UGANDA’S GORILLA TREKKING PERMITS REMAIN AT THE SAME PRICE.

A gorilla permit is a card that is being issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to allow a visitor to go and track the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The permit enables the visitor to see the mountain gorillas for only one hour but it doesn’t guarantee him or her 100% that they will see these creatures in their wilderness.

Although gorilla trekking is the most sought after adventure in African continent, many travelers are still left pondering about its cost. The fact is that respective countries where mountain gorillas are found charge different prices for gorilla trekking permits. Recently, Rwanda one of the three famous destinations for gorilla trekking went a head and drastically increased the price of their gorilla permits to 100% for all tourists which stands at $1500 today some thing that raised speculations about Uganda’s gorilla trekking tariffs too. This however became a concern of every one in the tourism industry including the travelers, tour operators, conservationists and marketing bodies among other stakeholders. People were concerned about Uganda’s gorilla trekking tariffs like will Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) also follow Rwanda’s decision to increase the price of gorilla trekking permits?

SILVERBACK MOUNTAIN GORILLA

However, we can say there is good news about Uganda’s gorilla trekking permits now, UWA-the overall body that manages Uganda’s national parks and Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) have decided to maintain the cost of gorilla permits to a usual price for 2017. The two bodies accepted to keep the same rate for a period of 12 months. Gorilla permits in Uganda are purchased at $600 for foreign non residents, $500 for foreign residents and sh.250000 for East African residents and they apply per person per trek especially during the peak season! During the low season, UWA offers discounted gorilla permits to visitors at $450 for foreign non residents, 400 for foreign residents and shs.150000 for East African residents and this applies in the month of April, May and November 2017. Why not grab this opportunity now? Remember it is not yet known whether discounted permits will stay or will be scraped in 2018-2019 so the only chance is to book for your discounted permit for November this year as we wait for more up dates and confirmation from UWA! Alternatively, you spark your imaginations beyond expectations with Gorilla Habituation Experience still in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda and then enjoy all the four hours with mountain gorillas. Gorilla Habituation Experience costs $1500 for foreign none residents, $1000 for foreign residents and sh.750000 for East African residents!

GORILLA PERMITS' PRICE IN UGANDA

Uganda has a total of 96 gorilla permits that are available every day base on the number of habituated gorilla families. in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National has a total of 88 permits since there are 11 gorilla groups that are ready for visitors to track the mountain gorillas while in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, only one gorilla family is habituated for visitors’ experience. A gorilla trek in Uganda allows only 8 people to track a particular gorilla family per day.

Uganda is renowned country that offer refuge to over 480 mountain gorillas out of 880 individuals that said to be still surviving in the world. This translates to about half of the world’s mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is conducted in only two places and if a visitor misses to track the mountain gorillas in one park, he or she has opportunity to achieve their dreams in the other park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are the two renowned places where thousands of travelers flock to see the wild mountain gorillas in their natural home. Mountain gorillas are one of the global worth natural resource and their protection or conservation is first priority in most of UWA’s decisions.

How to access Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

By road: Tourists can take the Kampala-Queen Elizabeth National Park-Kihihi-Buhoma route. This is one of the interesting routes that will fill you with lots of pre-tracking experiences especially with rare tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth Park and the photo taking at Equator.

The second route can be through Kampala-Kabale-Kanungu-Buhoma and takes about 5-6 hour’s drive. Another convenient route can also be through Kampala-Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi-Buhoma or Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija-Buhoma or Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo area.

By air: You can take a flight from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield and then land in Kisoro Airstrip and for visitors to Buhoma, they can take on flights and land in Kayonza Airstrip.

In conclusion, it is a requirement that all visitors intending to do gorilla trekking in Uganda to have a gorilla permit. The permit is an important tool that allows visitors to explore one of Uganda’s twelve habituated gorilla families in the South-West. Don’t miss a life time experience with our close relatives as they relax in their natural habitat just in the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda.