Steps to book gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority
Steps to book gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority: A gorilla permit is that document/card you should possess in order to be part of the gorilla trekking activity. A gorilla trekking permit is sold to travelers that want to encounter fully habituated mountain gorilla families for 1 hour while the gorilla habituation permits are sold to those that want to encounter mountain gorillas for 4 hours and be part of the activities that make them get used to human presence around them
Steps to book gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority
In Uganda, the two places where one can find mountain gorillas are Mgahinga national park where you can trek one family, and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where you meet over 21 mountain gorilla families in the four sectors of the park – Nkuringo, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Buhoma. To see these mountain gorillas of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park you must have a gorilla permit.
Uganda wildlife authority is the only government body that is allowed to issue gorilla permits to travelers that are above the age of 15 years old. There are different procedures a traveler goes through to get gorilla permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority. Before checking for the availability of permits and thinking about booking you must be 15 years and above because if you are below that you cant get a permit. The only way a traveler can get a permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority is when they are going to be 15 years of age at the time of trekking.
The first step in booking gorilla permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority would be checking for availability. We assume that you have your travel dates and the national park to visit already and therefore you will have to contact the reservations office of the Uganda Wildlife Authority via email. They will check if the permits are available on the dates of the month and year you want to travel and in case they are not available, you can ask them to update you about the nearest dates.
If the permits are available, they will email you an invoice for payment and the price of the permits. You will pay the money for the permit and then send a scanned copy of the receipt for confirmation. After you are done with all that you will send your passport details or national identity card details for your gorilla permit to be booked. The day you arrive for gorilla trekking, you can visit their head offices and collect it.
Although booking with Uganda Wildlife Authority is safe, it’s tiresome and needs patience because they can delay sometimes due to a lot of emails coming from different people that want to visit the country. There are several tour operators that were licensed to carry out gorilla permit booking for travelers on behalf of travelers. Africa Adventure Vacations limited is one of the local tour companies that can help you book a gorilla permit without charging any extra money.
Africa Adventure Vacations is very fast when it comes to booking gorilla permits. When you send us the dates of the month and year as well as the national park you want to trek, we shall quickly call the reservation’s office and check for the availability of the permits. If the permits are available, we shall let you know and we shall also tell you how much you are to buy the permit. We shall send the different banking details for you to choose from and send the money for the permit. When you are done sending the money, you will send us a scanned copy of the receipt of payment and your passport details which we shall use to book the permit for you. When you get into the country, you will find us with your permit because we would have collected it for you.
How much is a gorilla permit at Uganda Wildlife Authority?
To trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga national park, you must have a gorilla trekking permit or a gorilla habituation permit. Uganda Wildlife Authority is the only government body that issues gorilla permits to eligible travelers. The gorilla trekking permits cost $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 for citizens of East Africa. A gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 foreign residents, and UGX750,000 citizens of East Africa.
When to book a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda from Uganda Wildlife Authority?
Travelers are advised to book their gorilla trekking permit for Uganda from the Uganda Wildlife Authority 3-4 months in advance because that is when the permits are still available in plenty. Travelers especially those visiting Uganda for gorilla trekking in the high season are the ones that are advised to book their gorilla permits earlier because they do sell out quickly. Lots of travelers are intending to visit Uganda during the high season therefore you need to hurry and book yourself a gorilla permit.
There is no need to rush for travelers that are visiting Uganda for gorilla trekking in the low season unless they have a specific sector or region they want to encounter mountain gorillas that when they can book 3-4 months early in advance. Travelers that are okay to trek mountain gorillas in any region of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park can even book their permits a few weeks before the trekking day because they will be available. Travelers are advised to book their gorilla permits early in advance so they are assured of trekking as well as proper planning for their safari.
