Organizing low-budget gorilla safaris and holidays in Uganda or Rwanda can be a kind of hassle more especially if you choose to do it online. While we offer luxury safaris, midrange safaris we as well organize low-budget safaris for students and clients who prefer spending less while on safari. Our low-budget trips to see mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda are designed to cater for visitors whose primary interest is to see as much as possible but to keep their expenditure low.

Things to consider when planning a Low budget gorilla tour to Uganda and Rwanda

When planning to visit Uganda or Rwanda for gorilla trekking on a low budget, you need to consider a few things such as the cost of gorilla permits, accommodation, and transport to get you to and from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda) and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, respectively.

Gorilla trekking permit price

The price of a gorilla trekking price in Uganda and Rwanda is determined by respective government bodies and as such is not negotiable. Uganda Wildlife Authority sets Uganda gorilla permit price while Rwanda Development board set Gorilla permit price for Rwanda. Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 while Uganda gorilla permit costs $700. To see mountain gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda, you must possess a valid gorilla permit for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park, or Volcanoes National Park. The choice of where to see mountain gorillas will determine how much you will spend on the gorilla permit. If your budget is limited, Encounter Africa safaris recommend visiting Uganda since the permit price is low yet you will get the same experience. By choosing to go to Uganda, you save up to $800, which can pay for other services like transport and accommodation. If you want to spend more time with mountain gorillas, consider booking gorilla habituation experience permits and safaris to the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Uganda government through Uganda Wildlife Authority sometimes offer discounts on gorilla permits which you can take advantage of. Most of these discounts on permits come in the low seasons of March, April, May, and November. During the same time, Lodges and campsites tend to reduce on room rates in order to attract a few visitors during the low season.

Included in a gorilla trekking permit price

Most visitors are not aware of what they include and exclude in the price of a gorilla permit. Once you have the knowledge of what is included and excluded, it will help you on how to plan for other components of the gorilla tour. A gorilla permit in Uganda or Rwanda includes spending one hour with mountain gorillas in Bwindi, Mgahinga, or Volcanoes National Park, park fees for one day, services of an armed ranger guide, and a certificate after your gorilla trek in Uganda or Rwanda. This implies that costs of accommodation and transport are excluded and have to be planned separately.

Choice and cost of Accommodation

One area where you can save on while organizing a low-budget gorilla trekking holiday to Uganda and Rwanda is accommodation. Many budget Lodges and campsites exist near Bwindi impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park. Most Low budget accommodation properties charge $40-60 dollars depending on their meal plan. If travelling on a shoe stringed budget, we recommend booking your accommodation on bed-and-breakfast so that you can arrange other meals at a cheap. Encounter Africa safaris can advise you on the so many budget campsites that offer good prices for rooms and meals.

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable or Volcanoes National Park

If planning a low budget Safari to Bwindi or Volcanoes National Park, we recommend that you utilize our safari Vans which are less expensive compared to Luxury Land Cruisers. These vans consume less fuel and are very comfortable. There is an option of taking a bus to and from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but this is so risky in terms of both you and your luggage. Chances are that you may arrive late and miss out on your gorilla trek.

Contact a Licensed tour operator

For security purposes, we advise clients to contact registered tour operators in Uganda. When we talk of registered tour operators, we mean those who are members of AUTO (Association of Uganda Tour Operators). When you contact such, you are assured that your money and tour planning is handled by a genuine company and if anything goes wrong, then you know where to start from. You can send an email to us or any other company and they will surprise you with how competitive their quotes will be. Sometimes it is better to contact Tour Operators in your home country but remember they will as well add some profit since they will act as middlemen.

Consider joining a Group tour to Bwindi or Volcanoes National Park

You can save on tour costs by joining a group. By doing this, it will assure you of sharing transport, fuel, guides, and even accommodation. We organize group tours and if you would like to join a group based on low-budget safaris to gorillas and other parts of Uganda or Rwanda, please do contact us.

Low season versus High season

Consider traveling to Uganda or Rwanda in the low seasons of April, May, or November as it is during such periods that Lodges, hotels offer discounts on accommodation rates, and Uganda Wildlife Authority offers promotional prices for gorilla permits where you can save up to USD250.00 per permit. Traveling in the low season compared to the traditional prime seasons of June, July, August, and up to mid-September, will enable you to save up to 40% of what you could have paid in the high season. For such discounts and low budget gorilla safaris, do contact us and we will serve you diligently.

There several options of accommodation properties that offer decent rooms at affordable prices. Others have camping facilities you can use. Contact us for such options and we will gladly advise you. If you are relying on a shoestring budget, you may as well consider using public transport in some sections, book bed breakfast for you to save some money. The danger with using public transport is that some people can take advantage of you and your valuables might be stolen.

Our offices are always open from Monday to Friday and should you have any ideas or advice needed, contact us. For sample tours to Uganda and Rwanda, you can check through our website and let us know so that we customize it for you to meet your individual interests. We are members of the Association of tour operator with several years of proven high level of service and when contacted, be assured of a better service.