• When is the best time to trek mountain gorillas?

Therefore, the best time of the year when you should visit the gorillas is June, July, August and September. If that is not possible, January and February should be relatively okay. The average temperatures of Uganda are at 21.5 C and 71 F, these also drop at night time to around 54 F which affects the altitude. Read More

• What are the Costs for a gorilla trekking permit?

Gorilla trekking permit prices in the 3 different countries vary.  Rwanda gorilla trekking permits cost $1500 each; Uganda Gorilla permits go for $600 each for foreigners and nonresidents, $500 for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX for East African residents. The Democratic Republic of Congo gorilla permit costs only $450 in the peak season and $400 in the low season.

• Where to see the Mountain Gorillas

Mountain gorillas live in the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and the Virunga conservation area shared by Mgahinga gorilla, Volcanoes and Virunga National parks in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo respectively. A combined gorilla trekking safari to both parks offers you with an exceptional experience.
Each National park is different from the other in terms of location, access, and the number of habituated gorilla families.
Bwindi has the highest number of mountain gorillas with 17 gorilla families habituated for trekking, Volcanoes has 10 gorilla families, Mgahinga has one gorilla family while Virunga national park has 8 gorilla families habituated for trekking.

• When to book for gorilla permit?

Gorilla trekking permit should be booked preferably 6 months in advance. The  high demand for gorilla permits require travelers to book as early as possible and secure them in time. Last minute bookings are uncertain. You can choose to pay a 30% booking fee to deposit on your permit to avoid any disappointments.

• What is included in a gorilla tour cost?

The inclusions in the gorilla tour cost are:

1. Gorilla trekking permit
2. Park entrance fees
3. Government taxes
4. Ground transport
5. Full-time English speaking driver guide Accommodation and meals as allocated in the itinerary.

• What is gorilla trekking age limit

One interested in Gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Uganda or Congo must be 15 years of age. Visitors below 15 years are not allowed to trek mountain gorillas despite his/her physical appearance and capabilities. Age limit is put to ensure the safety of travelers and mountain gorillas in the jungle. However, if a child is almost making 15 years, his/her parent can sign an agreement as fully responsible for anything that may happen to the child during the trekking time. The letter is written and signed by the parent and then submitted to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or Rwanda Development Board (RDB) for confirmation.

• Whats to pack for gorilla trekking?

Endeavor to carry all essentials required for gorilla trekking. The proper packing list includes among others:

1. Hiking boots for easy walking
2.  Hand gloves to avoid touching  mud
3. Long sleeved shirts and blouses to protect from thorny bushes
4. Rain jackets for  the changing forest weather
5. Sun glasses and hat to protect from direct sun
6. Long pants and stockings tacked into boots prevent bites by ground insects.
7. Energy giving snacks
8. Enough drinking water

• How many people trek a gorilla family?

A group of Eight people will be allowed to visit one gorilla family every day. Only  8 permits are therefore available for each gorilla group in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo each day. The allocation of gorilla families will depend on the hiking abilities of travelers. You are therefore advised to let your guide know your hiking abilities so as to get a suitable gorilla family they can hike with no difficulty.

• Howmuch time do I spend with gorillas?

The actual time to spend with gorillas is strictly an hour counted from the time travelers meet the allocated gorilla family. However,  you can spend several hours in the jungle before reaching gorillas. The hike can be as short as 30 minutes to several hours depending on the location of the allocated gorilla family and their speed of movements.  An hour is for taking photographs, capturing videos and embracing the human-like characters of mountain gorillas plus their social behaviors.

• What are the gorilla trekking rules and regulations?
  The dos and don ts of gorilla trekking include among others:

1. Keep  a distance of seven meters away from mountain gorillas
2. Keep within a group
3. Speak at a low tone
4. Avoid direct eye contact with the gorillas.
5. Keep calm when a mountain gorilla charges
6. Do not throw rubbish in the park
7. Do not feed gorillas
8. Do not touch gorillas

• Mountain Gorilla habituation experience?

Gorilla Habituation Experience allows you 4 hours or 240 minutes along with researchers and park rangers in the presence of the primates. Visitors are limited to 4 persons which enhances the experience. A visitor is not a mere observer but an active participant in the habituation process. It is only in Rushaga that a gorilla family has been put aside for research purposes and thus open to Gorilla Habituation Experience. A gorilla ticket, in this case, costs $1500.

• Can I trek Uganda gorillas from Kigali?

YES, you can trek mountain gorillas in Uganda from Kigali Rwanda. Nowadays, Rwanda Uganda gorilla safaris are weldone helping travelers in Rwanda to cross and trek gorillas in Uganda. Here you can fly into Kigali international airport and drive for four hours to Bwindi forest national park/Mgahinga gorilla national parks through Cyanika border in kisoro district. Travelers doing a 3 days Uganda gorilla trek from Kigali transfer from Kigali at 3:30 am to reach Bwindi at 7:00 am and catch up with the pre trekking briefing. After trekking, travelers drive back to Kigali for their return flights.

• What if I fail to see gorillas?

In rare cases where travelers fail to see mountain gorillas, respective park management give a second chance to trek visit gorillas the next day to trek again without paying. However, if a traveler fails to see gorillas due to his/her physical unfitness or sickness, he or she is not refunded anything since its not the fault of the respective park management.

Gorilla permit cancellation policy

Gorilla Permit Cancellation is inevitable owing to some unavoidable circumstances. Note:

• cancellation done 8 days or less, to the tracking date do not qualify for any refund whatsoever;
• 3 months to tracking date are refunded 75% of the total cost of the safari package
•  cancellation done 91 days to the gorilla trekking date are refunded 75% of the total permit cost;
• 45 – 90 days expect 50% refund;
• while 8 – 45 days expect a 25% refund;