The dry season in Uganda, attracts more demand for gorilla trekking safaris with limited gorilla permits for last minute bookers. The dry season in Uganda is usually June, July, August, September, December, January and early February when the wilderness has less precipitation. Request A Quotation
Gorilla trekking in Uganda happens in Bwindi Impenetrable National park and Mgahinga National Park. At the moment, Uganda has over 20 gorilla trekking families open the public. However, Bwindi and Mgahinga forests are known for having high precipitation all year no matter the season. The Virunga area under which Bwindi and Mgahinga forest are part of receives untimely rains that can take almost the entire day.
During the dry season, gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest is more exciting since the ground is drier and mountain gorillas move freely in the wilderness. Even other primates in Bwindi and Mgahinga forest are easier to spot in the dry season because they have to collect enough food to last there day and night.
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For birders on gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi forest or Mgahinga National Park can use this double opportunity to identify a variety of birds from the long list. Some of the birds in Bwindi and Mgahinga forest include Western Green Tinkerbird, Rwenzori Batis, African Babbler, Collared Apalis, Red Faced woodland Warblers , Handsome Francolin, Shelleys’s Crimmsonwing to mention but a few.
The tracks used during the search for the mountain gorillas in Uganda are known for being soggy and slippery from the regular rains that falls yet less sunlight is let into to the ground through the dense canopy however the dry season offers better chances for drier trails. More sunrays penetrate through the dense canopy to ground and keep it quite drier and less undergrowth obstructs the way.
In case you wish for additional Uganda safari activities to combine with gorilla trekking, the dry season gives you a variety of a choices. The game drives, chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey trekking, birding, golden monkey safaris, visit to the source of River Nile are all activities you can choose from.
Note that the dry season comes with high competition for gorilla trekking permit yet they are limited to maximum 8 per gorilla family in Uganda. With this limited number of Uganda gorilla trekking permits open per day yet demand is over the top in the dry season, advance booking of the permits is required.
Completion for other logistics that support gorilla trekking tours in Uganda during the peak season is high creating scarcity. Some of the safari logistics include accommodation, transport, driver guides and others. Most people pre-book gorilla trekking logistics atleast 6 months in advance to avoid panic at the last minute.
The wet season too opens better chances for gorilla trekking experience in Uganda especially for those on a limited budget. The wet season in Uganda is normally March, April, May and November and this is the low season too with lesser demand for gorilla permits. This may open more chances to last minute gorilla tour bookers although not a guarantee all the time.
In case you wish for exclusive gorilla trekking tour in Uganda with limited obstruction from other tourists, the dry season may offer this opportunity. Since fewer people are booked or sometimes only one reservation is done, chances of travelling solo to find the mountain gorillas are more open.
The current cost of gorilla trekking tour in Uganda depends on major factors like the cost of gorilla trekking permit. At the moment, the cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permit is $800 for international non residents, $700 for foreign residents and 300000shs for East Africans. This cost of gorilla permits serves across all packages that is upscale, mid-range and basic.
When costing the gorilla trekking packages, some other items considered include number of days on safari, additional activities to combine with gorilla trekking, number of days on safari and others. You need to also choose the package you wish to travel for better budgeting that is upscale, mid-range or basic.
Even the cost of logistics that support gorilla trekking must be included as items in the entire quotation that is accommodation, transport, driver guide fees and others.
Is gorilla trekking in Uganda Difficult?
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is quite challenging from the nature of the terrain of this area which is affected by volcanic action. At times the mountain gorillas move to the slopes of these highlands where they spend the day so you have to follow them by hiking which is quite tedious.
Since Bwindi and Mgahinga forests are situated in the dense area Virunga area with vegetation that has culminates over 25000 years makes the walk under these creepers quite challenging. The ranger guide with a machete has to use it to trim this vegetation in order to create a path.
In case you are not in good shape, gorilla trekking makes you get so tired that is why we encourage our clients to do pre-gorilla trekking exercises just in case need arises. Even those with physical incapability, hiring a sedan chair in advance gives you chance to see these only leftover mountain gorillas in the world. Getting close to the mountain gorillas brings a chill down the spine and is a life changing Africa Safari adventure
How Long Is The Gorilla Trekking Tour Of Uganda?
The time taken on gorilla trekking tour in Uganda is quite hard to determine since finding them is pendent on factors prevailing in the forest. The search for the mountain gorillas and finding them may last 2 to more time depending on factors like the proximity of there feeding area, weather conditions prevailing, pace of tourists and others.
Having some level of patience gets you to the mountain gorillas and open your mind to seeing other interesting features in the wilderness rather than focus on the mountain gorillas. Bwindi and Mgahinga forest area home to primates like blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons to mention but a few. There are different breathtaking features like waterfalls in these forests.
Finally when you locate the mountain gorillas, only one hours is allowed with them during gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking is an adventure where maximum 8 tourists are allowed to visit a fully habituated gorilla family and have one hour with them. These mountain gorillas are habituated to have just one hours before the mountain gorillas so that they can go on with there day today life like feeding, grooming, combing, playing and others.
Gorilla trekking safari in Uganda is safe as on ground is a team of well trained ranger guide with experience in protecting these vulnerable primates, other forest dwellers and tourists. They conjointly operate security matters with other Uganda security agencies.
As a tourist, as a rule moving in the forest without an escorting ranger guide is forbidden just in case you fall prey of other unhabituated wild animals in the wilderness. Each gorilla trekking group of tourists is led by at least two ranger guides one carrying a riffle and another a machete as some of the first hand protective weapons.
Staying closer to the people walking with in the vast forest saves you from getting lost in the jungle although the ranger guide is meant to follow the pace of the slowest trekkers.
Before moving into the forest to do gorilla trekking, tourists must attend briefing where the rules of this adventure are passed to them. Each of the gorilla trekking rules must be handled carefully so as not to agitate the mountain gorillas that are always suspicious of there visitors. Any moment you deviate from there guidelines may cause them to charge and may throw every person into panic.
How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas Of Uganda in the dry season?
Seeing the mountain gorillas in Uganda is a sure deal as the families of these mountain gorillas are first habituated for unknown time until proven ready for public visits. Gorilla habituation is a process by which a gorilla family is helped to get used to human presence without altering there nature. The gorilla habituation process is done by a team of researchers who note down the characteristics of each mountain gorillas, the general behavior of the family and much more.
Each day ranger guide patrol the forest to check where the mountain gorillas may have nested and there possible hangout spot for the day. Some of the report that these ranger guides give is what ranger guides leading tourists use to lead the tourists so that they donot take long in the jungle.
Mountain gorillas live in families that occupy a particular area for some time until they feel that food is exhausted and cannot support them anymore. This is why it is quicker to predict where these primates may be as long as all factors remain constant.
Even when the mountain gorillas, move, they leave behind some traces which tourists are asked to follow like fresh dung, foot prints, leftover foliage, communicate by murmuring and much more. Gorilla trekking is alike playing seek and find game.
Are mountain Gorillas dangerous during gorilla trekking in Uganda?
Mountain gorillas are not dangerous instead they are calm and shy primates. These primates may have an intimidating outlook covered by dark fur and hairy body from head toe they are vulnerable. Mountain gorillas feed entirely on foliage so donot not expect them to hunt out for you during gorilla trekking.
This however doesn’t mean try to provoke there patience as mountain gorillas can charge. These primates are quickly agitated by unbecoming behaviors like staring into there dark sunken brown eyes. This makes visitors look suspicious. Even when you surround the gorilla family, they feel uncomfortable. Mountain gorillas are triggered by unfamiliar noise like the sound of cameras or flashlight.
When angered, mountain gorillas may show behaviors like thumping there chests, hooting, walking on one leg and much more. All the time you see this doesn’t mean the mountain gorillas are charging that is why you need to wait for the ranger guide to establish the root cause of the matter.
Sometimes the mountain gorillas are showing off, having a family fight, playing, have been attacked by another gorilla family and much more. No need to panic upon seeing such odd behavior. Follow the instructions given by the ranger guides in order not to cause a stampede in the wilderness.
The Uganda gorilla trekking rules are in place to give these primate protection amidst the joy of gorilla trekking.
At a glance the look in the eyes of the mountain gorillas may send a chill down your spin but as get comfortable with the gorilla family, you realise how vulnerable they are.
In nature, mountain gorillas are gentle, serene and shy but this doesn’t mean you provoke them. mountain gorillas charge when agitated by thumping there chests, hooting, walking on one leg, grab the grass around them and much more.
Donot panic upon noticing such odd behavior about the mountain gorillas. Wait for the ranger guide to establish the root cause of the matter as sometimes they are having family discontentment, may be teasing you, an attack from another gorilla family and much more.
No feeding the mountain gorillas when you locate them because they are wild animals that must search for there own food, the forest must be there sole provider and not depend on humans.
In case you have a communicable infection like flue, covid-19 and others, volunteer to stay behind. Mountain gorillas are highly susceptible to human infections.
Keep a distance of about 7 meters from the mountain gorillas when you locate them to avoid chances of passing an infection to them.
Donot dump garbage in the forest when you are searching for the mountain gorillas because this changes the nature of there environment.
Only one hour are allowed with the mountain gorillas during gorilla trekking experience so that they can be left alone to carry on with there day today activities.
Maximum 8 tourists are allowed to do gorilla trekking experience per day per family.
Donot provoke the mountain gorillas or mimic them as you may not know what you are communicating.