Gorilla Trekking Permit Availability

Mountain gorilla trekking is one of the top activities to do in Africa. There are only about 1000 mountain gorilla’s left in the wild and these can only be seen in three countries, Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Due to conservation issues, a maximum of 8 people are allowed to track a specific mountain gorilla family per day and this therefore means that there are a limited number of slots available for gorilla trekking per day. In Uganda, there are only 15 habituated mountain gorilla families which are available to be tracked by visitors.  Due to the limited number of slots available per day, the gorilla trekking permits usually sell out and therefore its recommended that travelers book their safaris at least 4-5 months in advance to avoid being disappointed.

Gorilla trekking Permit Cost

The gorilla trekking permit for Uganda is $600, and has been increased to $700 effective July 2020 for the Bwindi Impenetrable national park and mgahinga gorilla national park. The Rwanda gorilla trekking permit on the other hand is $1500 for volcanoes national park, while the Congo gorilla trekking permit is $400 for virunga national park.

How to check for gorilla trekking permit availability

Its advisable that you book your gorilla trekking safari at least 4-5 months in Advance, when you do so, chances are high that the permits will still be available and its especially advantageous if you have a specific sector in which you want to track the gorillas or a specific lodge you want to stay in.

However if you want to book you gorilla trekking permits for dates which are close, there is no need to worry. Once you send us an inquiry, we shall check and see if the permits are available. If the permits are available, you will be required to confirm your trip fast such that the permits are secured because often if there are few permits available and you delay to buy them, other companies / guests take them. In the even that the gorilla trekking permits are not available for your desired dates, we shall provide you with the nearest dates which have permits such that you can adjust your travel dates.

Gorilla trekking permit availability based on season

Peak /High Season (June, July, August, September, December, January, February)

The high season is basically composed of the dry months where little or no rainfall is expected. It is during this season that many travellers prefer to do the gorilla trekking and as such, there is a lot of competition for gorilla trekking permits during this period. The advise to anyone planning a trip during this period is to book their tour atleast 4-5 months in advance such that the gorilla trekking permits are secured in time, and the best accommodation booked.

Low season (March, April, May, October, November)

During the low season, it is expected to rain at any moment, and therefore there is less competition for the gorilla trekking permits. This therefore means that you are most likely to get the permits for this period, and even when you want to book on last minute, just get in touch with us and we shall check for the gorilla trekking permit availability.

Is it advisable to track the gorillas in low season

Yes, there is no problem with tracking the gorillas in low season. This is because Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, Virunga national park and volcanoes national park are all located in the tropics and have tropical rain forests. This means that it can actually rain at any time including even in the dry months. Therefore tracking gorillas in low season is advantageous as follows: There is less competition for gorilla trekking permits and you are therefore able to track based on your preferred dates most of the time, there are discount provided especially by the luxury lodges in form of low season rates.