Gorilla trekking for backpackers.
For travelers, gorilla trekking is an exciting adventure in Uganda that entails walking through the tropical rainforest to find habituated mountain gorillas and spending an hour with them in their natural habitat. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is conducted in two national parks: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is situated in the southwest, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is home to the greatest number of mountain gorillas.
Backpackers are daring travelers who travel freely and affordably. This article will tell backpackers about the best places to see gorillas, how much a gorilla trekking permit costs, where to stay on a safari, and how to get there, among other things.
Backpackers’ experience trekking with gorillas
At the park headquarters, a briefing regarding the laws and regulations is given before gorilla trekking begins at roughly 8:00 am in both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Following the briefing, you will be split up into groups of eight, with a knowledgeable park guide assigned to each group who is familiar with the various trekking routes.
Because mountain gorillas prefer to roam around in search of food, trekking with them in Uganda might take anywhere from two to seven hours, depending on their location. In addition to seeing other wildlife while trekking, you will have the chance to spend an hour with gorillas in their natural habitat, where you can observe them going about their daily lives, learn more about their behaviors, take pictures, and record videos.
The price of permits for gorilla trekking
In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, gorilla trekking licenses are 800 USD per person for non-resident foreigners, 700 USD per person for locals, and 300,000 UGX per person for inhabitants of East Africa.
How can permits for gorilla trekking be booked?
Backpackers can reserve their gorilla trekking permits by contacting a reputable tour operator, such as Achieve Global Safaris, by phone or email. Simply provide the date, month, year, and gorilla destination you would want to visit. After getting in touch with us, we will see if there are any permits available on the days you have selected. If so, you will be required to pay a deposit. As soon as the funds are received, we will buy the permit on your behalf and confirm with a scanned copy of the receipt.
The best option for us is to book gorilla trekking permits through Achieve Global Safaris, as we will not only obtain permits on your behalf but also plan your entire safari, including lodging, transportation to the park, the services of an experienced driver guide, activities to partake in after gorilla trekking, and other safari destinations.
The ideal time of year to go on a gorilla trekking expedition
Backpackers can go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park throughout the year, but the best time to go is in March through May and October through November, when fewer people are visiting the park and some lodges give discounts to those on a tight budget. Permits for gorilla trekking can be easily obtained during the off-peak period.
Because there is less rainfall in the park during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February, access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable, making trekking easier. This is also true for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
How to travel to the impenetrable national park of Bwindi
By road transportation, you can reach Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. From Kampala, you will travel through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale before arriving at the park headquarters, which takes between nine to ten hours.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can also be reached from Kigali, Rwanda. To get there, you must fly to Kigali International Airport, then drive for four to five hours to reach either Bwindi National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park via the Cyanika border in Kisoro or the Katuna border in Kabale.
Both Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are also accessible by public transportation. To get to the park headquarters, take a bus from Kampala Bus Park to Kabale or Kisoro Town, and then hail a cab.
What should you bring on your safari to go gorilla trekking?
Hiking shoes, insect repellent, long-sleeved shirts and pants, garden gloves, a waterproof rain jacket, a camera and extra batteries, a warm sweater, face masks, a walking stick, energy snacks, drinking water, and a backpack are just a few of the things that backpackers can bring on the gorilla trekking safari.
