Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Complete Guide to Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Uganda is a home to half of the world’s Mountain Gorilla population and they are among the major attractions in the country, getting a close-up encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is one of the most impressive wildlife encounters to have once-in a life time.

Visiting mountain gorillas is a direct way to support conservation efforts and population growth of these endangered animals.

Where to trek gorillas in Uganda

Uganda has two gorilla trekking destinations that are Bwindi impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National park.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi impenetrable National Park is the most popular gorilla destination in the world as it hosts the greater population of gorilla and hosts the large number of habituated gorilla families open for gorilla trekking.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern region of Uganda near the border of Rwanda to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, the park covers an area of 331 square kilometers and is still the largest areas in East Africa with Afro-montane lowland forest extending within the montane forest belt.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the main gorilla trekking destination in Uganda with 20 habituated gorilla families accessed from four trail heads that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. Each trail head has its own characteristics, families and level of difficulty.

Habituated gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable National Park are as follows

Buhoma Sector

• Mubare Gorilla Family
• Habinyanja Gorilla Family
• Rushegura Gorilla Family
• Katwe Gorilla Family
• Muyambi Gorilla Family

Ruhija Sector

• Bitukura Gorilla Family
• Oruzogo Gorilla Family
• Kyaguriro Gorilla Family
• Mukiza Gorilla Family

Nkuringo sector

• Nkuringo Gorilla Family
• Bushasho Gorilla Family

Rushaga Sector

• Nshongi Gorilla Family
• Bikingi Gorilla Family
• Mishaya Gorilla Family
• Kahungye Gorilla Family
• Bweza Gorilla Family
• Busingye Gorilla Family
• Kutu Gorilla Family
• Mucunguzi Gorilla Family
• Rwigi Gorilla Family

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable National Park departs from one of the four trailheads in groups of 8 people, the trek into the forests in search for a gorilla family assigned to you is led by experienced Uganda Wildlife Authority guides who will share point out various species of birdlife, primates and flora encountered along the way. Your guides are in communication with the team of trackers who will have been tracking the gorillas since daybreak, the trackers direct your guides to bring you to the gorillas.

Visitors spend one hour in the presence of mountain gorillas, once you encounter the gorillas it is mind blowing to see them in their natural habitat with a verdant forest providing a perfect back drop making the experience breathtaking.

Note: the treks in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be quite challenging and you need to be prepared to trek for up to 6 hours, although the most sightings take place within 2 -3 hours.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the smallest national park in Uganda covering 33.9 square kilometers located in the South western part of Uganda, Mgahinga is part of the Virunga Conservation Area stretching along the chain of Virunga Volcanoes and comprising of two other gorilla destinations that is Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is more secluded than Bwindi impenetrable national park, traditionally Mgahinga was used as an over-flow gorilla trekking destination for Bwindi, but that was changed for two reasons that is increase in the cost of Rwandan gorilla permits to US$ 1500 per person and Mgahinga is such as a wonderful destination to visit.

Mgahinga gorilla national park is situated close to Lakes Mutanda and Bunyonyi which can be added to your gorilla trekking itinerary to Mgahinga, you can also climb the volcanoes in the park.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is also the only place in Uganda and the second in Africa where you can trek Golden monkeys.

Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has only one habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi group with Five silverbacks, two adult females and 3 young gorillas.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a perfect option for combining gorilla trekking with Nkuringo gorilla family in Bwindi.

Only 8 people can track mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park a day.

Best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda

Uganda experiences Equatorial climate which means temperatures remain quite consistent year-round, rainfall is all that separates the seasons. March to May is the long rain season and October to November is the short rainy season.

Gorillas in Uganda can be visited at any time of the year, however the dry season is the best time and it coincides with the peak season in the months of January – February and June – August. This means you need to book your gorilla trekking permit in advance.

How difficult is gorilla trekking in Uganda

As a visitor planning to do gorilla trekking in Uganda, you should be prepared to walk through a challenging terrain of steep ridges and valleys following trails through tangled undergrowth for about 3-6 hours depending on the gorilla family you are trekking.

During the rainy season, the trekking routes can become very slippery and much more challenging. The rains can sometimes bring the gorillas to lower ground which can shorten the length of the trek however you should be prepared to trek for up to 6 hours.

Mountain gorillas typically prefer the highlands so the trek is made more challenging due to periods of steep gradients.

What to wear on a gorilla trek

Trekking through the dense forests of Bwindi and Mgahinga require trekkers to be well prepared for the trek, the two gorilla destinations in Uganda are located on the equator and you will need to be prepared for rains no matter the time of the year you are travelling. While on a gorilla trek, you need to wear clothes that will keep you comfortable and protected for the trek.

You need to cover your skin to protect yourself from the forest critters particularly the fire ants and thorny plant life. The essential clothing for the gorilla trek is as follows

• Good quality, robust, waterproof trekking shoes/boots
• Light waterproof trekking pants/trousers
• Long socks to pull up over your trousers to keep your skin protected
• Waterproof Gaters
• Waterproof jacket/rain coat / wind breaker
• Long sleeve trekking T0shirt
• Gardening,outdoor gloves to protect you against thorns and allow you to push through the more difficult parts of the trail without worrying about what you are grabbing on to

Rules and Regulations for gorilla trekking

• Before you head into the forests search for mountain gorillas, your guide takes you the rules and regulations and this session is extremely important to you as a visitors.
• Some of these rules and regulations are as follows
• Spend 1 hour with the gorillas, this might seem like not enough time, it is a long time to soak up the experience, if you wish to spend more time with the gorillas you can do gorilla habituation experience and spend 4 hours with the gorillas or do 2 gorilla treks in different areas of parks.
• No flash photography
• Keep a distance of 7 meters between you and gorillas
• Wear dull-colored clothes (bright colored clothes are not recommended).

Are Gorilla Sightings Guaranteed

Though gorilla sightings are not guaranteed, the rise of gorilla populations in Uganda combined with the experience of your gorilla trekking guide means that encounter are almost always made in Bwindi or Mgahinga.

If you do end up not seeing the gorillas which has never happened in Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority will refund 50% of your permit cost.