Permits
Gorilla & chimpanzee permits in Uganda
Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda
Bwindi & Mgahinga
Hike through the forest with UWA rangers to spend time beside a habituated mountain gorilla family. Standard treks and longer habituation experiences are both available — we match the right one to your dates.
From $800/ person
Read the guide →Chimpanzee tracking permits in Kibale
Kibale National Park
Kibale holds the densest primate population in East Africa. Standard tracking and full-day habituation experiences both run from Kanyanchu.
From $250/ person
Read the guide →Golden monkey tracking permits in Mgahinga
Mgahinga Gorilla NP
Bright, fast and endemic to the Virunga bamboo belt. The easiest primate permit to add to a Mgahinga gorilla day.
From $100/ person
Read the guide →Rates shown are the Uganda Wildlife Authority tariff for foreign non-residents, per person, and exclude our service and transport. UWA reviews its tariff periodically — we confirm the current rate and availability in writing before you pay.
When to book
Gorilla permits are the first part of a Uganda trip to sell out. In the drier peak seasons, June–September and December–February, they go months ahead, so book them as early as you can and plan the rest of the trip around the date you get.
Chimpanzee and golden monkey permits usually have more availability, but it's worth booking them at the same time so the dates line up with your gorilla trek and your drive.
Getting to the parks
Bwindi and Mgahinga are a long day's drive southwest of Kampala, with steep murram roads at the end, so a 4x4 is the safe choice. Kibale is mostly tarmac from Kampala. We can pair any permit with one of our cars, self-drive or with a driver.
See the car rental fleet →How booking works
Permits are the one part of a Uganda trip you cannot leave until the last minute. Here is how we handle it.
- 01
Send us your dates
Every permit is tied to one named person on one tracking day, so we start from your travel window.
- 02
We check UWA availability
Gorilla permits sell out months ahead in June–September and December–February. We confirm what is actually open.
- 03
Passport details
The Uganda Wildlife Authority issues each permit against a passport, so we need a scan per trekker to file it.
- 04
Permit in your name
Once paid, UWA issues the permit and we arrange the drive and the pre-dawn transfer to the trailhead.
Contact
Let's plan your next trip
Tell us where you dream of going or which car you need, and we'll get back to you within one business day.