Cost of seeing mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park vs Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

What is the Cost of seeing mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park vs Bwindi impenetrable forest national park? Volcanoes national park is one of the 4 national parks in Rwanda located in the northwestern part of the country  bordering with Mgahinga national park in Uganda and Virunga national park in DR Congo. The park protected over 20 habituated gorilla families but only 10 are open for gorilla trekking. Volcanoes national park hosts 5 out of Virunga volcanoes namely Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Muhabura, Bisoke, and Karisimbi. The park is not only home to mountain gorillas but also rare golden monkeys who find their home in its bamboo type of vegetation. On the other hand, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is one of the 2 parks in Uganda harboring more than half of the mountain gorilla population in the southwestern part of Uganda. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is home to over 19 gorilla families that are open for trekking and 2 gorilla families that are open for habituation. Trekking mountain gorillas in both national parks give the same experience what differs is the trekking price.

What does it take to see mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and volcanoes national park?

Gorilla permits are the basic requirements that are necessary to trek mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes national park of Rwanda and the Bwindi impenetrable forest national park of Uganda. A gorilla trekking permit for volcanoes national park is issued out by Rwanda Development Board while a gorilla trekking or habituation permit for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is issued out by the Uganda wildlife authority to allow a single person to trek mountain gorillas a single day. After a permit the next thing to think of is transport, how you will move to and from the parks then last is the accommodation facilities like where you will sleep overnight while in these places.

After securing the gorilla trekking permit for either Volcanoes national park or Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, booked accommodation facilities and transport another thing to think of is what to pack for a gorilla trekking safari, tips, hiring a porter in case of heavy luggage, and much more. using a tour operator is highly advised because they do book you trekking or habituation permits for these parks, accommodation, and also transport to and from Bwindi impenetrable forest national park or volcanoes national park.

Cost of a gorilla trekking permits in volcanoes national park Rwanda

Yes the cost of seeing mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park in Rwanda is $1500 per person per trek for just a gorilla permit. The gorilla trekking permit for volcanoes national park is issued out by Rwanda Development Board or you can get it through a trusted tour operator like Africa Adventure Vacations. By buying a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda means that you have contributed to the conservation of the mountain gorillas, payment of the workers, and helped local communities to improve their lives. Gorilla trekking permits are few in Rwanda compared to the number of people who want to trek so you ate advised to book your gorilla trekking permits in advance of 3-4 months.

Checking availability of permits for Volcanoes national park

Volcanoes national park has 10 habituated gorilla families that are open for trekking at any time of the year meaning that there are over 80 trekking permits in the park each day because the maximum number of people that are allowed to trek a gorilla family are 8. The gorilla trekking permits for volcanoes national park are issued out on a first come first serve basis and this is why we advise people to book the permits in advance. If you decide to use Africa adventure vacations as a tour operator, we shall ask you for your travel dates and check with the Rwanda Development Board if the permits are available that day. Once the travel dates have permits available, we shall as you to spend money on back accounts after which send us a proof of payment and from there, we shall secure you a permit and send you scanned copies of your permit for your records.

Lodges and Hotels in and around Volcanoes national park Rwanda

Accommodation in volcanoes national park is something you don’t have to worry about while on a safari in Rwanda because there are different accommodation facilities in volcanoes national park from budget to mid-range to luxury options. Some of the accommodation facilities in volcanoes national park include Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, One $ Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Volcano House, Ruzizi Tented Camp, Virunga Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Volcano Inn, Volcano Village Lodge, Lokahi Lodge, Volcano Rainforest Retreat, Villa Gorilla, Lake Kivu Serena, Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge, and Gorilla Volcanoes Hotel among others.

The Cost of Buying the Uganda gorilla trekking permits

Everybody needs a valid gorilla trekking permit to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The gorilla trekking permit is issued out by the Uganda Wildlife Authority or one can get it from a trusted tour operator at a fee of $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 foreign residents, and shs250,000 East Africa citizens. A gorilla permit in Uganda includes a park entrance fee, services of the guide, and community development contribution.

Checking availability of permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has 19 habituated gorilla families that are open for trekking at any time of the year meaning that there are over 152 trekking permits in the park each day because the maximum number of people that are allowed to trek a gorilla family is 8. There are also 2 habituated gorilla families in the Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors of the park which means 8 gorilla habituation permits are available every day since the maximum number of people to habituate a gorilla family is 4.

The gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are issued out on a first come first serve basis and this is why you are advised to book the permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences. You can book your trekking or habituation permit with a trusted tour operator who is licensed by Uganda Tourism Board. If you decide to use Africa adventure vacations as a tour operator, we shall ask you for your travel dates and check with the Uganda Wildlife Authority if the permits are available that day. Once the travel dates have permits available, we shall send you our bank details for payments and once we have received the money, we shall secure you a trekking or habituation permit and send you scanned copies of your permit for your records. You are advised to book your gorilla trekking permits for volcanoes national park in advance of 3-4 months before the trekking day to avoid inconveniences.

Lodges and Hotels in and around in Bwindi impenetrable Forest National Park

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park has 4 different sectors where mountain gorilla trekking is done with each sector having its accommodation facilities ranging from budget to mid-range to luxury options.

Rushaga sector – Gorilla safari lodge, Nshongi Camp, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, and Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Buhoma sector – Buhoma Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Trekkers Tavern, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Gorilla Conservation Camp, and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge among others.

Nkuringo sector – Nkuringo Gorilla Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Bwindi Back Packer’s Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, gorilla heights lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Safari Lodge, and crested crane Bwindi lodge among others.

Ruhija sector – Bakiga Lodge, Cuckooland Tented Camp, Gorilla Mist Camp, Ruhija Safari Lodge, Broadbill Forest Camp, Ruhija Community Rest Camp, Gift of nature lodge, and Trekkers Tavern among others.