FAQ's

In general, Uganda is safe for tourists. If you travel in the care of a legitimate tour operator and take the usual precautions, you should be able to avoid falling victim to tourist scams and petty crime. In fact, Uganda is one of the friendliest countries to visit in Africa.

If you feel insecure about the safety in Uganda you can always book a free consultation call with us and we walk you through our safety standards.

Uganda Shillings

We offer a full-care tour package where food, permits and accommodation are included. However you have to book your flight to Uganda on your own.  

You can either pay with credit card, international bank transfer or PayPal.

This has been the most frequently asked Question by our Guests but you need not to worry about this.

Depending on the choice of travel (Luxury, midrange and Budget tours) you would wish to have which makes our packages so much affordable by all travelers

Yellow fever – Required for entrance into the country, Uganda. Yellow fever – Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an area with a risk of yellow fever transmission for Uganda. Ideally 10 days before travel.

This has been the most frequently asked question, But No need to worry about this.

At Chimp Trails  Africa, we customize tailor made tours that you can live to experience while on your Tour depending on the Budget of the traveler.

Additional costs are an optional case unless you opt for a tour extension and other exclusions on our Package.

We help you create flexible and affordable itineraries made for both group and solo travelers with special interests.

We have got a team of professional Tour Guides with great experience and knowledge who have been in the field for Quite long to offer memorable safaris to all tourists visiting Uganda and East Africa at Large

You are guaranteed to be escorted by our local English-speaking guides who have been to in and out of all our Destinations

Gorilla trekking is one of the most fascinating wildlife experiences that involves hiking through difficult terrains, thick vegetation, Hills and Valleys. This seems to be a challenging experience that might leave one exhausted if they are not physically fit or exposed to long trekking.

But we have a better option for this, we can help you book for a gorilla family group that is near the offices in the park to avoid travelling for a long distance.

Uganda is generally a driving Destination for most of Visitors. Fly-ins too are possible (usually for luxury travelers).                       

All our four-wheel drive vehicles have comfortable bucket seats, large windows and pop tops for game viewing, equipped with a cooler box full of water, charging stations for camera batteries and phones

Uganda’s climate is largely tropical with two rainy seasons per year, March to May and September to December. Overall, Uganda experiences moderate temperatures throughout the year, around 22.8°C. However, the temperature can vary quite a bit due to the different heights, for example the capital Kampala is located above 1000m sea level and the mountain gorillas are even above 2500m sea level.

The best time to visit Uganda is during its two dry seasons: between December and February, and between June and August, when conditions are particularly good for trekking to see mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.

Game spotting in national parks is also good at this time, as well as between February and March. Large numbers of wildlife can be seen at waterholes from September through to early October.

Temperatures barely change throughout the seasons, sitting around 24°C to 30°C, so you can visit Uganda all year round. The country is also fabulous for bird spotting at any time of year.

A tour to Uganda Offers some of the local animals encountered in the wild. some of these Local animals in Uganda are; The African bush Elephant, African lions, Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Leopards, Cheetahs, white Rhinos, Rothschild’s Giraffes, Plain zebras, Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, Shoebill and much more.

These species are one of the reasons to visit Uganda and see these amazing and Unique animals up close while on a safari.

The fact that Uganda, Rwanda and Congo have mountain gorillas, there is no difference when it comes to the experience obtained at the end of your gorilla trek.

The only Difference is that Rwanda Mountain Gorillas are in the volcanoes ranges with mainly Bamboo as the main Vegetation.

In Uganda, these Mountain gorillas are situated in the rain forests with varieties of trees and plants of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mt. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Uganda is famously known for ha-biting over a half of world’s largest number of mountain gorillas.

Whereas, Congo’s Virunga National Park is a home to about 8 habituated gorilla families available all year around which makes Congo a strict Gorilla conservation project based on gorilla protection and safety

In comparison, Gorilla trekking in Congo is cheaper than it is in Uganda or Rwanda. In Congo, a gorilla trekking permit (foreigners) is at about USD 400 than in Uganda at USD 800 and Rwanda at USD1500.

You can experience gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda in principle all year round. The mountain forests are located on the equator, where the temperatures do not vary much except for a few degrees and are uniformly around 25 degrees during the day. Rather, when choosing the date of travel, one should pay attention to the rainfall, which is actually stronger or weaker depending on the month.

In the months of December to February and June to August, the least rain is to be expected. Although showers can occur at high altitudes in the forests throughout the year. However, heavy rainfall can occur between March and May and September and November.

Since you will be walking on narrow unpaved trails through the mountain rainforest during gorilla tracking, heavy rainfall can make the trek difficult.

You should bring a rain jacket and rain pants as well as waterproof hiking boots at any time of the year. Permits, or permission to visit, are severely limited in both Uganda and Rwanda, so we recommend booking your trip early.

More information about the best time of year for gorilla trekking can be found here.

At Chimp Trails Africa we welcome all types of travelers both premium and luxury.

Our premium style of travel is designed for the intrepid traveler who is seeking for an adventure with a higher standard of service with well customized itinerary that includes all the destination Highlights.

Our luxury travel combines the intimate experiences, personalized services, gourmet meals, and beautiful surroundings that together promise a maximum of pleasure and a minimum of stress

We do not provide travel insurance. We do however recommend purchasing it through our tried and trusted partner

The first sight of gorillas is unforgettable. This experience takes a little time and amazingly, they are naturally calm.

At the experience, You are asked to keep a safe distance of about 7 meters away from the gorillas. This prevents spreading of any human diseases to the gorillas.

Further, you should stay still in case a gorilla moves closer towards you. Your UWA Ranger guide will be watching closely and instructing you the best way to move.

The trekking packing list is so important to consider when planning your gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari because anyone intending to do such an activity should have something to pack.

Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking

• Gorilla permits and passport
• Hiking Boots
• Rain jacket and a sweater
• Toiletries
• Walking stick
• Binoculars
• Cameras
• 2 pairs of face masks
• Sunglasses

Waterproof Clothing

Gorillas are not necessarily dangerous wild apes though they need very careful handily.

Standing next to the gorilla is safe both for you and the majestic gorilla provided that certain considerations set by UWA are followed.However, like the way you meet stubborn human beings, you can as well meet a stubborn mountain gorilla that will try to touch you.This is what we call the best gorilla trekking experience.Though,this on a rare case

You can spend between 1 hour to about 7 hours with the mountain gorillas depending on the location of the gorilla family, travelers fitness and the speed of movement of the mountain gorillas

The choice to stay at a particular safari lodge on your tour often comes down to the proximity of the lodge to a visitor’s desired tourist attractions, the budget of the visitor and the availability at that safari lodge during a particular time period.

You are advised to book your permits in one week advance before your travel in order to avoid short notice disappointments Usually during the high seasons of June to September and December to February

The cost of a trekking permit varies accordingly. Today, a single gorilla permit is at 800 USD in Uganda. 1500 USD in Rwanda and 400 USD in Congo.

However, a chimpanzee trekking permit is at about 250USD per person in Uganda.

Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you’re planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.

Here is the Electronic Visa/Permit Allocation System for Uganda.

• All payments must be made directly to the company; either to the company’s account through Telegraphic Transfer, RTGS or by cash.
• The company will consider you booked for the safari upon payment of at least a deposit of 60% of the total trip cost. The balance of 40% should be paid within the last week from the date of your safari.
• Any safari that involves Gorilla and Chimps tracking will require you to pay the necessary permit fees at the time of booking. This implies that the sum of the initial deposit of 40% will be increased where the safari involves gorilla and chimps tracking.
• Any Safari booked within a period of less than 30 days requires 100% payment and will only be confirmed upon receipt of the entire sum of the tour price.

Our safari prices are quoted in US dollars and the company operates a US Dollars account. It is desirable that payments are made in US dollars.

• The person who signs the booking form and the contract guarantees payment of the total amount shown on the booking form in accordance with these conditions. It is the responsibility of the signatory to ensure the Company receives payment in full by the due date.
• The Company reserves the right to refuse a booking or cancel the Safari without giving any reason and shall in that event return any money received in accordance with our terms on refunds mentioned here in.
• The company reserves the right to increase the prices quoted should circumstances warrant that an increment is desirable for successful execution of the safari.