How to purchase gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)
How to purchase gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA): Uganda Wildlife Authority is the government body that manages and regulates activities in 10 national parks. Uganda wildlife authority is also responsible for issuing gorilla permits which are only used in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park. The government body sells gorilla permits to travelers that are 15 years old and are interested in encountering mountain gorillas.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has 21 mountain gorilla families of which 19 are trekked by a group of 8 people and then 2 are trekked by a group of 4 people. There is one mountain gorilla family in Mgahinga national park and it’s trekked by only people per day. Uganda wildlife authority has over 168 mountain gorilla permits to issue to travelers that are interested in encountering mountain gorillas in their natural habitats.
A traveler who wants to encounter Uganda mountain gorillas will have to first think about which national park they are going to visit and also whether they are to encounter mountain gorillas for 1 hour or be part of gorilla habituation for 4 hours done in Bwindi gorilla park. Gorilla trekking in Uganda can be done in both Bwindi and Mgahinga national park but gorilla habituation can be done in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park only and to be part of the activity, you need a gorilla permit.
How to purchase gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)
Purchasing gorilla permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority
Purchasing gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority is very easy if you have chosen the gorilla park you want to trek, the type of gorilla permit you want, and lastly the dates of the months and year you want to visit the park. Travelers that are interested in purchasing gorilla permits directly from UWA will contact the reservations office and this should be in advance of 3-4 months to avoid last-minute booking disappointments
When the reservationists receive the email, they will check for the availability of the gorilla permits and once they are not available on the dates you will be sent an email requesting you to change the dates. If you are lucky and the permits are available, you will be sent an email that contains different banking options and then the price of the permits. You will use the easiest bank for you to send Uganda wildlife money and thereafter send a scanned copy of the receipt for proof. After all that is done, your permit shall be booked and you will collect it at the UWA offices in Kampala.
Uganda gorilla permits are purchased from Uganda Wildlife Authority however travelers can still get them from licensed local tour operators at the same fee. To book with a tour operator, you contact them via email that should contain the dates of the months and year you want to travel, the national park you want to visit, and whether you want gorilla trekking permits or gorilla habituation permits.
The information shall be used to check for the availability of the gorilla permits with the Uganda Wildlife Authority which sells them. The moment the permits are available on the dates given; you will be sent an email containing the different banking details of how you can send money for your permit to be booked. The moment you send money and a scanned copy of the receipt from the banks, your permit shall be booked and you will find it with the tour operator.
How much are Uganda gorilla permits
Uganda permits which apply in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park cost $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa. Travelers that are interested in spending more hours with mountain gorillas can buy gorilla habituation permits at $1500 foreign non-residents, $1000 foreign residents, and UGX750,000 citizens of East Africa.
Travelers that are interested in buying gorilla permits don’t have the full amount of money can nowadays buy the permits in installments from Uganda Wildlife Authority and even the local tour operators. You can decide to pay 70%, 50%, or even 30% of the permit price and the remaining balance must be cleared 3 months before the gorilla trekking date. Travelers that fail to clear the balance in a given period of time will lose their deposit.
Best time to purchase gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)
There are different seasons in Bwindi gorilla park and the best time to purchase the gorilla permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority depends on the season when you are going to visit the park. Travelers that are planning to trek gorillas in the dry season of June to September and December to February are advised to book their gorilla permits at least 3-4 months earlier in advance to avoid last-minute booking disappointments. A lot of travelers want to visit Bwindi in the dry seasons and therefore the permits sell out quickly and don’t forget they are sold on a first come first serve basis.
Travelers that are planning to trek mountain gorillas in the rainy season of March to May and October to November can book the gorilla permits early but they don’t have to panic because the permits will always be available even a few weeks to the gorilla trekking day. Few travelers are interested in n trekking Uganda gorillas in the rainy seasons fearing the plenty of rainfall therefore permits are always in plenty at UWA. You can book a gorilla permit for gorilla trekking in the rainy season 1 month before the trekking date.