Gorilla trekking tours in Uganda

Gorilla trekking tours in uganda

Gorilla trekking is an interesting activity where visitors move into the sense tropical rainforests in search of the gorilla families and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is carried out in two destinations namely Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. Gorilla trekking is also carried out in other destinations in Africa including Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Where to go for a gorilla trekking tour

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, the national park is located in southwestern Uganda in Kanungu district. The national park harbors the highest number of mountain gorillas which are equivalent to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable national park is a home of 19 habituated gorilla families which are available for trekking daily and they are found in four sectors namely Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Nkuringo sector and Rushaga sector. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable starts in the morning with a briefing about the expectations, rules and regulations. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people and allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and grouping is done according to physical fitness, age so that those who are not physically fit can trek nearby gorillas. You will then start trekking in the jungle with a park guide who will be showing you Trails to follow and also sharing information about the mountain gorillas.

Once the gorilla family has been found, you will be able to spend one hour in the presence of the gorillas learning more about their lifestyle, habits, behaviors, taking photos and recording the moments with the mountain gorillas to show people at home after your gorilla trekking tour.

Bwindi impenetrable forest national park also offers gorilla habituation experience a process where the mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence. Gorilla habituation is carried out by a team of researchers, trackers, park rangers/guides and takes a period of 2 to 3 years. Visitors who engage in gorilla habituation experience spend four hours with the mountain gorillas compared to the one hour during gorilla trekking.

Mgahinga gorilla national park, the park is located in southwestern Uganda in Kisoro district. Mgahinga gorilla national park harbors two habituated gorilla families namely Nyakagezi family and Hirwa family. Hirwa family migrated from the neighboring Volcanoes national park in Rwanda in October 2019 to add on Nyakagezi family therefore both gorilla families are trekked by visitors in Uganda daily. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park starts in the morning with a briefing at Ntebeko park headquarters. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people to trek each habituated family and then you will start trekking in the jungle with a park guide. Once the gorillas have been found you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat taking photos, learning about their habits, behaviors, lifestyles and recording the moments.

After gorilla trekking activity in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park, you will be issued a certificate which shows that you participated in gorilla trekking tour in Uganda and completed it well.

Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda

A gorilla trekking permit is a document or card that is issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority to a visitor above the age of fifteen allowing him or her to engage in gorilla trekking in either Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park. A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs $600 for foreign non-residents, $500 for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for East African citizens. The permit was however increased by $100 therefore effective 1^st July 2020 foreign non-residents will be paying $700 and foreign residents will be paying $600.

A gorilla habituation permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents and UGX 750,000 for East African citizens.

How to book a gorilla trekking permit

A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority a tourism body in Uganda by contacting the offices via email or telephone calls or you can go for another option where you will book through a tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris. this is the best option in that we will not only acquire a gorilla trekking permit but also plan for your entire gorilla trekking tour which includes accommodation, transportation, meals, other activities that you can engage in among others. When booking through Achieve Global Safaris you follow a simple procedure which include,

Contact us with the dates, month, year and destination where you want to trek the mountain gorillas. we will check for availability of the permit and get back to you
You will be asked to make a deposit of the gorilla trekking permit
Once the deposit has been made, you will be asked to send your scanned passport details which will be used to register for your permit
We will acquire the permit for you and send a scanned copy of the permit as confirmation.

When to book for a gorilla trekking permit

A gorilla trekking permit should be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date to avoid disappointments because the permits are competitive and usually get sold out especially during the peak season in the months of June, July, August, December, January and February.

Best time to go on a gorilla trekking tour in Uganda

Gorilla trekking in Uganda can be done all year round though the best period is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February. during this period there is less rainfall in the forests therefore access roads to Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga gorilla national park will be passable, there will be short shrubs, grass in the jungle which helps you to clearly view the mountain gorillas and the gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable compared to the rainy/wet season when the trails are muddy and slippery. Due to the fact that Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park are tropical rain forests, it can rain anytime regardless of the season.

Gorilla trekking can also be done in the rainy/wet season though known as a season for heavy rainfall because there will be less crowds in the forest, lodges in the park will offer discounts so as to attract visitors and the gorilla trekking permits will be less competitive which implies that the last minute traveller can also acquire a permit.

Where to stay on your gorilla trekking tour

There are a wide range of luxury, midrange, budget and camping sites in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park where visitors on a gorilla trekking tour can sleep including mahogany springs camp, eco marvels gorilla resort, Bwindi View Bandas, Bwindi Guest House, Gorilla Resort, Silverback Lodge, Engage Lodge, Volcanoes Safari Bwindi Lodge, CTPH Gorilla Conservation Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Jungle View Lodge, Gorilla Friends Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Mist Camp, Trekkers Tavern Cottage, Cuckooland Tented Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Lodge, Travelers Rest House, Mgahinga Rest Camp, Virunga Hotel, Mgahinga Community Camp, Mutanda Lake Resort among others. The lodges offer quality amenities and facilities such as comfortable rooms with en-suite bathrooms, mosquito nets, restaurant which serves local and international dishes, bar, laundry services, free Wi-Fi in public areas, sitting lounge, gardens for relaxation after a gorilla trekking activity among others. Visitors are advised to book lodges near destinations where they will be trekking the gorillas for easy accessibility.

Rules and regulations for gorilla trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking only allows 8 visitors to visit a habituated gorilla family per day
Visitors should be above the age of 15 to participate in gorilla trekking
Visitors spend one hour in the presence of the gorillas in their natural habitat
In case you are not feeling well you are not allowed to engage in gorilla trekking because the gorillas are vulnerable and can easily be infected by human diseases
Do not eat, smoke or drink while in the presence of the mountain gorillas
Do not leave your group because you might get lost in the forest
Keep 8 meters distance away from the gorillas
Keep your voices down while in the presence of the mountain gorillas so as not to distract them.
Visitors should not torch the mountain gorillas because they are wild animals.
Do not leave rubbish while in the wild
Do not sue flash cameras when taking photos of the gorillas
In case a gorilla charges, do not look directly into its eyes, do not attempt to run, crouch down slowly

What to pack for your gorilla trekking tour in Uganda.

Visitors on a gorilla trekking tour in Uganda should carry essential items such as hiking shoes, garden gloves, long sleeved shirt and trousers, warm sweater, insect repellent, energy snacks, walking stick, camera and extra batteries, backpack among others.

Gorilla trekking is a breathtaking activity that can be combined with game drive, nature walk, birding, boat cruise, lion tracking, chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park. Achieve global safaris offers various gorilla trekking packages and wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth national park such as 4 days Bwindi impenetrable and Queen Elizabeth national park safari, 5 days Uganda gorillas and wildlife, 7 days gorillas and wildlife safari among others therefore for unforgettable and lifetime memories contact Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book a gorilla trekking safari package.