How To Book Uganda Gorilla Safari Permits for 2025-2026

How To Book Uganda Gorilla Safari Permits for 2025-2026

How to book the Uganda gorilla safari permits is first enquiring about there availability. The Gorilla safari permits is Uganda are sold based on per day and per gorilla family. To do gorilla safaris in Uganda, one has to choose between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience Enquire Now

The difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience is that gorilla trekking includes visiting a full habituated gorilla family for one hour while gorilla habituation experience involves following a team of researchers to spend four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family.

At the moment, Uganda has over 20 gorilla families open to the public with Bwindi forest is the biggest habitat and Mgahinga National Park hosting so far one gorilla family called Nyakagezi  which is open to the public. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park also hosts so far four gorilla habituation experience families in the southern sector of the park.

It is best to choose a date and identify the number of people you hope to travel with for gorilla trekking safari to avoid staggering at the last minute when you cannot obtain enough numbers of permits.

Guidelines Of How To Booking The Uganda Gorilla safari permits

• Choose the gorilla safari date and number of people to travel with. This information is used to find availability of gorilla permits from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority. Send An Enquiry
• When you Enquire from us about us about wishing to do the gorilla safari in Uganda, Our safari consultant checks availability from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority.
• As soon as gorilla permit availability is confirmed per the dates of your preference, the tours consultant gets back to you as soon as possible. This is because the status of the gorilla safari permits in Uganda changes without warning. First come first served basis is used to Reserve gorilla permits in Uganda.
• No gorilla permit in Uganda is booked without payment and a receipt is issued to confirm payment. The gorilla permit card is produced as you draw closer to the date of when to do the gorilla safari. Some personal details must be provided in order to collect this card including the your full names as presented on the passport, date of birth, Nationality and others for identification.

How much is the cost of Uganda Gorilla Safari permit

The cost of the Uganda gorilla safari permit depends on which activity you choose is it gorillas trekking or gorilla habituation experience.

Cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permit

$800 for international nonresidents

$700 for international residents,

$ 500 for other African and

300,000shs for East Africans.

It is best to book the gorilla permits for Uganda in advance especially when you hope to engage in this activity during the high season.

Cost Of Uganda Gorilla Habituation Experience Permit

$1500 for international nonresidents

$1000 for International residents

$1000 for other Africans

750,000shs for East Africans

What Is Included And Excluded In The Cost Of Gorilla Safari Permit For Uganda

The inclusions in the cost of Uganda gorilla permit are one hour of gorilla trekking or four hours of gorilla habituation experience, ranger guide fees, park entrance fees, security, mountain gorilla conservation support and others

The cost of Uganda gorilla permits excludes tips, refreshments, accommodation, transport and others.

Can I Purchase the Uganda Gorilla permit in Instalments

You can purchase the gorilla safari permit for Uganda in instalments but terms and conditions set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority apply. To pay for the Uganda gorilla permit in Instalments of 30% and 70% , you must have purchased it 90 days before the safari date and remember to top up before 30 days to tour day.

Failure to top up the Uganda gorilla permit may end in reopening it to the public. No refund is given. In case you forget to top up before this time, you may be required to repay for another gorilla permit in case there is availability.

Can I Reschedule the Uganda Gorilla permit

Gorilla permit reschedule is accepted in Uganda as long as you move it to a date within the same year under which it was booked. Uganda Wildlife Authority accepts gorillas permit reschedule two free times but the third time, the gorilla permit surcharge of 25% of the total is applied.

Note that rescheduling the Uganda gorilla permit depends on the availability of the permits on the new dates of your choice. In case the later permits were purchased in instalments, you must first top them up before moving them.

Are Uganda gorilla permits refundabl

The Uganda Gorilla permits are none refundable however there are some circumstances when the Uganda Wildlife Authority refund policy is invoked. The gorilla permit refund may come in case you notify the Uganda wildlife Authority in advance about your emergency medical condition with proof, volunteer to stay behind when you catch a communicable infection before the gorilla trek and other genuine reasons.

• currently when you cancel your gorilla permit 95days before the gorilla trekking date, you receive 75% refund on the gorilla safari permit cost.
• Cancel gorilla permit 46 days to 90 days before the gorilla safari day, refund is 50% of the total gorilla permit cost.
• Cancelling the gorilla permit 8 days to 45 days to gorilla safari day, 25% of the tot back to you.
• The 75% Canceling the gorilla permit 8 days to 0 days, there is no refund from Uganda Wildlife Authority.

When Is The Best Time To Book Uganda Gorilla Permits

The best time to book Uganda gorilla safaris permits is atleast 6 months to a year in advance. Alternatively, you can book the gorilla permits atleast 3 months upfront but there are possibilities of not finding them.

The gorilla permits for the peak season which is normally June to October and December to January are demanded highly so those who try to find availability at the last minute are likely to be disappointed. The gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are booked according to the areas under which the park is divided that is Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija.

Even other logistics that support gorillas safaris in Uganda must be booked in advance especially if you plan to do the safari in the high season. Most of the best Uganda safari logistics under different categories sell out earlier leaving no or less options for those who book at the last minute.

The low tourism season which is normally March to May and November is also open time for booking gorilla safari permits for Uganda. Since the number of those who demand to be part of this activity is normally lower, even those who book the Uganda gorilla safaris at the last minute may have the opportunity. In be sure to see the mountain gorillas in Uganda no matter the season you choose to tour.

What Is The Age Limit For Book Uganda Gorilla Permits

12 years and over is the age limit for gorilla safaris in Uganda. Based on the nature of the topography of Bwindi Forest which was affected by volcanic actions that led to the formation of several highlands including ridges and plateaus where the mountain gorillas sometimes spend time. Children under this age may be incapable of maneuvering the steep slopes of these highlands to find these primates.

At a glance the mountain gorillas loose intimidation which may cause some children under this age limit to react in a manner that may look suspicious

Gorilla safaris requires some level of patience which children below this age may not have as they get tired very fast. Mountain gorillas sometimes reach out to touch there visitors a moment that may create some anxiety  as you experience mixed feelings of both fear and excitement yet for children below this age it may be wrong move.

When Is The Return Time From Gorilla Trekking Tour In Uganda

From gorilla trekking or habituation experience in Uganda, the return time is hard to determine because it is based on factors prevailing in the forest. Some tourists have reported having seen the mountain gorillas in two hours where other have spent more time.

Finding the mountain gorillas in depends in factors including weather conditions for the day, mood of the gorilla family, food proximity, weather conditions prevailing in the day, pace of fellow tourists and others.

Having some level of patience is necessary and fitness is very helpful. Open your mind to seeing other forest inhabitants that co-exist with the mountain gorillas.

When you find the mountain gorillas only one hour for gorilla trekking or four hour for gorilla habituation experience are allowed with them. This is a conservation measure expected to be taken in order to protect the mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers from the effects of mass tourism.

How Easy Or Difficult Is Gorilla Safari Experience In Uganda

The gorilla safari experience in Uganda is quite tiresome because of the nature of the terrain of the environment at the destinations. The mountain gorillas sometimes spend time by the sloped of the ridges and plateaus in the forest or deep in the valleys which requires tourists to follow them by hiking.

The vegetation of Bwindi forest is entangled and thick with some creepers draping down the tree trunks so to get through one requires to trim part of it to create a path. Even the protruding vegetation sometimes over grows and may have some rough surfaces that may react funnily with your skin.

During the severe rainy seasons, the ground is logged with water that may cause the ground to get slippery making it hard to get through to where the mountain gorillas may be spending the day.

Are Uganda Gorilla Safari Destinations Safe to Trek

The Uganda gorilla safaris destinations are safe to visit and trek. Nothing should scare any one when booking the gorilla safari even though this activity happens in the wilderness. There is a team of ranger guides and wardens at the gorilla tour destinations in Uganda who coordinate the security and often do routine patrols.

The guidelines of gorilla safaris are present and are compulsory to follow by the tourists. Tourists must attend briefing before any gorilla safari in Uganda no matter how may time you engage in this activity.

Security starts from an individual so for your belongings to use during the gorilla safari in Uganda, tourists must be the first be the first security. In case you are afraid of losing any of your belongings, donot carry it around or you may forget or misplace it on the way yet recovering may be a had attempt.

What are the guidelines of Gorilla Safaris in Uganda

No feeding the mountain gorillas because they are wild animals that must look for there own food and not depend on human provision

In case you have a human communicable infection like cholera, covid-19, cough flu and others, volunteer to stay behind as the mountain gorillas are highly susceptible to these human diseases.

Never surround the mountain gorillas when you find them because this makes them feel ambushed.

While taking photos, avoid using flash photography

Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them to reduce chances of passing an infection to them or them to you.

In case you wish to eat or smoke, do it 200 meters away from the mountain gorillas to prevent chances of the mountain gorillas pulling it away from you.

If you wish to sneeze or cough, do it away from the mountain gorillas or in a handkerchief to prevent spreading viruses to the mountain gorillas.

Do not provoke the mountain gorillas or mimic them because you may not know what you are saying.

Burry all faeces in a hole of over 30 meters and cover well beyond recognition.

Only one hour is allowed with the mountain gorillas when you locate them.

The age limit for the mountain gorillas is 12 years and beyond

When you locate the mountain gorillas try not to make loud noise or sudden movement.

Littering the forest with indecomposable materials or any other is forbidden as this is where the mountain gorillas spend there day.