How to take advantage of UWA’s new low-season permit discounts: On February 26, 2026, UWA announced new, reduced pricing for primate licenses during the low season (April, May, and November):
How to take advantage of UWA’s new low-season permit discounts
Tracking gorillas: US$600 (for tourists from other countries) or US$500 (for foreigners living in Uganda)
Tracking chimpanzees: US$150 for foreign residents of Uganda and US$200 for foreign visitors.
The shift might affect the overall cost of the trip, not just the permit line, as many hotels, also offer seasonal rates during these months.
From this, new UWA development, one thing stands out: low-season discounted permits cannot be rescheduled. With dates scheduled, this is a shift we welcome for the possibilities it opens up in trip planning.
The hike itself remains the same. The form of trips that we can create around it is changing. Visitors who prioritize green scenery, a leisurely pace, and a more serene atmosphere around the parks have always been drawn to these months. It is simpler to intentionally pick those months rather than treat them as a compromise if you set a specified discounted low-season price on the calendar.
This is the type of shift that encourages thoughtful travel from our perspective at the table—creating itineraries, obtaining licenses, and preserving the trekking day experience—with less urgency, more space to breathe, and a greater opportunity to engage primates in a way that seems straightforward and respectful.
Why this is important beyond the figures of UWA’s new low-season permit discounts
The practical benefit of a distinct low-season window is that it distributes demand throughout the year rather than concentrating it during the busiest months.
That benefits both tourists and the place itself. The briefing time (7:30 am), not your flight schedule, determines the course of your gorilla trekking mornings, and a little leeway in the schedule might make all the difference. You have more possibilities to plan the trip well when the pressure relaxes, beginning with the fundamentals that most people only understand they needed after the fact:
Approaching the trailhead with enough time to relax
Maintaining a peaceful and effortless atmosphere on trek mornings
and then planning a gentle landing (a leisurely lunch, a break, an evening that isn’t another lengthy drive)
The benefit here is the ability to prepare for quality, especially for long-distance travelers from the US, UK, and Australia, where jet lag and tight schedules may cause a hiking day to become a sprint if the itinerary is squeezed.
What remains true and why it is important
The fundamentals of primate tracking remain unchanged despite a lower permit price. The same fundamental elements continue to influence the experience: a ranger briefing, a guided walk, and a short meeting centered around habitat protection and animal well-being.
This is comforting because it suggests that this change is more about the timing of your trip than about what you’re purchasing. Seasonal rates, which are helpful but don’t alter the fundamental dynamics of the primate trekking experience, are included in the low-season window along with the standing tariff.
Agorilla mother playing with her kid What we really appreciate about the recent modification to the UWA’s permit
What we really appreciate about the discounted licenses
It makes our preferred method of organizing primates worthwhile.
Rarely does squeezing the excursion between lengthy journeys result in the finest gorilla or chimp encounters. Their journey is planned with a little buffer: they arrive early enough to get settled, sleep close enough to get off to a solid start in the morning, and leave enough space for the day to end on a positive note.
That sort of planning is made simpler to select by a low-season window since travelers aren’t under any pressure to squeeze everything in in order to “make the numbers work. “
It helps to establish a better tempo around the parks.
Demand may be distributed throughout the year by having clear incentives for certain months. Since more stable seasonality supports more stable livelihoods, this is crucial for the individuals who enable primate tourism, including community partners, ranger teams, and lodge personnel.
This makes it easier to perform correctly on gorillas and chimpanzees.
This window can lessen the impression that you need to hurry for tourists who want both. The most successful combined excursions don’t feel like a checklist; rather, they feel like two separate forest encounters, each with adequate time to fully enjoy.
It matches the current functioning of the lodge industry throughout these months.
For a long time, April, May, and November have been slower months in Kibale and Bwindi, and several lodges respond similarly to high-end locations by offering more flexible rates in the off-season in order to maintain standards and keep staff in place.
This is significant because the new permit window at UWA can be combined with the seasonality of lodging. A “cheap trip” is not the ideal outcome. Compared to others, this one is better constructed, with more time for hiking mornings, fewer hurried moves, and the option to spend an extra night if it enhances the overall experience.
The only regulation we plan around
Discounted permits during the off-season cannot be rescheduled. From the first discussion, we consider that to be a design limitation.
Low season is not a terrible choice. It just means that we plan trips that safeguard the trekking day: we avoid tight flight chains, we advise a buffer night close to the trailhead, and we don’t schedule a lengthy transfer immediately before the briefing. The objective is straightforward: when the morning arrives, you are not discussing exhaustion and logistics simultaneously.
The cancelation of the 7-day reservation, which may reduce decision deadlines, is another point made by UWA. The lesson to be learned: don’t expect to “hold” permissions while other matters are still up in the air. Plan the trip around what has been secured, but first confirm permits.
A baby gorilla is pranking a sleeping person. three ways to be a mother The off-season window would be our choice. okay
We would utilize the low-season window in three ways:
1) Trailhead calm (with gorillas serving as the anchor)
Our top priority is to establish a sense of calm for the trek morning if gorillas are the focal point of your tour. The permit savings may be put to better use during the low-season months—margin.
We frequently advise tourists to reinvest the savings in an additional night at the trailhead or a buffer day, the two options that consistently enhance the trekking experience, if lodge costs also decline in the same months.
What that appears to be in a good strategy:
A night so near the briefing spot that the morning begins calmly
a plan that doesn’t “borrow time” from the trek day to pay for a transfer
because the afternoon was milder after that, you won’t think of the day as being ruled by a clock.
2) Two forests, two distinct encounters (gorillas and chimpanzees)
Encountering gorillas and chimpanzees in the forest is a very different experience. Treating them as a single, combined box to check is the error.
We would utilize the low-season window in April, May, or November to maintain their uniqueness. People often underestimate recovery while traveling with primates. Fatigue manifests during two consecutive early mornings.
Our plan would be to:
Make sure that every primate experience has its own suitable day.
Between parks, arrange a realistic travel day that isn’t harsh but rather enjoyable (so the effort remains enjoyable rather than punishing)
Choose the time that allows you to value the contrast between the depth and serenity of Bwindi and the energy and noise of Kibale.
3) The Uganda arc (primates + wildlife, planned for enjoyment)
The victory is establishing an arc that breathes for tourists seeking primates and traditional wildlife.
We like a tempo where:
The trip’s emotional foundation is based on primates.
Between them, there is wildlife viewing as a means of contrast and relaxation.
You spend enough time in each location to experience it, rather than just passing through it.
You get a more authentic African safari experience in Uganda.
In context, the rates
Consider this to be a seasonal price window superimposed over the current tariff.
The rates displayed here are based on the current standing tariff period as well as the low-season notice for April/May/November at UWA.
of UWA’s new low-season permit discounts
Tracking gorillas: US$600 (international visitors) / US$500 (foreign residents in Uganda)
Following Chimps: US$200 (international visitors) / US$150 (foreign residents in Uganda)
Important: Reduced tickets for the low season cannot be rescheduled.
Rates for comparison purposes
Standard gorilla tracking costs US$800 for foreign tourists and US$700 for foreign nationals living in Uganda.
Gorilla Habituation: US$1,500 for overseas tourists, US$1,000 for foreign nationals living in Uganda.
Standard Kibale chimp tracking: US$250 (international visitors) / US$200 (foreign residents in Uganda)
Chimp from Kibale Habituation: US$300 (for international visitors) / US$250 (for foreign nationals living in Uganda)
The rates will be as follows as of January 1, 2027:
Gorilla Habituation: US$1,800 (international visitors) / US$1,600 (foreign residents in Uganda)
Tracking Kibale chimpanzees (standard): US$300 for foreign visitors and US$200 for foreigners living in Uganda
Kibale chimpanzee The cost of habituation is US$400 for tourists from other countries and US$300 for foreigners living in Uganda.
Quick queries
“Second best” might be the term for low season.
No. The calendar, not the quality of the contact, is what determines the permit rate. How well the vacation is planned around the trek is the major factor.
At these reduced rates, what’s the catch?
It’s impossible to reschedule discounted permits for the low season. We are more careful in our planning if your dates change, or we direct you toward alternatives that better fit your schedule.
When should we begin our preparations?
The moment you have a trip window in mind. The key is obtaining licenses; after that, the rest of the design becomes simpler to keep tidy.