Gorilla trekking price in Uganda

Gorilla trekking  price in Uganda covers only the cost of purchasing the gorilla permits which are used for the tracking of Gorillas

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is carried out in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park. Gorilla trekking engages tourists in looking for the gorillas in their natural habitat.

Before engaging in gorilla trekking, a tourist has to have a gorilla trekking permit which is a document which permits someone to participate in the gorilla trekking activity. Gorilla trekking permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done at a cost of USD 700 per person engaging in one gorilla trek and for access to adventure into the habitat of the gorillas. The 700usd is a fee for conservation of the gorillas in the wilderness. This fee helps the Uganda wildlife Authority to carry its works of management and conservation of the Gorillas through education of the local communities, staffing and others. In this same money 10% is given back to the local community surrounding the park so as to keep the good relationship between wildlife and the local population.  Bwindi national park is among the most visited national parks in Uganda due to the gorillas which are a major tourist attraction. Gorilla trekking takes hours whuile tracking the gorillas but after meeting the gorillas the tourists are allowed only a maximum of one hour to be with the gorillas.

Unlike Gorilla trekking one can also spend more hours with Gorillas by paying Gorilla habituation fee which is 1500 usd. This is only done in Uganda in Rushaga sector where one can learn more about gorillas. Its also called Gorilla research where you spend 4 hours with the gorillas. This is one of the most unique activities Uganda offers to tourists and they are not found any where else.

The gorilla permit price covers the entrance fees into Bwindi national park for the gorilla trekking experience. Gorilla permits are to be booked in advance to avoid inconvenience since many people book gorilla permits in order to spend time with the endangered gorilla species.

The price for the gorilla trekking permit excludes certain personal costs such as porters who carry luggage during gorilla trekking. The permits secured determine the location or sector where the tourist is going to trek the gorillas.

Gorilla trekking prices in Uganda are favorable compared to Rwanda gorilla permit prices which are a bit higher at usd 1500. This however does not mean that the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda is unsatisfactory as the tourists are entitled to spend the allocated time with the gorillas at the cost of USD 700.

Price changes of the gorilla permits are communicated in advance by the Uganda Wildlife Authority before the changes are made. Recently, the Uganda Wildlife Authority released a document indicating changes in the price of gorilla permits from USD 600 to USD 700.

Certain fines and penalties are also put in place for tourists who fail to follow the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking which include avoiding touching the gorillas and many others.

The prices for other activities in Bwindi national park are independent of the gorilla trekking permit prices and are paid separately. Other activities in Bwindi impenetrable national park include nature walks, birding, the batwa trail experience among others.

The gorilla trekking activity involves spending time with the endangered gorilla species in a group of 8 people to avoid overcrowding the gorillas and scaring them away. During the gorilla trekking activity, the safety of the tourists is also considered as the rangers accompany tourists as they spend time with the gorillas. While for gorilla habituation they only allow 4 tourists per day this makes the gorilla habituation permits to be scares compared to Gorilla trekking. The advantage which makes Gorilla habituation worth the price is that you learn more about the Gorillas since you spend much time with the gorillas. The habituation starts earlier than gorilla trekking. You have to get the gorillas still on there sleeping beds you start following their characters from that time of waking up till they time they start organizing for their new day. It’s a magical experience to see how the wild is organized as they distribute responsibilities.

The prices for the gorilla trekking experience remains the same in all the different sectors of Bwindi national park which include Buhoma, nkuringo, ruhija and rushaga sector. The different sectors of gorilla trekking are habitat for different gorilla families which include rushegura, habiyanja, mubare, nkuringo, bitukura, oruzogo and many others.

Gorilla trekking can be done all year round and the best time of the year to get a gorilla trekking experience is during the months of June, July, august, September. During the rainy seasons, it becomes difficult to trek gorillas due to some factors such as slippery trails making the gorilla trek difficult. The vegetation also grows and becomes thick during the rainy seasons making it difficult to see the gorillas.

After the payment for a gorilla permit, the tourist will be allocated a sector where they will engage in the gorilla trekking experience.