receive untimely rains, but the dry season rains are minimal, so the mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers are easier to spot.

The trails are drier, and rivers flow within the ordinary course despite the dense network. More sunlight is let in through the thick canopy, creating a conducive photo environment. In terms of demand, the dry season receives a high demand for gorilla permits, so advance booking is required. Checking gorilla permit availability is challenging during the peak season because high demand creates scarcity as the season draws in.

The low season, which is March, April, May, and November, is the wet season, too, with less demand for gorilla safaris. The chances of finding last-minute gorilla permits are high, but only a guarantee sometimes. If you have a limited budget, the low season may offer you an opportunity to discount costs on logistics. Some service providers like accommodations facilities, vehicle hire, and driver guides may discount their costs to break even.

Is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Safe as a Gorilla safari destination? 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is safe for gorilla safaris because ranger guides are always present to offer help. They are always present to lead the way during gorilla safari after briefing, one holding a machete, and another carrying a rifle for any emergency. The ranger guides are constantly on radio calls with security on the ground in case backup is needed.

Other Uganda security agencies are in place to keep law and order in and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Each day, a group of ranger guides patrols the forest to establish where the mountain gorillas may have nested and possible hangout spots. These clues are some of what ranger guides leading the group on gorilla safaris use to locate the gorilla families. Tourists are requested to observe clues left by the mountain gorillas, like freshly chewed-on foliage, dung, footprints, and so much more.

What are the dos and don'ts of Gorilla Safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? 

• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them. This is to prevent chances of passing an infection to these primates, as they are highly susceptible to infectious diseases like flu, cough, COVID-19, and others.
• If you are sick with a contagious infection, volunteer to stay behind so as not to pass it to the endangered mountain gorillas.
• If you want to eat or drink before the mountain gorillas, do it at least 300 meters away from them. They are wild animals that must search for their food.
• The age limit for gorilla safari is 15 years and beyond. This is because the way to locate the mountain gorillas has rugged topography, which sometimes requires hiking to find them.
• Only go into the forest with an escorting ranger guide. Although the mountain gorillas are fully habituated to human presence, some forest dwellers are not and may be dangerous to you alone.
• When defecating, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole at least 30 centimeters deep and cover well beyond recognition.
• Stay in a tight group with the mountain gorillas because surrounding them may cause them to feel ambushed.
• Please don't attempt to provoke the mountain gorillas because they are wild animals habituated to human presence. They still possess wild behaviors. 
• When taking photos, do it with a flash-less camera to not scare the mountain gorillas; they are often frightened by unfamiliar occurrences in their presence.
• When tracking the mountain gorillas, keep your voice low not to scare them and other forest dwellers, which may be interesting to add to your wildlife photo collection.
• Never dump garbage in the wilderness, as this alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas live.

Gorilla trekking is an adventure like no other. Contact us to plan your safari today.