Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Safaris
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park is the most popular tourism activity in Uganda. It offers a unique encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas can also be seen in four national parks: Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, both in Uganda.
Despite Uganda hosting half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population, it’s the only country where these primates can be found in two different national parks. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, located in southwestern Uganda, is about an 8 to 9-hour drive or approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes by charter or scheduled domestic flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage site housing over 23 habituated gorilla families, divided into four trekking sectors: Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhija. The park was named “impenetrable” due to its thick tree canopies that block sunlight from reaching the ground.
Bwindi is conveniently located near other major tourist attractions in Uganda, such as Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife viewing, chimp tracking, and boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel; Mgahinga National Park for golden monkey and gorilla trekking; Lake Bunyonyi for leisure activities, canoe rides, and bird watching; and Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee tracking.
Visitors can combine a gorilla safari with wildlife adventures, including spotting “the big five.” A gorilla permit in Bwindi costs USD 800 per person, compared to Rwanda’s fee of USD 1,500, which doubles Uganda’s permit price. Congo offers the cheapest permits at USD 400. However, permit prices do not include costs for accommodation, visas, transportation, food, or flights.
The total cost of a gorilla trek depends on the duration and type of accommodation chosen. Bwindi is internationally renowned for gorilla trekking, and visitors can also experience the Batwa pygmy community, forest walks, bird watching, and primate viewing, including chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys. Remarkably, Bwindi is one of the few parks in the world where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees coexist.
While tracking the gorillas, chances are high you’ll also see chimpanzees. The park offers a special experience called the “Gorilla Habituation Experience,” especially in the Rushaga sector. This allows visitors to spend extended time—up to four hours—studying a particular gorilla family under the guidance of researchers.
Only one gorilla group is under habituation at a time, and a permit for this experience costs USD 1,500, with only four permits issued daily. Normal gorilla trekking permits are USD 800, and permits must be booked in advance since only four habituation permits are available each day compared to around 170 daily for regular treks.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is available year-round, but the best time to visit is during the dry seasons from December to February and June to August. During these months, trails are dry and easier to navigate. The rainy seasons occur from March to May and October to November, making trail conditions muddy and slippery.
However, booking during the rainy season may be advantageous due to lower permit and accommodation prices, fewer visitors, and more time to enjoy the experience with the gorillas. Remember, Bwindi is a rainforest, so rain can occur at any time.
You can choose between 2- or 3-day gorilla tour packages. Bwindi can be reached by air via Kajjansi/Entebbe or by road from Kampala, with roughly an 8-hour drive or about 1 hour and 30 minutes on a domestic flight.
Some visitors prefer to avoid the long road journey from Kampala by crossing the Kigali border at Chyanika, which takes about four hours. Gorilla trekking starts with a briefing at the park headquarters around 7:30 am.
Visitors should sleep early before tracking day, wake around 6 am, and have breakfast before heading to the park office. After the briefing, trekkers are divided into smaller groups of up to eight people, each led by a park guide from Uganda Wildlife Authority, along with armed rangers and porters. These guides are experienced, knowledgeable, and will share information about the gorilla families and other wildlife during the trek.
Tracking times vary; some groups find their gorillas in just 30 minutes, while others may take hours. A team of trackers typically leads the way to locate the gorilla family based on their last nesting sites. The chances of seeing the gorillas are over 98%. Once you find the group, you are allowed only one hour with them.
Watching mountain gorillas can be an emotional experience—they behave much like humans and share about 98% of our DNA. The time with the gorillas is dedicated to observing their behaviors and personalities in the wild.
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Mountain gorilla trekking questions
How many gorillas are in the world?
The wild has over 1,000 gorilla species living in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in Uganda in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Bwindi National Park has the most gorillas in the world over the half of the total number of gorillas.
What is mountain gorilla trekking?
Mountain gorilla trekking is an adventure that involves trekking through the mountainous forest in search of the famous mountain gorillas. It’s normally a guided trip and takes about 4 to 8 hours, depending on where you are trekking from.
Which is the best mountain gorilla trekking park?
Of the four gorilla parks, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in Uganda, Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park, Bwindi National Park gives the best experience in our view.
Our reasons because it has the most gorillas of all the four parks, hence your chances of sighting the gorillas at this park are actually high; plus it has four sectors with each offering a unique experience for its trekkers.
That said, the choice of which park is best depends your experience, so we suggest for you to know the best park you have to visit all four parks to make a decision of your own.
When is the best time for gоrillа trеkking?
Mountain gorilla trekking is done all year round, so any time is mountain gorilla trekking time. Also, depending on the other activities you are doing alongside the mountain gorilla trip, they will determine the time you do the gorilla trekking.
However, the dry season gives you a better trekking experience because the trekking terrains are drier and easier to trek, compared to the wet seasons.
But be assured, whatever season you trek, you will have the best experience.
How much are mountain gorilla trekking permits?
Mountain gorilla trekking permits cost 800 USD for Uganda, 1500 USD for Rwanda, and 400 USD for the democratic republic of Congo.
How do you get mountain gorilla trekking permits?
You have to book the permits online through the different country wildlife controllers for Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and the Rwanda development board.
Or you can book through a tour operator in any of the respective countries.
You should know, though, that booking of these permits should be done at least 3 months in advance.
How many people trek in a group at a time?
A group of 8 people treks with a gorilla group at a time.
Can the gorillas harm you?
Yes and No.
Gorillas are peaceful animals; they do not attack you for no reason. However, if you touch them, touch their young ones, or disturb their peace, they will harm you.
That is the reason we have mountain gorilla trekking rules like keeping a 7-meter distance between you and the gorillas while in their presence, not touching the gorillas, not making any actions or noises that will offend the gorillas, not using flash photography, not feeding the gorillas, among other things.
Can I take photos of the gorillas?
Yes, you can, but keep a distance and don’t use the flash while taking these photos.
Can I trek with my friends?
Yes, you can; all you need to do is book tickets that admit you for the trek around the same period or on the same trek.
What level of fitness do you need for a trekking experience?
Anybody healthy and able to move around can trek, but if you can, you should do some workouts prior to the trekking to prepare your body for what is coming ahead.
