Book this first
The permit decides the dates, not the other way round
A hard daily cap set for the animals, not a pricing tactic — and the one thing to secure before anything else.
How it works
- A limited number of visitors may see each habituated family each day. The cap exists for the animals’ sake and it does not move.
- A permit covers one trek, with one family, on one specified date.
- It is booked against your passport details, so we need those to hold it.
- The agency books it on your behalf — there is no useful way for a visitor to do this independently.
- Minimum age is 15, strictly.
- The fee funds the conservation programme and the community revenue-sharing around the park.
Timing
This is the part that catches people out. Permits for peak months sell out well ahead, and unlike a camp there is no equivalent room down the corridor.
| Travelling in | Secure permits by |
|---|---|
| June – September | Six to nine months ahead, and earlier for a specific date |
| December – February | Six months ahead |
| March – May, October – November | Three to four months is usually comfortable |
| Any month, for a fixed date | As early as you possibly can |
The order to book in
Permits first. Then lodges. Then international flights.
It is the reverse of how people usually plan a trip, and it is the right order here — a permit cannot be moved to suit a flight, but a flight can nearly always be moved to suit a permit.
What the fee does
A significant share of permit revenue goes to the communities living around the park, through a revenue-sharing programme that funds schools, clinics and infrastructure.
That matters more than it sounds. The reason mountain gorilla numbers have risen rather than fallen is that the people who share the mountain with them have an income from their being alive. The permit price is the mechanism.
Two practical notes
- If you are ill on the morning — a cold, a stomach upset — say so. Gorillas catch human respiratory illnesses and the rules exist for them. A refund is not guaranteed; travel insurance sometimes covers it.
- Permits are generally non-transferable and non-refundable once issued. Take insurance that covers trip interruption.
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