Is it possible to do multiple gorilla treks in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Is it possible to do multiple gorilla treks in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park? Multiple gorilla trekking is possible if you purchase the gorilla permits each time. It would be best to have enough days for your Uganda holiday as gorilla trekking is done once daily. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park National Park permits are booked according to area which is Buhoma area, Ruhija area, Rushaga area and Nkuringo area. Each time you do gorilla trekking, you have just one hour in the company of the fully habituated mountain gorilla family.

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You can do gorilla trekking in one area and request other permits to be booked in other areas as long as you are ready to alter your accommodations. When you overnight in one area and yet do gorilla trekking in another area, you have to drive in the dark to catch up with briefing in another area. This may come with some foreseen obstacles that may end in getting disqualified from attending the gorilla trek.

Alternatively, you can request to allocate different gorilla families daily for the same gorilla trekking area.

While in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you may also experience gorilla habituation. The gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where tourists follow a team of researchers and trackers in the wilderness to join a semi-habituated gorilla family. Only four hours are allowed with these mountain gorillas during the gorilla habituation experience. 

The Uganda Wildlife Authority is the only gorilla permit regulating and selling the body of Uganda. You can use an accredited tour operator to book the gorilla permits. At Encounter Africa Safaris, when you contact us, we assist you in booking gorilla permits, securing accommodation, reserving transport to use during the gorilla safari, offering free advice about your choice of safari activities, and so much more. 

How To Book Gorilla trekking Permits For Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Select a date when you hope to do gorilla trekking and the number of permits you wish to book. This helps with checking the right availability and avoid moving back and forth.

When you enquire from us at Encounter Africa Safaris, our safari consultant checks availability from the Uganda Wildlife Authority list. 

Upon finding gorilla permit availability, we advise clients to purchase permits as soon as possible because they sell out fast. Uganda Wildlife Authority sells gorilla permits on a first come, first served basis. None of these permits is secure without payment. 

When the gorilla permit is secured, forward personal details like your full name as presented on the passport, date of birth, Nationality, and expiry date. These details are added to your gorilla trekking card and later retrieved when you present it on the day of the trek.

What is the cost of Gorilla Trekking Permit for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

The gorilla trekking permit for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park costs $800 per person per trek for foreign nonresidents, $ 700 for foreign residents, and 300000shs for East African residents.

The cost of gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park includes:

• Park entrance fees.
• Local community support.
• Security.
• Government tax.
• Mountain gorilla conservation.
• One hour with the mountain gorillas.
• A certificate after gorilla trekking.

Exclusions in the gorilla trekking permit cost are transport, accommodation, tips, porter and other personal expenditures.

Is Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Tiresome? 

Doing gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is tedious because of the terrain of this habitat. The Bwindi forest topography is volcanic, with ridges and plateaus on whose slopes mountain gorillas spend part of their day. 

When the mountain gorillas are lounging or feeding from the slopes or deep in the valley, you may be required to hike in order to locate them. The trails have obstacles like soggy and slippery conditions, tangled vegetation, biting nettles, and much more.

It would be best to have some fitness level to maneuver the tough terrain and find the mountain gorillas. Wear the right gorilla trekking gear to protect your skin from getting hurt.

To do gorilla trekking multiple times, your body must be in good shape or you may get exhausted from hiking.

Are mountain Gorillas aggressive?

On the outlook, mountain gorillas appear aggressive because of their dark faces, furred body, and knuckle local motion. Even most animations and films show them as aggressive creatures. Upon finding them, you get to witness their factual being. 

Mountain gorillas are calm, shy and serene primates whose life depends on the provision of the forest. They rarely show their aggressiveness, but when angry, mountain gorillas thump their chests hard, pull grass around them, walk on one foot, hoot, and so much drama.

Upon noticing this, please do not panic; sometimes you may have nothing to do with their current behavior. Wait for the ranger guides first to establish what the matter may be. Sometimes, it's a family feud or an attack from another wild gorilla family. Follow the advice given by the ranger guide so you can continue observing the gorillas.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

The duration of gorilla trekking depends on the factors prevailing in the wilderness, like proximity of the mountain gorilla food, in case the gorilla family is adventurous, weather conditions of the day, death of a gorilla family member, and so much more.

Sometimes, tourists have found mountain gorillas in two hours, while others have spent about three-quarters of the day. You need to be patient during the gorilla trek and open your mind to seeing other interesting features in the wilderness, like sparkling waterfalls, other primates, birds, and so much more.

The range guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker, but do not delay others because you are still determining when to find the mountain gorillas.

Doing pre-gorilla trekking exercises saves you from getting muscle pulls before completing the gorilla trek.

Can I Use A Gorilla Trekking Permit For One Area In Another Area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

No, when your gorilla permit is booked in a particular area, that is where you are expected to do the gorilla trek. If you make a mistake and get to the briefing point of another area, you may not be allowed to do gorilla trekking. Each gorilla family is allowed a maximum of 8 tourists per trek so that you may be the excess person.

The number of gorilla permits is limited to a maximum of 8 for conservation reasons, as mass tourism leads to trampling on vegetation on which mountain gorillas feed.

When booking accommodation for your gorilla trekking safari, take note of the area where your permit is secured to avoid making a mistake of sleeping in another area yet you have to attend briefing in another.

What Accommodation Can I Book For Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Accommodations in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are categorized into luxury, mid-range, and budget. For every gorilla safari area, you need to secure accommodation within or closer to where the permit is booked. This is to avoid waking up early and driving in the dark to catch up with a briefing in another area.

Buhoma accommodations: Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Engage Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Bwindi View Bandas, Lake Kitandara Tented Camp, Gorilla Resort, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Silverback Lodge

Ruhija accommodations: Ruhija Gorills Lodge, Broadbill Camp

Nkuringo and Rushaga accommodations: Clouds Lodge, Nshongi camp, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge

How To Get To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

 By Road

Several routes lead to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but you must hire a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle.

Entebbe/ Kampala to Kabale to Kanungu to Buhoma is about 530 kilometers in about 9 hours.

Entebbe/ Kampala to Kabale to Ruhija to Buhoma with a distance of about 509 kilometers but the road needs to be in better condition.

Kampala/ Entebbe to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Buhoma with a distance of about 472 kilometers, is regarded as the most direct route from Kampala or Entebbe.

Kampala to Kabale to Nkuringo takes a distance of about 519 kilometers. You can overnight in Kisoro, which is 80 kilometers from Kabale. You can connect to the Nkuringo area from Kisoro, which is about 1 hour and 15 minutes drive to a distance of about 35 kilometers.

You can cross from Kigali, Rwanda, into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, via the Cyanika and Gatuna border, then to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Kabale is about 5 to 6 hours.

From Queen Elizabeth National Park, Buhoma area is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is approximately 160 kilometers from Mweya and 64 kilometers from Ishasha sector.

By air

From Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip, you can book a seat on the daily domestic flights to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrips. Booking is required, especially if you hope to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the peak season.

Charter flights are available at Kajjansi or Entebbe Airport for private luxury gorilla trekking safaris.

Hiring a transfer vehicle from the airstrip to your lodge.

Is Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Worth Booking?

It is worth every penny you spend during the gorilla safari. Aside from making your dream of meeting the mountain gorillas a reality, gorilla trekking is a noble act too. You get to contribute to the conservation of some of the endangered primates of the world. 

A portion of the gorilla permit price contributes to the gorilla conservation fund. This money supports the local community, too, as sensitization programs are run often to help locals appreciate the need to conserve the mountain gorillas and their habitats.

When you hire a porter during the gorilla trekking safari, you contribute to the local community's livelihood as funds collected support the running of their day-to-day life.

Can I Expect A Refund For The Gorilla Permit?

When you purchase the gorilla permit, you are sure to attend gorilla trekking per the booked dates, but due to unforeseen circumstances, you may need to be in a position to honor it. Getting a refund for your gorilla permit depends on the gorilla permit refund policy of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. If you booked your gorilla permit through a tour operator, you may be charged to help you follow the possibilities of getting a refund.

It would be best if you were patient as protocol has to be followed in order to get your gorilla permit refund in case you qualify.

What to Pack For Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

• Safari boots to cover your feet from getting hurt while trekking to find the mountain gorillas.
• Some warmers as it gets so cold early morning and late afternoon 
• Energy bites to reenergize during the breaks as you trek to find the mountain gorillas.
• Waterproof backpack to carry with your gorilla trekking gear and if you need to hand them over to a porter.
• Garden gloves to cover your palms when you trip and fall while in the wilderness.
• Safari hat to protect your head from buzzing insects in the wilderness.
• Insect repellant to keep away insects that may sting you when you are in the wilderness.
• A pair of stockings to tack in your clothes and protect yourself from insects that may creep into them.
• Sunglasses to protect your eyes from insects that buzz in the wilderness.
• A torch
• A camera to keep memories of the gorilla trek.
• Some cash in case you need to do on-ground purchases
• Flip flops
• Travel adopter and charger
• Duffel bag to carry in your belongings, and you need to pack relevantly and light in case you have to offload and carry your bags.
• First aid kit with emergency medication
• Toiletries in case your lodge doesn't provide any
• Light shoe bags for your shoes in case you clean them and they do not get dry by the time of your departure.

Contact us for more information.