Booking terms and website terms
Who you are booking with
Wild Route Trips is the trading name of Tezo Expeditions Ltd, Ntinda Complex, Kampala, Uganda. You can reach us at hello@wildroutetours.com or on +256 703 501 464.
Part one of this page covers trips you book with us. Part two covers the use of this website.
Part one: booking a trip
Asking for a quote
Nothing is paid when you enquire. We send you a route and a price in US dollars, per person, with what is included and what is not written out in full.
A quote is based on the permit fees, park fees and lodge rates in force on the day we write it. Those are set by the wildlife authorities and the lodges, not by us, and they can change.
Until your booking is confirmed, the price can change with them. We will tell you if it does.
Deposit, balance and confirming your booking
Your booking is confirmed when we confirm it to you in writing and receive the deposit stated in that confirmation. The deposit amount and the date the balance is due are set out in writing for each trip before you pay anything.
There are no payments through this website. We send payment instructions by email.
Gorilla and chimpanzee permits
Once your booking is confirmed, we buy your permits from the wildlife authority in your name. In Uganda, we have to pay the authority the full permit price when we book it.
What you pay us, and when, is set out in your booking confirmation. Refunds and changes follow the authority’s own rules, not ours.
Changing a permit date depends on permits being available on the new date. In Uganda, a standard permit can be moved to another date twice if the request is made at least 14 days before the trek: the first change is free and the second costs 25% of the permit.
Low-season permits sold at the reduced April, May and November price cannot be moved. In Rwanda, a change costs 20% of the permit. We make the request for you.
In Uganda, the gorilla family each group visits is allocated on the day of the trek, and no one can promise a sighting. If a group searches for a full day without finding its gorillas, the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s rules provide another attempt the next day or a partial refund of the permit.
If you need to cancel or change your trip
Tell us in writing, by email, as early as you can.
What you get back depends on what has already been paid out on your behalf and on the terms in your booking confirmation. Permit refunds follow the wildlife authority’s rules. Lodges, camps and airlines each have their own cancellation terms, especially in the busiest months, and we pass those on to you exactly as they are charged to us.
The terms that apply to your trip, including any charge of ours, are set out in your booking confirmation.
If you want to change your trip, we will do what we can. Any extra cost charged by a lodge, airline or authority is passed on to you.
If we need to change or cancel your trip
We will tell you as soon as we know, explain why, and agree the alternative or the refund with you in writing.
Weather, park closures and other events no one controls
Weather, road and border conditions, park closures, government travel advice, outbreaks of illness, strikes and natural events can all change a trip. When they do, we work with you, the lodges and the authorities to find the best alternative, but we cannot be responsible for costs caused by events none of us could prevent.
Wild animals move freely. Every guide works to find the animals you came for, but no sighting can be guaranteed.
Travel insurance
We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation, medical treatment and emergency evacuation from remote areas, taken out as soon as you book. A gorilla permit is a large cost paid in advance, so cancellation cover matters more on a gorilla trip than on almost any other holiday.
Passports, visas and health
You are responsible for holding a valid passport, the visas you need and the health documents the countries you visit require, including a yellow fever certificate where one is asked for. We tell you what we know to be required when you book, but the rules are set by governments and can change, so please check them with the official sources before you travel.
Read your own government’s travel advice too: it changes, and it can affect your insurance.
Age, fitness and park rules
The minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15, in Uganda and in Rwanda. In Uganda, chimpanzee tracking is open from 12. These limits are set by the authorities.
A gorilla trek can mean several hours of steep, muddy walking. Please tell us about any health condition or limit on your mobility when you enquire, so the trip can be planned around it.
The parks’ rules say not to visit the gorillas if you have a cold or other infectious illness, because gorillas catch human infections. On every trip, please follow the instructions of your guides and rangers and the rules of each park.
Concerns during your trip
If something is not right during your trip, tell your guide or contact us straight away, while it can still be put right. If you are still not satisfied, write to hello@wildroutetours.com after you return and we will reply.
These terms follow Ugandan law
These terms are governed by the laws of Uganda.
Part two: using this website
Prices and rules on this site can change
Our travel guide articles name the sources their facts come from, such as the wildlife authorities and immigration departments, and say when they were last checked.
Prices, permit rules and entry requirements are set by others and can change after we check them. The quote and booking confirmation you receive from us are what count for your trip.
Using our photographs and text
The photographs, drawings and text on this site belong to Wild Route Trips or are used with permission. Please ask before using them anywhere else. Linking to any page is always welcome.
Links to other websites
Where we link to another website, such as a wildlife authority or a government, we do so because it is useful. We are not responsible for what those sites say or do.
Changes to these terms
These terms were last updated on 22 October 2026. The terms that apply to your trip are the ones in force on the day your booking is confirmed.