How Much Does it Cost to see Mountain Gorilla in the Wild?

Comprehensive gorilla safaris to see mountain gorillas in the wild usually encompass permits for trekking Giant Apes in their natural habitat, places to sleep, ground transportation and meals. The beauty of gorilla safaris is that visitors can be able to book everything included in the safari package.

Booking gorilla trekking permits are undeniably the most costly part of the gorilla safari and this is what offers travellers entry into any of the four National Parks and guarantee one hour with the Giant Apes as well as the company of Park Rangers for the entire trekking period. Still, on gorilla permits, there are highly developed and regulated systems that enable governing Authorities (UWA, RDB and ICCN for Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo respectively) to regulate human-mountain gorilla interactions in addition to bringing about the much-needed revenues. Gorilla permits’ availability is restricted by the total number of habituated gorilla groups in a particular Park hence affecting the number of persons allowed.

Additionally, gorilla permits are printed with single serial numbers and also include the trekker’s details-name, age, passport number as well as nature of residence (foreign resident, foreign non-resident and East African resident) and are not transferable or refundable except for unavoidable circumstances such as sickness. It is for this reason that your passport will be required for booking these permits.

For travellers that book for gorilla safaris via a tour operator, private safari drivers are arranged for the entire trip and he/she is responsible for welcoming clients at the Airport or organizing pick-ups from the Hotel, transferring to the Gorilla Parks and booking a place of stay as well as making sure that trekkers are at the starting point on-time.

On the trekking day, adventures begin early in the morning and therefore it is recommended to book accommodation close or within the Park entrance to avoid being late. Therefore to determine how much it costs to see mountain gorillas in the wild, we break down the costs of gorilla permits, accommodation and transport in the two main mountain gorilla trekking countries.

Rwanda

Rwanda Gorilla Trekking permits cost $1500 for all categories of visitors and given the 12 habituated gorilla groups available for trekking in Volcanoes National Park, a total of 96 permits are available each day. These permits can be booked 3-6 months before the trekking date via Rwanda Development Board or registered and credible Tour Operators.

When it comes to accommodation, Rwanda is positioned as a high-end gorilla trekking destination which is also not surprised by the hefty permit cost. While all gorilla destinations offer luxury places of lodging, the ones in Volcanoes National Park are over-priced. These facilities cost between $300 and $3000 per person per night, the midrange ones are between $150 and $250 while budget facilities charge from $30 to $50 per person per night. All these prices are based on two guests sharing.

The most wonderful thing about gorilla trekking in Rwanda is that Volcanoes is only two to three hours’ drive from the Capital for a distance of 116 kilometres, thus making it easier to access compared to Uganda. For transport, costing depends on the number of travellers.

Therefore based on the above parameters, a 1-day Rwanda gorilla tour can cost $1700 per person, the 2-day tour can start from $2500 while a 3-day gorilla safari can cost from $2000 to 5000 per person. This price package usually includes accommodation (where required), Park entrance, services of a private English speaking guide, meals and transport.

Uganda

The current price of gorilla permits in Uganda (at the time of writing) is $700 for the foreign non-residents, $600 for the foreign residents and 250,000 Uganda Shillings for the East African residents. With a total of 21 habituated gorilla groups in Uganda (Bwindi and Mgahinga) and a maximum of 8 tourists per group, a total of 168 permits are available each day in this country.

Gorilla trekking permits can be booked up to one year earlier via Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or through a trusted Tour Operator. When it comes to accommodation, there are lots of places to sleep that range from budget to luxury. The upmarket Lodges/tented Camps charge $300 to $1500 per person per night, midrange ones cost $100 to $150 per person per night and budget ones go for $30 to $70 per person per night on two sharing.

Given the fact that Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks in the southwest are 8-10 hours’ drive from the Capital, the least you will need to achieve a memorable gorilla safari is a 3-day tour. Therefore based on the gorilla permit, transport, meals and accommodation costs, you will need about $1200 per person for a budget tour and this also comes along with a private driver and Park entrance fees. Visitors interested in a luxurious 3-day Uganda gorilla tour will need about $3000 per person. Super-luxurious gorilla tours in Uganda include flights to any of the Airstrips (Kihihi or Kisoro) followed by a one to two-hour drive to the trekking destination.