How to get a gorilla permit for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
A gorilla permit is a document that allows any person above the age of 15 to go to a gorilla park, search for mountain gorillas, and spend some time around them for a certain period of time. There are two types of gorilla permits one being a trekking permit that allows a tourist to be around mountain gorillas for 1 hour and a gorilla habituation permit that allows a tourist to be with mountain gorillas for four hours.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a protected piece of land in the southwestern part of the Uganda Kisoro district. The park is known for hosting endangered mountain gorillas and having the highest number of these in the whole world. The mountain gorillas live in the four sectors of the park namely Rushaga, Nkuringo, Buhoma, and Ruhija.
All sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park host mountain gorillas that are one for mountain gorilla trekking activities which need a gorilla trekking permit. Rushaga sector does not only have fully habituated mountain gorilla families but also semi-habituated families and one is open to four tourists every day who become part of the activities that make the members get used to human presence around them.
To see the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, tourists need a gorilla permit. It could be a gorilla trekking permit for 1 hour or a gorilla habituation permit for 4 hours. Uganda Wildlife Authority issues these permits to tour operators to give to tourists who are interested in seeing mountain gorillas in the wild.
How to get a gorilla permit for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Through a tour operator
Gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park are purchased by licensed local tour operators from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Foreign non-residents, foreign residents, and Rest of Africa members are a must to use a company when purchasing gorilla permits. Members of East African citizen states may choose to use a company or buy for themselves because it’s allowed.
To buy a gorilla permit using a local tour operator there must be availability on the day of trekking. Tourists who intend to visit Bwindi may send their trekking dates to the local tour operators. Others can send their travel dates and agree on the itinerary with the local tour operator who may choose how best you can enjoy the tourist places within the country.
Once travel dates are available, a local tour company does check availability with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. If the gorilla permits are available, the tour operator may decide to reserve them for tourists who haven’t sent the money or purchase them in case the tourists have already sent the money. To avoid disappointments tourists are advised to book the gorilla permits or safaris 3 to 4 months in advance.
Directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority
Some tourists can get gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Only Ugandans and members of the East African citizen states can purchase permits directly from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Other categories for example foreign non-residents, foreign residents, and Rest of Africa cannot get this offer.
For members of East African citizen states to get a gorilla permit at Uganda Wildlife Authority they must travel with a national identity card or passport bearing their names. These are used to verify that you are really the one who is going to use the permit on the day of trekking. A personal email is also required and this appears on the gorilla trekking permit.
What is the cost of a gorilla permit?
The cost of a gorilla permit in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park depends on the type of permit one wants. There is a gorilla trekking permit that allows tourists to be around mountain gorillas for 1 hour and there is a gorilla habituation permit that comes with 4 hours around mountain gorillas.
A normal gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 Rest of Africa, and UGX300,000 citizens of East African member states. The gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and UGX750,000 citizens of East African member states.
When to purchase a gorilla permit in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a place to find the highest number of mountain gorillas and gorilla families in Uganda. Over 20 mountain gorilla families are available for trekking and 1 family is available for habituation. Even though many mountain gorilla families are within the park tourists should know that Uganda is the most affordable place to trek gorillas and so it attracts a lot of travelers.
During the high season, gorilla permits do sell out on some days within the park and this called for early bookings. Tourists are advised to their safaris and permits early in advance when the permits are still available to avoid last minute disappointments. 3 to 4 months or more is when tourists need to book their gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
