Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek? – Gorilla permit Cancellation & Refund Policy

Gorilla trekking is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Africa, a crave dose for those in love with primates. Trekking to see these primates in the wild offers a unique opportunity to witness them up close and personal and an opportunity to learn more about them. However, just like any travel experience, there are circumstances where you might need to cancel your gorilla Safari, whether due to unforeseen personal issues, health concerns, or other reasons. One of the major concerns for many travelers is whether they can obtain a refund if they cancel their gorilla safari tour. This article explains Gorilla permit cancellation and refund policies and what influences refund eligibility. Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek? Unlike other products that a buyer can easily cancel a purchase in case the product doesn’t meet expectations, canceling a gorilla trekking tour means risking losing your funds.

Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek? Both in Uganda and Rwanda, once a gorilla permit is booked and paid for, you can not receive any refund except if your cancellation request meets some terms deemed fit for refund. Having purchased a gorilla permit at a high cost it may seem unfair to lose your money thus the Uganda Wildlife Authority and organ responsible for issuing gorilla permits in Uganda offers you an opportunity to reschedule your gorilla trekking dates incase you are not able to trek in the initially allocated dates. On the other hand if you booked a gorilla safari to Rwanda, you can still reschedule your gorilla trekking dates with the Rwanda Development Board. If you are planning a gorilla trekking safari, it is advised to read about the refund policy for gorilla tours (Gorilla permit cancellation and refund).

Gorilla Permit Refund and Cancelation Policy – Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek?

Uganda gorilla permit refund and cancellation – Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit refund and cancelation policies

After you have booked your gorilla trekking permit with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), there are no refunds that can be made except for the provided terms below. Incase you fail to trek gorillas on the allocated dates, you may only submit your cancellation and refund request to the UWA if it meets the set conditions. After you have submitted your cancellation request, it is upon the Executive director to authorise the cancellation of your fully paid permit. Here are the general UWA refund and cancellation policies;

Cancellation within 8 days to the trekking dates. Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek within 8 days to the tracking dates? 8 days to the tracking dates do not attract any permit refund and you are likely to lose all your money.

Cancellation between 9 to 45 days to tracking dates. Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek between 9 to 45 days before the trekking dates? Yes, cancellation of gorilla trekking between 9 to 45 days before the trekking dates attracts about 25% of the permit value refund.

Cancellation of gorilla trekking between 46 to 90 days. Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek between 46 to 90 days to the allocated trekking dates? Yes, if you cancel your gorilla trekking safari between 46 to 90 days to the allocated trekking dates, you will receive about 50% of the permit value as your refund.

Cancelling a gorilla trek 91 days and above. Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek 91 days and above to the trekking dates? Yes, canceling your gorilla trek 91 days and above means you will acquire 75% of your permit value back.

Other conditions deemed fit for a gorilla permit refund in Uganda – When can I be refunded for failure to trek

Failure to view gorillas on your trek

There is 97% chance of seeing gorillas on your gorilla trekking safari holiday to Uganda. However, in circumstances where visitors fail to see gorillas on their trek (a rare occurrence), the Uganda Wildlife Authority may reschedule your permit for the next trekking day. In case there are no slots available on the next day, you will be refunded 50% of the permit value upon confirmation of the inability to access gorillas.

Illness and Accidents (Only applicable to those already in the park)

People who may show signs of illness before the start of the trek at the visitors center will be stopped from trekking gorillas. The visitors will then be referred to the nearest health facility to establish the extent of the illness and the inability to track gorillas. After the medical report has been issued and you are declared unfit for trekking gorillas, you won’t be allowed to trek the gorillas.

You will then submit your trekking cancellation request to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Your request will be reviewed by the UWA executive director who then authorizes the cancellation. You will receive a 50% permit value fee as a refund.

In case you have an accident during the trek in the forest before viewing gorillas, you are also eligible for a 50% permit value refund. This is only applicable to visitors who are already in the park.

The cancellation and refund request to the Uganda Wildlife Authority must be put in writing and addressed to the executive director of the Authority.

Rwanda Gorilla Permit Refund and Cancellation – Rwanda Development Board (RDB) gorilla permit cancellation and refund policies

Just like in Uganda, the Refund policy for gorilla tours in Rwanda by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is strict. Although gorilla permits in Rwanda are generally nonrefundable, some conditions are deemed fit for a refund. If the gorilla trek cancellation and refund request meet certain conditions set by the Rwanda Development Board, it may attract a certain amount of refund. Here are some conditions that may make a fully paid Rwanda Gorilla Permit refundable;

Canceling a gorilla permit more than 60 days before the trek. Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek to Rwanda 60 days before the allocated trekking dates? Yes, you may receive a refund. The Rwanda gorilla permit cancelation policy for 60 days and above allows you to receive up to 75% of the permit value back.

Cancelling a gorilla trek 30 to 59 days. Can I get a refund if I cancel my gorilla trek 30 to 59 days before the trekking dates? If you cancel your trek between 30 to 59 days of the trek, you will receive 50% of the permit Value.

Visitors who fail to track gorillas the whole day as a result of the Gorilla group’s movement will have their permits rescheduled for the next day. In case there are no slots available on the next day, they will receive a full refund on their permit. However, those who would have tracked the whole day and failed to make contact with a gorilla family for one reason or another can also receive 75% of the gorilla tracking fee.

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