Who has the most mountain Gorillas – Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo? This has turned out to be a frequently asked question by many of our clients, and today we will provide an answer to it.
As you might already know, only 1,036 mountain gorillas are surviving In the jungles of Africa. approximately 550 individuals are found in Uganda, while the remaining 486 are shared amongst Rwanda and Congo.
Uganda boasts of having the highest number of mountain gorillas in Africa. These can be seen on organized gorilla trekking tours visiting either Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi is the world’s capital for Gorilla trekking and currently has 20 habituated mountain gorilla families spread across four (04) sectors; Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo that is open for gorilla trekking, and Mgahinga has only one (01) habituated gorilla group open for gorilla trekking. For anyone to trek gorillas, you have to have an official document called ” a gorilla permit“.
Gorilla permits in Uganda are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) – a government body that oversees the management of all National Parks and Wildlife protected areas in Uganda.
Unlike Rwanda, and Congo, in Uganda, there are two ways you can see the mountain gorillas;
Go/book the traditional 01-hour with the gorillas, or go for the exclusive 04-hour gorilla Habituation experience.
On the traditional 01-hour with the gorillas’ experience, a maximum of 08 persons (excluding the rangers, and porters) in a group are allowed to visit a particular gorilla group and only get to spend a maximum of 01-hour with the gorillas.
As for the exclusive gorilla habituation, a maximum of 04 persons in a group will join a team of researchers on a journey to visit a wild gorilla family still undergoing the process of habituation.
What is interesting about gorilla Habituation? Unlike the traditional 01-hour mountain gorilla trekking experience explained above, the gorilla habituation experience is an extraordinary experience that can only be done in Uganda ( Bwindi Forest National Park ) and nowhere else in the world. Mountain Gorilla Habituation is a full-day gorilla trekking experience that allows trekkers to spend up to 04-hours in the presence of a wild gorilla family – still undergoing habituation. Gorilla Habituation permits cost $1,500 per person – Only a maximum of 04 tourists are allowed to track and spend four (04) hours with a wild mountain gorilla group in Bwindi Forest ( Rushaga or Nkuringo regions of Bwindi Forest).
What is the cost of a gorilla permit in Uganda?
Permit prices for the traditional 01-hour with the Gorillas experience;
- $800 per person – for foreign non-residents.
- $700 per person – for foreign Residents (proof of residence is required at booking)
- $500 per person/permit for Africans from the Rest of Africa.
- UGX300,000 per person – for East African from EAC member states.
Permit prices for the exclusive 04-hours with Wild Gorillas;
- $1,500 per person – for foreign non-residents.
- $1,000 per person – for foreign Residents (proof of residence is required at booking)
- UGX750,000 per person – for East African residents.
What are the requirements for booking a Uganda Gorilla Permit in 2024 – 2026?
- You must have decided the date(s) when you wish to trek for us to check for availability first.
- Confirm you are at least 15 years of age. Curious why? Read our blog: Why is the minimum age for gorilla trekking set at 15 years?
- A scanned copy of your passport (bios page).
Once we have all the above requirements, we will most definitely require you to transfer the gorilla permit fees for either the traditional o1-hour gorilla tour or the exclusive 04 hours with a group of wild gorillas (refer above for the Price guide). We will then proceed to reserve your gorilla permit. A scanned copy of your fully paid and reserved gorilla permit will be sent to you via email.
From this point on are happy to assist with finding the right accommodation and also making arrangements on how to get you to your gorilla trekking location.
Learn More about How to book a Uganda Gorilla Permit in 2024 -2026.
Practical Tips on How to Plan a Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari in 2024 – 2026
Gorilla trekking is perhaps the most sought-after adventure holiday experience in the world – Only half of those that want to do it can actually afford to do it.
Honestly speaking, gorilla trekking is significantly an expensive venture for ordinary tourists. However, we are going to give you some hands-on tips on how to plan a budget Gorilla trekking Safari without having to “break into a bank”In this article. Here are five (05) basic tips & advice for planning your Gorilla Trekking Safari on a budget.
Top five (05) practical tips on how to Plan a Uganda Gorilla Safari
There are only two places in Uganda where you can go Mountain gorilla trekking. These are Bwindi and Mgahinga. For anyone to go gorilla trekking in any one of the locations mentioned, you must have a gorilla permit.
Learn more about the best place to trek gorillas – Bwindi or Mgahinga
- DIY – do it yourself or use a tour Operator:
If you are a DIY – Do it yourself tourist who might consider booking their own permits and accommodation and then getting to Uganda, hopping onto public transport or even hiring a self-drive to Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park you are up for not do difficult but rather challenging experience, not for the faint-hearted.
The challenges that lie ahead: Road signage in Uganda and Africa, in general, is quite confusing so it might be “interesting” (frustrating) trying to figure out where to go.
The second common and yet also costly mistake is failing to get the drive times right – so you end up missing your flight connections between Bwindi/Mgahinga and getting out of Entebbe back home or for onward travel.
With the above-mentioned likely-to-happen scenarios, we strongly discourage the DIY- Do it yourself experiences unless planned out well in advance. Yes, we can assist you to plan a successful Self-drive holiday across East Africa – it’s Not last-minute.
- Decide which type of Accommodation you want to stay in during your holiday.
Accommodation ranges from luxury, and mid-range to budget. Depending on what your budget is, you may choose between budget and mid-range. These kinds of properties are clean, and safe and will give you value for money. There are also a few luxury properties for those with a flexible budget. Speak to us and we will advise based on your budget.
Dine out (For low-budget Travellers): For our low-budget travellers, most budget places will only provide breakfast, and the other meals are to be ordered off an à la carte menu which costs more for the low-budget traveller. We, therefore, recommend eating at local restaurants where a traditional meal comprising of a stew (chicken or beef) with rice will cost around about $10 per person. Our guides know some good places where you can enjoy a lovely meal at an affordable rate.
Hope our top 5 tips and advice to planning a Gorilla holiday on Budget was helpful. Feel free to contact us with a recommendation of anything you think might have been left out in this article.
