You’ve done your research on what country to travel to and you picked Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. As you were trying to find out what activities you could do in Uganda, you found gorilla trekking and after doing a bit of digging about it you realized you’d love to try it out. Let us breakdown the cost of this magical experience for you. 

What is gorilla trekking?

Gorilla trekking is a wildlife experience where a group hikes through a dense forest in search of a family of wild mountain gorillas. 

It is a slow activity but may require you to walk through, a dense forest, steep hills and water streams or rivers. These treks are led by park rangers who are familiar with the area who create temporary paths through the forest with machetes. 

Once you track the gorillas you are allowed to observe the family for an hour from a distance. Coming into close contact with the gorillas is not permitted. 

These gorillas can be found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

How much does gorilla trekking cost? 

Uganda offers two gorilla experiences; gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation. To engage in both activities, you require a permit. You cannot engage in either gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation without a permit. These permits are pre-booked months in advance either by the guest through the Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a reputable local tour operator (like us *wink*).

The difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation is; gorilla trekking has a group of 8 people who hike to spend a maximum of one hours with the gorillas but for gorilla habituation there a group of only four people which spends four hours with the gorillas. 

A gorilla trekking permit costs 800 USD and a gorilla habituation permit is 1500 USD. The permits are issued on an individual basis and are not transferable, this means that each person in the group has to apply and be issued an individual permit and that permit cannot be transferred to another person.

During high season, that is between June to October and December to February, it is advised that you book a permit about four months in advance. However, during the low season that is between March to May you can book a permit a month in advance. 

Accommodation is another factor that affects the cost of a gorilla trekking adventure. You have a choice between luxury, mid-range and budget accommodations.

Luxury accommodation is first class and the most expensive choices of lodges and offer the best comfort and a wide range of modern amenities to a traveler during their gorilla safari experience. Mid-range accommodation is not super luxurious but offer comfort at an affordable cost and is what most travelers opt for. Booking a mid-range lodge is a sure way to enjoy gorilla trekking and have a little comfort on the side without making your wallet cry. 

Budget accommodation is for the backpackers and the budget sensitive traveler. If you are a traveler who prefers a fully immersive experience where you can be one with nature, then the budget accommodation is for you as some of the budget lodges are tented camps that are built within the national parks.

As you think of where to sleep before and after you go gorilla trekking, keep in mind how you will get to the national park. Transport is a cost that isn’t fixed and can be negotiated with the tour operator you are working with. The drive from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a 9 -10-hour drive. Keep in mind that most tour operators have their own safari cars and include transport as part of their gorilla trekking tours, so they charge a much lower price for transport. 

However, there is an option to take a scheduled domestic flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi Airstrip. This reduces driving time, the amount of number of days you would take to do the gorilla trekking safari and the price. 

The cost a gorilla trekking safari is affected by the above factors the most. Sitting down with a tour operator who understands your needs and budget would ensure that you get value for money while having an enjoyable gorilla trekking adventure. 

An investment in wonderful experiences is never a waste of money.