Best African Gorilla Safari Trips to Uganda & Rwanda

Best African Gorilla Safari Trips to Uganda & Rwanda-Gorilla trekking tours in Africa

Best African gorilla safari trips – Great Adventure Safaris is all about incredible Gorilla adventure safaris and wildlife adventures. We plan, organize and implement affordable and the best Gorilla trips to Uganda and Rwanda all designed to meet our client’s travel expectations. We are a one-stop shop for exceptional Gorilla trips and wildlife safaris in East Africa for memorable affordable adventure holiday packages which leave our price sensitive travelers happy to travel with us again and again.

Our customized Gorilla tracking trips lead you deep into Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda for the most incredible and affordable Gorilla adventure safaris in the East Africa. Our professional driver guides guarantee travelers safe and comfortable transfers to all tourist spots all over

Great Adventure Safaris organizes best African Gorilla safari trips and primate safaris including Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park or Kyambura gorge Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and other wildlife safaris like the tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector the southern of Queen Elizabeth National Park, white water rafting on the River Nile, Mountain Climbing to Mount Rwenzori, Mount Elgon and the Virunga Volcanoes. Travelers are assured of the best tailor made safari trips and other tourism experiences in East Africa with Great Adventure Safaris all attributed to our teamwork and spirit.

Booking Gorilla Permits in Uganda

Uganda boosts of 19 habituated Gorilla families found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi forest bears the largest group of Gorilla families of 18 families while Mgahinga has only one large Gorilla family. The cost of a Gorilla permit in Uganda as of today is USD700 per person per trek which has enabled the country to receive far more visitors than its counterpart Rwanda.

Kindly note, the price of a Gorilla permit excludes accommodation, air tickets, ground transport, meals and other expenses.  A 3 Days Gorilla safari in Uganda can cost around USD1350 per person sharing in a group of 2 people excluding air tickets and Visas.

The advantage with Gorilla tracking in Uganda is the opportunity to take part in the Gorilla Habituation Experience, which costs USD1500 per person per trek where you get to spend more time with the semi habituated Gorillas under the guidance of trackers, park rangers and researchers hence giving you an in-depth study of the Mountain Gorillas. You will spend four hours with the giant primates as opposed to the one hour for regular trackers.

In Uganda, obtaining a Gorilla permit is done only by the Uganda Wildlife Authority at their Kampala headquarters. The Authority issues about 152 Gorilla permits per day for both Bwindi forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. One can book the Gorilla permits with the authority directly but most tourists use the convenience of good tour operator.

It is advisable to use a tour operator to book for you a Gorilla permit particularly during the peak season to avoid any unnecessary inconveniences. Contact Great Adventure Safaris for more information about Gorilla permits booking in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority issues Gorilla permits according to the region within the park where the habituated Mountain Gorillas are located. This eases movements of visitors especially within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which has four regions each with a different habituated Gorilla family.

The regions are; Buhoma in the North, Ruhija in the East, Nkuringo and Rushaga in the South of Bwindi forest hence the Gorilla permits are bought according to the specific location. Of all the four regions, Rushaga has the highest concentration of habituated Gorilla families and the others are distributed in the remaining 3 regions.

Although Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has only one habituated Gorilla family, getting a Gorilla permit there may prove to be more difficult during the low season because all tour operators tend to target it when Gorilla permits have run out from Bwindi forest.

Recommended short gorilla gorilla safaris in Uganda

Booking Gorilla Permits in Rwanda

Rwanda has the second largest number of Mountain Gorillas after Uganda. It boosts of 10 habituated Gorilla families which are found at the Volcanoes National Park. Gorilla permit costs USD1500 per person per trek obtainable from the Rwanda Development Board offices in Kigali city or Ruhengeri town which is near the park.

Great Adventure Safaris can also help you get the Gorilla permits especially if you book with us and we organize all aspects of your Gorilla tour. The fee paid gives you one hour of access to a particular habituated Gorilla family and does not include accommodation, ground transport or meals. A 2 Days Gorilla safari in Rwanda can costs around USD2100.

Like Uganda, visitors to Rwanda who intend to engage in Gorilla tracking adventure are advised to book their Gorilla permits online or through their preferred tour operators 3-4 months in advance to avoid last minute inconveniences. Each Gorilla permit gives you access to one Gorilla family and only 8 visitors are allowed to view each Gorilla family per day.

This limits the number of Gorilla permits to 100 per day. Rwanda has the highest Gorilla tracking fee which has caused many tourists to make Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo their preferred destinations for Gorilla tracking although the Rwanda authorities explained that the fees, previously at USD750 were increased to boost community development of the people around the National park.

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Gorilla Permit cancellation penalties and policy in Uganda

It is preferable that each person who books a Gorilla permit should be able to utilize it. However, where circumstances do not permit you to travel, the Uganda Wildlife Authority will not refund you any money, and the booking would be cancelled from 0 to 8 days, to the day of tracking. If the cancellation is between four to forty-five days before the activity, a 25% refund will be given.

Should cancellation happen 46 to 90 days before Gorilla tracking, a 50% will be made. If cancellation takes place 91 days beforehand, you receive a refund of 75%. The refunds only apply to those who paid the whole amount for the Gorilla permit. If you had only made a deposit, you are not liable for any refund. In extremely rare cases where one fails to identify any Gorilla, a complaint should be lodged with the Uganda Wildlife Authority reservation office and a 75% refund will be implemented.

For travel tips, advice and adventures please contact Great Adventure Safaris and one of our safari managers will be ready to respond to your inquiry swiftly at all times.