Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) is best known for its Mountain Gorilla populations and gorilla tracking.
There are 4 locations for tracking gorillas in BINP these are Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. The 4 locations have a total of about 18 families as of December 2018. Tracking permits need to be bought prior to tracking by booking directly with the reservations office at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Headquarters or through a reputable tour agent. Permits can be paid for up to two years in advance. At Ngeye Trekking Safaris, we purchase all the permits for our clients free of charge.
Only 8 visitors are allowed to view the gorillas for one hour per day, participants must be aged 15 or over. and they will be accompanied by UWA guides while with the Gorillas.
Tracking the gorillas can last from a few hours to a whole day, depending on how far the group has moved since it was observed nesting up the previous evening. The clients will be given 1 (one) hour with the gorillas.
The gorilla permit fee is $700 for Foreign Non Residents, $600 for Foreign Residents and UGX 250,000 for East African Citizens. These rates are valid from July 2020 to July 2022.
At Ngeye Trekking safaris, all clients are required to submit copies of valid passports as required by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Gorilla Tracking Rules
BEFORE YOU SET OUT:
- Do not visit the gorillas if you have a cold or other infectious illness.
- Minimum age for tracking is 15 years
- Human waste should be buried 30cm (12”) deep
- Maximum number of visitors is eight persons per gorilla group
WHEN YOU ARE WITH THE GORILLAS:
- Maintain a 7m (21ft) distance from the gorilla
- Smoking, eating and drinking are not permitted on the tour
- If you must sneeze or cough cover your face and turn away from
the gorillas, as they can catch coughs and colds from humans - Visits are limited to one hour per gorilla group per day
- Do not use flash photography.
See our packing list of what to bring for gorilla tracking.