Uganda gorilla permits, Bwindi and Mgahinga

In Uganda, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park requires tourists to have a gorilla trekking permit which has to be booked in advance. The cost of the gorilla permits in Uganda is $800 for foreign non-residents per person, $700 for foreign residents per person, $500 for African passport holders and UGX300,000 for East African citizens per person.

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When you purchase the gorilla trekking permit, it gives you exclusive access to the mountain gorillas for an hour in the presence of trained and experienced tour guides. The permits are purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority through tour operators who are registered in the country.

What is a gorilla permit?

This is a legal document that is issued to tourists 12 years and above giving them access to the Mountain gorillas in the national parks. UWA prints 152 gorilla permits per day for Bwindi and 8 gorilla permits per day for Mgahinga National Park and these are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Therefore tourists need to book as early as possible to secure their trekking slots on either Bwindi or Mgahinga.

How to purchase Uganda gorilla permits

Uganda gorilla permits in Bwindi and Mgahinga are purchased through registered tour operators because it will take you a long and tiring time to purchase directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority website. Prepare your trek dates. If possible, have more than just one in case the dates are not available. Contact a tour operator with the prepared dates so that they can check for the availability of the permits and in cases where the permits are not available, the available dates will be provided so that you can make a choice. In cases where the dates are available, you will be informed, and they will be temporarily booked for you, but you need to make the payments for the permits as soon as possible.

Bank details will be provided so that you can make the necessary payments for the permits (make sure that the bank deducts the bank charges so that the operator gets the full amount for the permits). After we have confirmed the payments, we proceed to make the purchase for you and send a copy of the purchased permit.

Requirements for the purchase of the gorilla permit

Not everyone can purchase a Uganda gorilla permit, and there are requirements that are needed before you can purchase one. These include the following:

• You must be 12 years and above
• You have to provide a copy of your passport with the passport number, name, nationality and photo visible, and this has to be valid for more than 6 months.
• Payments have to be sent in before the permits are purchased. (no permit is purchased without the full payment cost).

When should I book for the Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla permits?

Gorilla permits in Bwindi and Mgahinga have to be booked 3 to 6 months before the trekking date because few permits are printed per day, and yet they are so competitive, especially during the dry season of June to September and December to February. It is almost near impossible for tourists to get last-minute gorilla permits in Bwindi and Mgahinga.

What is included in the permit?

A gorilla permit in Bwindi and Mgahinga gives you access to the mountain gorillas for one hour, experienced guides and rangers, park entrance fees, and security from the armed rangers.

How many permits are printed per day in Uganda?

The Uganda Wildlife Authority prints 152 permits per day in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, covering all four sectors in the park, and only 8 permits per day for Mgahinga National Park. The limited permits that are printed per day limit the number of people who have access to the mountain gorillas and this acts as a conservation and protection measure. Therefore tourists have to book in advance to ensure that they are part of the limited permits that are printed per day.

The cancellation policy of Uganda gorilla permits

Cancellation of a Uganda gorilla permit does not warrantnd but in, cases where you have to cancel the permit due to unavoidable circumstances, there is a cancellation policy that is followed and it, is effected by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. When a cancellation on the Uganda gorilla permit is made, the policy below is followed for refunds and zero refunds.

0 to 8 days before the trek date-Zero refunds are made

9 to 45 days before the trek date-25% refund is made

46 to 90 days before the trek date-50% refund is made

91 days and above before the trek date-75% refund is made.

Rescheduling of the Uganda gorilla permits (Bwindi and Mgahinga)

Reschedules of gorilla permits in Bwindi and Mgahinga are possible but only if you have valid reasons why you are asking for a reschedule. Note that reschedules are only handled by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and not the tour operator. The operator can only help with the process but UWA has the right to either grant or reject the reschedule.

When you want a gorilla permit rescheduled for either Bwindi or Mgahinga, you have to write a formal letter addressed to the Uganda Wildlife Authority detailing the reasons why you need the rescheduled and, if possible, add evidence or proof of why the reschedule should be granted. The letter will be received, and after careful consideration, the permit will be rescheduled to a later available date. Note that the permit can only be rescheduled if there is an available date on the booking system.

Refunds on the gorilla permit in Uganda

The Uganda gorilla permit, once paid for, is non-refundable for all tourists. There are however scenarios where the gorilla permit can be refunded for example if you fall sick on the day of the trek after arriving at Bwindi and Mgahinga, at the discretion of the warden in charge, you will not be allowed to trek but a letter will be sent to UWA so that a full refund of the permit cost is made upon your return to Kampala.

If you trek the mountain gorillas and fail to see the assigned gorilla family the entire day, a full refund of the gorilla permit is made. However, this is impossible because all trekkers have a 99% chance of seeing the mountain gorillas on the day of the trek.

How are gorilla trekking permits allocated in Uganda, Bwindi and Mgahinga?

Gorilla permits are allocated on a first come first serve basis and depending on the gorilla families that are available for trekking. The allocation of the gorilla permits to tourists in Bwindi and Mgahinga is done by the park authorities that is the warden and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Bwindi, as earlier noted, has 4 sectors, which are Ruhija, Rushaga, Buhoma and Nkuringo, and upon purchase of the permit, you are assigned a sector which has available gorilla families. Then, on the day of the trek, after the briefing, the park authorities will assign you a gorilla family in the sector you were assigned upon purchase of the permit; other factors that will be considered include age, physical fitness and if you have any health issues.

Mgahinga, on the other hand, is easy because it only has one gorilla family, so tourists will be assigned the Nyakagezi gorilla permits upon purchase.

NB: Note that a gorilla permit that has been assigned to a specific person cannot be used by any other person whose details do not appear on the permit. Also, a permit issued to a specific sector cannot be used in a different sector on the trek day.

A gorilla permit is valid from the day of issuance to the day of trekking. After this, it cannot be used for accessing the mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga.

Who owns the Uganda gorilla permit after purchase?

The gorilla permit is owned by the person who has purchased it (tourist) from the time of purchase to the trekking date, and this is why after the purchase, a copy is sent to you, and when you get to Uganda for the safari, you will be given the original permit by the guide. But after the briefing, the permit is collected by the park authorities and taken back to the Uganda Wildlife Authority hence becoming a property of the Government of Uganda again. No tourist is allowed to leave the national parks with a permit.

Why is a gorilla permit important?

The gorilla permit in Bwindi and Mgahinga is important because it plays an important role in the conservation of the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The gorilla permit ensures that the right number of people have access to mountain gorillas per day, limiting the spread of diseases from humans to gorillas and ensuring that the mountain gorillas are not overwhelmed  and stressed by large crowds in their habitat.

The cost of the gorilla permit also contributes to the economic development of the neighbouring communities. Part of the fees collected are used to improve the infrastructure, hospitals, roads and schools in the communities, improving the livelihood of the local people.

The gorilla permit cost also funds the research that is carried out on mountain gorillas to fully study them and find better ways of protecting and conserving them and their natural habitat.

The gorilla permit fee also covers the medical expenses for the mountain gorillas when they fall sick. Some doctors are called to monitor the gorillas to reduce their deaths, and this is covered by the gorilla permit.

The gorilla permit fee is also used to cover the security that is provided during the trek and to the mountain gorillas and the national parks throughout the year. Security is vital to reducing the poaching of mountain gorillas.

The gorilla permit fee also covers the basic salary of the ranger guides who spend most of their time with the mountain gorillas, studying both the individual and group characteristics and ensuring that all the habituated gorilla families are trekked throughout the year.

NB: When you purchase a gorilla permit, you get to spend an hour with the mountain gorillas, but you are indirectly contributing to the conservation of these mighty giants for future tourists.

The gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi and Mgahinga

Trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga starts with a briefing, which is carried out early morning, and it is all about the rules and regulations of trekking gorillas in the national parks and prepares trekkers about what to expect when it comes to gorilla trekking. During the briefing, you will be placed in groups of 8 and thereafter assigned a gorilla family to trek about the sector that you have on your permit (when it comes to Bwindi). The gorilla trek can take about 2 to 7 hours to and from the park headquarters, depending on the location of the mountain gorilla family you have been assigned, and after locating them, you get an exclusive hour observing the gorillas, taking photos, recording videos and learning about the individual family members.

During the gorilla trek, you will be able to see other primate species and bird species, among others and this is why tourists are encouraged to avoid making noise so that they can observe their surrounding areas. When you head back to the park headquarters, you will be awarded a certificate of participation by the park authorities for your contribution towards the conservation of the Mountain gorillas.

Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga

The best time to go for gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga is from June to September and December to February during the dry season also referred to as the peak season. This period receives little or no rainfall, which means that the trek trials are easily accessible as compared to the muddy and slippery routes experienced during the rainy season. This is an activity that can be carried out throughout the year even during the rainy season (March to May and October to November).

Contact us for more information.