Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has finalised its new tariff structure, which becomes effective on 1st August 2004. The new tariffs will remain in use for the next two years, and as usual will be revised again in 2006 after consultation with all stakeholders.
Major changes
There are a few major changes that are worth noting. These include the following:
· The cost of gorilla-tracking permit has increased to US$360 from US$275 in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) and US$220 in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (MGNP).
- The price of special passes has increased for all categories, ie individual, couple and family. We have also introduced two new categories for special passes. They include the Annual Corporate pass and a special pass for members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), which goes for US$40 per annum. The Annual Corporate pass sells at US$500 for East African residents and $400 for Ugandans per annum.
- New products have been introduced, including wilderness campsites for tourists interested in having a truly wild experience in the national parks. UWA will charge a minimum of US$150 per campsite per night for tourist groups not exceeding 16 people.
- UWA is also introducing night game drives for tourists interested in searching for animals in the night. The night game drives will last from 7.00pm to 11.00pm. Previously, game drives only lasted until 6.00pm. UWA will charge US$15 per ranger guide per vehicle for the night game drives, and US$20 per ranger guide per vehicle for the day game drives, which previously cost Ush10, 000 per ranger guide per vehicle.
Details of changes in prices for selected products and services
ENTRANCE FEES
Entrance fees for national parks in have largely remained the same for foreign non-residents and Ugandan citizens, but have increased slightly for East African residents as follows:
One day/night: The entrance fee for East African residents has increased from US$8 to US$10.
Two nights: The entrance fee for East African residents has increased from US$15 to US$20.
Category A national parks include
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Kibale National Park
- Kidepo Valley National Park
- Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
NB: Details of other changes in entrance fees to other national parks are available on request.
SPECIAL PASSES
The price of special passes to all protected Areas for East African Residents and Ugandan citizens has increased as indicated below:
- Passes for Individuals: The price has increased from $60 to $100 per annum for East African residents, and from Ush25, 000 per annum to US$50 per annum for Ugandans
- Passes for couples: The price increased from US$100 to US$150 per annum for East African Residents, and from Ush 40, 000 to US$75 per annum for Ugandans.
- Passes for families (only 4 children) The price of passes for East African Residents jumped from US$150 to US$200 per annum, and from Ush50, 000 to US$100 per annum for Ugandans.
- Annual corporate pass (10 cards) have been introduced for East African Residents and Ugandan citizens at $500 and $400 per annum respectively.
- Members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) will pay $ 40 per annum.
VEHICLE ENTRY FEES
UWA levies a fee from all vehicles entering the national parks, which varies with the type, size and registration of a vehicle. Entry fees are charged for all national parks except Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Mountain Elgon National Park and Kibale National Park: The new tariffs are indicated in the table below:
| Vehicle | Foreign Registered | Uganda Registered |
| Motor cycles |
$15
|
$5
|
| Saloon Cars |
$20
|
$6
|
| Minibuses (private) |
$50
|
$15
|
| Pick-ups & 4-WDs |
$40
|
$15
|
| Tour Company vehicles |
$100
|
$10
|
| Buses and lorries |
$200
|
$100
|
- Motor- cycles : Fees increased from $ 10 to $ 15 per visit for foreign registered ones, and from Ush5000 to US$5 for Ugandan registered ones.
- Saloon cars The fee remained at US$20 for foreign registered ones and jumped from Ushs10, 000 to $ 6 for Ugandan registered ones.
- Minibuses, Omni- buses (private): The fee jumped from $30 to $ 50 for foreign registered ones, and from Ush15, 000 to US $15 for Ugandan registered ones.
- Pick-ups and 4-WD cars: The fee remained at US$40 for foreign registered ones, and jumped from Ush20, 000 to US$15 for Ugandan registered ones.
- Tour Company Vehicles: The fee jumped from $ 50 to $100 for foreign registered ones, and from Ush10, 000 to US$10 for Ugandan registered ones.
- Buses and Lorries: The fee jumped from US$100 to US$200 for foreign registered ones and from Ush50, 000 to US$100 for Uganda registered ones.
GORILLA TRACKING
The cost of a gorilla-tracking permit has been made uniform for Bwindi Impentrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park at:
- US$360 for foreign non-residents
- US$340 for East African residents
- Ushs100, 000 for Ugandan citizens
Previous tariffs for gorilla tracking are shown in the table below:
| National Park | Foreign Non-residents | East African residents | Ugandan citizens |
| Bwindi Impenetrable NP |
$275
|
$210
|
Ush80, 000
|
| Mgahinga Gorilla NP |
$220
|
$180
|
Ush70,000
|
CHIMPANZEE TRACKING
Chimpanzee tracking fees in both Kibale National Park and Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park have changed as follows:
Chimpanzee tracking fees in Kibale National Park increased from:
- US$20 to US$50 for foreign non-residents
- US$15 to US$30 for East African residents
- Ush10, 000 to Ush30, 000 for Ugandan citizens
Chimpanzee tracking fees in Kyambura Gorge increased from:
- US$20 to US$30 for foreign non-residents
- US$15 to US$20 for East African residents
- Ush10, 000 to Ush20, 000 for Ugandan citizens
CHIMPANZEE HABITUATION EXPERIENCE (Chex)
The chimpanzee habituation experience is one of the most popular activities for tourists who come to Uganda. Habituation involves a team of trackers following the chimpanzees in order to get them accustomed to human presence so that visitors can enjoy viewing these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat. It involves waking up very early in the morning and seeing the chimpanzees waking up, and following them for the whole day till they go to bed.
The Chex activity presents tourists with the opportunity to join the habituation team to track the chimpanzees, and this could be for one to three days. The activity takes place only in Kibale National Park.
Previously tourists of all categories paid a uniform fee for the Chex experience as indicated below:
Old Chex Tariffs
| 1 day | Up to 3 days | Up to 6 days | |
| Chimpanzee Habituation Experience | US$125 per person | US$300 per person | US$500 per person |
Under the new tariff structure, different categories of tourists will be charged differently as indicated in the table below:
New Chex Tariffs
| Non-Residents | East African Residents | Ugandan Citizens | |
| 1 day tracking |
$220
|
$150
|
$50
|
| 2 day tracking |
$400
|
$300
|
$70
|
| 3 day tracking |
$450
|
$400
|
$ 80
|
LAUNCH CRUISE
Prices for launch cruises in Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) and Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) have reduced for Ugandan citizens from Ush15, 000 to Ush10, 000 per person in QENP, and from Ush20, 000 to Ush15, 000 per person per trip in MFNP.
Launch cruise prices have increased for foreigners from Ush15, 000 to US$10 per person per trip in QENP, and from Ush20, 000 to US$15 per person per trip in MFNP.
Groups of school children will be charged Ush50, 000 per trip in both QENP and MFNP or Ush3000 per individual.
MOUNTAINEERING
UWA is introducing a new fees structure for tourists interested in climbing Rwenzori Mountains National Park (RMNP). UWA has consolidated the fees that tourists interested in mountaineering can pay, and done away with the previous arrangement when tourists sometimes found themselves paying for activities in piecemeal:
Old Mountaineering fees
| Non Residents | East Africa Residents | Ugandans | |
| Rwenzori Mountains NP | US$480 | US$365 | UShs 350,000 |
The new tariff structure introduces different fees for each mountaineering stage as indicated in the table below:
New Mountaineering fees
| Non Residents | East Africa Residents | Ugandans | |
| Rwenzori Mountains NP
(Central Circuit) |
US$567 | US$465 | US$250 |
| Peak climbing (assumed 2 additional days) | FNR | EAR | Citizen |
Margherita/Alexandra/Albert |
$692 | $570 | $345 |
| Luigi di Savoia/Moebius | $685 | $563 | $338 |
| Baker/Speke | $656 | $534 | $309 |
| Mt.Gessi | $699 | $577 | $352 |
NB: The above fees include park visitation fees, a guide, 4 porters, accommodation, rescue, and fuel fees.
But extra time on the mountain will call for extra charges as indicated below:
- Visitation fee per day of US$20, US$10 and US$5 for Foreign Non-Residents, East Africa Residents and Ugandans respectively
- Porter’s – US$5 per stage
- Guide’s Fee – US$7 per stage
- Accommodation – US$15 per night
SPORT FISHING PERMIT
Previously the sport fishing activity only took place in Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP). It is also being officially introduced in Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP). The charges for sport fishing in both parks are indicated in the table below:
|
Day permit |
Up to 4 days | Annual permit | |
| Murchison Falls National Park | US$50 per person | US$100 per person | US$300 per person |
| LMNP | US$10 per person | US$20 per person | US$50 per person |
FILMING FEES
Many international conservation and media organisations come to Uganda to film attractions and activities in the national parks. UWA has always charged Ush100, 000 per person per day for filming in all the national parks except Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) where the charge was Ush150, 000 per person per day.
In the new tariff structure, the commercial filming fee has been made uniform for all national parks at US$100 per person per day.
FINES FOR OFF-TRACK DRIVING
Many tourists are sometimes tempted to drive off the tracks during game drives so that they can get a closer look at the animals which are sometimes far from the roads. This is illegal and UWA has been levying a fine of Ush100,000/= from those caught in the act.
In the new tariff structure, the fine has been increased to US$150, and we believe this will be a good deterrent to those who break the law.
NB: UWA WILL NOT CHARGE EXTRA FEES FROM TOURISTS WHO WILL HAVE PAID FOR THEIR GORILLA PERMITS OR FOR ANY OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS BY 1st AUGUST 2004 WHEN THE NEW TARIFFS TAKE EFFECT.