Uganda Gorilla Permits to be sold only to licensed Tour Operators

Starting January 2024 all Uganda Gorilla Permits to be sold only to licensed Tour Operators, this will apply to all foreign nonresidents and the Rest of Africa segment. One of these regulations includes the requirement for tourists to obtain permits to visit the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. These permits are typically sold by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and for you to buy these permits you have to go through licensed Tour Operators.

Uganda Gorilla Permits to be sold only to licensed Tour Operators is a recent change in policy by Uganda Wildlife Authority, in line with efforts to manage and regulate tourism activities around gorilla habitats more effectively. This approach ensures that tourism is conducted responsibly and sustainably, minimizing negative impacts on the gorillas and their environment.

By restricting permit sales to licensed tour operators, Uganda is aiming to better control the number of tourists visiting gorilla habitats, ensuring that only reputable and experienced operators like Eco Adventure Safaris are involved in organizing these trips. This will help in reducing issues such as overcrowding, habitat degradation, and disturbance to the gorillas.

Uganda Gorilla Permits to be sold only to licensed Tour Operators apply to both Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, these are the main 2 national parks where Mountain gorillas are found in Uganda.

About Gorilla Trekking Permits in Uganda

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda is only done in 2 national parks that is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Even though Uganda has more gorilla permits than Rwanda and Uganda, they tend to sell out so very quickly during the high season (January, February, July, August, September, and December every year. Once you contact us about your planned trek and desired dates, we shall check availability of permits online system for Uganda Wildlife Authority and if permits are available, we shall send you an invoice to make payment for the permits as they are top priority and if they are not available, you will choose other dates that have availability of permits. Once we receive payment, we shall book and secure your permits and send you copy of the receipt with booking ID to confirm your trek. Knowing the cost of the Uganda Gorilla permits is one of the things to consider when determining the approximate cost/ fair price of the 3 day gorilla tour to Bwindi National Park.

About Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

The park is Uganda’s smallest national park which is boarded by Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bwindi Forest National Park in Uganda. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has the three volcanoes namely Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo and Mountain Muhabura all of which are part of the six Virunga Mountains. Mgahinga National Park harbors the endangered mountain gorilla and the Golden Monkeys.  The park is a tropical rain forest comprised of lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, montane rain forests and mountain Bamboo

About Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park

Bwindi Forest National Park is located in the southern part of Uganda sharing boarder with Congo, it is one of the only two national parks in Uganda where you can trek and see the magnificent Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat in the world, it is home to more than half of the only remaining Mountain Gorillas in the wild making it famous and best place to trek the Mountain Gorillas. Bwindi Forest National Park is divided into different sections/sectors where you can do the Gorilla tracking experience namely Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija and Nkuringo sector. Bwindi Forest National Park has different habituated gorilla families open for gorilla tracking experience, each gorilla family has different gorilla individuals, and each gorilla family is headed and controlled by the dominant male gorilla the Silver back. For you to go on the trek, you are required to have a Gorilla permit valid for trekking that day. Gorilla permits are limited in number per day given it is only 8 people allowed to trek per gorilla family per day in Bwindi Forest National Park.

Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda and Rwanda should be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are competitive and get sold out quickly especially during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. There are 194 gorilla permits available per day in Uganda each family is visited by 8 people.

How & Where To Buy Gorilla Permits in Uganda?

Buying Uganda gorilla permits, once you have your planned dates of travel confirmed we will need you to send us an email at info@ecoadventuresafaris.com so that we check for the availability of gorilla habituation permits online with the Uganda Wildlife Authority once we confirm permits are available for your planned dates we will let you know so that we can send you an invoice for you to make payment for the permits. Once the payment is done and we have received it on our account we will go ahead and purchase your permits immediately and send you a scanned copy of the permits for your records and perusal, this will confirm you are booked for Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi Forest National Park. Booking permit for gorilla trekking is advised to book your Gorilla permits in advance at least 2-3 months prior your visit given the fact few permits are available per day and sell out very quickly on first come first serve basis.

What is the age limit for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?

The minimum age limit for Gorilla Trekking is 12 years and the maximum age depends on fitness levels. Gorilla trekking for elders is now made possible especially in Bwindi forest through provision of sedan chair carriers, these chairs are used to carry those who feel unfit and are unable to walk into the forest at the time of their trek, you will be carried by potters to and from the forest during your trek, hiring the sedan chair can done in advance or at the day of the trek and price ranges from 400-500 dollars.

What is the best time for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is done throughout the year and the best time to do a gorilla trekking in Africa is during the drier months of January, February, June to early September, this is makes it easier to travel to the park and gives a clear view of gorillas given the vegetation cover is not too much high grown.

What to pack for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?

During gorilla tracking you will need a comfortable, hard wearing, pair of walking shoes or boots.  Conditions are generally very muddy in the forest when it is raining. There are uphill sections which may be quite steep and strenuous.  It is also advisable to wear a long sleeve cotton shirt and lightweight long trousers to protect yourself from the undergrowth, stinging nettles and biting ants.  Suggested Items to pack for Gorilla trekking;

• Insect Repellent                      

• Torch/Flashlight – and Spare Batteries

• Wet Wipes                             

• Water Bottle                          

• Camera, lenses etc

• Comfortable walking/hiking boots & socks            

• Gardening gloves for gorilla tracking

• Sandals/strops/walking shoes    

• Hat and Sunscreen

• Rain Jacket

• Sweater/fleece

• Swimwear

• Binoculars (game/bird watching)

How to get access Gorilla trekking Parks in Uganda

By Road; The southern sector of Bwindi Forest National Park can be accessed through the main safari circuit from Entebbe/Kampala which approximately 8-9 hours drive. You will need to turn off at Muko along the Kabale-Kisoro road you will see the sign post of Uganda Wildlife Authority which you will follow upto to your booked lodge for accommodation in either Rushaga or Nkuringo sector.

By Air; You can fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala’s Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip to access the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo. Scheduled and chartered flights are available and operated by domestic airline operators of Aero link and Fly Uganda. You will need to plan with your tour operator for a transfer from the airstrip to the Park

Booking your Uganda gorilla permits through Eco Adventure Safaris.

At Eco Adventure Safaris we provide personalized service with the utmost dedication to the safety and enjoyment of our clients. We are committed to the well-being of our staff and guests as well as to having a positive impact on the communities and wild places that our operations reach. On all our operations and safaris, we embrace the environmental ethic “Take Nothing but Photographs, Leave Only Footprints” all our packages are eco-friendly. Contact us here about why Uganda Gorilla Permits to be sold only to licensed Tour Operators?