The best month for gorilla trekking in Uganda is the drier months although this safari is open all year. The dry months in Uganda are usually June, July, August, September, December and January although some showers may be received too sometimes. Enquire Now
Usually there is less precipitation in Bwindi forest and Mgahinga forest although they are typical rain forests that receives rain anytime without warning no matter the season. During the gorilla trekking safari, tourists walk through the soggy and boggy trails resulting from rains that fall without warning yet less sunlight penetrates through the dense canopy.
Even the roads leading to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park are less messy in the dry season although they are dusty.
The dry seasons however is the peak season too so demand for Uganda gorilla permits is extremely high yet there are just 194 Uganda gorilla permits at the moment. Uganda hosts more that 20 gorilla families but just maximum 8 permits per gorilla family are open to the public per day for conservation reasons. Some of the Uganda gorilla families include Mubare, Habinyanja, Nkuringo, Nshongi , Mushaya, Bikingi, Christmas, Busingye, Kahungye, Mukisa, Rwigi and others.
Popular Uganda Safaris
10 day gorilla, chimpanzee and wildlife safari
9 day gorilla, chimpanzee and Game safari
8 day gorilla, Game and chimpanzee Tour In Uganda
6 day Gorilla and Wildlife safari
5 day gorilla and chimpanzee trekking Safari in Uganda
3 day Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
3 day Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
The wet season of Bwindi and Mgahinga forest are usually March, April, May and November when the country receives generally the heaviest showers. The average rains received annually in this area are 2390 mm of rain per year. The rains received in Bwindi and Mgahinga forest usually fall for long hours of soft drizzle
Even under the heavy rains, expect to see the mountain gorillas because these animals usually feed from a particular location for sometime and it is hard for them to move unless provoked. This is why you must pack gorilla trekking gears like a poncho, warm wear, long sleeved shirt and much more to protect yourself from getting wet and cold.
When Can I Book The Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit?
Book the Uganda gorilla trekking permit as soon as you can especially if you hope to travel for this safari in the peak season. It is best to book your gorilla permit atleast 180 days to a 365 days in advance. this is the safest time when others have not made up there mind about doing the gorilla trekking adventure in Africa, given the limited number of gorilla permits opened to the public per day, it is best secure yours in advance.
When booking Uganda gorilla trekking permits, first come first served basis is used and none of the gorilla permits is booked without payment.
Checking gorilla permit availability is the first step to book a Uganda gorilla permit because you cannot purchase what is not available however you must have a date for the gorilla trek. In case you have no reason for doing the gorilla trekking adventure on a particular date, you can state the starting and ending date of your Uganda safari.
At Arch Safaris and tours, our tours consultants are available to help you will all the necessary procedures to go through when booking the Uganda gorillas permits plus additional logistics. Contact us
When we receive your enquiry, our tours consultants have to find availability from the Uganda Wildlife Authority list. This is based on the details you provide when you enquire from us.
As soon as we get positive gorilla permit availability, our consultant gets back to you so soon as possible. We advise clients to book their gorilla permits as soon as they can because there status changes in a flash of time without notifying anybody.
Present us with your personal details for identification that is your full names as presented on the passport, nationality, date of birth and much more.
How much is the cost price of the Uganda gorilla trekking permit?
Starting 1st July 2024, the cost price of the Uganda gorilla trekking permit is $800 for international nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 for other Africa citizens and 300000 shs for East Africans.
Inclusions in the cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permit are park fees, ranger guide fees, one hour with the fully habituated gorilla family, security, local community support and much more.
Exclusions in the cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permit price are snacks, porter hire, tips and other individual expenses.
When can I purchase the Uganda gorilla trekking permit?
Purchase your Uganda gorilla trekking permit as soon as you find availability of this permit. The status of gorilla permit availability changes anytime without warning. During the peak Uganda tourism season, competition for gorilla permits is cut throat and hard to get at the last minute.
The peak safari season in Uganda is usually June to October and December to February. You can only proceed with booking other safari logistics as long as you secure the gorilla permit.
No matter the season, it is best to secure your gorilla permit before travelling for this adventure just to be safe.
The cost of the Uganda gorilla trekking safaris varies with the package you travel that is high-end, mid-range or basic but the cost of the gorilla trekking permit is cuts across all packages. At the moment, the cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permits is $800 from 1st July 2024 and $700 until 30th June 2024.
Other logistics that support the gorilla trekking safari have to be considered during the costing that is accommodation, transport additional Uganda safari activities and much more. In case you have company, the people travelling with for the gorilla safari mush be considered, number of safari day, time of booking the safari ad others.
At Arch safaris and Tours, we help tailor an itinerary that suits your interests and budget. We have a team of experienced and professional tours consultants ready to work with you to draw an itinerary that will create everlasting memories of your African safari
How Long and what is the return time on Gorilla Trekking Day in Uganda
Whereas some tourists find the mountain gorillas in 30 minutes others may take three quarters of the day. The time you take on gorilla trekking day in Uganda depends on factors prevailing in the forest and pace of fellow tourists because the ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker. During the search for the mountain gorillas, conditions like location of the mountain gorilla feeding area, family issues, weather conditions of the day may determine how fast or long you take to find the mountain gorillas.
You need to haves some level of patience before locating the mountain gorillas because they are free animals not restricted by any boundaries. Look out for other interesting inhabitants in the forest like the other monkey species, birds, different natural full grown trees, mesmerizing features and much more.
When you finally locate the mountain gorillas, wait for the ranger guide to establish there mood before taking photographs. Keep in a tight group so as not to look suspicious before these sensitive primates. Take as many photos as you can for memories and get away stealthily without looking suspicious.
How Tiresome Is Gorilla Trekking In Uganda?
Gorilla trekking is quite strenuous because of the nature of the topography of this area. Bwindi and Mgahinga forests seat a volcanic area with ridges and plateaus. The tangled vegetation that has culminated over the years is challenging to walk through too.
Some times the mountain gorillas feed from the slopes and other times deep in the valley so you have to hike to get them. Even some starting points on the trails where the mountain gorillas were last seen are located in the deep valley so you have to slope to start the trek.
You need to bear some level of fitness before travelling for the gorilla safari in Uganda. To hike and find the mountain gorillas may be challenging but when you finally find the mountain gorillas, you may forget what you may have gone through to find these primates.
Do I need to hire a porter during Uganda gorilla trekking adventure?
Hiring a porter before the gorilla trekking tour saves you from getting dragged back by the heavy weight of your gorilla trekking backpack. The porter is a local person who assists you carry your gears as you search for the mountain gorillas. Some porters are reformed poachers who have resorted to better ways to earn from the presence of the mountain gorillas and there habitants.
The cost of the porter may differ from bout $20 and over depending in the baggage you have. The porter can also give you a push when tired. When you locate the mountain gorillas, you may hand over some of the items you are carrying to get a better position to watch and take photographs of the mountain gorillas.
If you wish to give back to the local community during the gorilla trekking tour, hiring a porter is one of the direct ways to do so. The money they collect from the helping carry tourists gorilla trekking gears is used to support there day today life like scholastic materials for there children, medical care and much more.
What Can I Expect In The Forest During Gorilla Trekking?
During gorilla trekking, expect to see the mountain gorillas that are quite intimidating at a glance but you realise how vulnerable they are when you finally spend the time you have with them. Mountain gorillas have physically huge bodies covered with fur. They walk by knuckle locomotion. They hay deep sunken eyes but try not to over stare into them because thy are shy.
On the way to find the mountain gorillas, you may spot other primates like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys and others. ornithologist have so much to spot including Albertine rift endemics as long as they choose the right area to trek that is Ruhija area is the prime birding spot in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The forests have a dense network of rivers as they are the water catchment areas of this region. Expect to pass several rivers during gorilla trekking that crisscross and may over flow during the heavy rain seasons.
Huge ancient trees make up these dense forests and botanists have so much to see and identify during the trek to find the mountain gorillas.
The topography of Bwindi and Mgahinga forests is rugged with ridges and plateaus where mountain gorillas may spend part of there day.
12 and over is the age range for people allowed to go gorilla trekking in Uganda. The age was lowered from 15 years and over to allow more children to engage in this once in lifetime experience.
Mountain gorillas are quite scaring at first sight so when hopping to travel with children ensure you brief them about what to expect on gorilla trekking safari.
Sometimes the walk to see the mountain gorillas is long and tiresome so if travelling with children you need to pack some energy bites to munch on. Engage them in pre-gorilla safari practice to keep there bodies in shape.
Is Gorilla Trekking safari safe for children?
Only children 12 and over can trek the mountain gorillas and this is a safe safari as long as they are in company of there parents or guardian.
Every gorilla trekking adventure is conducted by a ranger guide who follows the pace of the slowest trekker so that no person is forgotten in the jungle.
Before gorilla safari, all tourists must attend briefing to go through the rules of gorilla trekking and what to expect during this adventure. All this is done to prepare you for the walk in this dense forest. Although the easiest gorilla family to trek is hard to determine for children, encourage them to be patient and keep there minds open to other interesting features in the wilderness.
Each day a team of ranger guides supervises where the mountain gorilla families may have nested and estimate there possible hangout point for the day. These clues may help ranger guides not to take long searching for these primates with tourists.
On ground are other Uganda security agencies to keep law and order and in case back up is needed, they are always alert to support the ranger guides to curb the situation.