Rescheduling gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda

When gorilla trekking had just started in Uganda and Rwanda, there was never a chance to move and reschedule gorilla permits from one date to the next date; in other words, the permit dates were fixed, and no one could change it or do any reschedule. This issue was revisited by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Rwanda Development Board, which introduced flexibility to the permits because many tourists complained about it and were missing out on gorilla tracking. Gorilla permit reschedules apply to tourists who have to change the permit move from one date to another because of some valid reasons last minute.

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The procedure of rescheduling gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda

Gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda are all booked in advance, and during this time, so many things can happen, like falling sick, getting an accident, losing someone or any other unexpected circumstances that might not force the trekkers that have purchased the permits not to make it. If there is anything that happens and needs you to change the dates of trekking, you will have to write a formal letter to the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Rwanda Development Board addressing the Executive Director expressing the reasons why you want to reschedule and the dates you wish to reschedule to. The letter should be able to show the number of permits that need to be moved, the original dates and new dates for the reschedules. Whoever is in charge of changing /rescheduling gorilla permits has to provide evidence of the reason why the permits are being rescheduled.

The rescheduling letter can be sent via email as an attachment or directly to the office of the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board head offices. You need to make sure you do a follow-up to make sure that your letter has been well-received and being reviewed. Once permission has been granted, the gorilla permits will be moved from the old date to the new date, and after this, an email will be sent informing you about the changes that have been made, and the letter for your acceptance can be picked from the head office by your tour operator.

The letter is reviewed and once permission is granted, you have to show the receipt with the ID so that it is also changed in the system. Note that the gorilla permit has a unique ID and this has to be changed during the reschedule as each individual is given a permit with a different ID. If you reschedule your permits two weeks before the trek date, there will be no penalty but if you do the reschedule last minute, penalties apply. Get in touch with us for more information.

Permit reschedule policies

A gorilla permit reschedule refers to the change of dates or location of tracking by the tourists. Uganda and Rwanda offer a maximum of two permit reschedules for each individual and after the second time, no reschedule will be made regardless of the circumstances. Reschedules can happen at any time of the year but can only happen if there is space available for the requested time and location of tracking. Gorilla permits are a necessity because it is legally required for all tourists to have permits first to help with the regulation of the people trekking gorillas per day and to ensure vital and safe financial distribution to conserving Mountain gorillas and their natural habitat.

The first reschedule is made without any additional charges and note that this all depends on availability. When a second reschedule is made, a 25% charge of the cost of the permit is applied depending on the availability of the date chosen. When you decide to make reschedules, the revised trekking dates should not exceed 12 months from the original scheduled trekking date.

There are no refunds that are made for a tracking permit that has been rescheduled.

The rescheduled requests must be submitted fourteen days before the trekking date, after which they will be considered and processed depending on whether the dates requested for rescheduling are available. If you make a reschedule past the 14 recommended days, a premium surcharge of 25% will be applied to every permit.

Tracking permits that have been purchased through promotions or complimentary permits, especially in Rwanda, which offers discounts on permits, note that these are not eligible for rescheduling. The permits will be forfeited if they are not used on the designated dates and location.

In Rwanda, commission permits can be rescheduled within a year from the time they were issued following all the rescheduling guidelines and a surcharge on the second permit rescheduling.

Rescheduling of permits is only allowed in the same country, same zone (sections in Bwindi like Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga and Buhoma) and for the same activity. Contact us for more information.

Cost of gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda

Gorilla permit costs are different depending on the visitor’s category that you belong to. There are four categories of visitors and are East African Citizens (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan) this category includes those registered officially in the mentioned countries, the Rest Of Africa category and are citizens from other countries that are not part of the East African Community, Foreign residents and these are people residing in the East Africa community and have resident visas, permits and work permits and foreign non-residents and these are visitors from other countries (foreign non-residents have to present a valid Passport).

Uganda: The cost of the gorilla permit in Uganda for the different visitor categories is $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and UGX300,000 for EAC citizens. Uganda offers gorilla habituation and the cost of the habituation process is UGX750,000 for East African citizens, $1000 for both the foreign residents and the Rest of Africa citizens and $1500 for foreign non-residents.

Rwanda: the price for the gorilla permit in Rwanda for the different visitor categories is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $200 for East African citizens and $500 for the rest of Africa and foreign residents. When you pre-book to visit Nyungwe Forest National Park and Akagera National Park on top of gorilla tracking in Rwanda, a discount on the permit is offered and the cost is $1050 per person.

Please note that gorilla tracking permits have to be purchased in advance to be part of the tracking team and because there are few permits printed per day, it is best to book 6 months in advance before the trekking date.

How to purchase and book gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda

Purchasing a gorilla permit in Uganda and Rwanda is easily done when you contact a registered tour operator. Contact a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris with all the dates that you wish to track gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda after the dates have been provided the operator will check for the availability of the permits and when they find that the dates are open, they will pre-book the permits for you and thereafter, you will be sent details from where you have to make the payments because permits will not be purchased if you do not pay full cost of the permits.

You also have to provide personal details like a copy of the passport, full name, the number of permits you wish to purchase and the passport number. After the payments have been made, the purchase will be made and a copy of the permit is sent for record purposes. If you are planning a solo gorilla tracking safari by yourself in Rwanda, you can directly purchase the gorilla tracking permit from the Rwanda Development Board.

What happens after I purchase the gorilla permit?

After purchasing the permit, it becomes your property to the time when you come for gorilla trekking in both Uganda and Rwanda. The tour operator will keep the purchased gorilla permit on your behalf, and thereafter, when you arrive for the safari, the driver guide will hand over your permit to you. Note that the permit is still the property of the government, and after you attend the briefing on the day of the trek, the permits will be collected by the park wardens and these are returned to the head offices of the Rwanda Development Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

How many gorilla permits are printed per day in Uganda and Rwanda?

A total of about 96 permits are printed per day in Volcanoes National Park daily, and this is a breakdown for 8 gorilla permits covering the 12 habituated gorilla families in the national park. There are other 8 gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park, but these are harder to get to and are mostly used for research purposes. In cases where the gorilla family you have been assigned is not available or has moved to neighboring countries, you will be assigned one of the gorilla families reserved for research purposes.

A total of 194 permits are printed per day, 8 of which are for Mgahinga National Park and the rest for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The permits in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are issued/printed according to the four sectors found in the national park and these are Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. When assigned the gorilla permit, you will only be allowed to trek gorillas in the assigned sector.

Is there an age limit for purchase of the gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda?

Yes, there is an age limit for trekking in Uganda and Rwanda which is set up by the authorities in charge of wildlife in both countries. The minimum age limit is set to ensure that there is a limited number of people who access the Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat and this is to make sure that the gorillas are not overwhelmed. Children are also hard to control and oftentimes do not follow the rules and regulations, and this is why the minimum age limit was set. Rwanda’s set minimum age limit for trekking gorillas is 15 years and 12 years in Uganda. There is no maximum age limit for as long as you can still track without any health complications. The introduction of sedan chairs has made it easy for older people to trek gorillas and these come at an extra cost. The sedan gorilla tracking chairs are carried by porters and have to be booked in advance.

Where to go gorilla trekking/tracking

Uganda and Rwanda are home to the Mountain gorillas and the best safari destinations for a gorilla tracking safari in the world. Uganda as a country is home to half the world’s gorilla population and this is done in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi and Mgahinga are found in the southwestern part of Uganda. Mgahinga has one gorilla family, and Bwindi has 21 gorilla families open for tracking all year round. Gorilla tracking in Rwanda is done in Volcanoes National Park in the northeastern part of the country with 12 habituated gorilla families.

Best time for gorilla trekking

This is an all-year-round activity in Uganda and Rwanda; however, the best time is in the drier months, which are June to September and December to February. The reason the dry months are considered to be the best time for gorilla tracking is because the dry months are characterized by trek routes which ease trekking of the gorillas in their natural habitat. Please note that the dry months receive a lot of tourists and this is why it is also known as the peak season and expect it to be more expensive as compared to the rainy season. The rainy season/green/low season is from October to November and March to May and it is the best time to go for gorilla tracking for tourists traveling on a low budget. Note that the seasons change and the rains can be received in the dry season as well.

Encounter Africa Safaris offers amazing gorilla tracking experiences in both Uganda and Rwanda. Contact us for more information about gorilla tracking and tailor-made safari packages.