Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda 2024–2025 : The most well-liked tourist safari activity in Uganda is gorilla trekking, which entails travelers moving into the tropical rainforest in search of habituated mountain gorillas and, once found, spending an hour with them in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking safari is possible in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is home to the greatest concentration of mountain gorillas, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, both of which are situated in the country’s southwest.
A total of 23 habituated gorilla families live in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where gorilla trekking safari is possible daily in the Buhoma sector in the north, Rushaga sector in the south, Ruhija sector in the east, and Nkuringo sector. Nyakagezi is the only habituated gorilla family that lives in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park begin gorilla trekking safari very early in the morning with a training on the guidelines and expectations for gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of eight, with each group being assigned a habituated gorilla family to hike and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the many gorilla routes. Because mountain gorillas like to roam about in quest of food, gorilla trekking can take anything from 30 minutes to 6 hours or longer in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The opportunity to spend an hour with gorillas in their natural habitat gives you the chance to learn more about their behaviors, habits, and lifestyle after finding the gorillas. You can also watch gorillas feed, play, breastfeed, groom young ones, take pictures, and document the amazing moments to share with others once the safari is over. During gorilla trekking safari, you will be able to see a variety of wildlife species, including primates, birds, and others.
The best time to do gorilla trekking safari in Uganda 2024-2025.
Although gorilla trekking safari is possible year-round in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the optimum time is during the dry season, sometimes referred to as the peak season, which occurs in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. The vegetation will be short during the dry season because there is less or no rainfall in the national parks, making it easier to see mountain gorillas and other wildlife species. Access roads and gorilla trekking trails will also be dry and passable during the dry season, making trekking easier than during the rainy season when the trails are muddy and slippery.
A gorilla trekking permit’s price in 2024-2025.
A gorilla trekking permit in 2024-2025 costs 300,000 UGX per person for East African nationals, 800 USD per person for foreign non-residents, and 700 USD per person for foreign residents in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
How to arrange for permits for gorilla trekking in 2024-2025.
A reputable tour operator, such as Primate Holidays, can help you reserve gorilla trekking permits in the national parks of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla in 2023 and 2024. Simply get in touch with us via email or phone and let us know when, where, and why you want to see gorillas. After your contact with us, we will check with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to see whether permits are still available for your selected dates, and if so, you will be required to pay a deposit. Once we have your payment, we will buy your gorilla trekking permit and email you a scanned copy of the receipt as proof.
What to bring on your 2024-2025 gorilla trekking safari expedition.
When embarking on a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, there are a number of things you’ll need to pack, including hiking boots, gardening gloves, a warm sweater, a long-sleeved shirt, and rousers, a waterproof rain jacket or poncho, energy drinks and water, a camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, insect repellent, a face mask and hand sanitizer, a waterproof backpack, and a walking stick.
How to travel to the locations of the gorillas.
By car, it takes roughly nine to ten hours to go from Kampala to the park headquarters through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale, where you may access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The locations of the gorillas can also be reached from Kigali, Rwanda, where visitors can fly to the international airport there and then connect to either the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park via the Cyanika border in Kisoro or the Katuna border in Kabale, which requires a 3 to 4-hour drive.
You can also travel to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park using scheduled or chartered domestic flights with Bar Aviation Uganda or Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips, and then take a road connection to the park headquarters.
