Booking gorilla trekking for group safaris is not very different from booking for individual safaris.
Mountain gorilla permit prices are $800 in Uganda, $1500 in Rwanda, and $400 in Congo.
Traveling in a group can save you money on transportation and accommodation.
Most budget travelers prefer to travel in groups.
The price of gorilla permits does not change based on whether you travel alone or in a group; each person pays the same fee for a permit.
It is best to book mountain gorilla permits 3 to 6 months in advance, especially in Uganda, where demand is high.
Gorilla family assignments depend on several factors, so your whole group may not be able to trek the same gorilla family together.
How to Plan Gorilla Trekking for a Large Group
When booking gorilla trekking for groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, it is wise to book permits in one area of the park. This way, your group can trek gorillas in the same region, saving time instead of spreading out across different sectors.
Booking permits in the same sector also allows the group to stay in one hotel or lodge, if there is availability.
Staying together can lower costs, especially if group members share rooms.
Even though gorilla families are usually assigned based on age and fitness, it is possible to request trekking one gorilla family as a group at the park headquarters on the morning of your trek.
This can only happen if few people are trekking that day and if the group meets the required physical ability.
Remember, only eight people can visit each gorilla family per day, and each visit lasts one hour for observation and photos.
Each sector has more than three gorilla families, so large groups will be split according to available families.
Anyone in the group who is sick cannot join the trek because gorillas are very sensitive to human diseases and have no immunity to fight infections.
Even one sick gorilla could cause many deaths, which is a serious risk because mountain gorillas are endangered.
