Affordable Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo

Explore Gorilla Trekking on a Budget – Your Ultimate Guide to Affordable Safaris

Gorilla trekking is one of the most expensive tour activities in Africa but definitely worth the money. It completely distinguishes you from other travelers.

As a traveler, you crave to see unique stuff and gorillas is one of them. The most famous type of gorilla trekking is mountain gorilla trekking.

This can only be done in Uganda and nowhere else in the entire world.

Gorilla Trekking Video: Uganda Gorilla Safaris on a Shoestring Budget

Despite the high cost of gorilla permits in Uganda (costs $800 each all year), you can still go gorilla trekking in Uganda on a budget. You just have to put together a couple of factors if you are to get this right.

Planning a good budget safari to the gorillas is not something you can do on the fly. You have to plan better or consult us to plan it for you. This way, we shall try all means to lowering the total cost of your tour package.

Do not get blinded by booking cheap gorilla safaris else you are unlikely to enjoy your experience. Most budget gorilla trekking safaris are comfortable and enjoyable. Going cheap means using the cheapest facilities and services, which are always faulty to some point.

The budget gorilla safaris we offer are well planned and priced. I would actually say they are highly discounted because we still use mid-range lodges to handle such trips.

As a gorilla trekking company, we have partnered with a couple of accommodation facilities and service providers in Uganda; which affords us several services at low discounted costs. This has enabled us to offer affordable costs on tour packages while maintaining a certain standard of comfort.

As a traveler, there are some things you can do to lower the price of your safari. These include booking a short trip, choosing affordable accommodation facilities, traveling with many other travelers to share common costs like transportation, minimizing on activities, trekking gorillas only once, arriving and departing via Kigali in Rwanda and traveling in the low season when facilities are discounted among other measures.

Gorilla safaris in Uganda take place in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Gorilla permit prices are the same across both national parks. However, if you need a better experience, visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Affordable Gorilla Safaris in Rwanda

Rwanda is not a budget gorilla trekking destination. The gorilla permit prices here are so high that the price of a single permit alone can actually enable you carry out a complete short gorilla safari in Uganda with accommodation, transportation and everything else needed for your trip.

Each Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 and $1050 in the high and low seasons (when visiting the other Rwandan national parks) respectively. A 2 days gorilla safari in Uganda costs $1250 per person on a minimum. As you can see, the price of a Rwandan permit is quite higher.

Rwanda only has one gorilla trekking park; Volcanoes National Park. The proximity of this park to Kigali is what makes travelers prefer trekking with gorillas in Rwanda.

Volcanoes National Park is only 2 hours away from Kigali. This makes it possible to arrive in Rwanda, trek gorillas and depart on the same day; which is not the case with Uganda. Rwanda provides the most hassle free experience compared to the other gorilla trekking destinations.

The scenery at Volcanoes National Park is also awesome. You get to hike up the Virunga Volcano Mountains as you search for gorillas; which contradicts the experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where you have to traverse forest trails to higher elevations to see gorillas in the wild.

However, like any other destination; there’s always a chance of lowering safari costs. Much as we highly recommend budget gorilla tour clients to trek gorillas in Uganda or DR Congo, we also understand that sometimes they might prefer Rwanda to the other destinations.

So for such a case, minimizing travel days, choose budget accommodation facilities and avoiding other unnecessary activities should help you lower your total safari costs. If possible, try to arrive very early in the morning (like at 0400 hrs), transfer straight to Volcanoes National Park, trek gorillas and depart on the same day. This will help you cut on costs.

Affordable Gorilla Trekking Adventures in Congo

If it wasn’t for the security threats, DR Congo would undoubtedly be the best budget gorilla trekking destination in the world. Congo gorilla permits cost only $400 each, which is apparently the lowest among all the other destinations.

Unlike Uganda and Rwanda, Congo has two species of gorillas; the mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas are found in Virunga National Park in Goma, along the Virunga Conservation Area.

The Virunga Conservation Area is shared by Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. Three national parks; Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda), Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Virunga National Park (Congo share this area), hence the gorillas are easily switch boundaries and cross through countries depending on their mobility.

Lowland gorillas are found in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Bukavu, South Kivu province. Mountain gorillas live in higher elevations whereas lowland gorillas live in lower elevated areas.

If you need to hike more, we advise you take on mountain gorilla tracking experiences and in case you do not want to carry out any hiking to see gorillas, you can visit the lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The gorilla permit costs are the same across all parks. The only variation is the entry points.

To trek gorillas in Virunga National Park, you will have to arrive through Kigali in Rwanda and cross over to Goma through the Gisenyi border post. Trekking lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park requires you to travel all the way to Rusizi District; where Nyungwe Forest National Park is located and crossing over to Bukavu.

The journey from the border area around Bukavu to Kahuzi-Biega National Park is approximately 2 hours. Congo is a great place to trek gorillas on a budget. If you need a safe place to trek gorillas in DR Congo, consider visiting the lowland gorillas. The South Kivu province is very secure compared to Goma.

Cheapest way to see gorillas in Uganda

So what is the cheapest way to see gorillas in Uganda? Not everyone can afford a comfortable trip but definitely everyone can trek gorillas. If your budget is so tight and you want to meet mountain gorillas in Uganda, we are still here to help.

We can downgrade your tour package to shoe-string, which is apparently the cheapest way to see gorillas in Africa. As mentioned earlier, there is a big difference between budget gorilla trekking and cheap gorilla trekking.

If you do not mind the facilities and services you are bound to enjoy on your trip, you could look at the cheapest ways to see gorillas in Uganda or any other destination.

Exploring the Benefits of Choosing Budget Gorilla Tours in Rwanda

Choosing Rwanda gorilla tours is not a great idea if your sole aim is trekking gorillas on a budget. Rwanda gorilla permits are too expensive that you could use that money alone to finance a full package trip in Uganda or DR Congo.

Much as tourists prefer trekking with gorillas in Rwanda because of the short distance between Kigali and Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is not equally far from Kigali.

You could actually trek gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is way much shorter than Bwindi. Only choose Rwanda if you plan to travel luxury. That way, you won’t mind the gorilla permit prices.

Affordable Lodges and Accommodations for your Gorilla Safari

Accommodation is a very big factor when it comes to traveling on a budget. Not all gorilla safari lodges offer budget and comfortable facilities.

It takes a lot for an operator to find one and partner with them and also get a second and third option in case the first runs out of availability. For clients trekking gorillas on a budget, give your tour operator a chance to choose an accommodation facility for you.

In most cases, they will choose the one they have a mutual understanding with and offer you comfortable accommodation at highly discounted prices. If you are a budget traveler that is picky when it comes to accommodation, your safari might as well be hard to plan.

Online Booking for Affordable Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permits

You can book your Uganda gorilla permits online through a tour agency like us. We reserve your gorilla permits for you, reschedule them if need be and print them out for you a few days before your trip.

Each Uganda gorilla permit costs $800 all year round. There is no low season discounts. The price remains the same across the year. Gorilla permits should be booked way in advance. Booking your permits at least 6 months in advance should guarantee you the preferred availability.

Understanding the Cost of Gorilla Trekking: Budgeting for Your Adventure

So many factors determine the total price of gorilla trekking and among these include accommodation, transportation costs, activity cost, length of safari, class of travel and type of gorilla trekking among the rest.

If you want to plan a very affordable safari, you should look at these factors especially accommodation, transportation, travel class and type of gorilla trekking.

Booking affordable accommodation facilities, traveling in a safari van, lowering your travel class and doing the normal gorilla trekking experience other than gorilla habituation should afford you a budget but comfortable trip.

However, you should look at all these factors and relate them to the comfort of your trip. If any factor degrades the comfort of your trip, you leave it out. The main point here is having an affordable but comfortable trip.

You do not have to travel for several hours by plane and get bad facilities when on ground. Everything has to go on perfect.

The Value of Affordable Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Uganda apparently offers the best gorilla tracking experiences. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone has four sectors from where you can trek gorillas. These include Rushaga Sector, Nkuringo Sector, Buhoma Sector and Ruhija Sector.

Each of these sectors is unique in its own way and offers a slightly different experience because of the surroundings and terrain. Besides Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda has Mgahinga Gorilla National Park as a second gorilla trekking option.

This park shares the Virunga Conservation Area with Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in DR Congo. Mgahinga is somehow diverse as it offers golden monkey trekking too.

Unveiling the Physical Demands of Low-Cost Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Uganda offers all levels of gorilla trekking difficulty. It’s up to you to request for the difficulty you want. You could trek the shortest gorilla family or could go for the longest and hardest if you are willing to persevere.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda may last from 2 to 8 hours. Nowadays park wardens locate gorilla groups the day before and guide tourists towards the right direction. This way, the always know which groups are far and which ones are near hence, allocate them accordingly.

If you are going for a longer trek, ensure to have heavy breakfast and carry enough packed lunch, energy snacks, drinks and a first aid kit.

Availability of Gorilla Trekking Permits in Uganda

Uganda being the best destination for gorilla tracking safaris in the world, so many tourists flock here for trips and most of the times, permits are booked way in advance.

Uganda has three seasons of the tourism industry; the low season, high season and peak season. The low season starts from March to May and October through November. The high season starts from June to September whereas the peak season starts from December to January. February is considered to be a high season.

When traveling in the peak season, endeavor to book your gorilla permits at least six months in advance. High season bookings should be made around the same time frame. Low season bookings can be last minute as there is availability always.

Essential items to pack for your Uganda gorilla trekking adventure

If you need a hassle-free gorilla trekking experience, you have to get your packing list right. Some of the necessary items you should carry along as you make your way into the forest to search for gorillas is a rain coat, long jeans or khaki trousers, a first aid kit, energy snacks, cameras or camcorders, sun glasses, a cap, garden gloves and long-sleeved shirts among other items.

These are very essential items for your packing list. You should not forget any as hiking can be strenuous and hectic at times. Good preparation is the very first step to having a successful gorilla trip.

Best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda

Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo share the same climatic region hence, the best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda also applies to Rwanda and DR Congo. Any activity that involves hiking can best be done in dry weather conditions and so does gorilla trekking.

Visiting during the driest season will guarantee you a good hike though there is a disadvantage to this. During dry weather, gorillas move for long distances to search for vegetation hence, gorilla trekking can be hard at times. This isn’t the case with the wet season when mountain gorillas can easily find food from where they are hence, making gorilla trekking much easier.

The best time to trek gorillas in Uganda is from June through September and December through February. The worst time to trek gorillas in Uganda is in April.

Best Time to Embark on an Affordable Gorilla Tour in Uganda

The best time to have a budget gorilla safari in Uganda is in April. This is also considered as the month with the highest amount of rainfall. However, Uganda’s climate is funny. Some years will have less rainfall in April and have more in August.

A lot of permits are available in April hence, making a last minute gorilla permit booking can help you chance a dry day for gorilla trekking. You will enjoy huge discounts on accommodation facilities in this month.

Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda

Trekking both gorillas and chimpanzees in Uganda is a great idea. Besides Bwindi Impenetrable National Park being the best gorilla trekking destination in the world, Kibale Forest National Park is also the best chimpanzee trekking destination in the world.

Gorillas and chimpanzees are very close to humans though chimpanzees are closer. Many know Uganda for gorilla tracking and very few recognize it for chimpanzee trekking safaris. Chimpanzees in Uganda are fun to track.

You can find them in Kibale Forest National Park, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Kalinzu Forest, Budongo Forest, Kyambura Gorge and a few other places. When visiting Uganda, do not miss out on chimpanzee trekking experiences.

Minimum age for gorilla tracking

Gorilla trekking has quite a number of rules and among these rules in the minimum age for trekking gorillas. You should be at least 15 years to be granted a gorilla pass. Anyone younger than this will be denied a gorilla permit in Rwanda and DR Congo.

Uganda’s case is however different. You have an option of signing an indemnity form consenting to any liabilities that might arise from your child not following the respective gorilla trekking rules and regulations.

When you sign this form, any kid older than eleven years may be granted a pass.

Is altitude sickness a problem?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park does not have a very high altitude hence, altitude sickness won’t be a problem when trekking gorillas. The same applies to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park and Kahuzi-Biega National Park in DR Congo.

On so many occasions, hikers worry about altitude sickness prior to their hike because this is something that will completely put you off your activity. When you get altitude sickness, you cannot go on with your activity and entire trip in the worst scenario.

This is why you should take it serious. Good news is, there is no altitude sickness associated with gorilla tracking.

Uganda vs Rwanda gorilla trekking

Uganda and Rwanda are apparently the leading gorilla trekking destinations in the world. Question is, which is a better destination? There are so many stories out there with so many facts; written by both bloggers and PR agencies on behalf of tourism bodies citing variant information but as a person a ground, I would say Uganda is the best gorilla trekking destination in the world.

Besides having two gorilla national parks and four trekking sectors in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda accounts for over half the total remaining population of mountain gorillas in the entire world.

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