Gorilla permits are essential and a MUST have for every traveler going to see gorillas in Bwindi Forest/ Mgahinga Gorilla Park, Virunga and Volcanoes National Parks. A gorilla permit is a document allowing you go into the forest to track habituated Gorilla families/groups in their natural habitats to learn about their lives in the forest. In all gorilla destinations. It’s a pass that allows you trek gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. A traveler without a permit will not be allowed to trek gorillas. Altogether, there are roughly 288 gorilla permits in Africa. 144 gorilla permits are in Uganda, 80 permits in Rwanda and 64 permits in the democratic republic of Congo. The availability of gorilla permits n a country depends on the number of habituated gorilla families in that specific country. Always make sure to check gorilla availability before confirming any gorilla trip to Uganda, Rwanda or Congo.
How does a gorilla permit works?
You need a permit for each time you want to track mountain gorillas in all gorilla destinations. There are specific government bodies put in place to issue these permits. You need to secure one for yourself in advance of your trip because they are in high demand most of the times. A group of 8 people are allowed to visit a habituated gorilla family each day and are accompanied by the park rangers. The Peak seasons is normally in June to September then December to February are especially a hard time to obtain gorilla permits. The permits are sold locally on cash basis at the specific offices in Uganda Rwanda and DR Congo.
How to acquire a gorilla permit?
Permits are only acquired from UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) in Uganda and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) in Rwanda. Contacting a local travel agent is the best way as it makes the process more flexible to book the permit for you. It is possible to pay for a permit after you get here but the hustle and delays that you might encounter are not worth it, there are high chances that you may never get a permit for the date you want due to the high demand for the permits. Visitors are encouraged to make their booking in time due to the high demand especially during the peak season.
When to book for a gorilla permit?
In all gorilla national parks, gorilla permit booking is recommended at least 6 months in advance due to high demand for gorilla tours. Travelers are requested to book early and pay a booking fee of 50% to reserve the permit. Booking can be done direct with responsible tourism bodies or through any trusted travel agent offering gorilla safaris to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Alternatively, check gorilla permit availability online and book in time to avoid last minute bookings which can be disappointing.
Cost of Gorilla permits
A Gorilla permit in Uganda costs $600 per person (to be increased to $700 effective 1st July 2020) for foreign residents and 250000 for East African Citizens, 1500USD in Rwanda and 400 Per person in DR Congo. This permit allows guests to spend one full hour with the gorillas studying their behavior. for one full hour watching the gorillas in Volcanoes national park. Rwanda’s high cost of Gorilla permits in Rwanda have made Rwanda a high end safari destination. The high cost was also to improve on the conservation of the gorillas in Rwanda by reducing the number of people coming to visit the gorillas. If you want to do a gorilla habituation experience, a single permit costs $1500 allowing you to spend four hours in the presence of gorillas.
Conclusion
Gorilla permits must be booked in advance through a trusted travel agency to avoid missing out on this great activity due to the high demand by travelers from all over the world.