Uganda increases Bwindi gorilla price for foreign non-residents from $700 to $800 

The cost of the gorilla permit for foreign non-residents in Uganda has been increased from $700 to $800 per person, and the adjustments were implemented by the Uganda Wildlife Authority after deliberate discussions with several stakeholders. All partners have been notified about the changes and these changes are going to take effect on July 1st 2024. All foreign non-residents who have already purchased their gorilla permits will not be affected by the changes, however, all reschedules and permits bought after June 30th 2024 will be affected.

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The cost of the gorilla trek permit in Bwindi from July 1st 2024 to June 30th 2026 is as below.

Foreign non-residents $700 to $800

Besides foreign non-residents, other categories of tourists are paying a different cost for the gorilla permit, and below is the cost.

Foreign residents $600 to $700

East African citizens UGX 250 000 to UGX 300 000

African citizens $500 (this is a newly introduced category of tourists).

For gorilla habituation where you get to spend more time with the Mountain gorillas, the cost of the habituation permit includes the following:

Foreign residents $1000

Foreign non-residents $1500

EAC citizens UGX 750, 000                   

Gorilla permit costs have been increased for various reasons and these include:

Gorilla tracking is worth all the money that you pay for and one of the reasons why the cost is high and was increased is that about 75% of the permit fees is used for the conservation of the endangered Mountain gorillas. Gorilla conservation involves a number of things some of which include infrastructure construction, investment in research purposes, park rangers, community based projects, treating the gorillas, and armed rangers because they all need money. 

The revised permit costs will help provide funds to ensure smooth park operations and monitoring of the gorillas through safekeeping from poachers and their health.                    

The money that is paid for the permits is distributed as follows:

75% for gorilla conservation

15% for the government

10% for the local communities.

The Endangered Mountain gorillas attract a lot of people since they can only be tracked in three countries that is Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC and to be able to reduce on the number of people that trek gorillas per day as a way to protect them, the cost of the permit has been increased for this purpose. The limited number reduces the spread of diseases and at the same time reduces stress on the gorillas with large crowds.

The cost of the gorilla is a bit high because of the high demand, especially during the dry season from December to February and June to September. Because of the high demand for the permits, the cost is increased, and this can only be done by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.             

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda, close to the border of Uganda and Rwanda in the Albertine Valley. The National Park covers over 331 square kilometers and is filled with both lowland and tropical rainforests harboring 7 primate species, about 350 bird species, 24 of which are endemic to the Albertine region, 120 mammals, and over 163 tree species.

There are over 1064 Mountain gorillas in the world with over 459 gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park making it the highest population of Mountain gorillas in the world. The gorillas are found in the four sectors of the national park which are Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo, and Rushaga.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is an exercise that involves trekking through the thick forests of Bwindi in search of the Mountain gorillas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four sectors where gorilla trekking takes place and these are the Nkuringo sector, Rushaga sector, Ruhija sector, and Buhoma sector.

Rushaga sector: The Rushaga sector is located in the southern part of the national park close to Kisoro district. Rushaga has several habituated gorilla families and is one of the most popular destinations within Bwindi and this is because it is the only sector in Bwindi where gorilla habituation takes place, it is easily accessible from Rwanda via the land border of Kyanika, you can also use air transport from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip or drive from Kampala to Bwindi, and there are several accommodation facilities within Rushaga and these include Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla camp and gorilla safari Lodge among others. It is also easier to get to Lake Mulehe and Lake Mutanda through the Rushaga sector.

Gorilla habituation on the other hand is a bit different from gorilla trekking because, unlike the one hour you spend with the gorillas during gorilla trekking, tourists get a chance to spend four hours with the gorillas during the habituation process.

The different gorilla families within the Rushaga sector include the Bweza Gorilla family, Mishaya Gorilla family, Kahungye gorilla family, Nshongi gorilla family, Bikingi Gorilla family, Rwiigi Gorilla family, Busingye gorilla family and Mucunguzi gorilla family. 

Buhoma sector: The Buhoma sector is located in the northern part of Bwindi and acts as the park headquarters in the Kanungu district. It will take you about 8 to 9 hours to drive from Kampala to Buhoma, 5 to 6 hours from Kigali through the land border, and about an hour or two flying from Entebbe to Kihihi airport. Buhoma is the largest sector in Bwindi and lies along the lowest altitude making it easy to track gorillas due to the terrain nature.

Buhoma is the oldest sector in Bwindi and some of the gorilla families to trek here include:

• The Katwe gorilla family.
• Mubare gorilla family.
• Muyambi gorilla family.
• Habinyanja gorilla family.
• Rushegura gorilla family.
• Mubare gorilla family.

Ruhija sector: Located in the northeastern part of the national park about 4 kilometers from Buhoma, the Ruhija sector lies in the highest altitude range in Bwindi. The Ruhija sector can easily be accessed by driving from Rwanda to Kigali via the Kyanika or Katuna border and which will take about 4 to 5 hours, fly from Entebbe to either Kihihi airstrip which is nearest to the sector. The different accommodation facilities that you can use in Ruhija include Gorilla Mist Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, and Bakiga Lodge among others.

The different gorilla families in the Ruhija sector and these include the Oruzongo gorilla family, Kyaguliro A gorilla family, Kyaguliro B gorilla family, and Bitukura gorilla family.

Nkuringo sector: The Nkuringo sector is found in the southern part of the national park at a high altitude of 6800ft. Nkuringo was the second sector to be opened in Bwindi in 2004 and has four gorilla families including the Nkuringo gorilla family, the Bushaho gorilla family, the Bikingi gorilla family, and the Christmas gorilla family.

The gorilla tracking process

Gorilla tracking is an exercise that takes place throughout the year where trekkers take on the different terrain within the National Park. The trekking process is only carried out on habituated gorilla families that are used and accustomed to the presence of humans. The habituated gorillas can easily be approached following the rules and guidelines, they can easily play, feed, and groom each other with a crowd watching unlike those that have not been habituated. The habituation process takes about 2 years or more depending on the family and once habituation is set, the gorilla families are introduced to the public for trekking.

The trekking exercise starts early morning around 6 am and the first few minutes are used for the briefing where you will be told about the dos and don'ts when trekking, the rules, and what to expect when trekking gorillas. After the briefing, you will be grouped into 8 assigned gorilla families, head to the trailheads, and then the trekking exercise starts.

The trek exercise can take between 1 to 6 hours and all this depends on the location of the gorilla family you are trekking. Once you get to the gorilla family, you have an hour with the Mountain gorillas before returning to the park headquarters for the awarding of certificates for all participants.

As you prepare for the trek during the briefing, trackers are sent out to check and confirm the last location of the gorilla families, and with the help of a radio call, the wardens will be informed so that you take the right direction for the trek.

How to get a gorilla permit in Bwindi

Gorilla permits in Bwindi can be purchased for solo travelers through a tour operator or the Uganda Wildlife Authority. We recommend that you start planning for the gorilla trek safari at least 6 to 9 months or even more for proper planning, and the first step is to purchase the gorilla trek permit.

Contact the tour operator with the dates you would wish to track gorillas in Bwindi. You will then be asked for the number of gorilla permits you would wish to purchase, a copy of your passport, and your names as they appear on your passport. The operator will then check for the availability of the permits on your desired dates, and in cases where they are fully booked, you will be given more options closer to the desired dates. After confirmation, you will then be asked for the payment to be able to purchase the permit. When payment is received, the purchase of the permit will be made and a soft copy sent to you as confirmation.

If you wish to purchase a gorilla permit, make sure that you contact us at Encounter Safaris to help with the purchase of the permit and organize your gorilla permit for you because our client's care and comfort is our top priority.

The gorilla trekking experience involves a lot of rules and regulations that were set up by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to protect the gorillas and these include the following:

• The gorilla trekking age limit is 12 years, and this was changed from 15 years in 2023 to include more children in the exercise. Age verification will be done using the details on your passport, and no one below the age of 12 will be allowed to trek gorillas and purchase the gorilla trek permit. There is no maximum age limit, and you will be able to participate as long as you are physically fit.
• You will be set in groups of 8 for gorilla trekking, and this is to limit the number of people tracking gorillas. This is to avoid overwhelming the gorillas and agitating them.
• No one will be allowed to eat or drink when with the gorillas. Although you will be allowed to carry snacks and water, there are designated areas where the guides make stopovers to eat and drink because it is prohibited when the gorillas are nearby.
• Feeding of the gorillas is prohibited.
• All tourists have an hour with the gorillas after locating them, but in case the gorillas show signs of agitation, the one hour can be cut short to protect the gorillas.
• All tourists that are sick, especially with cough and flu or any other viral diseases will not be allowed to trek the gorillas. 
• When watching the gorillas and you feel like sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth and nose, turn away from the gorillas, and sneeze or cough to avoid infecting the gorillas.
• The flash on your camera has to be turned off when taking photos of the Mountain gorillas.
• Minimize on the noises that are made when with the gorillas and also avoid unnecessary movements.
• Follow all the instructions and guidelines given to you by the guides.  

Despite the increase in the gorilla permit cost for foreign residents, the gorilla trekking safari in Uganda is still an exceptional and wonderful way of meeting these large primates in their natural habitat. For more information about the new changes that have been made on the permit cost in Bwindi, get in touch with us via email or our website and we will help you with the purchases of the permits and proper planning of your gorilla trek safari to Bwindi.