What Is The Shortest Distance To Gorilla Safari Destinations in Uganda

The shortest distance to the gorilla safari destination in Uganda depends on your point of commencement. Uganda is one of the only three destinations in the world that host the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world. Gorillas safaris in Uganda are done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park all situated in the southwestern part of Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is at a distance of about 530 kilometers from Entebbe or Kampala taking about 8 to 9 hours. The distance from Mgahinga National Park to Entebbe or Kampala is about 540 kilometers. While on this Uganda safari, you may engage in either gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation in Uganda.

Other than using road transport, you can fly to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park  where you can do the scheduled or private flights to airstrip like Kihihi or Kisoro

Gorilla trekking is an adventure where maximum 8 tourists are allowed to visit a gorilla family per day. At the moment about 20 Uganda gorilla families are open to the public but with Mgahinga National Park so far one gorilla family is open to the public. For gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park they are situated in areas that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga areas. It is best to book the accommodation to use during the gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the area closer to were your gorilla permit for Bwindi is situated. For gorilla habituation tour in Uganda, maximum 4 tourists are allowed to follow a semi-habituated gorilla family to spend maximum four hours with them. at the moment, Uganda has four gorilla habituation families.

5 day gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda

3 day gorilla trekking in Uganda

6 day gorilla and game safari in Uganda

7 day gorilla, chimpanzee and game safari Uganda

5 day gorilla and chimpanzee trekking via Kigali

8 day gorilla , chimpanzees and Wildlife Safari in Uganda

9 day gorilla, chimpanzees and Game Safari in Uganda

3 day Rwanda gorilla trekking tour

What are the routes to the Uganda gorilla safari destinations

How to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park From Kampala or Entebbe

Route 1 From Kampala you drive to Kabale to Kanungu to Buhoma where you follow the route to Kabale about 414 kilometers for about 5 to 6 hours, carry on to Kanungu for about 120 kilometers for about 4 to 5 hours. Carry on to Kanyantorogo then to Buhoma.

Route 2 from Kampala to Kabale to Ruhija to Buhoma. From Kampala to Kabale, the distance you cover is about414 kilometers then carry on for about 95 kilometers for about 3 to 4 hours. Note that this route gets messy sometimes which requires you to have a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle.

Route 3 Kampala to Ntungamo to Rukungiri, Kihihi to Buhoma is regarded as the most direct route to drive from Entebbe or Kampala. From Kampala to Ntungamo, you take about 390 kilometers afterwards drive for approximately 82 kilometers to Buhoma area

How to get to Mgahinga National Park From Kampala or Entebbe

The direct route from Kampala or Entebbe to Mgahinga National Park is via Kabale which is 414 Kilometers then Kisoro about 80 kilometers then connect to Mgahinga National Park at Ntebeko for about 14 Kilometers. The total distance expected to cover to Mgahinga National Park is about 540 kilometers but the change is with the nature of the terrain which is winding

How To Shorten The Distance To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Alternatively, you can break the distance from Kampala or Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by making stopovers to enroute destinations like

To Queen National Park

A combo of Gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park and game safari Queen Elizabeth National Park is an unforgettable Africa safari experience. The drive from Kampala to Queens National Park is about 420 kilometers which is the southern route. An alternative northern route to Queen Elizabeth National Park is via Fort Portal for a distance of 410 kilometers. While in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You can engage in activities like Game drives on the floor of the great rift valley with chances of spotting lions, herds of elephants, buffaloes, topis, leopards, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbuck and others.

Other activities in Queen National Park include chimpanzee trekking in kyambura gorge, crater lakes tour, birding where over 605 bird species are so far registered as residents of this park, nature walks in Maramagambo forest to mention but a few.

From Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can connect to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park via routes like Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen. The Ishasha sector of Queen National Park is famous for the tree climbing Iions. 

The distance from Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park is about 64 kilometers or 74 kilometers. The distance from Mweya the headquarters of Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park is about 160 or 170 kilometers

From Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is famously know for hosting the chimpanzees the closest humans cousins in the animals kingdom. The forest also hosts other 12 primate species, over 325 bird species including Albertine rift endemics, other wild animals also have cross from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kibale forest via the 180 migration corridor.

A combo of gorilla safari and chimpanzee safaris in Kibale National Park is the true meaning of an African primate Safari. You can do chimpanzee trekking or habituation experience (CHEX). Chimpanzees trekking is an adventure where maximum 6 tourists are allowed to visit a chimpanzee troop for one hour. Chimpanzee habituation experience (CHEX) is a Uganda primate safari where maximum four tourists are allowed to visit a chimpanzee community for four hours.

From Kibale National Park, you can connect to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park via Kabale at a distance of about 367 Kilometers to 377 Kilometers. The time taken from Kibale National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 6 hours to 7 hours. This may change according to the gorilla trekking area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of your permit.

From Lake Mburo National Park

Before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park, you can take a break safari at Lake Mburo National Park. The distance from Kampala to Lake Mburo National Park is about 228 kilometers where you get into the Park via gates like Nshara gate or Sanga gate.

You can carry on from Lake Mburo National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park at a distance of about 302 kilometers or 312 kilometers. This drive takes about 6 hours to 7 hours drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Lake Mburo National Park.

During a safari in Lake Mburo National Park, you can engage in activities like game drives where you may get the opportunity to spot animals like zebras, buffaloes, elephants, reedbucks, waterbucks, giraffes and others. You can do a boat ride on Lake Mburo National Park which is the largest fresh water lake situated in a National Park.

Fly-in Gorilla Safari in Uganda

The fly-in gorilla safari in Uganda saves your time and fatigue you may get from the long bumpy drive. There are scheduled flights to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips. The fight to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip from Entebbe or Kajjansi airstrip is about 2 hours and a half or 2 hours.

You need to hire a transfer vehicle from the airstrip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park a drive which takes about 2 hours. During the peak season, seats on these scheduled fights sell out due to high demand from both tourists and the locals that travel up country so you need to book your seat in advance.

Two fight schedules are available to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips per day that is the morning or afternoon but the fights to Kisoro airstrip are sometimes antagonized by weather. Sometimes the Kisoro area has deep foggy conditions that obstruct visibility so the fights may be rescheduled to a different time.

Gorilla Safari in Uganda from Kigali Rwanda

The distance from Rwanda to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park is about 197 kilometers via Katuna border passing Kabale. The time taken from Kigali in Rwanda to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park is about 4 to 5 hours. The time you take from Kigali to Katuna border is about 2 hours at a distance of about 80 kilometers. The distance from Kigali to Cyanika border is about 119 kilometers for approximately 3 hours.

An alternative route from Kigali via Cyanika border at a distance of 247 kilometers passing via Kisoro. The distance from Kigali via Cyanika to Nkuringo is 162 kilometers, Kigali to Rushaga is 165 kilometers, Kigali to Buhoma 247 kilometers

Note that you need to acquire a visa for both Rwanda and Uganda in case your country is not exempted. In order to avoid taking a lot of time at immigration, it is best to process your visas in advance.

When is the best time to do a Gorilla safari in Uganda

Even though gorilla safaris in Uganda are open all year, the dry season is most preferred because life in the forest is at full capacity. The mountain gorillas spend most of there time closer to the ground even though Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga terrain was affected by volcanic activities. This led to the formation of a number of highlands where the mountain gorillas spend part of there day.

The dry season is June, July, August, September, October and this known for being the peak tourism season of Uganda too. The demand for gorilla permits in Uganda is high causing scarcity for late bookings. Even accommodations options to book for the gorilla safari run out in the peak season so these need to be booked in advance too.

If you are hoping to do gorilla safari in Uganda with a combo of other wildlife safaris, it is be to secure where to overnight in these Uganda National parks too in advance.

The wet season for gorilla safari in Uganda may not be that bad a choice because it also comes with a number of advantages. The wet season which normally runs from March to May or November in Uganda is the low tourism season in the country. Chances of having unprepared for solo gorillas safari experience are more common.

If you have a limited budget for the gorilla tour in Uganda, the low tourism season may open more chance for an upgrade to some upscale services as there is less demand yet most service providers are trying to breakeven.

How safe is the gorilla safari in Uganda

Even though gorilla safari in Uganda happen in thick tropical rain forest of Bwindi and Mgahinga forest, they are safe to visit. Before moving into the forest to do a gorilla safari, it is compulsory to attend briefing where you are taken through what is expected of you when in the forest and the gorilla safari rules to abide with.

Every gorilla safari is led by a professional ranger guide from Uganda wildlife Authority and you need to keep up with the rest of the tourists so that you are not forgotten in the wilderness. When with the mountain gorillas, follow the guidelines of the gorilla tour so as not to rage even though they are generally known for being serene and calm.

Ask for the assistance of a porter to help you with carrying your gorilla safari gears before starting the gorilla trekking. The porter may also give you a push when tired. Ensure you donot delay the rest of the tourists even though the ranger follows the pace of the slowest tourists.

While before the mountain gorillas, donot engage in actions that may make then view you as suspicious like no touching there infants, mimicking them, Shouting, using flashlight and others.

Even when you notice some odd behavior amongst the gorilla family, donot panic because you may entice the mountain gorillas to charge. When mountain gorillas charge, they may behave in a different way that is hoot, thump there chest, pull grass around them, move into the forest and others.

For personal safety while on a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, you need to pack and wear the right gorilla safari gears.

Book Now