How much are gorilla habituation permits in Uganda?
How much are gorilla habituation permits in Uganda?: Gorilla habituation permits are documents or cards that allow travelers to trek semi-habituated mountain gorillas and be around them for a maximum of 4 hours. Gorilla habituation permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority to travelers that are 15 years above to be part of the once in a lifetime activity. Gorilla habituation permits are bought by those that want to spend more time with the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats
In Uganda, the gorilla habituation activity is only done in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where two mountain gorilla families have been kept for travelers that want to spend more time with the mountain gorillas. Bushaho gorilla family in Nkuringo and Bikingi gorilla family in Rushaga are the only ones that are available for gorilla habituation purposes.
The gorilla habituation activities in Uganda are done in the southern sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park at any time of the year. Travelers who want to be part of the gorilla habituation activities in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park must book gorilla habituation permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid last-minute booking disappointments. These gorilla habituation permits are sold at a fee that you must pay before the day of trekking in case you bought the permits in installments.
The price of gorilla habituation permits in Uganda
For travelers to be part of the gorilla habituation where they will get an opportunity to be with mountain gorillas and make them get used to human presence, they need a gorilla habituation permit. The gorilla habituation permits are purchased directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority or trusted local tour operators at a fee of $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa. The gorilla habituation permit fees include park entrance fees, services of rangers, community development fees, and 4 hours around mountain gorillas.
Booking gorilla habituation permits in Uganda
Booking gorilla permits in Uganda by yourself
Travelers can now book gorilla habituation permits by themselves by simply contacting the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Travelers can contact the reservations office at Uganda Wildlife Authority with the dates of the months and year they want to travel and the information shall be used to see if the permits are available. If permits are not available, travelers shall be asked to change the trekking dates. Once the permits are available, travelers will be sent an email containing the price of each permit as well as the different banking details. A traveler will just choose which way to send money and once it has been received, the permits shall be booked.
Booking gorilla permits in Uganda with a tour operator
Some of the roles of tour operators in Uganda is to help travelers with booking gorilla permits. Travelers can now search for a local tour operator they trust and then contact them via email to book gorilla habituation permits. The email should contact the dates of the month and year they want to travel and then this information shall be used to check for the availability of gorilla trekking permits with the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The moment mountain gorilla habituation permits are available, the local tour operator will send you an email containing different banking details and the cost of the permits. When you send the money for the permits, you will send a scanned copy of the receipt and your gorilla habituation permits shall be booked.
buying gorilla habituation permits in Uganda
Can I buy gorilla habituation permits in installments?
Yes, travelers can now buy gorilla habituation permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in installments. A traveler can decide to buy the gorilla habituation permits by first paying 30% and then later 70%. The 70% should be paid 3 months before the trekking day and if you don’t do so the permit is canceled and the deposit is not refunded.
30% of the gorilla habituation permit is $450 for foreign non-residents, $300 for foreign residents, and UGX22500 citizens of East Africa. The balance can be paid at a later stage which should be before 3 months before the trekking day. 70% of the gorilla habituation permit would be $1050 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, and UGX525000 citizens of East Africa.
When to book gorilla habituation permits?
It’s advisable to book gorilla habituation permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park 3-4 months earlier in advance. This is advised for travelers to avoid last-minute booking disappointments because they sell out quickly and on a first come first serve basis. Uganda has few gorilla habituation permits compared to the number of people that want to trek and this is why we advise you to book early.
How many gorilla habituation permits are in Uganda?
Currently, there are only 8 mountain gorilla habituation permits in Uganda. The gorilla habituation permits are only used in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park which has gorilla families kept purposely for habituation. The semi-habituated mountain gorilla families are Bikingi and Bushaho living in Nkuringo and Rushaga regions of the park. Each semi-habituated family is trekked by 4 people and that is why the habituation permits are only 8.
When to visit Uganda for gorilla habituation?
Gorilla habituation in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can be done at any time of the year however there are months that are better than the rest. The dry months are the best to visit Bwindi for gorilla habituation activities because they are characterized by little or no rainfall. The dry months are those from June to September and December to February. They are characterized by little or no rainfall that keeps the vegetation short and scattered with good views of the mountain gorillas, trekking trails dry, and the roads leading to the park passable.
Travelers can still habituate mountain gorillas in Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors of Bwindi in the rainy season of March to May and October to November to enjoy the huge discounts on accommodation facilities. The prices of lodges are reduced to attract the few customers in the park however during the rainy season, there is plenty of rainfall that makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall and thick with unclear views of the gorillas, photography is not good and the roads leading to the park are impassable.
