Many tour operators and tourists have been asking about the possibility of Uganda revising the price of the gorilla permits. However the Uganda Wildlife Authority has confirmed that it it will not increase the price of the gorilla permit. Gorilla tracking permits for Uganda visitors will sell at $600 for the year 2018/2019.
According to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the fee will not be increased despite the overwhelming demand for gorilla tracking permits since Rwanda revised its gorilla permits. This drastic growth follows Rwanda’s announcement in which it doubled the price of its gorilla trekking permits to US$1500. However according to the communication from UWA, Uganda will not raise it the prices from US$600 for the next two years.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) also established that there wont be any more discounted prices apply to gorilla tracking permits for April and May 2018. The standard prices for gorilla permits go as per the following tourist types:
- Foreign Non-residents = $600
- Foreign Residents to $500
- Ugandans – 250000 UGX
Earlier this month, the Rwanda Development Board announced that the price of a permit would rise from US$750 to US$1500 for visitors immediately. Many players have established the move as rebranding Rwanda as a high end tourism destination. This development did not affect the old bookings but will affect all the new bookings.
Watching the endangered mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park is a huge draw to tourists from all over the world. There are only 880 mountain gorillas left in the world. More than half live in the Virunga Mountains, which are shared between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. The rest of the population live in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in South Western Uganda.
Since Rwanda increased its gorilla permits, lots of tourists have seen Uganda as the best destination for gorilla safaris in Africa. Uganda offers exciting gorilla trekking tours in two national parks; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Within these two national parks, there is a total of 15 habituated gorilla groups that can be visited by tourists. With each group allowing a maximum of 8 tourists per day, Uganda can handle a maximum of 120 tourists per day looking to gorilla watching in these tropical rain forests.
You can book gorilla permits for Uganda through a local tour operator listed on this website or at the Uganda Wildlife Authority offices at Kamwokya in Kampala.