Why Do Gorilla Trekking safari In Uganda?

Going on gorilla trekking safari in Uganda is a choice you may never regret. You get chance to be just meters away from the only left over mountain gorillas in the world. Each tourists is required to book a gorilla permit and you can choose from so far 152 Uganda gorilla permits available per day. Bwindi Impenetrable national Park or Mgahinga National Park are the only habitats for the mountain gorillas. The Uganda Wildlife Authority is the only body that regulates the selling of gorilla permits.

While on gorilla tour, Uganda has a lot other safari activities you can combine with this adventure to feel the best of your Africa holiday. Uganda has several destinations where you ca do chimpanzee trekking or habituation experience, game drives in about 4 uganda game parks, rich birdlife, mountaineering, great views coupled with tranquility like at Lake Bunyonyi and Ssese Island, multicultural nation and so much more.

The natives of Uganda are welcoming and ready to help any stranger who seeks there assistance. Uganda is a home away from home because of its hospitable people.

If you have extra days on your African holiday to Uganda, you have a lot to enjoy and take as many photographs as you can to keep memories of your time in the pearl of Africa.

Why choose Uganda for Gorilla Trekking

Uganda Has a number of habituated Mountain gorilla families

At the moment, Uganda has about 19 fully habituated gorilla trekking families that is 152 gorilla permits and two semi-habituated gorilla families that is 8 gorilla permits per day. this gives you more chances to securing a gorilla permit amidst completion for them worldwide. The number of people allowed to do gorilla trekking per family is maximum 8 for conservation reasons.

This limited number is to reduce in the chances of trampling on foliage which is food for mountain gorillas. They have to feed in order support there heavy bodies through day and night.

The cost of Uganda gorilla permit

Compared to Uganda’s counterpart Rwanda whose gorilla permit is $1500 per person per trek, Uganda’s gorilla permit costs is currently $700 per person per trek. This gives you chance to use the other money to secure amenities that support gorilla safaris in Uganda like accommodation, vehicle hire, driver guide hire and others.

Uganda has several options of Additional safari activities

Other than gorilla trekking, Uganda has a lot more to offer like game drive in Murchison Falls or Queen Elizabeth National Park, Launch trips, chimpanzee trekking, visit source of River Nile, white water rafting, birding, scenic viewing, sport fishing, multi-cultural experience to mention but a few.

The drive from Kampala or Entebbe Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable national Park or Mgahinga National Park is about 8 hours to 9 hours.

You can break your journey to the Uganda gorilla trekking destinations with a stop to some of these safari destinations like Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and several others.

Can do Rwanda to Uganda Gorilla safari adventure

To reduce on the time taken on the road, you can go through Kigali airport into Bwindi Impenetrable National park or Mgahinga national Park. The drive time is about 5 hours to 6 hours other than 8 hour to 9 hours direct drive from Entebbe airport or Kampala to these Uganda gorilla destinations. You can use the East African visa to have access into Uganda through Rwanda since it gives you chance into two East African countries.

After or before gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, you can connect to Kenya or Tanzania by road or air transport depending on what makes you comfortable.

Minimum number of days on Uganda gorilla safari

The minimum number of days you can be on Uganda gorilla safari is 3 days gorilla safari. This gives you chance to get yourself ready for this once in a lifetime wilderness adventure. The first day is arrive into the park, the next day is gorilla trekking and the third day is departure. You have enough time to get ready for gorilla trekking. Enjoy the countryside of Uganda too.

Uganda has well trained driver guides

Through the umbrella body of the driver guides called USAGA, Many professional safari driver guides are in Uganda to help give you in-depth experience beyond mountain gorillas. Taking a safari with a knowledgeable safari guide give you chance to learn more about Uganda and what makes it the Pearl of Africa

When you book the gorilla safari in advance, you get to select a professional driver guide who will not keep you bored or leave you with un-answered questions while on Uganda safari.

What is the cost of Uganda Gorilla trekking Safari?

The Uganda gorilla safari cost varies according to category. The gorilla safari packages are graded into Luxury, Mid-range and budget. The gorilla trekking permit costs is the universal cost and currently the cost of Uganda gorilla permit is $700 per person per trek for foreign nonresidents, $600 for foreign residents and 250000shs for East African residents.

The cost of Uganda gorilla permit includes: park entrance fees, government tax, security, mountain gorilla conservation, local community support, ranger guide fees, one hour with the mountain gorillas to mention but afew.

Exclusions of Uganda gorilla permit cost: accommodation, tips, porter hire, drinking water and others.

• What determines the cost of Uganda gorilla safari?

The number of people on gorilla safari, the number of days on gorilla tour, time of booking the gorilla safari, number of additional activities, the gorilla safari package you choose to mention but a few.

 At Arch Safaris and Tours, we can assist book your gorilla safari package according to your preference. Our safari consultants are already to lift off your shoulder the burden of planning this African gorilla safari.

Expertise in securing accommodations, hire transport according to your choice that is vehicle or air transport to give you the most comfortable African safari.

We offer value for money and go all the way to make you feel comfortable while you search for the best experience. We can assist bring your gorilla safari dream to a great reality according to your choice.

How to book Uganda Gorilla Permit?

The gorilla permit is entry ticket to gorilla safari in Uganda but advance booking is required.

Choose a date when you are most comfortable searching for the mountain gorillas in the jungle. Select the number of people you hope to travel with for gorilla tour. This helps when checking permit availability.

You can enquire about gorilla permit availability from Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a tour  operator like Arch Safaris And Tours. Our safari consultant checks gorilla permit availability per your dates from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Upon finding availability, the tours consultant gets back to you as soon as possible because the status of the gorilla permits changes any time. Gorilla permits are secured on first come first served basis since they are limited to maximum 8 per gorilla family per day.

To enable us collect your gorilla permit, some personal details are required that is your full names as presented on your passport, date of birth, nationality, passport expiry date.

When Is The Best Time I can book Uganda gorilla safari?

Gorilla trekking is open all year however, tourists prefer the dry season. The dry season is normally June, July, August, September, December and January. Although the Virunga area is known to receive timeless rains, the dry seasons generally has less humid conditions. The highest temperatures of the gorilla trekking destinations of Uganda rise up to about 20 degrees centigrade but may drop up to 7 degrees centigrade. On average, the gorilla safari area of Uganda receives 2390 millimeters of rain annually.

During the dry season, the Bwindi and Mgahinga forest are full of life with most wild animals spending the biggest time of there day in the open. Even the mountain gorillas feed closer to the ground because there is plenty to eat yet and dry space to lounge in.

When you book the gorilla safari in the wet season, chances of going on a solo gorilla safari in the low season are high. There are less people in your company so expect less obstruction and chance of getting less delayed while you trek to find the mountain gorillas.

Chances of getting discounted accommodation prices during gorilla safaris are high because there are less people booking these safaris. You may get a chance to enjoy exclusive gorilla safari without spending much more money.

Where to do gorilla trekking in uganda?

As mentioned above, Uganda has two mountain gorilla destinations all located in the southern western corner of the country.  

Bwindi Impenetrable national park

This park has the largest number of mountain gorillas and is  believed to host almost half the total number of mountain gorillas in the world. Bwindi locally means Impenetrable but this double meaning is fit for its appearance and it is what makes Bwindi Forest a unique safari destination.

The rich fauna and flora of Bwindi impenetrable National Park is one of the pull factors to this incredible ancient forest which has accumulated over 25000years. This vegetation has been weaving itself for so many years as over 10 primates species are residents of Bwindi  like olive baboons, chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys and others. More than 350 bird species are residents here, more than 310 butterflies, 51 reptiles and so many others.

The dense Bwindi forest canopy provides beautiful views when standing at the slopes adjacent ridges.

The vast size of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of approximately 327 square kilometers is divided into four administrative sectors that is Ruhija area in the East, Buhoma area in the north, NKuringo and Rushaga area in the south.

Mgahinga National Park

Even though Mgahinga National Park is the smallest Uganda National Park, is home to  some mountain gorillas. At the moment only 0ne gorilla family called Nyakagezi is fully habituated and open to public booking. This gorilla family has a history of wandering into Rwanda but of recent, it has settled in the Mgahinga National park so its gorilla permits are available for pre-booking.

Mgahinga national park hosts an array of birds with so far about 115 birds have been recorded however the list is expected to expand according to ornithologists. The rich primate life of Mgahinga other than mountain gorillas is exceptional. You may spot golden monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys,  olive baboons to mention but a few.

Visiting Mgahinga National Park gives you chance to appreciate the gorgeous scenery and taking an excursion hike for a return 8 hour trip to the top and back on either of the three mountain domant Volcanoes. Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo and Mountain Muhavura shield the backdrop of this National Park. While at the summit of Mountain Sabyinyo, you may get to enjoy a 360 view of the border of Uganda, Rwanda and D.R.Congo.

How Long Does Uganda Gorilla Trekking safari take?

The time on Uganda gorilla safari is hard to determine because it is influenced mainly by factors beyond your control. The time of locating the mountain gorillas is determined by proximity of the mountain gorilla food, weather conditions of the day, death of a gorilla family member, pace of other trekkers and others.

This also makes it hard to determine which gorilla family is quickest to access because they keep changing location. The gorilla family that was seen closer yesterday may be the furthest the next day. mountain gorillas are free ranging animals that cannot be restricted by anything within human measures.

You need to keep an open mind during gorilla safari or have some level of patience before finding the mountain gorillas. Also try to keep your physical fitness before travelling for gorilla trekking as the topography of this area is mountainous resulting from volcanic action.

 Even the ranger guide follow the pace of the slowest trekkers so that none of the group is forgotten in the wilderness. In order to keep peace with every one, you need to keep up with the pace and not be the one to delay the rest.

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