What is the price of a gorilla permit in Uganda and Rwanda?

September 15, 2015

What is the price of a gorilla permit in Uganda and Rwanda?

The price of gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda is preceded by the cost of the gorilla trekking permits. No one is allowed to go gorilla trekking in either countries without securing a permit. It is the only entry ticket to this primate activity in Uganda and Rwanda.

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At the moment, the cost of Rwanda gorilla trekking permit is $1500 per person.

In Uganda, the price for the gorilla trekking permits per person is Foreign nonresidents $700 per person per trek, $600 for foreign residents and 250000 shs for East Africans.

In Uganda the Uganda Wildlife Authority is the purchase body for all gorilla trekking permit. Rwanda gorilla trekking permits are sold by Rwanda Development Board in Uganda at first come first served basis.

What Is Included In the Price for Gorilla Trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda

The Park Fees

Every national park in Uganda and Rwanda you need to pay park fees. Gorilla trekking, you do not need to pay park fees because they are included in the cost of the gorilla permit. This fee is support to the conservation campaign for the mountain gorillas.

Ranger Guide Fees

Every group of gorilla trekkers is escorted by a ranger guide after briefing. He or she need to be paid to encourage them continue the work of protecting the mountain gorillas. He or she walks you through the life of the mountain gorillas and take off some times to report any thing that is suspicious in the forest. Being ranger guides is one of the ways they earn a living and support there families.

Gorilla medication fund

The mountain gorillas require medical support from humans at times despite them being wild animals. When the mountain gorillas are injured and cannot treat themselves well, the gorilla doctors have to come in and give better treatment in the wilderness.

Periodically, samples of blood are extracted from the gorillas or dung to check the generally status of there lives. It is just like general checkups in humans

Park Security

During gorilla trekking, you need to emerge safe and this requires security. The Virunga area especially Bwindi Impenetrable National park, Mgahinga National park and Volcanoes National park require security for the tourists.

The ranger guides in collaboration with other security organs of Uganda and Rwanda offer extra security to tourists and other people in this area.

Park Maintenance

The gorilla safari parks need to be maintained so that you can go through the park with not much difficulty. This requires hiring some people to do this particular job. Even to clear trails which lead into the forests, you need to used machetes to create the way.

Purchase Communication gadgets

Since network is poor in this area, the rangers communicate with the specific headquarters through radio calls. These need to be upgraded and also train the rangers how to use them. Some of this money is got from what tourists pay for gorilla trekking

Support Mountain gorilla research Fund

Overtime, the research about the mountain gorillas is being held. This project needs funding and some of this money is obtained from the sale of gorilla permits. even the habituation process of the mountain gorillas need funding. This is done by researchers to get wild mountain gorillas accustomed to the presence of human. When all is done, only one hour of viewing the mountain gorillas is allowed in the presence there presence.

Support Community Close To the Mountain Gorillas

To encourage the community to love the presence of the mountain gorillas in there midst, 20%of the procedes accrues annually from the sale of the gorilla trekking safaris is give to the community.

They use this to support there projects like medical care, schools, road maintenance and others. In turn the community protect the mountain gorillas even when they stray, they do not kill them but call authorities concerned.

How To Book Gorilla Trekking Permits For Uganda And Rwanda

Know the date when you do gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda because gorilla permits are sold according to date throughout the year. Know the number of people you expect to trek with too.

When you enquire from us about your quest to do gorilla trekking, our safari consultant check availability at that moment according to the Uganda wildlife authority list or Rwanda development Board.

In case availability is positive, we advise our clients to purchse there permits as soon as possible. This is because the status of the gorilla trekking permits changes any time. The demand for gorilla permits is high yet only maximum 8 permits are allowed to be sold for a particular family.

The only way to show your interest in taking the gorilla trekking safari is by securing the gorilla permit. In case you purchase yours at least 6 months in advance, you may be allowed to pay in installments according to the regulating body terms and conditions. Remember to top up 90 days to the date of gorilla trekking or else you lose your permit.

Later before collecting the gorilla permits, you are requested to provide some personal details like your full names as per the passport, nationality, date of birth, passport expiry date and others.

When Is The Best Time To Book Gorilla Trekking Permits In Uganda And Rwanda

Since gorilla permits get sold off fast, you need to purchase yours at least 6 months in advance because to avoid last minute panic.

Although the gorilla permits are sold throughout the year, the peak seasons especially June to September and December to January are demanded highly.

To reduce on the last minute panic for searching the gorilla permits, you need to have yours in advance.

Sometimes wait listing you for a gorilla permit may cause some discomfort because you don’t know whether there will be a no show. In case there is, it may be in another are where by you may be overnighting in another area. Driving from one area to catch up with briefing in another area may be a challenge. You need to stay in accommodation close or within the area of your gorilla trek.

To avoid going through the circus of searching for a gorilla permit, you need to secure yours in advance.

How Much Is The Cost Of Gorilla Trekking Safari In Uganda And Rwanda

After securing the gorilla trekking permit, which is the cost that cuts across all the components of the gorilla safari quotation, you can consider others like

The Number of people Travelling with for gorilla trekking

The more the paying people joining the gorilla trekking safari, the less the cost per person for the safari. This is because you share some safari costs like vehicle hire, driver guide fee, gas and others. Solo travelers bare the entire cost of the gorilla trekking tour.

Gorilla trekking Package

When you choose the luxury, mid-range or budget gorilla trekking packages, the inclusions and exclusions are different. The more the gorilla safari package inclusions the higher the price of the quotation for the services and the better the level of comfort on safari

The number of Days on gorilla trekking safari

The more days you spend on gorilla trekking safari, the higher the prices quotation given. This is because there elements of the safari that are paid per day especially accommodation, the ranger guide, vehicle hire and others. The more days on safari the more the cost accumulates.

Timing of the gorilla trekking safari

During the low seasons of gorilla trekking, the prices of some services are discounted whereas the peak seasons, come with high prices. This is because of demand worldwide for the gorilla trekking packages yet limited by number of those allowed to be with the mountain gorillas.

Number of times you trek the mountain gorillas

You are allowed to do gorilla trekking more than once but you have to pay for your gorilla permit for each time. The more you indulge into the life of the mountain gorilla, the higher the price. Sometimes visiting the gorillas once may not be enough to understand how adorable these creatures are. You may need to have another time with them when the nerves are more calm.

Additional Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda can be combined with other activities that each country has. A few of these activities include game drives, white water rafting, chimpanzee trekking, visit source of river Nile, community visits and others.

How Safe Is Gorilla Trekking In Uganda And Rwanda

Volcanoes National park, Mgahinga National park and Bwindi Impenetrable national park are safe for gorilla trekking but you need must have personal security too

Do not travel with precious jewels because you may be a target for thieves
Never count a lot of money from public because you do not know the people surrounding you.
In case you travel in a group, move with your group members in case you need to get out.
Carry some limited cash during gorilla trekking because credit card are rarely used in Africa because of the procedure of obtaining moneys off them. Even when you use your credit card, do not just gibe off your specifics.
Stay close to the group you are given to do gorilla trekking with so that you are not lost in the wilderness.
Do not provoke the mountain gorilla during gorilla trekking even if they are serene creatures that have never been reported from attacking humans.
Carry with you your specifics like you passport for easy identification.
No camouflage wear in Uganda and Rwanda is allowed for security reasons. You may be misunderstood.
Bring a backpack to carry I your belongings so that they are not lost in the wilderness.
Avoid eating from the streets to avoid food poisoning.
To go into the forest, you need an escorting ranger guide who has protective gears that may keep away the dangerous animals in the forest.

What To Pack For Gorilla Trekking in Uganda And Rwanda

Packing light and but relevantly for gorilla trekking is very important so that you enjoy the entire trip.
Safari boots that can help you hike the slippery slopes and walk through boggy ground are very helpful.
A pair of stockings to tack in the trousers and prevent insects from creeping into your clothes to cause you harm.
A light water proof bag to carry with your belongings so that they don’t get wet or scatter when you falls.
Foldable water bottle for carrying drinking water when you get thirsty while trekking to find the mountain gorillas.
Pajamas top wear in the night but must be warm because this are gets cold .
A torch to use when light get down because solar lighting is mainly used here yet sun rays are not strong enough throughout the day.
An adapter and charger in case you need to recharge your gadgets.
Flashless camera because the gorillas are scared of unfamiliar occurrences in there vicinity.
Safari trousers and shirt to wear in the wilderness and protect your body from harmful conditions in the forest.
Insect repellant to keep away stinging insects that would cause harm to you when in the wilderness.

What Are the Rules Of Gorilla trekking in Uganda And Rwanda

No feeding the mountain gorillas when you locate them because they are wild animals that must search for own food.
Use of flash photography is forbidden because mountain gorillas are scared of unfamiliar happenings in there vicinity.
Do not enter the forest with a communicable infection like flu, cholera because the mountain gorillas are susceptible to human infections.
Littering the forest is forbidden because the wilderness is the feeding ground for the mountain gorillas. They are vegetarians in nature.
Stand at a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them to reduce on the chances of passing any infections to these gentle giants.
Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them
Surrounding the mountain gorillas is forbidden