What is the Cost of Gorilla Tracking in Rwanda & Uganda?

As we will see in this article, compared to the cost of other wildlife encounters, gorilla tracking in Rwanda and Uganda is relatively expensive. One of the most thrilling wildlife activities in Africa is gorilla trekking, but why is it so expensive? A game drive in the Serengeti, Masai Mara, or Kruger National Park is not comparable to this experience. Because mountain gorillas resemble humans in appearance and behavior, gorilla tracking is unique. They are ruled by a dominant silverback who establishes rules for all of their family units.

Because mountain gorillas are in danger of extinction and a lot of people want to see them, gorilla tracking is expensive. Numerous governments have increased the cost of permits due to a large number of tourists interested in seeing wild mountain gorillas. You could say that the law of supply and demand is in effect here: the price increases as the demand rises. The high price of gorilla trekking permits is not solely attributable to demand, though. Money is desperately needed to safeguard the primates.

Gorilla Trekking Experience in Uganda

Note:

Only Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo offer mountain gorilla tracking opportunities. The national parks of Mgahinga and Bwindi in Uganda are good places to search for mountain gorillas. In the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, respectively, one can find primates.

What is the price of gorilla tracking in Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda?

The price of gorilla tracking varies from nation to nation. It’s important to remember that the cost of gorilla tracking permits represents a tiny portion of the overall cost of going in search of the primates. Transportation, lodging, food, Visas, airline tickets, packing lists, porters, and tips for the guides are still things to think about. The following paragraphs will cover each component of the overall cost of gorilla trekking.

Gorilla Trekking Experience in Africa

The following questions should be addressed by the end of the article, we hope.

1. How much does Gorilla tracking cost?
2. What does going in search of gorillas cost?
3. What is the price of a gorilla trekking safari?
4. How much does a gorilla trek cost?
5. What is the price range for going on a gorilla trek?
6. How much does gorilla tracking in Rwanda cost?
7. How much does gorilla tracking in Uganda cost?
8. How much does it cost to go ape-watching in Rwanda?

How much is Gorilla Tracking Permit?

A Gorilla tracking permit must be obtained if you intend to go gorilla trekking in any of the three nations. You can visit gorillas if you have a gorilla tracking permit, which is a legal document. Gorilla tracking permits cost $700 in Uganda, $1,500 in Rwanda, and $450 in the Congo. A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is available for 300,000 shillings if you are an East African citizen. Discounted gorilla tracking permit in the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be available for as little as $250 during off-peak times of the year (although this may soon change).

This generous discount makes a Virunga gorilla trek more affordable. Rwanda may also offer discounted permits to residents of the African Union, foreigners, large groups, families, and individuals engaged in other activities there. For foreigners who live in East Africa, Uganda offers discounted gorilla tracking permits. The cost of permits makes Rwanda’s gorilla trekking tour more expensive than it is in Uganda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Gorilla Trekking Experience in Africa

How much is Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?

You must pay $1500 for a permit if you want to participate in the Bwindi gorilla habituation experience. The gorilla habituation experience differs greatly from regular gorilla tracking. Instead of the one hour allotted to tourists during traditional gorilla tracking, it takes the entire day and involves spending four hours with mountain gorillas.

To track gorillas, you need a gorilla tracking permit. If you don’t show your permit to the park authorities, you won’t be allowed to participate in the activity. A gorilla tracking permit costs $100 and covers an hour of gorilla interaction, park admission, and ranger fees.

When to Go for Gorilla Tracking in Rwanda and Uganda?

You must contact Deks Africa tours or a government agency in the relevant country to make a reservation for a gorilla tracking permit. Unlike Rwanda’s Development Board, which does the same thing in Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda issues gorilla tracking permits. If you want to go on a safari in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, you can reserve a ticket on the Virunga National Park website or through your travel agency.

Booking a gorilla tracking tour or permit should be done at least two months in advance. Because it can be stressful to call around different tour operators to see if they have availability during the busy summer months of June, July, and August, we advise booking at least five to six months in advance. In Uganda, between December and March, there are affordable gorilla tracking permits available.

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Tours

What is the Cost of Accommodation?

Where to sleep will be something you need to think about when organizing your gorilla tracking tour. High-end lodges are present in each gorilla national park. Depending on your budget, you can choose a variety of accommodations. The price of a night at an excellent low-cost hotel can range from $50 to $130. Prices for decent midrange hotels range from $150 to $200. The rates for luxury hotels range from $300 to $5500 per night.

If you intend to self-drive, you can reserve these hotels on your own, but the majority of tourists do so through a reputable tour operator. If you decide to book a hotel on your own, make sure it’s close to the sector or gorilla family starting point. It is best to book your gorilla tracking tour through a reputable tour operator because if you book too far in advance, you risk missing the briefing and the trek altogether.

What is the Cost of Food?

You must factor in costs for food, drink, and water in addition to lodging and gorilla tracking permits. Although the hotels offer this, you’ll need food and water when you’re outside or traveling. If you’re traveling alone, your daily food and beverage budget should be around $40. You may need to make separate plans if you intend to purchase expensive alcohol or cigars. If you reserve your trip through a tour operator, you shouldn’t be concerned about food. While at the hotel and while traveling between activities, the company should provide food and water.

The Best Time to Visit Gorillas in Uganda

What Is The Cost Of Transportation (Including Plane Tickets And Car Rental):

How to get to the gorilla parks is the next consideration after obtaining the gorilla tracking permits and choosing a lodge. Depending on the airline you choose, air travel to and from your country of origin can cost anywhere from $600 to $2500.

An additional $600 may be required if you want to book chattered flights from the gorilla tracking country. Traveling by road from the airport is highly advised if you find that internal flights are way out of your price range or if you decide that you want to see more of the African countryside.

You should budget about $70 per day, excluding the cost of fuel and a driver, to rent a car in Rwanda and Uganda. Especially if you are tracking in Uganda and the Congo, plan on spending a lot of time on the road.

Gorilla Trekking Safaris to Uganda

How Far is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest from Kampala?

From Entebbe international airport, it takes 8 to 10 hours of driving to get to Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Three hours are needed to travel by car to reach the Volcanoes National Park from the Kigali International Airport. It can take up to 4 hours to travel from Kigali to the Congo border for those who decide to go gorilla tracking in Virunga National Park.

In a foreign, developing nation, planning your vacation can be challenging. It is for this reason that most tourists leave the concerns of transportation, authorizations, and lodging to the tour operators they have chosen, leaving them with nothing to do but show up at the airport. Also noteworthy is the fact that not many tour operators purchase airline tickets on behalf of their customers. If you need assistance with reserving flights to and from your home country, ask your tour operator.

The Best Time to Visit Gorillas in Uganda

The Cost of Gorilla Tracking Packing List

You should pack a good camera, insect repellents, sunscreen, hiking boots, hand gloves, a pair of binoculars, and a rain jacket for the best gorilla tracking and viewing experience. Along with the gorilla tracking permit itself, these are all additional hidden expenses that must be considered. You might want to learn more about the gear suggested on the packing list for gorilla tracking.

Visas and Crossing Borders

Crossing the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a common part of gorilla tracking. Expect to pay $100 for a VISA to cross the border at Goma if you intend to go gorilla tracking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If the cost of gorilla tracking permits in Rwanda is out of their price range, they can choose to track gorillas in Uganda instead.

But they must travel through Kigali to avoid an 8-hour drive from Entebbe or the capital of Uganda, Kampala. A $50 VISA fee must be paid at either the Katuna or Cyanika border crossings to go gorilla tracking from Uganda through Kigali. If you’re taking a safari through several different East African nations, you can also purchase an East African tourist visa for $100.

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes Park

Vaccination Record for Yellow Fever

It might not seem important, but entering Uganda and the Congo requires this. Yellow fever vaccination cards are one of the important documents requested at the airport and while crossing borders, according to reviews of gorilla tracking. You must take the cost of getting shot into account if you intend to visit the majority of African nations.

Porters’ Wages, Particularly For the Elderly, Cost

You’ll need to hire a porter if you plan to carry any bulky luggage, cameras, or other heavy items while going gorilla tracking. The porters can assist you with carrying a packed lunch and provide support during the more challenging portions of the trek. It is more difficult for elderly people to go gorilla tracking because they need to use sedan chairs and hire about eight porters to carry them up to the tracking point. Hiring a Sedan chair and the porters to carry it can run about $400.

Some porters, who reside close to the gorilla parks, have a history of poaching. Several of the porters are either parents or students looking to supplement their income for food on the table or looking to earn extra cash for school fees. By employing these porters, you support their general welfare and obliquely assist in providing for their families. The briefing and the park offices are both places to find porters, who cost about $15 per hour. How gorilla groups are assigned to visitors may be something you’re interested in.

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes Park

Tipping The Driver/Guide, Park Rangers, And Hotel Staff Are Customary.

The staff at hotels, guides, rangers, waiters, and waitresses occasionally go above and beyond to make your interaction with them perfect and memorable. You might choose to leave a tip as a gesture of goodwill for the work they have completed. The sum is entirely up to you. Going on a gorilla trek does not require tipping, and it is only appropriate to do so when you are satisfied with the service you received.

Note:

The price of gorilla tracking also depends on how many days you reserve for the adventure. If traveling with someone, a 1-day gorilla tracking tour in Uganda will cost about $970 per person. When you are traveling with someone on a tight budget, a 2-day Uganda gorilla tracking tour will cost about $1150 per person. In case you’re traveling with someone on a tight budget, the three-day gorilla tracking tours in Uganda will cost $1350 per person.

Add $900 to the prices listed above if you intend to go gorilla tracking in Rwanda to get an idea of your total spending. Depending on the lodge you select, upscale gorilla tracking tours can cost anywhere from $1600 to $7000. These costs do not include travel expenses, gratuities, alcohol, or any other seemingly personal costs.

Because you must pay for your transportation, lodging, and fuel, traveling alone is more expensive. It’s also important to remember that businesses mark up the price of the trip to cover administrative costs (Guides, office staff, office functionality). Typically, this adds 10 to 20 percent to the overall price.

Why Uganda Safaris

Given The Costs mentioned above, How Can Gorilla Tracking Be Cheaper?

One option is to go gorilla tracking in less expensive places like Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Another is to request the best low-cost hotels from your tour operator. Avoid going on trips by yourself so you can split the cost of lodging, transportation, and fuel with your partner or a friend. There are other times of the year when you can travel, such as the rainy season. In nations like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, you might discover that lodging options are less expensive and that there are discounts for hotels and even gorilla tracking permits.

Taking public transportation can also help you save money, but it’s risky because you have no control over when you leave or arrive at your destinations. Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda have late-departing public transportation. You run the chance of being a few minutes late or missing the activity for the briefing at the park headquarters. Due to the high cost of gorilla tracking permits, you cannot afford to miss the event. Additionally, even if you wanted to, there is no guarantee that you could buy one for the following day.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking Safaris

How About Domestic Flights During Gorilla Tracking in Uganda and Rwanda?

Avoiding clattered domestic flights is another way to reduce expenses. The majority of chafed flights cost a lot of money. Because so few locals use airplanes, internal flights are very expensive. The airlines make up for the few local passengers by charging expensive rates to tourists. Even though a road trip might take hours, it will give you a unique chance to marvel at the African countryside, landscape, stunning scenery, and the locals going about their daily lives. Studying a country’s cities and rural areas is the best way to gain knowledge of it.

Book through Deks Africa Tours who can arrange for you to stay at quality accommodations, even if they are slightly more expensive. A trip can be made or broken by the hotel that is selected. You don’t want to ruin your holidays by trying to cut costs.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Proposed Mountain Gorilla Trekking Safari Holidays to Uganda and Rwanda

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Safari Uganda Holiday.

3 Days Mountain Gorilla Trekking Uganda Safari. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

4 Days Bwindi Gorilla Safari Uganda & Wildlife Adventure Tour.

8 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari Rwanda Wildlife Tour.

4 Days Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Trekking Tour and Akagera Wildlife Safari.