A Comprehensive Guide to Gorilla Permits
A Comprehensive Guide to Gorilla Permits: Gorilla permits are essential passes that tourists must obtain in advance in order to track the critically endangered gorillas in their natural habitat for a specific period of time. Gorilla permits unquestionably allow one the best opportunity for a close encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The most straightforward way to see the breathtaking creatures in the wild is to obtain a permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or its Rwandan counterpart.
Why do I need to have a gorilla permit?
There are two types of permits offered by the UWA: one that allows you to participate in the gorilla habituation experience for four hours and the other that provides access to a gorilla family for one hour. Both visits are guaranteed to fill you with wonder and amazement. According to the most comprehensive guide to gorilla permits, “these gentle giants and humans are thought to share 98% of the same DNA.”
A gorilla trekking permit allows visitors to spend one hour with fully habituated mountain gorillas, watching and photographing them in their natural state. This hour is the closest most people will ever come to an actual encounter with these magnificent animals.
A permit also sets off a chain of events limited to only 160 people a day in Uganda: You get to see the majestic mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, and you can document this with photographs and videos. There are 160 permits available each day in Uganda; eight of those are gorilla habitat permits, which allow less structured access to the gorillas.
When you purchase a gorilla permit, that money pays for a whole lot of very important things, like the actual entrance to the park, for one. It also helps pay for the folks in charge of guiding you (and your group) to the gorillas, the guys who keep the park safe, and the people who make sure that the local communities benefit from your (and other tourists’) presence in the area.
You get to spend a whole hour with the gorillas, which doesn’t seem like much, but that is definitely a privilege. If you want to spend more time with the gorillas, you can pay for something called “gorilla habituation.” That allows you to spend four hours with the gorillas. And you can do a tiny bit of that work that’s involved in the “science” of human-gorilla interaction.
Where can I obtain gorilla trekking permits?
The Uganda Wildlife Authority, a state agency in charge of overseeing tourism and safeguarding wildlife in each of the nation’s national parks, is the official source of gorilla trekking permits. For the same cost, gorilla permits are also available from reputable local tour operators. Travellers who follow the guidelines for understanding gorilla permits can look up local tour companies on Google or consult a friend who has been abroad for guidance, in addition to using the Uganda Tourism Board’s licencing to carry out tourism-related activities.
What is the cost of a gorilla trekking permit?
In Uganda, following a comprehensive guide to gorilla permits, a gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for non-foreign residents, $700 for foreign residents, and UGX $300,000 for East African nationals. Visitors can spend an hour with mountain gorillas in their native habitats if they have a gorilla permit. Additionally, a permit for gorilla habituation, which entails spending four hours with mountain gorillas, costs $1500 for overseas visitors, $1000 for residents of other nations, and UGX750,000 for East African nationals.
How do I book a gorilla trekking permit?
Using a tour operator
After understanding your comprehensive guide to gorilla permits, a local tour operator may arrange gorilla permits for the same price. To book a gorilla trekking trip, find a reliable local tour operator and send them an email with the dates of your preferred gorilla trekking season, month, and destinations. The Uganda Wildlife Authority will use the information to confirm whether gorilla permits are available.
The price of the permit you desire and the different banking details you will need to pay for it will be sent to you via email if the permits are available. If payment is received, a scanned copy of the receipt needs to be given for verification.
As an individual
Travellers who would wish to organise their own gorilla trekking safari can directly purchase gorilla permits from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Travellers will need to email the booking office with the month and year they would like to go gorilla trekking. You should specify the area you want to visit and the national park you want to trek in your email if you are visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will be able to go on a gorilla trekking expedition if permits are available, which will be determined by the statistics. If the permits are not available on the designated days, you will be requested kindly to change the dates.
If there are permits available, you will receive an email with the cost of the permits and the different banking information you may use to choose and pay for the full permit or booking. When you email us a scanned copy of the receipt and send the money, we may make the necessary arrangements for the permissions. Permits must be picked up at the Uganda Wildlife Offices prior to park entry.
Is it allowed to pay gorilla permits in installments?
In fact, travellers can now pay for their gorilla primates in installments through the Uganda Wildlife Authority or local tour companies. A visitor is entitled to pay at least 30% of the total gorilla permit cost at the time of booking; the remaining 70% must be paid three months before the gorilla trekking date. Travellers who fail to pay the full balance three months prior to the trekking date will lose their 30% reservation.
What is the best time to buy or book a gorilla permit?
Travellers must reserve their gorilla trekking permits in advance, at least three to four months before the trip. This is because the Uganda Wildlife Authority sells the permits on a first-come, first-served basis. Getting a gorilla permit in advance helps you choose the location where you want to stroll with mountain gorillas and ensures that the safari is well planned. Due to high demand, visitors should book their permits three to four months in advance if they plan to visit Uganda during the dry season.
However, as permits are assured to be issued out, people who intend to travel during the rainy season can make reservations as early as one month before the trekking activity. However, some visitors may prefer visiting the park during the rainy season because there is no traffic like that of peak season.