Uganda gorilla trekking safari 2025.
Gorilla trekking safari in Uganda 2025: Gorilla trekking is a unique sport that draws a lot of people to Uganda. Trekking for gorillas entails walking through a tropical jungle to find habituated mountain gorillas and spending an hour with them in their natural environment.
In Uganda, gorilla trekking is conducted in two national parks, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, both of which are situated in the southwest. Gorilla trekking is also possible in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, the Virunga National Park, and Kahuzi Biega National Park in addition to Uganda.
Ugandan gorilla hiking experience
While Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to over 22 habituated mountain gorillas spread across four sectors—Buhoma in the north, Rushaga in the south, Ruhija in the east, and Nkuringo in the south—Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to only one habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi. In both Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, gorilla trekking begins early in the morning with an orientation regarding the guidelines to be followed.
Following the briefing, you will be split up into groups of eight, with an experienced park guide and a habituated gorilla family assigned to each group. Because mountain gorillas prefer to roam around in search of food, trekking with them might take anywhere from two to seven hours, depending on their location. You will be able to see various wildlife while trekking, and after you locate the gorillas, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat.
2025 is the ideal year to go gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Although gorilla trekking is possible throughout the year in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the best time to go is during the dry season, which is June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. This is because the national parks receive less or no rainfall during this time, making access roads and gorilla trekking trails dry and accessible, making trekking easier. Because there won’t be as much vegetation during the dry season, it will be easier to see the mountain gorillas.
In Uganda, gorilla trekking is also possible during the rainy season, which runs from March to May and October to November. Since there are fewer tourists during these times, you may explore the parks with fewer crowds, and some lodges give discounts to those on a tight budget.
The price of a Ugandan gorilla trekking permit
In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a gorilla trekking permit costs 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.
The cost of a gorilla habituation permit at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is 1,500 USD for non-resident foreigners, 1,000 USD for residents, and 750,000 UGX for East African nationals.
How can I reserve a permit to gorilla trek in Uganda?
Through Experiya Tour Company, a reputable tour operator in Uganda, you may reserve gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Simply provide our tour experts with the date, month, year, and gorilla destination you want to visit. Once you get in touch with us, we will check with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to see if any permits are available. If they are, you will be required to pay a deposit. Once we have the funds, we will be able to buy the permit for you and provide you with a copy of the receipt as proof.
What should you bring on your Ugandan gorilla trekking safari?
Insect repellent, hiking shoes, a waterproof rain jacket, garden gloves, a warm sweater, energy snacks, drinking water, long stockings, a hat and sunglasses, a face mask, a camera and extra batteries, a walking stick, binoculars, and a backpack are some of the things you should bring with you when organizing a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda.
Ways to reach the gorilla locations
To get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, you can use Aerolink Uganda to arrange scheduled or charter domestic flights from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips. From there, you can take a road trip to the park headquarters.
Road transportation is another way to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. From Entebbe/Kampala, you will drive through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale before arriving at the park headquarters, which takes between nine to ten hours.
You can also travel from Kigali, Rwanda, to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. You will fly into Kigali International Airport and then drive for approximately five to six hours to reach the park headquarters via the Katuna border in Kabale or the Cyanika border in Kisoro.
