Why you Should Book Gorilla Permits in Advance?

Gorilla permits are some of the essential documents you will be expected to present to the park authorities before you allowed to visit a gorilla family. When you read through most gorilla trekking articles, you won’t miss to come across important information such as how, when to book a gorilla permit. At the end of it all, you realize that most tour operators encourage visitors to have their permits booked early.

Why should you book a gorilla permit in advance? There are key reasons why you should book your gorilla permit in advance. For starters, trekking to see mountain gorillas is only done while on safari in Uganda, Rwanda and the D.R. Congo. In Uganda alone, these large apes roam in the impenetrable forest of Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. When you cross to Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is the only gorilla tourism park and Congo, it is Virunga National Park for mountain gorillas then Kahuzi-Biega National Park for visitors who are interested in lowland gorilla trekking.

Reasons why you should book gorilla permits in advance.

Gorilla permits are highly demanded.

The demand for gorilla permits is high whether it is Uganda or Rwanda and destinations register scarcity in these documents especially during the peak/high season. In Uganda, only 23 fully habituated families of mountain gorillas are in Bwindi, Mgahinga and they translate into 168 gorilla permits. These are fewer than what the travel world requires each day.

In Rwanda, only 14 groups have been set aside for gorilla tourism and they only translate to about 96 gorilla permits while in the D.R. Congo, guests have 8 groups to visit, representing about 112 gorilla permits.

A single gorilla trek accommodates strictly 8 visitors per habituated gorilla group. This is a set standard across all the gorilla trekking destinations -Uganda, Rwanda and D.R. Congo. With scarcity in gorilla permits, booking your permit early is essential and especially during the peak season; June, July, August, September, December, January, February. During these peak months of the year, gorilla permits get sold faster than when it is a wet season -March, April, May, October and November.

Cost of gorilla permits per destination- in Uganda, foreign non-residents purchase gorilla permits at USD800, foreign residents USD700 and the East African citizens can obtain a permit at UGX 300,000 per person. The Rwanda gorilla permits are issued to trekkers at 1500 USD (foreign non-residents), $500 USD (foreign residents in Rwanda and African citizens) and $200 USD (Rwandan and East African citizens).

Getting Suitable accommodation facility.

Booking your gorilla permit early also allows you to secure the right accommodation for your overnight stay. There are many accommodation options to consider for overnight stay but not all are up to the standards you want. The amazing part of it is that all the parks have where visitors can stay before or after engaging in their rewarding gorilla trekking experience.

Early preparation and convenience.

To achieve a successful gorilla holiday in Rwanda or Uganda, adequate preparation is a must and you can be guaranteed of this if you have everything planned early. You will put everything right early enough unlike if you did it on a rush. This will include securing essentials such as cameras, long sleeved shirts, trousers, sweater, rain jacket, waterproof hiking boots, daypack, gardening gloves, insect repellents and others. It also gives you time to exercise as you prepare to take challenge in the high terrains and dense vegetation to see gorillas.

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.