How Many Days for a Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda?
Wondering how many you may need for a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda? Gorilla trekking safaris are the major highlight of every Uganda tour. The minimum a gorilla trekking Uganda safari can take is 3 days or more. With 3 days gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, a visitor can travel and engage in the trek to see a family of mountain gorillas.
The breakdown of a 3-day Uganda gorilla safari can flow as follows
Day 1: Pick up from Kampala city & travel to Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Day one is dedicated to your pick up from the hotel where you had a night the previous day and then be driven up to the destination of you are to trek gorillas. This can be Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Southwestern Uganda. Traveling up to Bwindi or Mgahinga from Entebbe or Kampala city can last for about 8-10 hours’ drive. The rewarding route to take will be the Kampala-Mbarara route where you have a chance to make a stopover at the Equator at Kayabwe. From the equator crossing, you will head off to Igongo Cultural Center for lunch. After lunch, you continue up to Mgahinga or Bwindi National Park to check in your pre-booked accommodation for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 2: Enjoy the best of the Mgahinga/Bwindi gorilla trekking adventure
On this day, you will have breakfast served at the lodge then join other colleagues for briefing at the park respective offices. The briefing will be led by the park official (head guide) who will take you through the set gorilla trekking safety measures or rules to follow. He or she will also allocate each group of 8pax a family of mountain gorillas to trek.
At around 8:00 a.m., you will begin the search for Bwindi or Mgahinga gorillas with the park ranger guide on lead. The trek will run for approximately 2-6 hours and on locating the family of mountain gorillas, you have a maximum of 1 hour for photography and closely observe how these apes behave in their natural environment.
After the magical hour with a family of gorillas, you will get back and enjoy lunch. In the evening, depending on the energy levels, you can proceed with the Batwa cultural experience or spend the rest of the evening chilling at the lodge. Note, on completion of the gorilla trek, you will be awarded a gorilla trekking certificate at the park offices.
Day 3: Depart for Kampala/Entebbe city
Today, you will only have breakfast and check out. After, you will begin driving back to Kampala/Entebbe city with a stopover expected at Mbarara for lunch. After lunch, drive up to Kampala/Entebbe and today marks the end of a simple 3-day Uganda gorilla safari tour.
Where to go gorilla trekking in Uganda?
Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga parks are the only two destinations that offer the best gorilla trekking tours in Uganda. A gorilla safari in Bwindi or Mgahinga is entirely about immersing yourself in the African jungles in search of a family of mountain gorillas. The trek to gorillas in Uganda is done with the lead of an experienced park ranger guide.
Bwindi and Mgahinga offer refuge to over 50% of the world’s mountain gorillas. They shelter the highest concentration of habituated gorilla families with about 23 gorilla groups found only in Bwindi and one family (Nyakagezi) in Mgahinga National Park.
Trekking gorilla families in Uganda’s Bwindi or Mgahinga is best done in any of the five regions. In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, you can begin your adventure to see mountain gorillas in Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Buhoma. While in Mgahinga National Park, Ntebeko is the key area of interest for you to start your gorilla trek to explore the Nyakagezi gorilla family.
Gorilla permits for gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda
A gorilla safari in Uganda is only achievable if you have a valid gorilla trekking permit. This applies whether you plan to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi. The cost of gorilla permits is the same across all the two protected areas where Uganda gorilla trekking is conducted. The price for gorilla permits varies depending on the visitor category where foreign nonresidents are charged USD 800 per visitor. The foreign residents USD 700 per person, the Rest of Africa visitors pay USD 500 then all citizens including Ugandans within the East African Community pay UGX 300,000.
A gorilla permit for Uganda gorilla trekking safaris can easily be booked through a reliable/certified tour operator. Native Africa Tours is the leading planner of captivating gorilla trekking expedition which you can trust. Talk to our experts to book your gorilla tour and permits early enough
What should you expect on a Uganda gorilla trekking safari?
Expect a complete immersion into the African jungles. Your day begins with a briefing early in the morning and this is done from the respective park offices. The park official takes you through the guidelines to follow during the gorilla trekking adventure. Gorilla families are also allocated to each group consisting of 8 (eight) guests. Then the actual trekking starts at around 8:00 am. Early preparation is required both to keep you fit since the entire adventure is unpredictable and then also on the actual day of trekking.
What is the minimum acceptable age limit for trekking gorillas in Uganda?
The minimum acceptable age limit for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15 years. Anyone who falls within this age bracket and is fit enough can be allowed to trek gorillas or purchase a gorilla permit issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
What to pack for a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda?
When packing, do not get anything to carry but consider essential items only. These include long-sleeved shirts, insect repellents, sunscreen, waterproof hiking boots. A safari hat, bottled drinking water, a good camera that is free of flashlights, and a first-aid kit. You also need a waterproof daypack, gardening gloves, a sweater, a pair of binoculars, toiletries, and more.
When to travel for a gorilla trekking safari?
All the gorilla safari destinations in Uganda are open for visitors all the time. But the best time to get there to trek gorillas is during the peak dry season/months of the year. These take place in two phases with the long dry (June to September) then the short dry season starts from December to February. Low or no rain is experienced during the peak dry season and the forest ground is drier with vegetation favoring for photography and also viewing gorillas. This is not the case with the wet or rainy months (March to May/October to November). During this season heavy rains fall and the ground can be muddy or steep slopes are slippery.
How to get to gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda?
Mgahinga and Bwindi are accessible by road or air. By road, you can drive from the heart of Kampala/Entebbe city to Mgahinga or Bwindi for about 8-9 hours. Alternatively, you can connect from Kigali capital city via the Katuna or Cyanika border. This is approximately a 4 to 5-hour drive. The other fastest option is taking a flight from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) or Kajjansi Airfield to Kihihi/Kisoro Airstrip. From Kisoro/Kihihi, you can drive in a 4×4 safari car to your respective gorilla trekking destination.
Conclusively, gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda do not limit visitor exploration. You can book not just a 3-day gorilla tour but also longer trips that combine other destinations.
