Steps to take to book a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda

Booking the gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda is proceeded by booking the permits for either activity; however, you must know whether you are doing gorilla trekking or habituation or chimpanzee trekking or habituation.

The number of gorilla and chimpanzee safari permits is limited to regulate the effects of mass tourism on the habitats where these primates dwell.

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Gorilla trekking in Uganda happens in two destinations: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, subdivided into Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and the Rushaga area. Mgahinga National Park is the other gorilla safari destination in Uganda.

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda happens in several destinations, some of which include Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kaniyo Pabidi in Murchison Falls National Park, Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary, and others.

When booking the gorilla and chimpanzee safari permits in Uganda, you need to select a time for the start and end of your Uganda primate safari or state the date when you wish these activities to happen. Note that gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Uganda cannot happen on the same day, so consider this when selecting dates.

Choose accommodations to use during gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda according to your budget. Accommodations to operate in Uganda's gorilla and chimpanzee safari destinations are categorized into Upscale, Mid-range, and budget. Since both primate adventures start in the morning, you need to be at the ranger station at least before briefing time. For this reason, accommodation for the night before the adventure should be within or closer to the destination.

How to Plan gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda

Step1: Book gorilla and chimpanzee permits

Select whether to do gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience. Gorilla trekking allows you to have a moment with the fully habituated mountain gorilla family. In contrast, with the gorilla habituation experience, you have four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family.

Choose to do chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda, where chimpanzee trekking allows you one hour with a fully habituated chimpanzee troop or chimpanzee habituation allowing you four hours with a semi-habituated chimpanzee community.

State the starting and ending time of your gorilla and chimpanzee safari adventure in Uganda, or, in case you wish to do this at a specific time, state it. Note the number of gorilla and chimpanzee permits to book in Uganda to ease checking availability.

 When you enquire about the Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari, our safari consultant checks permit availability from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority.

The tour consultant will get back to you upon finding gorilla and chimpanzee permits available. We advise clients to purchase their permits as soon as possible because they sell out on a first-come, first-served basis. Since either gorilla or chimpanzee safari permits cannot be secured without payment, purchase yours in time. Note that if you hope to do gorilla or chimpanzee safaris in the peak season, that is, June to September or December to January, at least reserve the gorilla permits six months to a year in advance just to be safe.

What is the cost of the Uganda gorilla safari permit?

Currently, a Uganda gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for foreign nonresidents. $700 for foreign residents and 300,000shs for East Africans.

Currently, gorilla habituation permit cost in Uganda is $1500 for foreign nonresidents, $1000 for foreign residents, and 750000shs for East Africans.

The cost of gorilla safari permits includes park entrance fees, ranger guide fees, security, mountain gorilla conservation, local community support, four hours of gorilla habituation experience or one hour of gorilla trekking, and Researcher fees for gorilla habituation experience.

Excluded from the cost of gorilla safari permits are tips, porter hire fees, transport, and any other personal expenses.

What is the cost of Uganda chimpanzee safari permits?

Currently, a Uganda chimpanzee trekking permit costs $300 for international nonresidents, $250 for foreign residents, and 180000shs for East Africans.

Chimpanzee habituation permit cost for Uganda is currently $300 for international nonresidents, $300 for foreign residents, and 300000shs for East African residents.

Inclusions in the cost of a Uganda chimpanzee permit are park entrance fees, local community support, chimpanzee conservation, ranger guide fees, one hour of chimpanzee trekking, or four hours of chimpanzee habituation experience.

Exclusions in the Uganda chimpanzee safari permit cost are snacks, tips, transport, and other expenses of a personal nature.

Step2: Book accommodations to use during gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda

Both gorilla and chimpanzee safaris have a specific starting time, but briefing is necessary for both activities. You need to secure accommodations within or closer to the gorilla and chimpanzee safari destinations to avoid getting late.

Accommodations to use on this Uganda primate adventure are subdivided into luxury, mid-range, and budget facilities. For a gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you must book accommodations within or closer to the area where your gorilla permit is booked to avoid being late for briefing time. Crossing from one Bwindi area to another is quite challenging because of the obstacles that may be encountered.

Bwindi accommodations: Clouds Lodge, Ichumbi Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Lake Kitandara tented camp, Silverback Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Mahogany Springs 

Mgahinga accommodations: Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga gorilla Triangle, Majambere Iwachu, Community Camp, Mutanda Lake Resort

Kibale accommodations: Kibale Safari Lodge, Primates Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Chimps Nest Lodge, C.V.K

Step3: Book Transport to use during gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda 

How to get to and from the gorilla and chimpanzee safari destinations matters. You can use road transport, but you need a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition. The roads in the countryside get messy during the wet season.

Hiring a well-experienced and professional driver guide keeps the safari lively, and you get more information about Uganda than what you know. A driver guide with experience knows alternative routes to the gorilla and chimpanzee safari destinations in case some get messy.

For fly-in gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Uganda, you need to secure a seat on the daily domestic flights as they sell out fast. For charter flight services, you must make the necessary arrangements in advance to be able to make all the necessary clearances.

Step4: select additional activities to combine with gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda

Uganda is a multi-safari activity National with a cocktail of things you can do on a visit to Uganda. Some of these activities include;

Game drives on Uganda safari

Uganda has four game parks open to public visits: Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park. To get the best out of the Uganda game safari, you must start the game drives early morning when animals emerge from their night hideouts or late afternoon as they return home.

During the game drives on the Uganda safari, you may spot lions, leopards, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, and antelopes. Although not all these animals are found in one park, some are specific to particular parks.

Try not to drive off track, as this is punishable.

Water activities on Uganda safari

Uganda may be a landlocked country, but there are water activities you can do during your visit. Some of these activities include: 

Launch trips on Uganda safari

• Murchison Falls National Park launch trip is amazing, especially after the game drives on the track under the scorching sun. When you look over to the banks of the River Nile, you observe several animals that move down to quench thirst. Schools of hippos enjoy the freebies of the River Nile.

Finally, you hear the thundering roar of River Nile as it squeezes through the 6-meter-wide bend to finally burst out and form a cloudy appearance before cascading down the 43-meter-high cliff and continuing with its course. Hiking to the top of the falls is magnificent as you see where the River Nile generates its drama.

• Queen Elizabeth National Park launch trip is amazing as you sail on the Kazinga channel. The shoreline of the River Nile is often graced by several animals like hippos, crocodiles, lions, waterbucks, and leopards that move down to quench thirst and take birth; an array of birds flock to the Kazinga channel all year.

From the Kazinga channel launch trip, you can enjoy the stunning sceneries on the Rift Valley floor, and the Rwenzori ragged highlands can be viewed easily.

• The boat ride on Lake Mburo is relaxing as you watch several features in Lake Mburo National Park. Enjoy the water birds that flock to the swamps in this park and much more.
• White water rafting on River Nile

Feel the thrill of the river Nile and its violence with a white water rafting experience. There is no need for experience, but open your mind to learning from the on-ground instructors. Buckle your safety gadgets and peddle well to beat the tides. You can do white water rafting in Itanda Falls or within Murchison Falls National Park.

• Sports fishing

While on Uganda safari, you can do sports fishing on the River Nile and other water bodies as long as you get a fishing license from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. It is best to secure your fishing equipment to avoid disappointment when you get on the ground. Make sure you do advance booking so that all necessary arrangements can be made, like booking a boat captain, boat, and other necessary arrangements. 

• Sunset cruise

Privately, you can arrange a sunset cruise on Lake Victoria for some moments on the largest freshwater Lake in Africa.

You can also visit the beaches in Entebbe and beyond, do Kayaking, tubing, boat cruise, visit Lake Bunyonyi for tranquility, and much more while on Uganda safari

Golden Monkey Safari in Mgahinga National Park

You can do golden monkey trekking or golden monkey habituation experience in Mgahinga National Park. You just secure a golden monkey trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Golden monkeys are a special monkey species with an exciting life that keeps you on your toes when you visit. 

Mountaineer on Uganda safari

Rwenzori ranges hike is the most famous in Uganda, where you get to the top called Magheritah, which is snow topped all year. Excursion mountaineering on Mountain Gahinga, Muhavura, and Sabyinyo is exciting, too. Uganda has several other highlands you can hike too.

Kampala city tour

Kampala is the heartbeat of Uganda, during the city tour, you may visit Kabaka's manmade Lake in Katwe, Uganda Martyr's Shrine, Uganda Museum, Bahai Temple in Kikaya, Gadaffi Mosque, St Balikudembe market.

What rules should be followed during gorilla and chimpanzee safaris in Uganda?

• Stay in a tight group during gorilla or chimpanzee safari because they feel ambushed when you surround them and feel insecure and agitated. This may lead them to retreat into the deeper ends of the park.
• Flash photography is prohibited because mountain gorillas or chimpanzees fear new occurrences in their environment.
• If you catch any communicable infection like cholera, flu, cough, or Virus, volunteer to stay behind so that you don't pass it to the gorillas. They are highly susceptible to human infections. The extent to which they may be affected may cause the conservation work done to go back to highly endangered.
• Eating or smoking 250 meters closer to the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees is forbidden to prevent the chances of them grabbing it from you. Wild animals must search for their own food and not depend on human provision.
•  Burry all fecal materials beyond recognition so the animals in the forest cannot exhume them. Ask the ranger to dig a hole for you about 30 cm and cover it well.
• In case you wish to sneeze or cough, do it away from the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees and use your handkerchief or elbow.
• Try not to talk loudly or make noise when going on a gorilla and chimpanzee safari because you may also scare the other forest dwellers, which may be interesting to see.
•  Wearing a clean mask before meeting the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees is an added rule for all primate safaris after the Corona Virus Lockdown.
• The age limit for gorilla and chimpanzee safari experience is 15 years and over because children below this age may not withstand the conditions in the forest. 
• When you locate the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees, only one hour is allowed with them on gorilla trekking and four hours on gorilla or chimpanzee habituation. This is to let the gorillas or chimpanzees go about their day-to-day activities. They have been habituated to be in the presence of humans for just that hour.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them. This reduces the chances of passing an infection to the mountain gorillas. 
• Provoking the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees during habituation experience is not acceptable because you do not know how this will treat them. They are very sensitive to anything that happens to them.

Contact us for more information.