What is the price of gorilla habituation permits in Bwindi? Gorilla habituation is an exercise that allows tourists to be with mountain gorillas for a maximum of 4 hours in their natural habitats. In the world, the activity is only possible in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park located in the southwestern part of Uganda. In Bwindi, gorilla habituation is currently taking place in only one sector of the park and that is Rushaga in the south.
Mountain gorillas being close relatives to human beings have attracted thousands of tourists from different parts of the world to come and visit them in their natural habitats. Most tourists would really love to do gorilla habituation because of the four hours of being with the mountain gorillas however it’s the price that limits many. The gorilla habituation attracts more luxury travelers because of the high cost of the habituation permit.
The price of gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi
A gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, and Rest of Africa while citizens of East African member states pay UGX750,000. This permit comes with a maximum of 4 hours around the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park currently has one mountain gorilla family open for habituation and this is trekked by a maximum of 4 people on any given day. Because only 4 gorilla habituation permits are in Bwindi on a day, we normally ask tourists who are willing to travel to book early in advance of 3 to 4 months or more to avoid last minute disappointments.
What is included in the gorilla habituation permits for Bwindi
The gorilla habituation permit for Bwindi includes 4 hours of gorilla trekking, ranger guide fees, and community development contribution. Each gorilla permit comes with one free entrance to Mountain Elgon National Park and Tororo Semuliki Wildlife Reserve which must be used within one month before or after tracking.
How to book a gorilla habituation permit for Bwindi
The only way tourists can book the gorilla habituation permits for Bwindi is by using a local tour operator. Uganda Wildlife Authority sells gorilla habituation permits for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to only tour companies that are registered and licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board to carry out the tourism business within the country.
Tourists who are interested in gorilla habituation in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park will need to contact any of the licensed tour operators to help them bool the gorilla permit. At Africa Adventure Vacations, we help self-drive tourists and non self-drive tourists to get gorilla habituation permits for Bwindi. All that is needed is the travel dates to first check for availability, money for the permit, and the travel dates.
Gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Gorilla habituation is a dream come true for all travelers who are really interested in seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. In the whole world, gorilla habituation is carried out in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park allowing tourists to be around mountain gorillas for a maximum of 4 hours. The time with the mountain gorillas comes with an extra opportunity of being part of the activities that make these apes get used to human presence around them.
The gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi is done in Rushaga sector of the park. On the day of habituation, trekkers are driven to the sector headquarters for a briefing from the park rangers who teach the rules and regulations of the activity. Once the briefing is done a maximum of 4 trekkers are joined with armed ranger guides, doctors, and researchers to head into the jungle and search for where the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family is.
Trekkers are driven to the start of the trek and left to head into the jungle with the team. Inside the jungle, different trekking trails are used to search for where the mountain gorillas could be. The search for the semi-habituated mountain gorilla family takes 2 to 5 hours and during the search, the trekkers get to see different forest attractions like mammals, primates, and birds.
When a semi-habituated mountain gorilla family is located, trekkers are given 4 hours to be with the members of the group. They get to have an opportunity to be part of the activities that make these gorillas get used to the human presence around them. Trekkers also get an opportunity to learn about the gorilla habits, watch them carry out daily activities, take photos, and record videos.