Cost of Gorilla Trekking – Rwanda, Uganda & Congo

The cost of gorilla trekking varies significantly depending on a number of factors. For any plans to trek mountain gorillas, there are essential things to put at the back of your mind. Among the many essential factors to put into consideration when costing for mountain gorilla trekking are cost of gorilla permit, the accommodation, means of transportation. To trek mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda, Volcanoes National Park and the Virunga National Park should be considered a must-visit destinations.

Gorilla permits

Gorilla permits are must-have when it comes to gorilla trekking. Every gorilla destination has a set price for its gorilla permit one essential factor any trekker should put into consideration when planning for gorilla trekking tour in Uganda, Rwanda or DRC. In Uganda, gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are obtainable at $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and shs.250000 for East African community residents. The current rate will run up to 30th June, 2020 and starting July, 2020 each gorilla permit in Uganda will cost $700 (foreign non-residents), $600 (foreign residents) and shs.250000 (East African residents).

Perhaps you need to enhance your gorilla experience then gorilla habituation experience, should be a must-do adventure. To obtain gorilla habituation experience permits, you require to have $1500. Gorilla habituation experience is an exhilarating wildlife experience which involves visitors, trackers, conservationists, primatologists, scientists to follow semi habituated gorillas in order to make them get used to human presence. It is a whole day experience involving an in-depth exploration on how mountain gorillas feed, copulate, make their nests, socialize and in order for you to make a complete adventure, you need to be physically well.

Gorilla permits in Uganda are obtainable through a ground, recognized and reliable tour operator or reservation team at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). You can do so at 2-6 months earlier before the actual trek.
In case your plan is to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking, each gorilla permit costs $1500. You can obtain a Rwanda gorilla permit still through a trusted tour operator and for this case, don’t look any further than our reservation team. Alternatively, you can get in touch with a reservation team at Rwanda Development Board (RDB)-(reservationist@rwanda.com).

Cost of accommodation

The cost of accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Volcanoes National Park or the Virunga National Park varies depending on the type/category. The lodges in and around these gorilla destinations range from budget to luxury and their rates differ significantly. Depending on how long you plan to be at the destination, you can find a good budget lodge at $150 and luxury at $300 and above.

Cost of transport

How you plan to get to your dream gorilla destination matters a lot when planning for a gorilla trip in Uganda, Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The best way to reach most of these gorilla destination is by road or by air. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for instance is approximately 8-10 hours’ drive from Kampala or Entebbe. From Kigali, you can spend about 4 hours to Uganda’s Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. To get to Volcanoes National Park, you can take approximately 2 to 3 hours.

The best way to for you to get to your dream gorilla destination is by hiring a comfortable 4×4 drive safari vehicle. Our fleet of rental cars range from 4×4 Land cruisers, customized safari vans, 4×4 Toyota Rav4s and for large group travelers, we have well serviced coaster buses. In case you don’t wish to spend more hours on road, you can opt for flight services for instance from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip and you drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

When planning a gorilla trek in Uganda, Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), you need to put in mind other factors besides the accommodation, transport and gorilla permits and they include among others the miscellaneous, hiring porters in case you have heavy luggage, each porter can hired between $10 and $15. Tipping-though this is not a must-do thing, on the other hand, it is one way for one to say thank you for the wonderful service offered. The amount you tip all depends on you, it is not fixed!