You may be wondering when is the right time to pick your gorilla permit from UWA Uganda or RBD Rwanda. On some occasions, inquisitive travelers have continually asked when they can access their gorilla permits after booking. We normally talk about how to book gorilla permits and when to reserve your gorilla trekking tickets leaving which leave some travelers wondering when one can pick his/ her permit after booking. Well, Gorilla Trek Africa, your ultimate gorilla tour company gives you a hint on when to pick your gorilla permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda or Rwanda Development Board in Rwanda. If you have booked a gorilla tour yourself, you are ought to pick the gorilla permit from your respective government body before the trekking date. However, Gorilla Trek Africa makes everything easy and possible for you. Just contact us and we shall do the perfect job for you to reserve your permit, pick it and even arrange for you a customized mountain gorilla trip to Bwindi Forest/ Mgahinga gorilla, Volcanoes and Virunga National Parks. The right time to collect a gorilla permit is:
After making a full payment
Yes, you must have paid to zero balance before collecting your gorilla permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority/ Rwanda Development Board. When booking for permits, travelers /travel operators are asked to pay 30% of the total gorilla permit money as a booking fee. The 30% cannot guarantee you access to your permit. Actually any traveler who fails to top up to 100% loses the 30% deposit plus the permit. All travelers and travel operators must pay the 70% top-up 90 days before the trekking date.
But how much is a gorilla permit in Uganda and Rwanda?
A gorilla permit in Uganda costs $600 for foreign non-residents, $500 for foreign resident and 250,000 for East Africans. The price of a Uganda gorilla permit is to will increase to $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents with effect from 1st July 2020. In Rwanda, a single permit costs $1500 paid by all nationals which make Rwanda a luxury gorilla tour destination.
Do i own the permit?
No, even after collecting the permit, it remains the property of UWA or RDB. No single traveler or travel operator owns a gorilla permit. Actually, all permits are collected back by UWA/RDB in the early morning of gorilla trekking. During the pre gorilla trekking permit, each traveler is asked to present and submit his/her gorilla permit to the UWA officials. You cannot hike into the jungle to see gorillas with a permit. A permit comes with a receipt, which bears the clients’ name and the trekking date.
What happens after booking a permit?
When a client pays 30% deposit for a gorilla trekking permit, the reservation team at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) removes the permit from the list of available permits. In other words, a booked permit is not available for further booking or selling. If you fail to fully pay for a permit within 90 Days UWA/RDB team puts the permit back into their system ready for resale and bookings.
When to book for a gorilla permit
Travelers intending to trek mountain gorillas are advised to book permits as early as 6 months before the trekking date. The high demand for gorilla tours in Uganda and Rwanda cause mountain gorilla permits to sell out quickly hence limiting chances of last-minute bookings. Also, early gorilla permit booking is highly recommended to ensure timely planning and allocation of gorilla permits for the respective park managements. Those trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park have reminded to mind the location of their accommodations and ensure they book gorilla permits in sectors where their lodges are located.
What’s the gorilla permit cancellation policy?
Cancellation in gorilla tour booking is inevitable and can happen for one reason or the other. However, before canceling, be ready to face the outcomes that come along.
REMINDER: Refund on any kind of cancellation is only for those who have made full payment for the permit. Canceling on deposit calls for no refund.
In general, Gorilla Trek Africa is there to serve you. Contact us today, tell us about gorilla desired gorilla tour ad we shall book a permit, pick it and arrange everything for you at affordable prices.
