Top 10 Must-Know Gorilla Trekking Safari Tips for Uganda

Where is gorilla trekking done in Uganda?

Gorilla trekking takes place in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is located in Kanungu district in south-western Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the only gorilla destination with the most gorillas, accounting for half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to 19 habituated gorilla families, which can be found in four sectors: Ruhija sector in the east with Oruzogo, Kyaguriro, Bitukura, and Mukiza families, Rushaga sector in the south with Nshongi, Kahungye, Mishaya, Bweza, Rwigi, Bikyingi, and Mucunguzi families, Nkuringo sector in the south with Nkuringo.

Bwindi National Park is also noted for being the only location that offers gorilla habituation experiences. Mountain gorillas are educated to become used to human presence to facilitate hiking. The gorilla habituation process is presently underway in the Rushaga region and lasts around 2 to 3 years, including a team of researchers, park rangers, park guides, and tourists.

Mgahinga gorilla national park, located in southern Uganda’s Kisoro area, also offers gorilla trekking. Mgahinga gorilla national park is home to one habituated gorilla family known as Nyakagezi, which means that 8 gorilla trekking permits are available daily.

How many people are allowed to trek gorilla families in Uganda

In Uganda, each gorilla family may only be trekked by a maximum of eight people, and tourists are only permitted to spend one hour in the company of the mountain gorillas once they are discovered in their natural environment. During the one-hour session, attendees will take photographs using flash-free cameras, learn about gorilla behavior, and document the moments.

However, the Rushaga sector gorilla habituation experience permits a maximum of four persons to visit a gorilla family in habituation and spend four hours with the gorillas in their natural environment while they learn and see how they are being habituated.

Bwindi national park has 19 habituated gorilla families, implying that there are 152 available gorilla trekking permits for visitors daily, whereas Mgahinga gorilla national park has one habituated gorilla family, implying that there are 8 available gorilla trekking permits for visitors daily.

Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda

A gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park costs $700 per person for Foreign Non-Residents, $600 for Foreign Residents, and UGX 250,000 for East African residents.

What is included in a gorilla trekking permit?

• One hour in the presence of the gorilla family though gorilla trekking itself takes about 2 to 7 hours in the jungle depending on the location of the gorillas.
• The permit includes park entrance fees
• Security, once you are in both gorilla national parks be assured that you are safe because Uganda has well-trained park rangers and tourism police who offer protection to the parks.
• Uganda Gorilla trekking permit also includes the services of a guide or pack ranger who will be taking you around the forest.
• The permit also includes gorilla trackers who wake up early and move into the jungle to search for the mountain gorillas to communicate to the guides were to take the visitor when trekking.

How to book a Gorilla trekking permit

You can book through a trusted tour operator to acquire a gorilla trekking permit for you. Adyeri Creations Ltd is one of the best tour companies in Uganda that will help you acquire your gorilla trekking permit for your Uganda gorilla safari. When you are booking via Adyeri Creations you will contact us with the dates, month, and year when you want to engage in gorilla trekking activity and we will check the availability of the permits and get back to you. We will send you the account number where you will deposit 30% money and also send scanned copies of your passport which will be used to process your permit. Once the money has been deposited we will obtain your gorilla trekking permit and will send you scanned copies of the permit as confirmation.

Booking your gorilla permit through a trusted tour operator is the best option in that we will not only acquire your gorilla trekking permit but also plan for the whole safari where we will plan for your transportation, meals, accommodation, and exciting activities to engage in while on your safari and destinations to visit which make your Uganda gorilla trekking safari fascinating and unforgettable.

When to book a Gorilla trekking permit

A gorilla trekking permit in either gorilla park should be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because the gorilla trekking permits are competitive and usually get sold out, especially during the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February. During the peak season the permits are in high demand hence should be booked in advance to avoid disappointments.

How to get to the gorilla destinations

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and may be reached by road or plane. When flying, you will book chartered or regular domestic flights from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kihihi or Kayonza airstrips, then connect by road to the park headquarters.

By road, you will travel from Kampala to one of the sectors where you will be hiking gorillas, which will take around 8 to 9 hours on a tarmac road.

Mgahinga national park may also be reached by road, which takes around 9 to 10 hours from Kampala through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro, and finally to the park headquarters.

You will arrange chartered or regular domestic flights from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters via car.

When to visit the gorilla destinations in Uganda

Both gorilla destinations have two rainy seasons from March to May and October to November and two dry seasons from June to August and December to February. They can be visited at any time of year, but the best time to visit any of the national parks for gorilla trekking is during the dry season because the forests receive little and less rainfall, and the gorilla trekking trails are always passable compared to the wet season when the trails become impassable.

Because both gorilla destinations are tropical rainforests located at high elevations, it can rain at any time of year, and gorilla trekking operations will not be halted by rainfall. However, the rainy season is also a good time for bird watching because it is bird breeding season, thus bird watchers will be able to see a variety of migrating birds and bird species.

What to pack for your Uganda gorilla trekking safari

• A gorilla trekking permit is the most important item to carry when going for gorilla trekking in any of the parks because without a valid gorilla trekking permit you will not be allowed to visit any gorilla family.
• Long-sleeved shirts and trousers to keep your body warm and also protect you from stinging insects and thorny trees
• Insect repellent to protect you from insects like safari ants and tsetse flies
• Hiking boots to protect your ankles and keep your feet dry especially during the wet season when the trails are muddy and slippery.
• Flash less Camera which will be used to capture the moments and also take photos during the one hour with the mountain gorilla family.
• Waterproof rain jacket which will protect you from rain since it can rain anytime in the forest.
• Garden gloves will protect you from thorny trees and germs
• Energy snacks for example packed lunch and drinking water for energy when trekking in the jungle.

Backpack to carry your items like a rain jacket, insect repellent, and camera among others when going for gorilla trekking.

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