Mountain Gorilla Trek

On our trips to Uganda, the opportunity of being up close and personal with a family of highland Mountain Gorillas, has to be classed as one of the most amazing wildlife encounters in Africa. You may see a variety of monkeys, chimpanzees and buffalo on the hike as well. Accompanied by park rangers, you will track these rare, gentle giants.

The trek to locate the Gorillas can take several hours and you will need to be in reasonable physical shape in order to fully enjoy the experience. For much of the trek you will be in high grass or thick vegetation of the forested mountain slopes. Accompanied by park rangers, you will track these gentle giants. Once your guide has located the Gorilla family you will be permitted to view them for strictly 1 hour. A maximum of one group of eight people per day are able to visit each Gorilla family. 

Your group will be accompanied by a tracker/guide and an armed park ranger. It is highly likely that it may rain along the way, so it is recommended to pack a waterproof  and also to wear sleeved T-shirts and trousers (to prevent being scratched) good walking boots or shoes are also recommended, as the terrain in some areas is uneven and slippery. 

Time passes quickly when you are with your Gorilla family, so remember to put away your camera and enjoy the experience for what it is, rather than through your viewfinder.

Please bear in mind that Mountain Gorillas are wild animals, and as such there is no guarantee of viewing them. That said however, we have never had this happen on previous trips. For the protection of the Gorillas, if you are ill on the day of the trek you will not be permitted to trek (this decision is made by the rangers and wildlife authority staff alone).

Please note gorilla trekking permits issued are limited, if there is no availability we will be in touch to work out alternative options. There are no refunds or transfers under ANY circumstance for cancellation, no show or non allowance to trek.

In order for us to confirm your Gorilla Permit, it is essential that you notify us of your interest in trekking at the same time as making your booking. This can be done by just adding the Gorilla Permit to your trip at the time of booking. If you decide to book at a later stage - please call us to check availability. We make permit reservations many months in advance (sometimes as early as 6 months for some dates).

Please be aware the cost of securing a Gorilla Trekking Permit in advance through our local sources is payable in full to Oasis overland at the time of booking. This cost incorporates the permit cost (paid to the relevant wildlife authorities locally) and service/bank fees/transport/communication costs incurred by our local agent in order to secure your permit in advance.

Due to the popularity of Trekking to the Mountain Gorillas and the limited availability of obtaining Trekking Permits, the Wildlife Authority responsible for organizing the Permits require the following details before confirmation is granted;

1.  Your full passport details
2.  Guarantee of Full payment

Please note:

• Please be aware that up to 2 months before your departure, the cost of the trekking permit may change. This may be due to currency fluctuations and /or price increases by the local wildlife authority.

• Transport from our base in Uganda to the starting point of your trek is not included in the above permit cost - which will account to an average of US$30 pp (dependant on the number of people trekking)

Just add this on to your trip when booking!