The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) announced an increase on the Uganda gorilla trekking permit prices from the current 600 USD to 700 USD effective 1st July 2020 for foreign non-residents. From 1st July 2020 each foreign non-resident planning to take a gorilla tour will pay 700 USD per person per trek for both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Foreign residents with a working permit will pay 600 USD and East Africans from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Southern Sudan will pay 250,000 UGX. This was announced during a consultative meeting organized by the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO).
Currently, Uganda gorilla trekking permits are being sold at 600 USD per person per trek for foreign non-residents travelers above the age of 15. The permit is valid for a single trek with a maximum of 1 hour in the presence of the elusive Mountain Gorillas.
The gorilla permit price is a general price for the two Uganda gorilla trekking destinations of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The increase of the gorilla permit price in Uganda by USD 100 still leaves the country as a favorable gorilla trekking destination as it remains at a lower price than the neighboring Rwanda with permit prices at 1500 per gorilla permit per trek.
NEW RATES AS PER UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY EFFECTIVE 1st JULY 2020
- Foreign non-residents: 700 USD from 600 USD
- Foreign residents: 600 USD from 500 USD
- East Africans: 250,000 UGX
WHY TREK MOUNTAIN GORILLAS IN UGANDA
Uganda is host to the largest population of Mountain gorillas in the world with half of the total in the country.
Mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda is cheaper compared to the neighboring country of Rwanda with a permit prices at 1500 USD. The neighboring Congo also has Mountain gorillas although has been politically unstable despite its gorilla trekking permit being sold at USD 400 -450 in the low and high seasons respectively.
The Mountain Gorilla tracking experience of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is much more of an experience itself alongside seeing the gorillas. The park rises on an elevation of 1,190 to 2,607 meters giving a mystical challenge to trekkers. The forest itself is an amazing place to visit with several flora and fauna species.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the only Uganda safari destination where Mountain gorillas co-exist with golden monkeys. As an add-on activity, golden monkey trekking is the best option and much anticipated as it is fun to glimpse at these playful monkeys.
For avid birders that would love to take Uganda birding safaris, the two parks for mountain gorilla trekking are the best parks for bird watching and seeing the Albertine rift endemics.
Uganda is the only world destination that still has mountain gorillas that are not fully habituated and therefore clients can opt to go for mountain gorilla habituation instead of gorilla trekking. This offers one the chance to spend four hours rather than the standard one hour for trekking, studying the behavior of these giants and probably their trueness in the wild.
This Mountain Gorilla habituation experience costs USD 1500 per person.
UGANDA GORILLA TREKKING RULES AND REGULATIONS
- Do not visit the gorillas if you have a cold or other infectious illnesses
- Human waste should be buried 30 cm deep
- Maximum number of visitors is eight persons per gorilla group per day
- Maintain a 7m (21ft) distance from the gorillas
- If you must sneeze or cough, cover your face and turn away from the gorillas, as they can catch coughs and colds from humans
- Visits are limited to one hour per gorilla group per day
- Do not use flash photography
BEST TIME FOR GORILLA TREKKING UGANDA SAFARIS
The best time of the year for a gorilla trekking safari is during the dry season months of June –August and December –February which makes it easy to go through the trails. When trails are drier, gorilla trekking is easy since trails are passable and the park is easily accessible. It is most advisable to trek gorillas during the dry season since it’s easy to trek gorillas as well as view wildlife. However, the dry season is actually the peak or high season, therefore early booking is recommendable, since permits can easily get fully booked, and this applies to booking accommodation as well.
HOW TO BOOK FOR A UGANDA GORILLA TREKKING SAFARI
Booking for a gorilla tour in Uganda can be one of the most complicated trips to plan, however just find the right tour operator to do this for you. Lakato Safaris have expertise in planning gorilla trips in Uganda and can do all the best planning for you Gorilla Safari.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF SEEING MOUNTAIN GORILLAS ON A TRIP
Mountain Gorillas are wild animals and therefore move from one place to another, and this raises the question of what chances are there for a trekker to see a mountain gorilla. The chance of seeing a mountain gorilla is 99.9%, this is because each morning before a total of 8 trekkers are sent to meet a gorilla family, park trackers first find out the location of the gorillas. The other reason is that during booking, a tourist is allocated an available gorilla family.
OTHER TARIFF INCREMENTS BY UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY
There is a 50% increment in the permit fee for both chimpanzee tracking and habituation for foreign residents and foreign non-residents
- Foreign non-residents: from 150 USD to 200 USD
- Foreign residents: from 100 USD to 150 USD
- East Africans: 150,000 UGX
CHIMPANZEE HABITUATION
- Foreign non-residents: from 200 USD to 250 USD
- Foreign residents: from 200 USD to 250 USD
- East Africans: 150,000 UGX
UWA MANAGED TRAILS FOR MOUNTAIN RWENZORI TREKKING
- Foreign non-residents: 50 USD
- Foreign residents: 50 USD
- East Africans: 50,000 UGX
GOLDEN MONKEY TRACKING INCLUDING ENTRANCE FEE
- Foreign non-residents: 100 USD
- Foreign residents: 90 USD
- East Africans: 6000 UGX
For any Questions and bookings, you can reach us on info@lakatosafaris.com, or a contact form on www.lakatosafaris.com.
