Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Uganda Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest Park

One of the continent's most thrilling activities, Bwindi Forest Gorilla Trekking offers mountain gorilla watching and sightseeing in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda's number one gorilla trekking destination, and a daily event for many during a Ugandan safari. Your adventure involves driving to the park headquarters on the morning of the trekking date, where you are briefed about the gorilla trekking etiquette, allocated to a particular family, and together with a ranger guide, enter the jungle to encounter mountain gorilla families.

Trekking to see mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Forest takes approximately between 30 minutes and 6, or at worst, 8 hours, depending on how they move. As you begin the trek, trackers move ahead of you and try to locate the gorillas from where they were last seen the previous day. And from there, they track their movements until they find them and signal your ranger guide about the location.

Once they are in sight, you will have up to 1 hour to observe them, take photos, and wrestle with your emotions; for many who have experienced Bwindi Forest gorilla trekking, the experience doesn’t leave you the same and evokes very powerful emotions. That is why some call it a life-changing experience. Contact us to plan your trek.

Uganda Rwanda Gorilla Safari 2026/2027

3 Days Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi from Kigali (Hot Seller)

3 Days Gorilla trekking in Bwindi from Kigali is an interesting safari that will see you traverse two countries i.e Rwanda & Uganda and trek gorillas in Uganda. The package includes gorilla trekking permits, accommodation, transportation and more. Check full itinerary below:

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5 Days Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari (Discounted)

Combine mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi with a wildlife experience in Uganda's most popular national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park for an awesome safari adventure. This package also highlights a visit to the Ishasha Tree Climbing Lions, a species of lions that can only be seen in Uganda and Tanzania, and nowhere else in the world. Options are available for budget, mid-range, and luxury travelers. Read the detailed itinerary below.

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Bwindi Gorilla Safaris

Gorilla Tours to Bwindi from Kigali

Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest Uganda

Bwindi Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in south-western Uganda, at the eastern edge of the Albertine rift valley, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The forest inherits its name from the local Runyakitara dialect; “mubwindi,” which translates to “a place of darkness.” Bwindi stretches across the three districts of Kanungu, Kisoro, and Kabale, and it is a hot spot of biodiversity with 160 tree species and more than 100 species of ferns.

It hosts 84% of Uganda’s montane butterflies, endemic bird species, and has been confirmed to be among the rare places that have both Chimpanzees and mountain Gorillas. Bwindi forest is at an altitude of 1,160M to 2,607M above sea level, and this is where the mountain gorillas live. Bwindi forest gorilla trekking takes you through this remarkable destination to see the amazing endangered species in their habitats.

What are Gorilla Trekking Permits?

Gorilla permits are the official/legal documentation issued by the respective park authorities to allow you to participate in Gorilla trekking. Some call it the gorilla licence, and everyone must present it at the park headquarters before registration, briefing, and going on the trek to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

What is the Cost of a Gorilla Trekking Permit?

In Uganda, a gorilla trekking permit costs USD 800 per person. A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs USD 1,500 and Congo permits cost USD 450 each, being the cheapest of all countries.

Does Uganda or Rwanda offer gorilla permits at a discounted price?

Uganda does not offer any discounts on the gorilla permit prices but in Rwanda, you will recieve a 30% discount on the gorilla permit price if you visit another park for 3 consecutive nights before the trek, or two of the parks. That is, you can stay 2 nights in Akagera National Park and 1 night in Nyungwe forest park, and you will be given the gorilla permit at a reduced price of $1,050. Note that this is only possible during the low season months of March to May and October to November.

Does Democratic Republic of Congo offer gorilla permits at a discounted price?

Gorilla trekking in the thick forests of Virunga national park is offered at a discounted price effectively from 2018 in the low season, like other gorilla permits this permit allows you one hour with the mountain gorillas which are habituated. The low season of gorilla trekking in Democratic Republic of Congo happens in March to May and in this period gorilla permits are offered for USD 200, it is advisable to book your permits months before as there is a lot of demand for these pictures.

What are the chances of seeing mountain gorillas?

Mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga forest national park, volcano national park of Rwanda and democratic republic of Congo’s Virunga national park live in families/ groups. These big primates are less wild since they went through the habituation process, making them used to human presence and yes with a professional tour guide leading the trek the chances of mountain gorillas are high since tour guides know their location.

In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has 4 gorilla sectors harboring 23 gorilla families i.e. Buhoma sector with mubare, Habinyanja, and Rushegura gorilla families. Ruhija sector with Oruzogo, Bitukura and Kyaguliro gorilla families, Rushanga sector with Nshongi, Mishaya, kahungye, Busingye, Bweza, and Nkuringo gorilla family. Mgahinga national park only has one gorilla family that is Nyakagezi Gorilla Group and the newly habituated Christmas in the Nkuringo sector and Katwe gorilla family in Buhoma sector. Volcano national park of Rwanda has 10 habituated gorilla family that is Sabyinyo, Susa, Karisimbi, Umubano, Amahoro, Kwitonda, Hirwa, Bwenge, Agashya, and Ugyenda. Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga national park hosts Kabirizi, Humba, Rugendo, Mapuwa Gorilla Group, Lulengo, Munyaga, Nyakamwe, Bageni Gorilla families. Trekking in the gorilla families you are guaranteed to see mountain gorillas in any of these families of your choice.

Rules and regulations for gorilla trekking

For a wonderful experience of gorilla trekking, there are a number of rules and regulation which are drafted by the wildlife park’s authorities for the safety of both the mountain gorillas and the tourists. These rules and regulations include.

Always keep your voices low when you are in presence of mountain gorillas
Do not litter rubbish in the forests
Ill tourists are not allowed to take park in the trekking
Always stay in the group
Do not make unnecessary movements while in the presence of the mountain gorillas
Stay at a distance of 7-8 meters while in the presence of mountain gorillas
Do not smoke or drink in presence of mountain gorillas
While taking a picture do not use cameras with a flashlight on as it scares the gorillas
do not mimic the gestures of the gorillas as you cannot tell what they mean

What is gorilla habituation experience?

Gorilla habituation experience is the best way tourists get an up-close view of the mountain gorillas in their nature habitant. Unlike mountain gorilla trekking this activity takes 4 hours were tourists actively take part in the habituation process of mountain gorillas. For tourists with interest in taking up-close pictures, mountain gorilla habituation experience is the best safari to take part in.

Note: mountain gorilla habituation is only offered in Uganda.

How much does gorilla habituation experience permit cost?

Mountain gorilla habituation experience in Uganda is priced at USD1500.00 which is purchased at the offices of Uganda wildlife authority. You can directly purchase it or you can use your tour agent and trusted tour company. As you are planning to include gorilla habituation on your Uganda Safari Tour it is advisable to book your ticket 2 months prior to the day your safari begins.

How many people are permitted to engage in gorilla habituation experience?

Gorilla habituation experience is a very interesting safari activity which is highly demanded by many tourists, unlike mountain gorilla trekking/ gorill trekking only a group of 6 people is permitted to participate in the breath taking habituation experience which allows you only for hours with the critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Rules for gorilla trekking habituation experience

For a wonderful safe mountain gorilla habituation experience, the safety of tourists and for the mountain gorillas Uganda wildlife authority has put out rules and regulations which includes

Always stay in a group while on the habituation experience, avoid leaving your group mates behind since you might get into harm with one of the jungle animals.
Tourists below the age of 15 are not allowed to take part in the habituation experience
Only 6 people per group are allowed to participate in the habituation experience
Tourists are emphasized to keep a distance of 7 meters away from the gorillas
Use cameras with a flashlight on are prohibited
Do not touch the mountain gorillas
Always listen to the instructions of researchers

Insight of Bwindi impenetrable national park

The popular Bwindi impenetrable national park is mostly known for hosting the critically endangered mountain gorillas, the beautiful densely forested Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in south western Uganda. This park is a home to the world’s largest population of mountain gorillas approximately 400 by 2011 statics, these mountain gorilla live in groups which a situated in the four sectors of the group that is buhoma in the north region, Ruhija in the east region, Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south region of the parkss.

When to book gorilla trekking/ gorilla tracking and gorilla habituation experience permits

Both gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experience safaris activities are very interesting and offer unforgettable memories that is why it is high demand. These tickets always sell out in a short period of time thus many tourists missing out on this golden opportunity. As achieve global safaris we advise a tourist intending to participate in these amazing activities to book 3-4 months before the actual day the safari activities begin.

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Bwindi Impenetrable national park is the world’s best destination for a gorilla safari hence it was declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in 1994. Bwindi Impenetrable national park is located in the southwestern Uganda on the edge of the rift valley close to Rwanda and Congo borders. The two countries Rwanda and Congo also offer Gorilla tours given that they are also homes to half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the whole world. Bwindi Impenetrable national park covers an area of 321km squared with an altitude of approximately 1,160 to 2,607 meters above sea level. It is mist-covered hillsides blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most diverse rainforest of over 25,000 years and contains about 400 species of plants.

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be done basically in mainly 2 ways, by road and air. Bwindi Forest National Park can also be reached through the nearing countries Rwanda and Congo which are the closest to the park. Bwindi is divided in 4 trekking sectors and they are all accessed at different times. That is Buhoma sector, Ruhija sector, Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector. By Road from Entebbe International airport, Uganda’s main entrance, it is a 36km driving to Uganda’s Capital city – Kampala and 474 km to connect to Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Visitors need an early arrival in Uganda because it is 8 to 9 hours’ drive by road depending on which sector you are allocated to trek. Accessing Bwindi from either Entebbe or Kampala involves driving via Masaka – Mbarara road; connect to Kabale district where you branch off to Kanungu district where you will find the 2 sectors of Ruhija and Buhoma. From Kabale district, you proceed to Kisoro districts where you will find the other 3 sectors of Bwindi gorilla trekking including Rushaga, Nkuringo and Nyakagezi. While on a Uganda Safari, Bwindi forest can be accessed from Queen Elizabeth National Park for 3 to 4 hours. From Lake Mburo national park, Bwindi can be accessed within 5 to 6 hours on road. By air, Bwindi Impenetrable national park can only be accessed from the Entebbe airport and Kajjasi airstrip. There are daily flights with Aerolink Uganda limited from Entebbe airport to Bwindi and from Kajjasi airstrip to Bwindi. These flights land in airstrips closer to Bwindi and those are Kihihi airstrip for sectors Buhoma and Ruhija and Kisoro airstrip for Rushaga, Nkuringo and Nyakagezi sectors. A flight to Bwindi takes 2 hours. These packages are available for visitors depending on your budget and time.

Get the best of gorilla trekking in uganda, gorilla trekking uganda/ uganda gorilla trekking sees you in 2 destination namely bwindi forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. Gorilla trekking is the practice of going to the jungles and searching for the gorillas in thier natural habitats .The gorilla trekking procedure starts with the briefing the gorillas trekkers on the dos and donts of gorilla trekking in thejungles. later the are being asigned to gorilla families track from is , given the game rangers, later a hike to the forest for gorilla trekking commences. gorilla trekking in uganda requires a sustantial degree of fitness as it involves hike and climbing this is however attributed the nature of the terain where gorilla are found being hilly. Before one taking part in gorillas trekking , he or she needs to have gorilla trekking permit,issued by Authorized goverment entity in this case its Uganda wildlife Athority for the uganda gorilla trekking permits

Planning gorilla uganda can be done with the help an a credited, expereinced and rated tour company like a chieve global safaris. The safari company simply takes care of every nity grity involved in planning a uganda gorilla trekking safari from getting you the accommdation that suits your budget to gorilla permits and transportation to the park

Uganda Safaris - Mountain Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Safaris

Uganda is a land locked country located in East Africa that offers first class safaris with unforgettable experiences to tourists through various destination areas and different Safari Lodges. Uganda has 10 National Parks recommended for Safari Tours which include Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Semuliki National Park, Mount Elgon National Park, Rwenzori National Park, Kibale National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Each of these National Parks harbors unique wildlife species including over 300 mammals and 1061 birds species. Uganda has over 400 mountain gorillas, one of the most famous attractions in the country. The country also has a rich culture, with over 56 tribes like the Karimojongo, Bakiga with different local dishes, traditional dances , historical places among others. There are various adventurous activities you can participate in on your safari in Uganda including gorilla trekking safaris which is the main attraction in Uganda, chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation safaris, birding safaris, cultural tours like the Batwa Trails in Bwindi, mountain climbing, scenic viewing, golden monkey trekking among others which makes your safari in Uganda interesting and memorable. The top Ugandan safaris include;

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park safaris

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the most visited national parks in Uganda which attracts quite a number of tourists to the Pearl Of Africa to do Uganda Safaris. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers activities like Gorilla Trekking and Gorilla Habituation. Other activities done in Bwindi include Birding Safaris and nature walks where one can be able to experience other kinds of primates with in the forest. Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi National Park is done by a group of 8 individiuals including a travel guide and one needs to purchase a Gorilla trekking permit before being accepted to access the forests for Gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi Forest are so amazing and one is given 1 hour to spend the gorillas while observing their behaviour and taking pictures for future reference.

Gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking is simply the practice, adventure, quest and the hike to go and see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat/ home. To a huge fraction of travel enthusiasts, gorilla trekking remains one of the most incredible adventure activity also being deemed as the incredible gorilla trekking. The thrill of gorilla trekking is derived right from the time one sets foot in area where the gorilla tracking is conducted, with the first sessions being the briefing one. The briefing is obviously presided over by the park officials whose knowledge of gorilla trekking is rich as you can imagine an experience they attain as a result of training and constantly interacting with the mountain gorillas.

After briefing the next step of gorilla trekking is delving into the jungles and experience which seems more like treasure hunting. The movements in the jungle of course require a considerable degree of fitness since it involves somewhat strenuous movements. As one continues with the search for the gentle giants (gorilla tracking), you can also encounter other wildlife, primates and birds in the forest which is more like a starter treatment of your jungle gorilla experience. It will take between 50 minutes to 4 hours to meet gorillas while on gorilla tracking to see the gorillas.

Upon meeting up with the gorillas, an hour is given to the gorilla trekkers to interact with the gorillas which wipes all the memories of the hustle one has to go through to reach where the gorillas. A closer encounter with the gorillas will see you notice how they live their lives, for constant feeding, nest making and dominance for the alpha gorillas also known as the silver back. In that maximum of 1 hour with the gorillas, you will take as many photos as you can a confirmation of your positive gorilla trekking findings. Later after gorilla trekking, you head back to your destination..

Where is gorilla trekking done? Do you keep asking yourself about where the incredible gorilla trekking is done? Well this brief article should be in position to give you an insight of where Gorilla trekking is done. International mountain gorillas trekking in done in the countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. In Uganda gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park all found in south western Uganda, Uganda pretty much hosts ¾ of the world’s mountain gorilla population. In Rwanda gorilla trekking (Rwanda gorilla trekking) is done in Volcanoes National Park in the northwestern part of Rwanda Ruhengeri district while Congo, gorilla tracking is conducted in Virunga National Park. The common aspect of all these national parks is that they are all situated with the Great Virunga Ranges, which are shared with the three countries.

When is the best time for gorilla trekking?

Gorilla trekking has no best time but the drier months of the year are seemingly the most convenient for gorilla trekking in Uganda , Rwanda and Congo. This is attributed to the fact that in the dry months, the terrain is less slippery,, therefore deeming less strenuous do gorilla trekking. The driers month of the year in Uganda are June to August and December to February, the rest of the months are characterized by rain usually heavy downpours.

How long does gorilla trekking take?

Gorilla trekking duration is measured by the proximity of the gorilla trekking families you have been assigned to . The gorilla trekking experience can take between 50 minutes to even the entire day (6 hours) . Some gorilla families are close, thereby taking a shorter time to trek. Other gorilla families are mobile and move from one place to another, hence taking a longer time to trek.