Gorilla trekking on a Budget is something many travelers are looking for but just don’t have an idea on how this works. However, today, we will give you practical tips on how to plan and book a budget Gorilla Holiday.
How to plan & book a Gorilla Trek On a Budget
- Decide on your Destination. gorilla trekking on a Budget
The choice of destination does greatly after your budget on any holiday. Mountain Gorilla Trekking can be done in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR. Congo.
Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda cost USD700 per person to trek and spend 01-hour with a group of habituated mountain gorillas in Bwindi forest or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Rwanda Gorilla permits cost USD1,500 per person for one to spend 01-hour viewing and photographing a group of habituated mountain Gorillas.
DR. Congo gorilla permits prices fluctuate between USD400 – 600 per person and are the lowest price for gorilla Permits you can find anywhere in the world. However, Gorilla trekking in Congo is quite unsafe, and tourists and park rangers have been kidnapped and shot dead. The most recent attack happened on 24/April/2020 (see: https://news.mongabay.com/2020/04/twelve-rangers-killed-in-latest-virunga-park-incident/)
- Decide on where to stay.gorilla trekking on a Budget
The accommodation comes in various categories from Basic campsite, homestays, Bend & breakfast guesthouses, midrange lodges located close to the gorilla trekking point to the very luxurious “break a bank” properties.
You need to choose the accommodation based on your budget. There is really no need to lavish your Money on a very luxurious property unless you think otherwise. There are great value mid-range properties that offer amazing rates on Fullboard.
- Decide whether to use a tour operator or Do it yourself.
Tour operators come in two (02) categories: Foreign tour operators based in your home country, and local tour operators based in the actual place you want to visit.
Your home-based foreign tour operator is probably one you have worked with on a couple of trips previously and he/she has been amazing. The untold truth, however, is that your home-based tour operator does mark up the trip with about 15 – 30% added to what the actual local tour operator has quoted. The additional mark-up by your home-based tour operator makes the trip costly however we also understand that you might feel safer dealing with the one you know than risk your money in the hands of a local tour Operator located miles away from you.
To keep the price of the trip reasonably affordable, you might consider working directly with a reputable local tour operator. We, however, recommend proper vetting for whichever tour operator you choose to work with.
Top tip(s): Make time and read through their reviews from previous clients (**be careful as a review can be deceiving), check if the tour operator is a member of any trade association, for instance, Realm Africa safaris™ is a fully registered member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators.
If you are a DIY (do it yourself) person, you will need to start planning well in advance. For instance, you will need to contact the Uganda wildlife Authority to book your Gorilla permit(s), then also move fast to secure your accommodation and eventually decide on a Car Hire company. This can be cheap but might cost you at one point. It can be risky to drive on African roads, the signage is very poor, and internet connections are unreliable for you to work on GPS – It does get even more complicated when you don’t get the timelines correct for your gorilla trek.
- Decide the best time to go. How to plan & book a Gorilla Trek On a Budget
There are three (03) travel seasons for most destinations in East Africa; Low season, Shoulder season, and Peak Or high season.
Low season -April, May & November (rainy season) is characterized by fairly unpleasant weather, but amazing discounts on accommodation and general logistics like transport. There are fewer people traveling during this time.
Shoulder season – September, October, December to March is the season between the short rains – not so wet, but prices are beginning to go up again. There is, however, fewer people travelling then.
The peak season is self-explanatory (June to August). It is at this time that we see crowds, gorilla permits, accommodation, and package tours have limited availability or are completely booked/sold out. It is expensive to travel during this time.
Our Popular Budget Gorilla Safaris & tours for 2022 – 2024
