Young gorilla in Rwanda.
©Bill Given
Uganda is about to raise the price of their gorilla trekking permits from $500 to $750 per person per trek during the high season of June through October and Rwanda is considering doing the same.
The gorillas are the key tourism draw for both countries and for protection of the gorillas it is necessary to limit treks to just 8 tourists per day to visit each habituated gorilla group. This means there is a very limited supply of visits to gorillas (about 100 tourists a day across both countries have the privilege) and thus expensive permits are the result. As it is one of those rare evocative experiences that could be properly characterized as priceless and the revenue is essential to the ongoing conservation of the 700 or so remaining mountain gorillas - paying the high permit costs are well worth it but as its wise to have a minimum of two treks the high cost will cause many to consider their safari choices carefully.