Uganda Gorilla Permits

Uganda Gorilla permits are an equivalent of, let’s say (for explanation purpose) an air ticket; for one to take a flight to travel to their destination of choice, they need to have purchased an air ticket. Equally, a Uganda gorilla permit is a document authorizing one to participate in a gorilla trekking tour in a given gorilla national park.

The Uganda gorilla permits’ main purpose is to allow visitors take part in trekking the endangered mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas inhabit only two destinations in Uganda – Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Both parks are located in South Western Uganda. They have lush rainforest cover and giant successive ranges of the Virunga massif.

Unlike Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is part of the Virunga Conservation area.

Mountain gorillas in Uganda make up half of the entire mountain gorilla population in the whole world and are therefore worth trekking. Visitors are assigned a tour guide and ranger to accompany them into the jungles. A gorilla trekking permit grants visitors an hour of viewing and interacting with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. However, the trekking time may range between one hour and seven hours depending on distance traveled by a mountain gorilla family assigned to the group.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda includes hiking through rugged highlands on which the rainforests have grown for hundreds of years. Besides trekking, there’s also mountain gorilla habituation. Differentiated from trekking, gorilla habituation offers visitors more time of interaction with a semi-habituated gorilla family. It also offers a tourist a closer experience with gorillas, since habituated gorillas are regarded as more human friendly. Mountain Gorilla Habituation goes on for up to 4 hours.

How much do Uganda Gorilla Permits cost?

Gorilla trekking permit acquisition in Uganda has distinct rates assigned to different visitor categories – East Africa nationals, foreign residents and foreign non-residents. An East Africa national is charged UGX 250,000/=. A foreign resident is charged $600. A foreign non-resident is charged $700. These rates are for each single day a tourist spends trekking the mountain gorillas.

Booking Uganda Gorilla Permits

Booking Uganda gorilla permits is recommended to be done at the earliest. The justification is to avoid being pushed to undesirable periods of the year, since the peak season is always engaged with a high influx of trekkers.

Uganda Gorilla permits are purchased from Uganda Wildlife Authority. However, tourists are advised to contract local tour operators for that since it’s faster and more effective. It saves their time from the tedious processes involved in gorilla permit bookings.

How expensive is a gorilla permit in Uganda?

Uganda Gorilla permits aren’t the most expensive in the East African region. In caparison to the available services and general political stability in Uganda, the trekking permits aren’t expensive. The tourist is however advised to always look out for possible discounts that are given from time to time by tour operators.

What the Uganda gorilla permits include?

The Uganda gorilla trekking permit is inclusive of entry fees into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Acquisition of a gorilla trekking permit equally has an add-on of 2 armed rangers, guides and trackers. These accord security while trekkers are in the jungles searching for mountain gorillas. They also track the mountain gorillas which eases the trekking experience.

Rules and regulations of acquiring a Uganda Gorilla Permit.

Apart from the fees, age is an important factor for whoever seeks purchasing the gorilla permit. The trekker should be 15 years old or above. Foreign non-residents should also tag along with their passports. The details are important for record purposes by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. A tourist who opts to contract a tour operator for the permit booking will be required to avail their passport details to the operator.

Find out more about the gorilla trekking rules and regulations here

Comparing Uganda Gorilla Permits with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo permits.

In comparison to Rwanda and D.R Congo, Uganda’s gorilla trekking permit costs are quite fair. Rwanda has the highest rates with each gorilla trekking permit costing $1,500. D.R Congo gorilla permits go for $400 each.

However, compared to the services offered by Uganda in contrast with the charged fee, and Uganda’s political stable environment, any person would opt for gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.Game drive security is assured.Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.