Gorilla trekking in Uganda is one of the best activities that one has to engage in while on a safari in Uganda. This has been regarded as one of the most expensive safari activities in Uganda, however, if you book a safari with us, we can help you plan a budget safari that can bring you closer to the iconic gorilla trekking experience.
There are so many factors that make gorilla trekking an expensive activity for instance; the type of accommodation, type of car you use, and season of travel for instance, if you travel in peak season, you don’t expect any discounts both on accommodation and gorilla permits especially from January to September but if you travel in the low season during October and November you are likely to get a discounted gorilla permit.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in 2 national parks that is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, these national parks are found in southwestern Uganda. Three countries provide gorilla trekking experiences and these are; Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, however, they vary in their gorilla trekking permits.
Rwanda charges 1500USD foreigners then 500USD for Africans, Uganda charges 700USD foreign non-residents, 600USD foreign residents and charges 250,000 UGX for East Africans and D.R. Congo charges 450USD these prices are per person.
Uganda has the largest number of mountain gorillas almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas are found in Uganda in Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla national park.
Uganda is the cheapest gorilla trekking destination.
Most tourists who want to trek gorillas have chosen Uganda as the cheapest destination among other countries this is because, in Congo, there have been wars and there is high insecurity thus making Uganda the cheapest gorilla trekking destination. For one to enjoy a cheap gorilla trekking, you can try short gorilla safaris for example 1 day gorilla trekking from Kabale, 2 days gorilla trekking from Rwanda and 3 days Uganda gorilla trekking.
Join a group tour to trek gorillas.
Another way to track gorillas cheaply is by joining a group tour so that you can share some costs for example car-hire cost, fuel cost, and accommodation as well. This is one of the best ways to cut costs if you track gorillas in Uganda.
The best season to do cheap gorilla trekking in Uganda.
The best season to trek gorillas cheaply in Uganda is during the wet season this is when the park is less congested with visitors and also accommodation in the park is subsidized to attract tourists this is favourable if you are on a low budget but there will be heavy rains and paths will be slippery and muddy.
However, if you want to have a good time with gorillas in Uganda it is better to come in the dry season, this is when the forests are clear and the paths are dry and you can look far to exploit the beauty of the park.
How to get to gorilla destinations in Uganda?
One can decide to use road transport to either Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and this takes about 9 hours, it is always an adventurous journey full of stopovers for a scenic view and some historical sites like the Equator and Igongo cultural centre in Mbarara city.
There are flight charters as well from Entebbe or Kajjansi to Kihiihi or Kisoro where your driver guide can always pick you up and transfer you to your desired gorilla destination. You can also track Uganda gorillas from Rwanda which is about a 3 to 4hours drive from Kigali to either Bwindi or Mgahinga.
