What is the Price for Uganda Gorilla Permits? For 2025 – 2026, Mountain Gorilla permits in Uganda cost $800 per person/permit for Foreign Non-residents, $700 per person/permit for foreign residents, Uganda Shillings – UGX300,000 per person/permit for East Africans, and $500 per person/permit for Africans from the rest of Africa. A valid passport and or Work permit might be required as proof during the booking and purchase of your Gorilla Permits in Uganda.
When is the best time to book a Gorilla Permit in Uganda?
We recommend booking and paying for your Gorilla Permit(s) at least 3 – 6 months in advance. this is so because Gorilla Permits are very competitive to book and often get sold out, especially during the peak season months of June – September, December to February.
Learn More about the Gorilla Trekking Seasons in Uganda.
Where is the best place to go for Gorilla trekking in Uganda?
There are two (02) places in Uganda that you can visit to trek and see Mountain Gorillas In their Natural habitat. These include; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park currently has 20 Habituated mountain Gorilla Permits which translate into 154 gorilla Permits available for purchase on a daily. The 20 habituated Gorilla families are spread across four (04) official gorilla trekking locations; Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo Sectors.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park unlike Bwindi is a much smaller park closely bordering Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and DRC’s Virunga National Park. The 33.9 Sq.Km size Mgahinga is home to only one (01) habituated mountain gorilla Family. Only 08 Gorilla Trekking permits are available for purchase on a daily.
In our opinion, both Bwindi and Mgahinga are bound to deliver a lasting mountain Gorilla trekking experience. Forget the past years up until 2012 when Tour operators were very afraid of sending their clients to Trek Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park because the Gorilla group (Nyakagezi) was not settled and would cross into Rwanda, or even go to Congo which made the treks very unpredictable, especially for travellers who were booked on a short 3-day Gorilla Trekking Safari. The Nyakagezi gorilla group finally settled in Mgahinga, and it is now very reliable to book a permit as is for Bwindi.
Wondering why Mgahinga only has 01 Gorilla Group? read our blog: Reasons why Mgahinga Only has 01 Gorilla Group.
How do I book a Uganda Gorilla Permit?
The best, and safest way to book a gorilla Permit in Uganda is through a licensed local Tour Operator like Realm Africa Safaris™. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), a government body responsible for tourism in Uganda, currently only allows locally licensed companies to purchase Gorilla Permits.
Learn More about the Requirements for Booking a Gorilla Permit.
