Planning for a Ugandan safari combined with gorilla tracking offers exceptional wildlife experiences, and it’s one of the more costly safaris due to its sustainable tourism efforts, exclusiveness, and operational requirements involved. This article will give you an insight into Cost of a Uganda Safari with Gorilla Tracking
Planning for a Ugandan safari combined with gorilla tracking offers exceptional wildlife experiences, and it’s one of the more costly safaris due to its sustainable tourism efforts, exclusiveness, and operational requirements involved. This article will give you an insight into the costs of a Ugandan safari with gorilla tracking based on the major components of a given safari.
Gorilla trekking vs gorilla tracking
These two terms look similar but with a slight difference, as we try to highlight their contrast in relation to mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is an adventure outdoor activity that grants visitors a chance to see mountain gorillas for an hour in their natural wilderness after purchasing a gorilla trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority that allows you to have access to these mountain gorillas. Gorilla tracking, on the other hand, is the process of locating sightings of gorillas. This is normally done by trackers and park rangers, especially during the exclusive gorilla habituation experience or before the trekking session of visitors to a particular gorilla family.
Gorilla trekking is one of the key wildlife experiences that draw visitors from different parts of the world, and tracking down these endangered species in their natural settings means hiking and trekking through the lush forest in uncertain conditions for between 2 and 7 hours. In Uganda, gorilla trekking typically takes place in the dense jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Both destinations offer excellent experiences; however, Bwindi is more popular than Mgahinga due to its size and gorilla population densities in the four sectors of Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaaga, and Nkuringo.
What is the cost of a gorilla permit in Uganda?
According to the governing body of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for non-foreign residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 for the rest of Africa (ROA), and UGX 300,000 ($85) for East African citizens. This trekking permit grants you permission to spend an hour with mountain gorillas. However, this permit includes park entrance, conservation fees, and guide fees for trackers and rangers.
What is a gorilla habituation experience?
This is the process of training semi-habituated mountain gorillas to get used to human presence. 4 hours are spent with these mountain gorillas, and visitors are accompanied by a team of researchers (primatologists), park rangers, conservationists, and trackers, making it an immersive venture for visitors who prefer spending much time with mountain gorillas. This exceptional experience takes place in the Rushaaga Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park only.
A gorilla habituation permit costs US$1500 for non-foreign residents, US$1000 for foreign residents, US$1000 for the rest of Africa (ROA), and UGX 750,000. The rates include a conservation fee, park entrance, guiding fee for park rangers and trackers, and community development fee.
Cost of a Uganda Safari
A Uganda safari offers the best of the true African rich and diverse jungle experiences that are made of remarkable wildlife diversity, ranging from classic African savannah game drives to primate tracking (chimpanzee trekking) and mountain gorilla encounters in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. However, when planning for your Uganda safari, whether for business or tourism (short-term or long-term stay), it is crucial to understand the cost structure and the key components that determine the gist of a successful safari. The cost framework varies based on the number of activities, number of people, destinations, accommodation, and transportation. Below is a highlight of what a Uganda safari generally costs.
Key Components
Purpose of Stay (Traveler Type)
The cost of your stay in Uganda will depend mainly on the aim of your call or visit: A business traveler is mainly subjected to a medium to high budget, which focuses mainly on transport, office, and luxury accommodation; a tourist whose budget is between medium and high may be subjected to trekking permits, accommodation, guided tours, and others; a backpacker whose budget is always low is subjected to public transport, local foods, and hostels; while expatriates with a long-term stay may opt for a medium or high budget with education, rental housing, a vehicle, and other utilities, among others.
Transport costs
Uganda’s transport costs are relatively cheaper depending on the distance covered, and this is influenced by the location of the destinations selected in your travel package. Uganda’s destinations that are far away from the capital city, Kampala, such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Semliki National Park, and many others, all call for relatively higher transport costs, especially for travelers who prefer using road transport. These costs include fuel, pickups and drop-offs, safari drivers, guides, maintenance for wear and tear, taxes, and en-route meals, among others.
On the other hand, travelers who hate traveling long distances on the road may opt for air transport to reach those destinations at a much higher cost (flight costs), since this involves securing a flight ticket, guides, a safari driver, en-route meals, fuel, and vehicle maintenance, among others.
Accommodation
Currently Uganda is embarking on the modern phase of development, unveiling both ancient and modern designs to its luxury lodges across the country. The country is set to redefine luxury, offering an exceptional blend of modern tranquillity and comfort with deep respect for sustainable tourism in terms of surroundings and the local people. Uganda, therefore, offers a blend of accommodations ranging from luxury to mid-range to affordable options. By so doing, this comes at a cost depending on the traveler’s level of comfort.
Sample cost category per day
Budget: US$70-US$150
Mid-range US$180-US$300
Luxury: US$300-US$800+
Activities
The country offers a wide range of safaris, including both luxury and affordable safaris that cater to all categories of travelers, such as luxury, mid-range, and budget clients. Luxury safaris are relatively more costly compared to affordable tours, with activities such as gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, game drives, predator tracking, photography, sport fishing, experiential game viewing, hiking and mountain climbing, and boat cruises, among others. On the other hand, budget-friendly tours have activities that are less costly, such as bird watching, nature walks, landscape viewing, community visits, nightlife experiences, city tours, local food experiences, and others. However, the more activities, the more costs are incurred, and vice versa.
Time of the year
During the peak season, which occurs in the dry months of the year from June to September and December to February, service providers hike the prices, such as accommodation rates, due to high demand that leads to high crowds.
A number of People
Group safaris, such as family tours, organizations, and corporate companies, tend to save, since some components are equally shared, such as accommodation and transport, among others, compared to a solo traveler who foots the bill single-handedly.
Number of days
The duration of the safari is also one of the crucial factors that determines the cost of a safari. The shorter the safari, the lower the price, and the longer the safari in terms of days, the more costly it becomes. Therefore, the more days spent at the lodge, the more costs incurred, and vice versa.
Conclusion
Uganda provides both affordable and luxury adventure safari experiences in its pristine destinations such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kibale National Park, Rwenzori, and many others. Generally, the cost depends on your travel budget based on activities such as gorilla trekking, whose permits are the leading cost drivers. Others include transportation, accommodation, and activities, among others.
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costs of a Ugandan safari with gorilla tracking based on the major components of a given safari.
Gorilla trekking vs gorilla tracking
These two terms look similar but with a slight difference, as we try to highlight their contrast in relation to mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is an adventure outdoor activity that grants visitors a chance to see mountain gorillas for an hour in their natural wilderness after purchasing a gorilla trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority that allows you to have access to these mountain gorillas. Gorilla tracking, on the other hand, is the process of locating sightings of gorillas. This is normally done by trackers and park rangers, especially during the exclusive gorilla habituation experience or before the trekking session of visitors to a particular gorilla family.
Gorilla trekking is one of the key wildlife experiences that draw visitors from different parts of the world, and tracking down these endangered species in their natural settings means hiking and trekking through the lush forest in uncertain conditions for between 2 and 7 hours. In Uganda, gorilla trekking typically takes place in the dense jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Both destinations offer excellent experiences; however, Bwindi is more popular than Mgahinga due to its size and gorilla population densities in the four sectors of Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaaga, and Nkuringo.
What is the cost of a gorilla permit in Uganda?
According to the governing body of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, a gorilla trekking permit costs $800 for non-foreign residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 for the rest of Africa (ROA), and UGX 300,000 ($85) for East African citizens. This trekking permit grants you permission to spend an hour with mountain gorillas. However, this permit includes park entrance, conservation fees, and guide fees for trackers and rangers.
What is a gorilla habituation experience?
This is the process of training semi-habituated mountain gorillas to get used to human presence. 4 hours are spent with these mountain gorillas, and visitors are accompanied by a team of researchers (primatologists), park rangers, conservationists, and trackers, making it an immersive venture for visitors who prefer spending much time with mountain gorillas. This exceptional experience takes place in the Rushaaga Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park only.
A gorilla habituation permit costs US$1500 for non-foreign residents, US$1000 for foreign residents, US$1000 for the rest of Africa (ROA), and UGX 750,000. The rates include a conservation fee, park entrance, guiding fee for park rangers and trackers, and community development fee.
Cost of a Uganda Safari
A Uganda safari offers the best of the true African rich and diverse jungle experiences that are made of remarkable wildlife diversity, ranging from classic African savannah game drives to primate tracking (chimpanzee trekking) and mountain gorilla encounters in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. However, when planning for your Uganda safari, whether for business or tourism (short-term or long-term stay), it is crucial to understand the cost structure and the key components that determine the gist of a successful safari. The cost framework varies based on the number of activities, number of people, destinations, accommodation, and transportation. Below is a highlight of what a Uganda safari generally costs.
Key Components
Purpose of Stay (Traveler Type)
The cost of your stay in Uganda will depend mainly on the aim of your call or visit: A business traveler is mainly subjected to a medium to high budget, which focuses mainly on transport, office, and luxury accommodation; a tourist whose budget is between medium and high may be subjected to trekking permits, accommodation, guided tours, and others; a backpacker whose budget is always low is subjected to public transport, local foods, and hostels; while expatriates with a long-term stay may opt for a medium or high budget with education, rental housing, a vehicle, and other utilities, among others.
Transport costs
Uganda’s transport costs are relatively cheaper depending on the distance covered, and this is influenced by the location of the destinations selected in your travel package. Uganda’s destinations that are far away from the capital city, Kampala, such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Semliki National Park, and many others, all call for relatively higher transport costs, especially for travelers who prefer using road transport. These costs include fuel, pickups and drop-offs, safari drivers, guides, maintenance for wear and tear, taxes, and en-route meals, among others.
On the other hand, travelers who hate traveling long distances on the road may opt for air transport to reach those destinations at a much higher cost (flight costs), since this involves securing a flight ticket, guides, a safari driver, en-route meals, fuel, and vehicle maintenance, among others.
Accommodation
Currently Uganda is embarking on the modern phase of development, unveiling both ancient and modern designs to its luxury lodges across the country. The country is set to redefine luxury, offering an exceptional blend of modern tranquillity and comfort with deep respect for sustainable tourism in terms of surroundings and the local people. Uganda, therefore, offers a blend of accommodations ranging from luxury to mid-range to affordable options. By so doing, this comes at a cost depending on the traveler’s level of comfort.
Sample cost category per day
Budget: US$70-US$150
Mid-range US$180-US$300
Luxury: US$300-US$800+
Activities
The country offers a wide range of safaris, including both luxury and affordable safaris that cater to all categories of travelers, such as luxury, mid-range, and budget clients. Luxury safaris are relatively more costly compared to affordable tours, with activities such as gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, game drives, predator tracking, photography, sport fishing, experiential game viewing, hiking and mountain climbing, and boat cruises, among others. On the other hand, budget-friendly tours have activities that are less costly, such as bird watching, nature walks, landscape viewing, community visits, nightlife experiences, city tours, local food experiences, and others. However, the more activities, the more costs are incurred, and vice versa.
Time of the year
During the peak season, which occurs in the dry months of the year from June to September and December to February, service providers hike the prices, such as accommodation rates, due to high demand that leads to high crowds.
A number of People
Group safaris, such as family tours, organizations, and corporate companies, tend to save, since some components are equally shared, such as accommodation and transport, among others, compared to a solo traveler who foots the bill single-handedly.
Number of days
The duration of the safari is also one of the crucial factors that determines the cost of a safari. The shorter the safari, the lower the price, and the longer the safari in terms of days, the more costly it becomes. Therefore, the more days spent at the lodge, the more costs incurred, and vice versa.
Conclusion
Uganda provides both affordable and luxury adventure safari experiences in its pristine destinations such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kibale National Park, Rwenzori, and many others. Generally, the cost depends on your travel budget based on activities such as gorilla trekking, whose permits are the leading cost drivers. Others include transportation, accommodation, and activities, among others.