Trekking

Gorilla Safari Prices

Gorilla trekking is among the most sought after African safaris. The cost of gorilla permits being USD700 per person per trek in Uganda and USD1500 in Rwanda alone leaves many potential travelers wondering how much a gorilla tour may cost.

In Uganda it is possible to spend four hours with the gorillas if you pay for gorilla habituation experience at USD1500. As a plan to ensure that some clints make the most of their trip, some have considered tracking twice on one trip which is very possible and affordable especially in Uganda. For a family with five members considering a gorilla safari, the truth remains that it is no cheap trip.

It is important to note that the information provided here in regard to a gorilla tour price is entirely the opinion of Big Apes Africa as a company. A 3 DAY Gorilla trip cost ranges from USD450 to USD600 per person sharing in a group of two of course without a gorilla permit. Please note that in instances where a client is seeking for luxury or exclusive type of accommodation, the cost can go as high as the needs of a client.

At Big Apes Africa, we are ready to handcraft your gorilla trekking trip to suit your budget, time and taste. Please do not hesitate to contact us and get a sincere quotation that suits your resources.

Gorilla Permit Price – Cost

Depending on where you want to see the mountain gorillas, prices can be different. In Rwanda, a gorilla permit that takes you to Volcanoes National park will cost you USD1500 to spend one hour with the gorillas per trek. In the southern sector of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable national park, it is possible to spend 4hours with the gorillas on one trek during a gorilla habituation experience. The typical gorilla permit that allows you to spend one hour with the gorillas on a single trek costs USD700 and can be done in either Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Mgahinga national parks.

Gorilla permits in Uganda are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority in Kampala while in Rwanda, gorilla permits are issued by Rwanda Development Board.

During the low season, gorilla permits are discounted to USD450 and the fact that gorillas can be visited throughout the year is evidence that Big Apes Africa can organize for you a gorilla tour during the months of April, May and November that won’t hurt your wallet. We can help you cut even further down by choosing discounted accommodation for you. Please check out our 3 day low season gorilla tour or our 4 day low season gorilla tour and Chimp trekking safari.

We strongly recommend that you book your gorilla permit 3-5 months in advance  most especially during high seasons of June, July, August and September  then December, January and February because getting permits gets competitive. Please check out our last minute safaris.

Gorilla Lodges prices

Most Budget gorilla safari lodges charge between USD80 to USD120 while Luxury or up market lodges charge from USD250 per person sharing onwards. Exclusive lodges will charge anything from 450 onwards. Please note that these rates may depend on the season. Please contact us to help you take advantage of all the possible discounts and choose for yourself whether to even spend more days exploring the beauty of the pearl of Africa; Uganda.

Gorilla Transport/Vehicle Price Cost

If there is any item one should consider carefully is where they source their transportation. A vehicle can breakdown anytime but when a vehicle has been well maintained, it will have minimal chances. It is also important to note that your budget for transport should not be “strangled” or so small to jeopardize the success of your trip. Big Apes Africa will provide you with a well maintained car to ensure that everything goes as planned because we cannot afford to see you miss your trek which can ONLY be done a particular day.

If you choose to do gorilla trekking in Uganda from Entebbe, the minimum number of days you will have to plan for are 3. The first day is for leaving Entebbe/Kampala to Bwindi and the next day is for moving around Bwindi impenetrable National park or Mgahinga National park. You need a vehicle to transfer you to and from the starting point of your gorilla trek and the third day is to drive back to Entebbe/Kampala.

In your budget of transportation, please consider a good car, a driver guide to ensure safe driving and enough fuel to cover the eight to nine drive to and from the national parks.

The second option apart from driving is to fly to and from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and companies such as Aerolink operate scheduled flights to and fro Kihihi and Kisoro which are the nearest Airfields. A good Vehicle will be needed to facilitate transfers from the Airstrip to your Lodge and back. Companies like fly Uganda and Eagle Air operate charter flights to and from Kigali and track gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Big Apes Africa Safaris owns a fleet of well-maintained 4×4 safari Vans and Landcruisers to ensure your safety and smooth running of your gorilla safari.

Cost of Porters

The cost of porters is as little as just USD15 but it is life changing. You can make your life easy by ensuring that you will have hand when you need it. This hand will not only carry your bag but give you a push or a pull where need arises. This is life changing because groups that visit gorillas may be composed of only strangers who may even be fitter than you are and won’t have time to give you a hand from time to time. When your life changes by getting the help you need in the jungle, many more lives change by your USD15 investment in the community. Porters are community members either looking for school fees or something to support their families for just couple of days. The truth is not every porter gets the opportunity to work on a daily. They work in shifts because some travelers don’t employ their services. Whether you are fit enough to trek on your own or need help, we recommend that that you hire a porter and change a life.

Cost of Tips

Whereas tips are generally not a common practice with the locals, it has become a culture in the hospitality sector. Tips in tourism are much appreciated however they should come after a good or generally acceptable service.

If your driver guide does a good job in terms of safe driving, care and more, We encourage you to tip according to how you feel. The same should be done for a gorilla trekking guide who finds you those beautiful gentle giants, waiters and porters.

Administration costs-Operator Markup

After calculating the aforementioned costs, we charge a small cost between 10-18% the total costs as a service fee. This small margin is what helps us to keep afloat. The same margin will be used to book all services such as gorilla permits, accommodation and cover other administration costs and to ensure that everything goes as planned.  Do not hesitate to contact us for a further detailed breakdown of costs in preparation of your gorilla Safari. We take pride in ensuring that you get value for every single penny!

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