Gorilla Trekking Frequently Asked Questions and their Answers
There are several frequently asked questions about gorilla trekking and they include:-
When is the best time to go for mountain gorilla trekking?
The dry period from June, July, August, September, early October plus December, January to February are the best times to visit and see gorillas in the wild. During such period, the forest grounds are not slick and muddy compared to the rain seasons. However, the low season months of March, April, May and November have the advantage of low accommodation rates with hotels and lodges as well as other service providers. This implies that budget gorilla safari travelers can visit around the rainy periods. All in all, gorilla trekking is properly doable in any month of the year if one doesn’t mind about the weather conditions and budget concerns.
How much is a gorilla permit?
Prices for Gorilla permits differ depending on a country. A gorilla permit is at $800 for foreign nonresidents and Uganda Shilling 250,000 for East African residents including Ugandan citizens. Rwanda gorilla permit is at $1500 whereas the Democratic Republic of Congo has the most inexpensive gorilla permit at $450 during the peak season and $400 for low-season months.
Where do mountain gorillas live?
The Mountain gorillas dwell in the forests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and the Virunga Conservation Area joint shared by Mgahinga, Volcanoes and Virunga National Parks in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo correspondingly. Gorilla tours to any of the four parks offers an extraordinary experience to the visitors. Every park is unique in terms of the geographical location, accessibility as well as the number of habituated gorilla groups. Bwindi forest has the biggest number of mountain gorillas with about 17 gorilla families adapted for trekking safaris, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda 10 gorilla families, Mgahinga is blessed with one gorilla group (Nyakagezi Family). The Virunga National Park is endowed with 8 habituated gorilla families for tracking.
When can one book for a gorilla permit?
A Gorilla permit booking should be done comfortably 4 months in advance before the trekking date. The permit demand warrant prospective visitors to secure them early enough to avoid disappointments caused by late attempted bookings. You will deposit at least 30% of the total trip cost to your safari organizer to enable him buy gorilla permits in time. Based on a particular arrangement by your chosen tour operator, you will pay the balance a few days to the safari or on arrival in the country where the trip is to commence from.
What is usually included in the gorilla tour prices?
- Gorilla permit
- Park entrance fees and Government taxes
- Other activities besides gorilla trekking if any
- Ground transport and Full-time English-speaking driver guide. It could be a guide speaking a certain preferred language (Germany, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Chinese etc).
- Accommodation, full board meals and bottled water
Exclusions include:
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips for guides, ranger or accommodation staff
- Flight Ticket
- Telephone calls and laundry
- Any personal expenses
What is gorilla trekking age limit
The Age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years. This applies in all gorilla national park across the region. Visitors below 15 years are not eligible for trekking mountain despite the fact that one may have bodily capabilities. Age limit is aimed at ensuring safety of both the visitors and mountain gorillas in the forest.
What to Pack for a Gorilla Trekking trip?
When going for a gorilla trekking tour, you are advised to carry some essential items which include the following:-
- Long-sleeved shirts and blouses to safeguard from spiky bushes
- Walking boots for easy hiking
- Hand gloves to guard against damaging and dirtying the body
- A pair of Sun glasses and a hat to defend from sun shine
- Rain jackets for unpredictable weather conditions
- Long pants and leg coverings tacked into boots to prevent scraps by thorns or insects.
- Carry energy-giving snacks
- Take Enough drinking bottled water
How many people trek a particular gorilla group/family?
Only a maximum of 8 tourists are permitted to trek or visit a particular gorilla group in Bwindi forest and Mgahinga in Uganda or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bwindi has about 17 habituated gorilla families where each is allowed 8 persons per day. The apportionment of travelers to various groups of gorillas is at times based on their hiking abilities. Visitors are hence reminded to reveal their walking capacities to their tour guides so as to allocate them suitable gorilla families for trekking with less difficulties.
What time duration do I spend with mountain gorillas?
In all gorilla parks, tracking permits allow visitors a maximum of one hour with the gorillas. An hour is for taking pictures, taking videos and appreciating the amazing characters of mountain gorillas and behaviors that are similar to those of human beings. The one hour is considered from the time of meeting gorillas physically. But due to a few challenges along the way like hiking for longer hours may prompt the guide to allow a little more time beyond the one hour as he deem it suitable. The hike may take more hours the jungle or a few minutes to reach the gorillas depending on the location and movement of the gorillas of a given allocated family. Except for gorilla habituation experience, you are allowed 4 hours to be with the gorillas.
What is gorilla habituation experience?
With the Gorilla Habituation Experience, you are permitted to stay four hours with the gorillas in the presence of researchers and park rangers. This experience is limited to 4 visitors per group. And the guests are an active participants in the whole habituation process. Gorilla habituation experience is only done in Uganda, in Bwindi forest and with specifically in Rushaga sector. A gorilla permit for this experience is at $1500.
What are the gorilla trekking rules and regulations?
There are set dos and don’ts that guide the gorilla trekking adventure in all the parks where mountain gorillas are found. These include:-
- Keep a distance of 7 meters away from the gorillas
- Stay within a group
- Speak in a low volume
- Try to avoid direct eye contacts with the gorillas
- Keep calm and composed when a gorilla charges
- throwing rubbish in the park is prohibited
- You are not allowed to feed gorillas
- Do not touch gorillas
Can I do gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali?
It’s possible to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park from Kigali Rwanda. At present time, Rwanda-Uganda gorilla tours are common since it’s shorter to drive from Kigali to Uganda than from Kampala to the gorilla parks in south western Uganda. You only have to fly into Kigali, picked up by the guide, drive for four hours to Bwindi or Mgahinga for gorilla trekking. On a good note, it is possible to do a 1 day gorilla trek in Uganda from Rwanda, arrive at the park in time for briefing, enjoy trekking and drive back to Kigali in the evening to catch up a flight or a hotel check in.
Is there a possibility of failing to see gorillas?
It has not happened in the history of gorilla trekking that visitors hiked all through the jungle and failed to see the endangered primates. But in worst case scenario that it has happened, the park authorities would offer a chance to visitors to track again the next day on the same permits. And in case the visitors don’t see the gorillas due to sickness, late coming or not following the ranger’s instructions, there is no refund in such case.
The chances of seeing gorillas are 100% or slight lower at 99.9%. At Animal Safaris, we have not had visitors failing to see mountain gorillas. We always assure our clients that they would watch gorillas by all means.
Gorilla permit cancellation policy
Cancelling a gorilla safari is possible in this dynamic world due to various circumstances. Once you cancel a gorilla permit or a tour with us, inform us officially. Our policy is, we sell the permit and refund your money. As long as the trip is not cancelled closer to its date. In case cancellation is at short notice and we are unable to resell the permit, we shall charge you $150 dollars for rescheduling to another date and be able to use it or resell it. Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) charges $150 for changing gorilla permit dates.
When you book for Uganda Safaris and Gorilla Tours with us, our professional safari team members are reliably committed to making your tour a properly planned one and a proficiently accomplished adventure. Contact us today and you will get the best gorilla trekking tour packages for all the major travel destinations in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Democratic Republic of Congo at the most friendly prices. In all our safari offers, our clients’ preferences and interests are given a priority above everything.