Best Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari Plan

The best plan for a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda is identifying the suitable timing for your Uganda safari. Uganda has very competitive tourism seasons that is normally June to September and December to early February however advance booking openings better chances to enjoying this life time adventure.

Identify the date when you hope to do gorilla trekking in Uganda and in case you are commemorating a life changing experience then you need to make necessary arrangements in advance. This is to avoid getting disappointed in case you do not get access to the gorilla permits for that particular date or time. Many tourists go on gorilla trekking safari to mark some special moments of their lives.

Confirm the number people travelling with for gorilla trekking in Uganda. The more the merrier and gorilla trekking experience is more exciting when you have company however solo travel for gorilla trekking is perfect too.

Choose the destination where to do gorilla trekking in Uganda from Bwindi impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park.  

How To Plan Gorilla Trekking safari in Uganda

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Choose when to go and people traveling with for gorilla trekking in Uganda. The Uganda safari date can be confirmed or tentative. In case your intension for choosing Uganda gorilla trekking is for a specific reason, state this too in advance.

Check for gorilla permit availability as a limited number of permits is open to the public daily as a way to avoid overwhelming the gorilla families with large numbers of people.

Do purchase the gorilla permit as soon as you can to avoid getting last minute disappointments when the permits sell out. Note that no gorilla permit is reserved without payment and permits are booked on first come first served basis.

Reserve necessary Uganda safari logistics in advance too as the best options sell out prior especially in the peak season. For gorilla trekking to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, do take note of the area where your gorilla permit is booked before reserving accommodation as this helps to quickly get to briefing point on gorilla trekking day.

Keep fit for gorilla trekking adventure because of the nature of the topography of Bwindi forest which is rugged. At time the mountain gorillas spend time in the valley or slopes of the highlands in Bwindi forest and so you have to follow the same train to

Sedan chair or stretcher service is available for those with physical challenges but desiring to join gorilla trekking safari. This is as an affordable cost.

Where To Go For Gorilla Trekking Tour In Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

In Uganda, the largest gorilla trekking destination is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosting over 20 gorilla trekking families. Gorilla habituation Experience is also open in Bwindi forest where tourists have four hours with the susceptible mountain gorillas.

For better administration, vast Bwindi forest was divided into four areas that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga. These areas are separated by physical features that sometimes hinder crossing from one area of Bwindi to another.

When booking gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi impenetrable National Park, they are booked according to the four areas under which this park is divided.

Mgahinga National Park

For more authentic gorilla trekking experience, Mgahinga National Park offers that opportunity as gorillas live in its crisscrossed, tangled and dense vegetation with towering natural forest. The amazing highlands that form the topography of Mgahinga forest beautifully stand out that is Mountain Gahinga, Muhavura and Sabyinyo.

Currently one gorilla family called Nyakagezi is open to the public in Mgahinga forest with hope of more gorilla trekking families in the future as gorilla habituation process is still going on. Gorilla habituation is a process where researcher and habituators help a wild gorilla family get accustomed to human presence without altering their nature.

Cost Of Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit

The cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permit is currently $800 for international nonresidents, $700 for international residents and 300000shs for East Africans.

A gorilla trekking permit cost for Uganda includes park entrance fees, one hour of gorilla trekking, ranger guide fees, conservation support, community support and more.

Every tourists is must attend briefing with their gorilla permit card from Uganda Wildlife Authority which they present for verification plus other travel documents.

Is Gorilla Trekking Achievable And How Sure Can I Be To Find The Mountain Gorillas

• Gorilla trekking is achievable with about 99% chances of meeting the mountain gorillas. Even though the mountain gorillas are free to traverse the vase and dense forest locating them during gorilla trekking is a sure win.
• The mountain gorillas stage their feeding spot in a particular location for sometime and can only move when food becomes insufficient which means it is possible to find them in the same spot for sometime.
• Even when mountain gorillas relocate, they rarely move very far from their previous location because of the size of their bodies. A fully grown male mountain gorilla weighs about 200 kilograms while the female is approximately half this weight so they cannot very fast and trekkers can catch up.
• As the mountain gorillas vacate their previous location, they leave behind some clues which rangers tourists can use to trace their way about. Some of the clues gorilla may leave behind include fresh foot prints, leftover foliage, listen to them murmurs at each other and more.
• A team of ranger guides carry out daily patrols to trace where the mountain gorillas may have nested the previous night then share information with ranger guides with tourists. This is some of the information that helps with tracing the mountain gorillas.

Best Time For Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

The best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda is the dry season when the forest is expected to have less precipitation as more sunrays sip through the dense canopy. The southern Part of Uganda specifically the Bwindi and Mgahinga forest area is known to receive very low temperatures all year however in the dry season, higher temperatures expected. The dry season is normally June to September, December to January.

Competition for Uganda safari amenities especially accommodation, transport is over the top as more tourists are expected in the country.

The wet season that is March to May and November should not scare you when planning the gorilla trekking adventure because you still locate the mountain gorillas although they keep in sheltered places.

Key Details On Gorilla Trekking In Uganda

Present a gorilla permits to the ranger guides on gorilla trekking day as document verification.

Maintain some level of fitness before gorilla trekking to enable you hike and locate the mountain gorillas.

Pack the right gorilla trekking gears like sturdy safari boots, safari attire, rain proof gears and more.

Keep in good health state before the gorilla trekking safari as contacting a communicable infection like flu, cough, covid-19 may end in spreading the infection to these highly susceptible primates.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda happens once in the day starting early morning with maximum 8 tourists allowed to visit each gorilla family per day.

Book accommodation to use on gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi within or close to the area where your gorilla trekking permit is booked to avoid having to move very early to catch up with briefing.