The cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permits is $800 for a foreign non-resident, and $700 for foreign resident. Rest of Africa visitors pay only $500 while East African community country citizens pay only 300,000 UGX. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is one of the most popular tourism activities in the country and has since made a name as one of the only lucky homes for the surviving mountain gorillas.
The other two countries that mountain gorillas call home are Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Respectively, you can find them in Virunga National Park and Volcanoes National Park. This has in turn made the country popular and internationally recognized hence receiving both local and international visitors from all parts of the world.
The tourism sector of Uganda is still registering success as a result of the rare endangered mountain gorillas. Travelers cannot wait to come and spend quality time with the gentle giants in the wild. Most of them admit that gorilla trekking is a once in a life time activity and gives the most humane and breathtaking experience.
Gorilla Trekking in both Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park.
Mgahinga is the smallest national park in the country yet among the most visited in Uganda. This is partly because it is the second popular home for the endangered mountain gorillas after Bwindi. There is only one habituated gorilla family group here, known as “Nyakagezi.” You can track this family in 2 to 4 hours depending on their location in the pristine forest. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga starts off at Ntebeko, the park’s headquarters, in the early morning hours around 7:00am with a simple brief by the tour guides and park rangers. They share knowledge of the park, and about the tracked family and some of the dos and don’ts especially in the presence of the mountain gorillas.
Mgahinga is also dominated by the forests and volcano, which offer shelter and food to the mountain gorillas. This is why they can actually be seen on the slopes of the volcanic mountains. Some of the advantages of gorilla trekking in Mgahinga are that the Nyakagezi family group feed and is kept with in closer ranges unlike in Bwindi the gorilla tends to move for longer distances in search of food.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi.
In all a thousand mountain gorillas that survive globally in the wild, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is endowed with about 459 individual gorillas. This makes this destination a top tier and a unique one. The park has attracted a big number of guests from all parts of the world and has also largely boosted the tourism sector of Uganda.
There are four gorilla tracking regions in Bwindi and they include Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga. All are scattered in different parts of the park to offer different perspectives of the apes and their habitats. Buhoma sector in the northern part of Bwindi offer easier access and the most visited gorilla sector in the destination. Buhoma gorilla sector shelters only five habituated families, including Mubare as the older family and the first habituated. Other gorilla families include Katwe, Rushegura and Habinyanja.
There are about 24 gorilla families in Bwindi and the chances of sighting these human like primate species stand at 99%. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi also starts in the morning hours of 8:00 am. Trekkers are put into a group of eight members and each trekking group is allocated to one particular gorilla group family. Trekkers can only spend one full hour with the gorillas once they are allocated and the whole experience is just an amazing one.
The process of acquiring gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and the best time to book a permit.
Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda can be booked through a trustworthy and professional tour operator or through the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The best time for gorilla trekking permit bookings is the low season of the year for easier and early preparations unlike during the peak season. Peak seasons are periods where booking a ticket becomes a little bit challenging as a result of high demand.
For help contact us to help you book or buy your gorilla permit with no inconveniences. Doing this with us ensures that our team does all the heavy-lifting on your behalf. We are a locally based tour operator with a strong working relation with Uganda Wildlife Authority, thus speed up the process. Our past and present clients are a testament to our services including gorilla tours, and you can read their positive reviews on TripAdvisor.
