Why Booking A Gorilla Trekking Permit In Advance Of Safari Is Important

Booking a gorilla trekking permit in advance of the safari is the most actuate way to secure your African safari to the mountain gorillas. Each day only 8 gorilla permits are issued for booking per gorilla family per trek.

Despite the high demand for gorilla permits all world over, only 8 gorilla permits are released per day per gorilla family. No one is allowed to reserve a permit for anyone without payment as strict first come first served basis is used.

Whether you are tracking gorillas in Rwanda Volcanoes National park or Uganda in Bwindi forest National Park, the rule stands.

This is because mountain gorillas are habituated to be in the presence of only 8 humans for just one hour per day. Besides even a crowd in the forest per day would trample on there food since denying them enough food yet they are entirely vegetarian.

With a small group, the fear of the mountain gorillas getting anxiety of being ambushed is reduced. As long as the rest of the trekkers respect the rules of gorilla trekking, the gorillas get comfortable meeting there visitors

What Is The Cost Of A Gorilla Trekking Permit

If trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda the gorilla trekking permit price is $1500 while a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda cost $700. The decision of where to do gorilla trekking is everyone’s choice based on what they want to see.

In case one is interested in seeing more game after or before gorilla trekking, Uganda would be a good choice. Uganda host a number of wildlife parks that harbor animals like lions, elephants, giraffes zebras, water bucks, buffaloes, leopards, cheetahs, ostriches, chimpanzees and so much more.

Rwanda is a land of a thousand hills providing you a great scenery similar to the Alps of Switzerland.  Rwanda also has some wild animals although not in very big numbers.

How to Buy A Gorilla Trekking Permit

Gorilla Trekking permit are sold at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in Uganda and Rwanda Development Board In Rwanda.

Due to the long telephone queues, its may be quite costly and sometimes frustrating to make calls to book your own permit.

At Arch Safaris And Tours, we have great connection with both boards and will lift off the burden of securing a gorilla permit for you.

After securing a gorilla permit for you, we scan a copy of the receipt to confirm the transaction done on your behalf. The gorilla trekking card is issued at least a week to the start of your gorilla trek so we collect it for you and wait till the start of your safari.

 Which Is The Best Time For Gorilla Trekking Safari

Gorilla trekking is an all year round activity but the dry months of the year are more interesting as the area receives less rain. The roads to Bwindi forest in Uganda are more passable since they are tarmac roads

The routes to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda have better accessibility

In a normal year, the dry month normally start June to September and December but this doesn’t mean you cannot see the gorillas during other months.

Even the gorillas have plenty of food to eat during the dry months since plants have enough sunlight to make there own food and grow.

What accommodation to Book For Gorilla Trekking Safari

If you are trekking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National park Rwanda, you have a variety of accommodations to choose from. Based on your travel plan, you can overnight in High End Lodges or Midrange or Budget accommodation.

Some of the lodges in Rwanda include Sabyinyo Silver Back Lodge, Volcanoes Lodge, Laico Umbano, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Kinigi Guest House to mention but a few

Trekking gorillas in Uganda is tricky with accommodation as you need to book accommodation close to the place where your gorilla trekking permit was booked.

Bwindi Forest National park in Uganda is divided into the Northern sector made up of Buhoma gorilla trekking area and Ruhija gorilla trekking area. The southern sector has the Rushaga Gorilla trekking area and Nkuringo gorilla trekking area.

Each of these areas has gorilla trekking families which tourists visit each day in groups of 8 people only.

In case you have interest in staying at a particular accommodation for your stay in Bwindi forest, put in that suggestion to our consultant so that your permit is booked in the area close to it.

Changing the permit to another area sometimes may call for a surcharge. .

Some of the accommodation to stay at during gorilla trekking in Uganda include Gorilla Forest Lodge, Clouds lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Silver Back Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Ruhija Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge to mention but a few.   

Extra Activities to Do with Gorilla Trekking In Uganda

Game parks in Uganda are home to lots of wild animals like Cheetahs, lions, herds of elephants, herds of Cape Buffaloes, Giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, chimpanzees, Bwindi forest  is Africa’s birding haven and so much more.

Uganda has interesting landforms like mountains of the moon called Rwenzori which is snowcapped, incredible water falls on river Nile Like Murchison Falls which are the strongest falls in the world.

The wonder looking Ssempaya Hot springs and Kitagata hot springs provide an amazing scenery for photography and beautiful feeling of naturally steaming water.

White water rafting on River Nile provides you the chance to enjoy scenery of one of the Rivers that have existed since the ancient days of the Bible. White water rafting doesn’t require you to have experience but excitement to beat the tides. Guides are ready to give you lessons on arrival.

Nature walks through the tropical forests of Uganda provide you the chance to see other primates like olive baboons, black and white monkeys, bush babies, blue monkeys, chimpanzees and so much more.

Extra activities To Do With Gorilla Trekking In Rwanda

Rwanda may be a small country but hosts the Mountain gorillas which are some of the remaining few in the entire world.

Apart from gorilla trekking, one can do Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda in Nyungwe National park. Prior arrangements must be done to fully enjoy chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda because of the limited accommodation availability in the park.

Mountaineering in Rwanda is another wonderful activity one can engage in after gorilla trekking. Rwanda is a land of a thousand hills so if you are not afraid of heights this is a place to be.

Golden monkeys trekking is fabulous to be part of while in Rwanda after gorilla trekking. These rare golden monkeys are one of the rare monkey species in the world.

Rwanda genocide memorial is one activity that is worth taking while in Rwanda. In 1994, Rwanda had a genocide that lasted about 100 days but claimed thousands of people’s lives. The remains of the victims of this terrific act are reserved and wakky talkies can explain the details on the walls.