Mountain Gorilla trekking is the act of walking and hiking through dense forests or steep hills in search of mountain gorillas. The activity can be strenuous and exhausting but nevertheless very thrilling and adventurous. One gets the opportunity to view a variety of rare bird species, plants, flowers and other wildlife. Gorilla trekking is not a common activity around the world because the few surviving mountain gorillas are only found in East Africa. To be more precise, you can only find them in the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In Uganda, mountain gorillas are habituated in Bwindi impenetrable National park and Mgahinga National park which are both found in the South Western part of Uganda. In Rwanda you can find them at the Volcanoes national park while in Congo you can find them at the Virunga National Park although this is still a young destination.
Gorilla trekking is an expensive activity compared to other wildlife activities for a number of reasons. One of them being the cost of obtaining a gorilla trekking permit but we should also factor in the cost of transportation, meals, air tickets, vaccinations, and Visas among others. What is a gorilla permit? A gorilla permit is an official document which gives you access to meet the gorillas. Tourists are encouraged to make their bookings at least 6 months ahead since the permits are on very high demand. In Rwanda a gorilla permit goes for 1500 US dollars, in Uganda a permit goes for 700 US dollars while in Congo it goes for 450 US dollars.
You could be wondering why the gorilla permits are this expensive. Well, this is a bid to protect the endangered species by reducing the number of tourists visiting the gorilla families to at least 8 people per habituated gorilla family in a day. The revenue generated from gorilla permits is the only way to get funds required for gorilla conservation programs. Moreover, gorillas are rare creatures which behave and look like we humans. Increased global interest in gorilla trekking has resulted in the high price for gorilla permits.
Cheapest way to see gorillas
Even though Gorilla trekking is generally expensive, you can still plan take part in the activity at a lower cost. Let’s show you how. As earlier discussed, the gorilla permits cost differently in the three countries that offer this service. Rwanda is positioning herself as a Luxury gorilla trekking destination. Because of that, the price of gorilla tours are expensive. The best destinations to go for gorilla trekking on a budget is in Bwindi 
impenetrable and the Mgahinga national parks in Uganda. These two destinations offer wonderful trekking experiences. It takes longer to get to these two parks but one will experience the fun of traveling by road and experiencing how the locals go about their daily lives. The gorilla permits in these two parks are not very costly as they go for only 700 US dollars. Alternatively, one can choose to visit the Virunga national park in Congo as the permits there cost only 450 US Dollars. Congo is special because one can also choose to go for Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Many tourists avoid Congo because of the security situation in the areas surrounding the gorilla parks. Did you know that Rwanda Offers gorilla permit discounts for very large groups, citizens of the African Union and foreigners residing in Rwanda?
It’s also advisable for a tourist planning to do gorilla trekking on a budget to take on the group trip arrangement. This is very good because it helps cut down some costs like transport and fuel among others. In addition to that, a group experience in the wild in quite more exciting and fun filled.
Another way to go for gorilla trekking on a budget is to cut down on the number of days of the trek. For example, in case you had planned for five days, you can reduce it to three or even a 1 day gorilla trek. One is also advised to book accommodations which are close to the national parks so as to not miss out on the briefing before the trek by the Game Rangers and Guides. The briefing is usually done before the treks in the mornings. There are several wonderful yet budget friendly accommodations around Bwindi Impenetrable national park in Uganda. They include Gift of nature lodge, Bwindi community rest camp, Ruhiija gorilla friends resort among many others. For more budget options, contact a reliable Tour Operator.
Lastly, tourists on budget can go for cheap gorilla trekking during non-peak seasons of the year – also known as low seasons (December to February and June to August). During such times, the gorilla permits are discounted hence making them more affordable. You can find out more about discounted gorilla permits in Rwanda, Cheap permits in Uganda and Congo gorilla permits during low seasons.
