Spending More Than 1 Hour with Mountain Gorillas
Spending more than 1 hour with mountain gorillas is one of the most extraordinary wildlife experiences in Africa, providing a deeper and more intimate encounter than the typical gorilla trek. In Uganda, this extended adventure is possible through the Gorilla Habituation Experience, a unique activity that allows visitors to follow researchers and trackers as they prepare wild gorilla families for tourism.
While people know how much time they spend with mountain gorillas, the exact timeline of a gorilla trekking tour can vary depending on the giant apes’ movement on a particular day. You should expect a gorilla trekking adventure to last approximately two to six hours; however, some adventures will have you out in the jungles the entire day. It largely depends on how long you will spend looking for the endangered mountain gorillas. The distance to the assigned gorilla family can make you travel far into the forest, extending the trip.
Spending more than 1 hour with mountain gorillas is one of the most extraordinary
More still, the timing of your gorilla trekking tour can vary depending on the time of the year. Mountain gorillas tend to move farther and deeper into the forest searching for food during the dry season, and this can change from time to time. For the wet/rainy season, there’s plenty of food, and these Giant Apes can feed around the forest boundaries. This could affect the exact timeline of your gorilla trekking adventure as well.
At the end of your gorilla trekking adventure, you have one hour of photography and watching their incredible behavior and daily routines in their natural habitat. However, did you know that you can spend more than 1hour with these majestic creatures in their natural habitat? Yes, you read that right! This experience is called the “Gorilla Habituation Experience,” and Uganda, especially Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, is the only place it is possible. Here, you have more time (four hours) with the Giant Apes to watch and take photos of them going about their daily routines of eating/foraging, playing, mating, grooming each other, and resting.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience, which is only provided in the southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (particularly the Rushaga sector), involves visiting a semi-habituated (or partially habituated) gorilla family. This means the mountain gorillas are quite timid, and it might be difficult to get perfect shots of the mountain gorillas as they might hide in the dense vegetation. Interestingly, this experience is quite intimate, involving only four persons trekking the gorilla family each day (unlike standard gorilla treks, where 8 visitors trek a particular habituated gorilla family each day). This provides more exclusivity and enough opportunity to take as many photos as possible of your experience.
Permit Costs for Extended Gorilla Encounters
It will cost you a lot more money to spend more than 1 hour with the mountain gorillas. While standard gorilla trekking permits for Uganda cost $800 per person for foreign non-residents, $700 per person for foreign residents, and Shs. 300,000 per person for East African Community Citizens, it will cost you $1500 per person for foreign non-residents, $1000 per person for foreign residents, and Shs. 750,000 for East African Community Citizens when spending more than 1 hour with mountain gorillas.
The $1500 per person might seem higher when compared with the $800 per person for standard gorilla permits in Uganda, but it is actually the same amount as standard gorilla permit costs for Rwanda. This means that you are actually spending less for more adventure ($1500 per person for four hours with the Giant Apes).
What to Pack for a Longer Gorilla Encounter
When you head out on your Gorilla Habituation Experience adventure, you will need to bring the necessary gear and, most importantly, dress appropriately to avoid ruining your experience. Even though it isn’t always a guarantee that it will rain during your adventure, you should still carry a waterproof rain jacket and bring a warm sweater for chilly mornings and evenings.
Also, gardening gloves are handy for protecting your hands while holding onto tree branches and other vines for support during the gorilla trekking adventure. You also need to make sure to apply an insect repellent before the adventure. Additionally, protect your skin by reapplying sunscreen every few minutes to prevent yourself from getting burned.
Additionally, you should bring a good-quality camera with extra batteries, memory space, and a lens with you as well. That way, when you finally spot the mountain gorillas, you can take a beautiful picture, hence getting the most out of your Gorilla Habituation Experience tour.
When is the best time to spend more than 1 hour with mountain gorillas?
Uganda is the only place in the world where you have chance of spending more than 1 hour with the mountain gorillas, and we often get asked: “When is the best time of year to go?” The good news? The Gorilla Habituation Experience season in Uganda spans many months (if not all), and each one offers something special.
Whichever month/season you choose, your Gorilla Habituation Experience adventure supports gorilla conservation efforts and helps protect these majestic creatures for future generations.
The Dry season (June to September and December to February) is the peak season to spend more than 1 hour with the endangered mountain gorillas. This is also when people can ideally see these majestic creatures and spend more time with them. With the warmest weather of the year, drier forest trails, and sparser vegetation (resulting from reduced rainfall levels), it is easy to see why those months are in high demand. This means that the demand for permits is also high, hence requiring advance booking (at least 12 months in advance).
While crowds thin out in the rainy season (March to May, and October to November), the Gorilla Habituation Experience doesn’t. In fact, the wet season is an amazing time for photography, enjoying low-season rates (especially on some accommodations), and birding tours. Therefore, whichever season you choose, there will be advantages and disadvantages, and at the end of the day, you will have a most memorable experience.
Where to stay while on your Gorilla Habituation Experience Tour
Since your Gorilla Habituation Experience Tour is based in the southern sector of Rushaga, you can choose to stay here or in the nearby Nkuringo sector. Our top picks include Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Chameleon Hill Forest Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Burunga Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Nshongi Gorilla Lodge, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Gorilla Heights Lodge, Gorilla Leisure Lodge, and Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, among others.
