Cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park : The cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park are the different expenses incurred during the gorilla trekking experience at the national park.
The average gorilla trekking tour to Bwindi National Park can be for about 3 days and the price for this tour can range from 1200 USD or more depending on the number of people, accommodation among other factors.
When calculating the cost of gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi National Park, the type of accommodation and transport costs also affect the total price of the trip. The gorilla permit cost take up most of the costs incurred during the tour.
In Bwindi national park, tourists taking part in the gorilla trekking experiences visit the gorillas in the different sectors of the national park including the Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector found in the southern part of the park and also in the Ruhija sector in the eastern part of the park and Buhoma sector in the northern part of the park.
A briefing is done at the Bwindi park headquarters before tourists take part in the gorilla trekking experience and this is done as early as 07:00 am by the park officials at the different sectors of the national park.
Tourists visit the mountain gorillas of Bwindi national park in groups of 8 during the gorilla trekking experience and spend 1 hour watching them closely and recording videos and taking pictures with the gorillas.
Depending on the location of the gorilla family in the Bwindi forest, the gorilla trekking experience can take between 5 to 6 hours or a short period of time. Some of the gorillas can easily be encountered without having to venture far into the forests.
Other activities which can be done around Bwindi national park include gorilla habituation experiences, cultural encounters with the Batwa people, bird watching, nature walks and hikes through the impenetrable forest.
Gorilla permit costs
Gorilla permits in Bwindi national park are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority for individuals above the age of 15 years to search for the gorillas in their natural habitat. These permits can be booked through licensed tour operators.
The cost of gorilla permits is 800 USD for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign residents, 300,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens visiting the mountain gorillas in the different sectors of Bwindi national park.
A limited number of gorilla permits are issued daily for the gorilla tours in Bwindi national park and booking them in advance is advised especially during the high season which occurs around June to September which is also part of the dry season when many tourists visit Uganda.
Accommodation costs
Another cost associated with gorilla trekking tours in Bwindi national park is accommodation costs.
The cost of accommodation varies depending on the type of accommodation booked for the gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi national park. Lodges found in Bwindi national park include budget lodges, midrange lodges and luxury lodges.
The rooming type also affects the cost of accommodation during the gorilla trekking tours in Bwindi national park which can be single rooms, double or twin rooms, triple rooms and family rooms.
Prices for the lodges in Bwindi national park range from 100 USD to 130 USD for budget lodges around the national park.
An estimated price for midrange lodges in Bwindi national park is about 150 USD to 300 USD while luxury lodge prices range from 350 USD and more depending on the lodge where the tourists stay during their gorilla tour in Uganda.
Meals can also be a separate cost from accommodation or combined with the price of the lodges in Bwindi national park. The fee for the meals can be about 10 USD to 40 USD per person per meal. Tourists taking part in the gorilla tour can also choose to visit the local community and try out the local food which is also affordable.
Transport costs
The cost of transportation during gorilla trekking tours in Bwindi national park varies depending on the type of transport used to get to the national park.
Tourists visiting Bwindi national park can choose to use private transport or public transport means to get to the destination. Flights are also used to get to access the national park during the gorilla trekking tours in Uganda.
Domestic airlines such as Aerolink Uganda offer domestic scheduled and charter flights to get to Bwindi national park airstrips which include Kisoro airstrip and Kihihi airstrip. The cost of these flights ranges from 300 USD to over 500 USD.
Cost of vehicles used to get to Bwindi national park ranges from 100 USD to 300 USD depending on the car hire company. Transportation to get to the national park can also be offered by the tour operator as part of the tour package.
Factors which influence the cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park
A variety of factors affect the cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park and they include the size of the group going for the gorilla tour, nature of accommodation, mode of transportation, season of travel to Bwindi national park, length of the tour among others.
During the gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi national park, the more the number of people taking part in the tour, the less the costs of the trip. This is because of the shared costs associated with having more people on the tour.
For the season of travel to Bwindi national park, tourists who travel during the low season get discounts on safaris to the national park as compared to those who visit the park during the dry season around June to September when costs are high making the trip expensive.
Tourists who use flight to get to Bwindi national park spend more on their gorilla trekking tour as compared to those who drive to the destination.
Booking a short gorilla trekking tour to Bwindi national park is also cheaper as compared to spending a longer period of time on tour.
