Did you know that Rwanda gorilla permits costs higher than the Uganda gorilla trekking permits?
Gorilla trekking is among the top activities done both in Uganda and Rwanda. These east African countries together with the Democratic Republic of Congo host the Virunga massif the only area in the world where mountain gorillas live.
The mountain gorillas can be located in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national park of Uganda and volcanoes national park of Rwanda.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park located in southwestern Uganda is known to have one habituation gorilla family and this is Nyakagezi. It only has about 13 gorilla individuals and this means there are limited gorilla permits sold each day in this park. Whereas Bwindi national park has almost half of the gorilla population with 19 habituated gorilla families that are found in its four sectors that is Ruhija, Nkuringo, Buhoma and Rushaga.
Volcanoes national park of Rwanda has 11 habituated gorilla families but all the rules and regulations do not differ. The maximum number of people to trek a single gorilla family is 8 people and therefore gorilla permits are limited due to the restricted number of trekkers per day. Gorilla trekking usually takes place in the morning and only one shift is done on a daily basis.
Gorilla tracking experience takes about 1-8 hours including an hour while in their presence but is truly worthwhile. Visitors interact face to face with gorillas. These amazing apes are normally seen breastfeeding young ones, feeding on shoots and leaves while the silverback (head of the group) practices its leadership skills.
In Uganda the pearl of Africa, one can get access to gorillas after purchasing a gorilla trekking permit from either Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a recognized tour operator. In Rwanda, a visitor has to first acquire a valid gorilla permit from Rwanda Development Board or a recognized tour operator/safari company.
Uganda gorilla permits normally cost 700 USD for nonresidents, 600 USD for foreign residents, and 250,000UGX for East African residents. Rwanda gorilla permits cost 1500 USD for foreign none residents and this price implies per person and per group. Only visitors with the age of 15 years and above are allowed to trek the mountain gorillas.
Trekking Gorillas is fun as you pass through the impenetrable forests while watching over other primates like golden monkeys, olive baboons, and black and white colobus monkeys among others accompanied by different bird species that have beautiful colors as they sing nice songs. The rugged terrain that is challenging at a certain point also is memorable. There is an option of using Porters to carry you in case you fail to maneuver through the rugged trails.
Best time to trek.
Most tourists wonder about the best time to trek mountain gorillas but the truth remains, the best time depends on the schedule of the visitor. For example, during the dry season which takes place in the months of December to February and June to September that comprises little rains, the trails are passable or easy to access as the gorillas tend to hide and move to distant areas as they search for food.
And during wet seasons – March to May and October to November, the trails are muddy making it hard to pass but the gorillas seem to be nearer because of abundant food. Also, during the heavy rains, accommodation facilities tend to reduce the prices compared to the dry season.
Gorilla trekking safari can be combined with either wildlife or culture tour in any of the countries and depending on your budget, you can take a gorilla trekking safari or even gorilla habituation experience in Uganda. This will depend on the number of days you would like to spend on a tour but the least can be 3 days to fully enjoy the adventure. For the visitors who would like to take double gorilla safaris, we can book you two permits in different gorilla families.
