Is there a gorilla permits cancellation policy in Uganda

Mountain gorilla tracking is an intense activity that involves hiking up and down in the dense forest in search of the great apes in Africa, in other words, gorilla tracking can be a changeling activity that can take three-quarters of the day to a full day which means that one requires a good level of physical fitness in order enjoy this tracking.

How many people are allowed to trek each gorilla family/group per day?

Only 8 people can trach each gorilla family which means there are gorilla permits issued for each gorilla family/group per day, there are 20 habituated gorilla families in Uganda making the total number of gorilla permits issued in Uganda every day to160 permits for both Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and in Mgahinga gorilla national park.

1. Were you to book gorilla permits from and Gorilla permits cancellation policy?

• Gorilla permits in Uganda are purchased and paid for by Uganda Wildlife Authority Headquarters in Kampala or at the other office in Kisoro town for both Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga gorilla national park, it is advised to book your gorilla permit through a licensed local tour operator like us to avoid going through all these booking procedures because there is a rule that only licensed companies in Uganda have access to gorilla permits system.

2. Booking gorilla permits in Advance and how long?

• It is advised to book a gorilla permit in advance, booking in advance is allowed up to two years in advance, if you book in advance, you have a choice to make full payment or make a deposit of 30% and the balance of 70% three months (90 days) to the tracking date.
• We recommend to the international tour operators, travel agencies, and all individual foreigners to book the gorilla permits through local tour operators because it is much easier to book through some who is on the ground also the Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permits booking system currently only allows locally licensed tour operators to have access and right to purchase gorilla permits in Uganda

3. Last-minute gorilla permit booking in Uganda

• It is always recommended to book your gorilla permit in advance but there are some cases where you find companies, travel agencies and individuals have to look for a gorilla permit at the last minute because for different reasons, all need to do is to contact your local tour operator to check for you if there is availability and if there is a space your permit will be reserve and purchased on your behalf. The problem with a last-minute booking there is no guarantee that you will get the permits for your preferred day, month and date so it is always advised to book in advance.

4. Gorilla permits refund, Cancellation Guidelines, and Gorilla permit cancellation policy?

• There are some cases where a refund will be given, for example, there shall be a refund of 50% by Uganda Wildlife Authority if a tourist or any visitor fails to go for tracking due to illness but you must have proof from the doctors, your medical form from a doctor with your permit will be handed over to the Warden in Charge for the recommendation for you to get a refund at Reservation Office at their Headquarters in Kampala.
• NOTE those who fail to track due to unfit or cannot keep up walking up and down as they follow the gorillas there shall be no refund. However, if you tracked the whole day and park rangers fail to find gorillas it’s not your problem which means you will be given another opportunity next day to track again and if you cannot track again the next day there will be a refunded 75% of you permit fees because it’s not your problem that rangers/guides could not find where the gorillas are.

5. Upon gorilla permit cancellations will lose the following percentages?

 0 – 7 days to the tracking date – there is no refund on the permit
08 – 45 days to the tracking date you will get a 25% refund on the permit
46- 90 days to the tracking date you will get a 50% refund on the permit
 90 days and above to the tracking date you can 75% refund on the permit

NOTE: another thing you need to know about gorilla permit cancellation is that once a gorilla permit is purchased and paid it’s not refundable, you can only get a refund when you have a good reason to why you are canceling your gorilla permit, only health-related issues with prove from the doctor or like the recent COVID-19 where people were not able to travel will be considered.

6. Purchase and payment for gorilla permits?

All payments for the purchase of gorilla permits in Uganda must be done at Uganda Wildlife Authority reservations offices at their headquarters in Kampala or at their office in Kisoro town, however, it is still advisable to book your gorilla permits through a local tour operator it more convenient.

7. rescheduling of gorilla permit to another date?

Through your local tour operator, it is possible to reschedule your gorilla permit to another date of your choice if you do it three months before the original tracking date.

8. Payment methods acceptable:

• There are few payment methods accepted when purchasing a gorilla permit in Uganda, among the methods include Uganda Shillings, US dollars, GB Pounds, and Euros (you can pay using cash, credit card, online payment, or bank transfer). Note: the US dollar bills of $100 must be a print of 2006 and above, the old bills are not accepted at most of the facilities including lodges, restaurants, and banks.

You can reach us at info@gorilla-tracking-uganda-rwanda.com or call us at +256785790925 also on WhatsApp for further information you may need or a free quote