Last Minute Gorilla & Chimpanzee Permit Booking.

Gorilla permits and Chimpanzee permits often do get sold out especially in the peak season months of June to August and December to February. It is for this reason that we always advise travelers intending to go gorilla trekking to plan, book or secure their gorilla at least 03-06 months in advance to avoid disappointment even if your a self drive traveler.

WHERE & HOW TO BUY A LAST MINUTE PRIMATE PERMIT

Gorilla permits in Uganda are sold and issued/printed by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), while in it’s the mandate of Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The best way to buy a gorilla trekking permit is through a licensed local tour operator contact us at Self Drive Uganda Limited and we will carry the burden of going through all channels to secure your gorilla permit.

Alternatively, if you would like to explore the option of DIY – doing it yourself, then you will need to cultivate a lot of patience to follow through with the bureaucracy, and dynamics involved in the process of purchasing Gorilla permits.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO BUY A LAST MINUTE PRIMATE PERMIT

1. Decide on which date(s) you would like to trek Gorillas or Chimpanzees

The first step is to decide on the date(s) you would like to trek gorillas or Chimpanzees and then contact a local tour operator.

2. Pay for your Gorilla or Chimpanzee Permit

Considering that you have received confirmation regarding the availability of primate permits from UWA, then proceed to make payment for the gorilla permit via PESA PAL, BANK ACCOUNTS that your Tour operator will provide you with. Ensure to get and keep receipt for this transaction. How much is a gorilla permit? Currently, the Gorilla permits in Uganda cost $800 PP for foreign non – residents, $700 PP for foreign residents, and UGX 250,000 PP for East African citizens.

Chimpanzee permit costs $250 PP for Foreign non-residents, $200 PP for foreign residents, and UGX 150,000 PP for East African Citizens. In Budongo forest chimpanzee permit costs $90 PP and Kyambura Gorge costs $50.

3. Send a scanned copy of your Passport (bios page) and payment receipt

You will be required to scan and send via email a copy of your passport. The page that matters most in your passport is that with your passport details i.e. names, date of birth, passport number etc. we call it the bios page. Tour operator will verify that payment has been done and thereafter they will send a confirmation of your booked gorilla permit.

NOTE: If the country you are traveling to enforces the six months passport validity rule, then this means in simple terms that your passport’s expiration date must be at least six months from the day that you plan to enter the said country.

IMPORTANT THINGS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT LAST MINUTE PRIMATE PERMITS

1. There is no guarantee on the availability of last minute gorilla permits.
2. They might cost a lot more than the market price, especially if purchased from another tour operator who bought in bulk.
3. All last minute gorilla permits MUST be paid in full and are non – refundable.

Conclusion

Do not be stressed about last minute booking, Last minutes gorilla and chimpanzee permits is a unique safari package tailored by our experts teams and it is aimed to travelers who plan to come Uganda with a main purpose of attending a conference meeting, on a work relief, on a family visit, on volunteering work or business trip but they would love to go Primate trekking in the country before boarding their flight back home.