The Best Month for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

The Best Month for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

The Dry month of either December or August is the best month for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is an outdoor activity that is best done in the dry months. These dry spells run from June to August and from December to February to facilitate easy movement. Uganda is blessed with an incredible climate, given that the equator crosses it. The country has an equatorial or tropical climate. This climate is characterized by two wet and dry seasons in a year’s calendar.

Heavy rainfall patterns characterize the wet season in Uganda. In the context of gorilla trekking, the dry season offers perfect conditions for encountering mountain gorillas. However, the beauty of this climate pattern is that Uganda’s weather is unpredictable. It can rain heavily in the dry season or shine powerfully in the wet season.

About Gorilla Trekking

The tourist activity of gorilla in Uganda is one of the significant activities that dates back to the 1990s when mountain gorillas were first sighted. Gorilla trekking traverses dense jungles, searching for mountain gorillas, and spending an hour in their presence after locating them. You can trek what you don’t have. Uganda has over 559 mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas get their name from their habitats and where they live. The terrain of the areas in the country’s southwestern region, in the gorilla destinations, is best for mountain gorillas. Uganda has two gorilla destinations, and these destinations include the following.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be done all year round, but the dry months offer the best adventure experiences. The park’s topography is steep and rugged with dense vegetation, making gorilla trekking close to impossible if the season is not favorably dry. In the wet season, Bwindi receives heavy rains that leave the trekking trails soaked and unnavigable. However, the dry season leaves Bwindi Impenetrable National Park dry with sparse vegetation, which aids gorilla trekking.

Putting weather and climate aside, Bwindi Impenetrable Park is the best gorilla destination in the world. With over 459 mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts the most significant number of these primates. It was established in 1991 and made a UNESCO site in 1994. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park stretches through Kabale, Kisoro, and Kanungu districts. The park has a land area of approximately 321 square kilometers with over four gorilla sectors. These sectors include Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija. Mountain gorillas live in groups called families, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has over 50 families with only 24 habituated gorilla families. Embarking on a gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best done from June to August and December to February.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park also offers an epic gorilla trekking safari in the dry and clear weather. The dryness of the trekking trails in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is crucial for a successful gorilla trekking adventure experience. This is evident with the high turnout of visitors in the dry months of June, July, August, December, January, and February.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the smallest of the gorilla destinations in the Virunga Conservation Area. It is located in the Kisoro district and covers 33.7 square kilometers. Over 100 mountain gorillas roam this incredible park’s territory, but there is only one gorilla family: Nyakagezi. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was established in 1991 as a national park from a forest reserve. It borders the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda in the south and the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west.

How do you get to the Uganda Gorilla Trekking Destinations?

Uganda’s two gorilla destinations, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, can be accessed by both air and road. Visitors embarking on a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda arrive at the country’s only gateway airport, Entebbe International Airport.

Traveling to the gorilla destinations in the southwestern region of Uganda by road takes approximately 8-9 hours. The Masaka-Mbarara-Ntungamo-Kisoro-Kabale highway is used. A road trip to Bwindi and Mgahinga is one of the best experiences, given the scenic views of the countryside as visitors arrive at the gorilla destinations.

Accessing these parks by air takes approximately 2-3 hours. Visitors board a chartered domestic flight to the various airstrips near the gorilla destinations from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airport. The various airstrips close to the gorilla destinations include Kihihi and Kisoro airstrip.

How much is Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?

Gorilla trekking in Uganda costs vary depending on the nationality and region of the visitors. This is done to distinguish the costs and promote domestic tourism. A gorilla trekking adventure requires a gorilla permit sold at the Uganda Wildlife Authority through a trusted tour operator like Native Africa Tours. Foreign non-residents pay USD 800, foreign residents pay USD 700, and East African citizens and Ugandans pay UGX 300,000. This money collected from the sale of gorilla trekking permits is crucial for maintaining the gorilla destinations and conserving mountain gorillas as an endangered primate species.