Just like everything else, you’ll need a specialist for something. The same applies to gorilla trekking in Africa. Getting a gorilla trekking company for your safari is a great way to plan it considering such companies focus more on offering gorilla trekking safaris.
If your sole aim is to see gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, or DR Congo, you need a gorilla tours specialist for your trips.
This will not only guarantee you a well-planned gorilla tour but also guarantee a couple of discounts in some scenarios, as such gorilla trekking companies usually have unbeatable gorilla safari offers and deals, which could be permanent or last-minute.
The good news is our gorilla trekking company does have such offers in place too. One of our best gorilla safari offers is offering one free gorilla permit to tourists who spend more than 13 days on their safari or travel in a group of more than eight travelers.
If you are traveling for more than 21 days, we offer you two free gorilla permits. Sounds awesome, right? This may sound unbelievable, but it’s true. And how do we actually manage to pull this off?
The more days you travel, the more we shall save on accommodation fees because we have several deals with top lodges that afford us their facilities at discounted prices.
We pile up these discounts and allocate the money to gorilla permits and, of course, top up from our own markup as well.
Because of this, we are able to offer very affordable safaris to our clients, especially those that would love to travel for so many days on a budget.
Please note that all offers become valid when you have at least one or two gorilla trekking experiences in your package.
Wildlife trips or chimpanzee trips are not entitled to any of these discounts, though we can come up with some depending on the booking conditions.
Budget Gorilla Tour Operators in Uganda & Rwanda
At this point, you should know why you need a gorilla tours specialist for your next gorilla trekking trip in Africa.
However, you should also know that gorilla trekking companies are divided into budget gorilla tour operators and luxury gorilla tour operators.
Here we shall talk about budget gorilla tour operators.
Such companies specialize more in offering budget gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo, and if you may realize, their packages are way more affordable than others you may come across.
Using a budget gorilla safari company for your budget experience with the gorillas is a great deal.
Our gorilla trekking company acts as a budget gorilla tour operator too; so we can organize for you the most affordable experience to see gorillas at very affordable tour costs.
As a budget safari operator, we try so hard to ensure that our safari clients get the best comfort despite paying for a budget tour.
We do this by negotiating with various accommodation facilities, preferably mid-range, and getting very good price offers on accommodation.
With this, you are able to enjoy a mid-range experience on a budget setting because we take that extra step to get the best bargain on everything and save you the hassle of doing it yourself.
This being said, some of our tour packages may seem pricier than the typical budget itineraries you’ll find online; which is not probably because we are profiting so much from the package but rather offering a mid-range accommodation facility on your trip.
When it comes to gorilla trips in Africa, accommodation is everything. When your lodging is not right, you’ll not rest well enough before or after your gorilla trekking experience, which you probably wouldn’t want.
No matter how tight your budget is, you’d rather travel in economy class but sleep in a comfortable lodge.
Luxury Gorilla Tour Operators in Rwanda & Uganda
Just as you need budget gorilla tour operators for a budget gorilla trekking safari, you’ll definitely need luxury gorilla tour operators for your luxury experiences.
Luxury gorilla trekking safaris are a whole different type of safari to organize. They come with so much comfort and luxury with less travel time.
For transportation, a combination of scheduled and private charter or helicopter flights is used alongside 4×4 extended or short land cruisers to cut down on driving time.
Flights offer awesome scenic tours, so as you transfer to a destination, you will enjoy beautiful aerial views of the country you are visiting.
In most scenarios, scheduled and private charter flights are used in Uganda because the gorilla parks are far away from the country’s main entry point; Entebbe International Airport.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are eight to ten hours away from Kampala and Entebbe.
For the case of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is just 2 hours away from Kigali, so it’s only in very rare scenarios that you’ll need flights for transfer especially when combining your visit to the gorillas with a chimpanzee trekking experience or wildlife viewing experience in Nyungwe Forest National Park and Akagera National Park respectively.
Regarding accommodation, luxurious accommodation facilities are used. Most of these super luxury lodges are five stars and are perched in a true nature setting.
Some of the top luxury gorilla safari lodges in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo include Mahogany Springs Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Silverback Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Singita Lodge Rwanda, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Five Volcanoes Lodge, Mountain Gorilla Lodge, and Mikeno Lodge among the rest.
On our luxury gorilla trekking safaris, we use most of these lodges depending on which ones are available.
Top Budget Gorilla Safari Specialists in Uganda
Want to trek Uganda gorillas on a budget? Budget gorilla trekking in Uganda is the best among all the other destinations.
Uganda not only has affordable gorilla permits but also has some of the most affordable gorilla safari lodges perched in various sectors of its gorilla parks.
The best sectors for budget gorilla safaris are Nkuringo and Rushaga Sectors.
These sectors have very affordable accommodation facilities. When you book budget gorilla tours with us, we usually book you in these sectors.
We only transfer clients to Ruhija and Buhoma Sectors in case there is no gorilla permit availability in the western and southern sectors.
Regarding permits, Uganda no longer has low season discounted gorilla permits.
All gorilla permits cost $800 throughout the year unless you manage to chance any last-minute gorilla trekking deals.
So what are some of the ways you can make your gorilla safari affordable? The very first thing you have to do is consider staying in affordable accommodation facilities.
Afterward, you may think of reducing the number of days on your safari as each day attracts transportation, accommodation, and guiding costs.
Most typical budget gorilla safari holidays last for only two or three days or worse four. Gorilla trips longer than that will cost you slightly more.
When you travel in the low season, you’ll spend the same $800 gorilla permit fee, but your safari is likely to be much cheaper.
Various accommodation facilities and service providers reduce their prices during this time and offer further discounts.
Also during such seasons, it’s very hard to chance any last-minute deals because bookings are few but one thing you are guaranteed of is availability.
You can still get gorilla permit availability on the last days prior to your gorilla safari. Having your budget gorilla safaris in Uganda is a great idea.
We Make Budget Gorilla Safaris in Rwanda Very Possible
As mentioned earlier, Rwanda is basically a luxury gorilla trekking destination and a no-go area for typical budget travelers.
The money you’d spend on a Rwanda gorilla permit can finance an all package gorilla safari in Uganda or DR Congo.
So why not trek with gorillas in Uganda or Congo and save on the extra money you would have spent on permits in Rwanda?
This is what we often recommend to budget travelers. However, if you still prefer to trek gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, there are quite a couple of ways to cut down on your total gorilla safari cost with the best one of all being traveling in the low season and visiting all the Rwanda national parks.
Unlike Uganda, Rwanda has low season gorilla permit discounts if visiting all the Rwandan national parks.
You have to visit Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Akagera National Park to qualify for the low season discount provided you are traveling in the low season months of the year.
Instead of paying $1500 for each gorilla permit, you will instead pay $1050. However, you need to provide proof of entry payments or accommodation payment before they can offer you the special gorilla permit rate.
So many travelers prefer trekking with Rwanda gorillas in Volcanoes National Park because of the convenience it offers. Not so many people prefer traveling long distances.
Some want their experiences to be as brief as possible and always try to minimize driving time.
In regards to gorilla trekking difficulty, the Rwandan experience can be hard and easy at the same time. You have to hike to the foothills of mountains to see gorillas and on the days when the gorillas move to higher elevations, your hike might get a little difficult especially if you are not used to hiking.
Redefining Budget Gorilla Tours in Eastern DR Congo
Congo is apparently the best budget gorilla trekking destination in the world. A gorilla permit in DR Congo costs only $400 each irrespective of where you are trekking gorillas from; Virunga National Park or Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
The accommodation facilities here are cheap too; and the proximity of Kigali to Virunga allows for shorter trips.
Clients who want to trek gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park will need at least three days to have their safaris.
If you need a very affordable and enjoyable gorilla encounter, think of trekking with Congo gorillas in either national parks; though Virunga National Park offers better experiences.
Unlike Uganda and Rwanda, Congo has two species of gorillas; the mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas.
Mountain gorillas live in mountainous areas and cannot survive in low elevated areas. You’ll need some bit of trekking to higher altitude areas to be able to meet mountain gorillas.
Virunga National Park has so many mountains with the major ones being the Virunga Volcanoes; a chain of mountains located in the Virunga Conservation Area.
These mountains include Mount Mikeno, Mount Gahinga, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Bisoke, Mount Nyamuragira, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Karisimbi, and Mount Muhabura.
On the foothills on these mountains are mountain gorillas.
Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Nyamuragira, Mount Mikeo are located on the Congo side of the conservation area whereas Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Bisoke are shared among countries.
On the other hand, lowland gorillas cannot survive in high altitude areas.
They mainly live in the lowlands and can live besides humans. Trekking lowland gorillas does not require a lot of hiking. The gorillas are just near.
The actual drive to the national park is the one that is far. So if you need an easy gorilla trekking experience, you should consider trekking with the lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Flawless Luxury Gorilla Safaris in Uganda
Offer is the only that offers the best luxury and budget gorilla trekking experiences. Uganda not only harbors over half the remaining population of mountain gorillas but is a great place for gorilla trekking too.
As you may notice, Congo lacks the true facilities and conditions that qualify it to a luxury gorilla safari destination whereas Rwanda on the other hand has the most expensive gorilla permits and doesn’t favor budget travelers.
Uganda gorilla permits cost only $800, which is very affordable for budget, mid-range, and luxury travelers.
So all these classes of travelers can still visit Uganda for authentic mountain gorilla trekking experiences.
Unlike Rwanda, Ugandan luxury gorilla safari experiences are equally very nice or even better yet so affordable.
The difference is not only in the gorilla permits; it lies in the accommodation facilities as well.
The luxury lodges in Uganda are very affordable compared to the ones in Rwanda that will cost you a few thousand dollars per night.
Transportation and guiding services are also very affordable; which actually makes your safari even more affordable.
The luxury gorilla experiences in Uganda are worth giving a shot, but if you have a lot of money to spend and care less about your expenditure, Rwanda might be the right destination for you.
As mentioned earlier, Uganda gorillas can be trekked in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Of these safari parks, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park appears to be the best place to see gorillas in Africa.
The best luxury gorilla safari lodges in Uganda are located in the northern sector of Bwindi. Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp is by far the best luxury lodge in Uganda; but also one of the most expensive.
A second option would be Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge (located in the southern sector), Buhoma Lodge, Trekkers Safari Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, and Engagi Lodge among the rest.
