How to Book Gorilla Permits
In the DRC its best to just arrange your permit (USD 400) and tour through a tour company of your choice. the Gorilla permits in Congo are managed by the Virunga Foundation, the Organisation responsible for managing the Virunga national park where the mountain gorillas are found. the system in Congo is very different from the other two countries since for them they do not offer to you the real gorilla permit when you make the payment.
In Congo, the client makes an inquire through a local operator and then the operator forwards it to the Virunga Foundation who in turn send the local operator an invoice of the fees the clients would like to payment during the gorilla trekking expedition. These fees normally include the gorilla permit fees, visa fees and the transport fees. when the local operator receives the invoice, he/she instructs to meet the fees in the invoice of which he/she makes a payment to the Virunga Foundation. these in return get the local operator the payment voucher or receipt which he/she delivers to the client at the start of the trip that will be presented to the Virunga Foundation.