Uganda is home to half the world’s Mountain Gorilla population. Seeing these animals up close in their natural habitat is one of the most impressive wildlife encounters in Africa. Visiting the gorillas directly supports conservation efforts and population growth.
There are two gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Bwindi is by far the more popular choice as the park contains a greater population of gorillas, is better situated for fly-in safaris, and has a greater range of accommodation options.
Which park you visit will depend on your wider travel plans and the time you have available. There is no difference in permit prices or chances of sightings across the two parks.
As you’ll notice from the map on the left, both Bwindi and Mgahinga are in the deep southwestern pocket of Uganda, near the border with Rwanda to the south and the DRC to the west.
Many of Uganda’s safari destinations are also found in the south-west. This makes it easy to combine a savannah safari with gorilla trekking to create a single itinerary bursting with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Bwindi is Uganda’s main gorilla trekking destination. Here, habituated families can be accessed from four trail heads: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.
Each trail head has its own characteristics, families and levels of difficulty.
Departing from one of the four trailheads on the perimeters of the forest, you join a group of other trekkers (maximum group size of 8 people) for a guided hike into the forest in search of one of the 11 habituated gorilla families.
Led by experienced Uganda Wildlife Authority guides, you will be introduced to the ecology of the forest and the changing landscape as you trek to the gorillas. Your guides are in communication with the team of trackers who will have been shadowing the gorillas since daybreak. The trackers direct your guides to bring you to the gorillas.
Close to the border with Rwanda, Mgahinga National Park is a popular option for cross-over itineraries with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. It’s also the only place in Uganda where you can trek Golden Monkeys. A popular option is to combine gorilla trekking in Nkuringo (Bwindi) with a gorilla trek at Mgahinga.
Mgahinga is more secluded than Bwindi and the treks are not as challenging. There are fewer permits available here. Although gorilla families constantly cross the border from Rwanda to Uganda, there is only one family habituated to make contact in Mgahinga. Called the Nyakagazi group, it has five silverbacks, two adult females and three young gorillas.
The best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda is during the dry seasons, which occur from June to September and December to February.
During these months, the trails are drier, making hiking easier, and the visibility in the dense forests is much better. The chances of encountering heavy rain are lower, reducing the risk of slippery and muddy trails.
Additionally, there are fewer mosquitoes, making the experience more comfortable. However, since this is the peak trekking season, gorilla permits are in high demand and should be booked well in advance.
While the wet seasons from March to May and October to November make trekking more challenging due to heavy rains and muddy paths, they offer fewer crowds and discounted permits. Nonetheless, for the best experience, the dry seasons remain the most recommended time for gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Gorilla permits are currently fixed at $700 USD per person. The permits are no longer discounted during the rainy season, but they are easier to secure at short notice if you are travelling during Uganda’s long rainy season (March to May) or in the short rainy season (October to November).
For peak travel months (January – February and June – August), permits can sell out as early as a year in advance. The permit numbers are strictly limited, so we strongly recommend planning early. One advantage of visiting the gorillas in Uganda is the relatively cheap permit costs compared to neighbouring Rwanda where permit prices sit at an eye-watering $1500 USD per person at time of writing.
If one hour of contact is just not enough, if you are a wildlife photographer, or if you are simply fascinated by the behaviour of these incredible animals, then it is also possible to join the habituation team in the Rushaga section of southern Bwindi. This experience includes up to four hours with the family, observing the individuals and their interactions, and costs $1,500 per person.
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