In order to see the gorillas in the wild, it is a requirement to hold valid gorilla permits. A gorilla permit is a permission that is given to all those interested in trekking gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda or DRC. The gorilla permits for Mgahinga National Park are sold and issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Price:
Currently gorilla permits can be booked at US$700 per person.
Holding a gorilla permit allows you watch the mountain gorillas for a maximum of one hour in the jungles of Mgahinga National Park. Although mountain gorillas live in three countries of DRC in the Virunga National park, In Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, and Bwindi’s impenetrable national park of Uganda.
For those who are interested in trekking mountain gorillas, Mgahinga National Park is one of the best places where gorillas can be seen. Just like, the gorilla permits of Bwindi forest, Uganda Wildlife Authority charge the same price for Mgahinga National Park. The Mgahinga permit costs $ 600 per person per person and it is not transferable. The process of booking the gorilla permit is easy. You just need to visit the UWA offices in Kampala or Kisoro and make a payment for the passes. You can also book the gorilla permit through a local tour operator.
What Is Included in the Gorilla Permit?
The Mgahinga Gorilla Permits therefore guarantees visitors to see or track the gorillas for one hour. The gorilla permit also include park entry fees for Mgahinga National Park so you don’t have to pay extra to enter the park for gorilla tracking. Please note that for other activities other than gorilla tracking, you will need to pay for park entrance fees separately!
The gorilla permit fee also includes the ranger or guides fee who will be with you in the forest looking for the gorillas. However, visitors can tip guides and rangers as per their wish.
The permits also include security as you are in the forest since you will be walking in the forest national park. The security is in the form of UWA rangers that are armed and tourism police. This also means that Mgahinga gorilla permits exclude, transport, meals and accommodation in Mgahinga National Park. This should also be booked differently with the help of your tour operator.
How Many Permits are Available for Mgahinga?
Unlike Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which has got over 13 gorilla families, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has got only one habituated gorilla family i.e the Nyakagezi Gorilla Family that is composed of 9 members. This means that one each day, there are only 8 permits are available. Therefore this means that those interested in tracking gorillas in Mgahinga should book their permits in advance to reduce on chances of losing out. We recommend that you check for availability and book within a time frame of at least three months in advance, in case you contact us, we can check with them the availability at Uganda Wildlife Authority, just send us an email so that we can help you check for availability.
The Processes Of Booking a Gorilla Permit in Uganda
Most of the tour companies do speed up the reservation process of the gorilla permits and this makes it very easy for you to confirm the gorilla permit very fast than you might have expected or sought to do the reservation process. Indeed the activity has been made very fast by the tour operators who do operate within the country. You are required to consider the following when you are booking for your gorilla safari in Uganda.
- Fast and foremost, you will need to inform you’re the tour operator about the dates for your tour. This will involve specifying the date for the expedition of gorilla trekking that is the real day you will carry the activity of gorilla trekking.
- In response to the above, you will be informed about the dates which are readily available for trekking and also temporarily book for them because if you do not do so, then some other person, client might book before you do so.
- You will then be sent a bank account so that you can be able to transfer the money for the gorilla permits. You may also opt to pay by a credit card in case you so wish.
- An acknowledgement email will be sent to your email which will then enable you to transfer money. You should be in position to tell your bank to deduct the bank charges for the transaction from your account. The bank in most will not ask for any extra money to be paid for gorilla permits. The management of the safari will inform you via telephone about any additional costs that will be incurred by you when acquiring the permit.
- The next step will be sending a copy of your passport. This passport must be very valid and should be availing the details which should be readily in position to register for your permit. Your full names, the nationality and the passport number are required to avail you with a genuine gorilla permit.
- The names provided by you in your passports will then be registered then a gorilla permit will be acquired for you.
In Uganda, the tour operators have a joint organization called Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) and this normally buys 80 percent of the permits for a time of up to two years. This is to the intended date of the activity of gorilla trekking. As a member agent and these ate the tour agents, you can buy as many as 20 permits in a one months. This however excludes persons and companies which are not under AUTO umbrellas. The gorilla permits are not sold on the opening of the booking days.
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