Best place for gorilla trekking in Uganda details the different destinations where tourists can take part in the search for the gorillas in their natural habitat. During gorilla trekking tours in Uganda, tourists can visit Bwindi impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which are both located in the south western part of the country.
Uganda is home to half the population of mountain gorillas in the world which can be seen in Bwindi National Park and also during tours in Mgahinga National Park where different habituated gorilla families are found.
When exploring the forests where the mountain gorillas in Uganda can be seen, tourists can also encounter many other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys among others.
Gorilla trekking experience in Uganda
There is a lot to know about the gorilla trekking tour in Uganda including the different rules and regulations to follow while spending time with the gorillas in the different national parks which are their habitat.
One of the rules followed during the gorilla trek in Uganda is that each gorilla family is visited by a maximum of 8 people per day. Permits are issued for each of these gorilla families in the different parks where they are found.
Tourists visiting the mountain gorillas of Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park are also encouraged to maintain a distance of about 7 meters from the gorillas during the gorilla trekking experience.
Making noise is also discouraged during the gorilla trek as well as littering in the forests. The use of flash photography to record the mountain gorillas is also not allowed to avoid scaring away the gorillas.
Another rule to be followed during the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda is that feeding the gorillas is not allowed.
One of the strict rules for gorilla trekking in Uganda is that children below yeh age of 15 years are not allowed to take part in the search for the gorillas in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
Permits for gorilla trekking in Uganda
Permits for gorilla trekking in Uganda are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and they can be booked through licensed tour operators.
For the different sector where gorilla trekking is done in Bwindi national park, the Uganda Wildlife Authority issues gorilla permits. These permits are issued for one habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga national park.
The gorilla permits for trekking in Uganda cost 800 USD for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign residents and 300,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens and 500 USD for citizens from the rest of Africa.
Booking of the gorilla permits in advance is advised to avoid missing out on the gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga national park since a limited number of permits are issued daily. Due to the big number of tourists who visit Uganda during the dry season, it is of great advantage to book the permits in advance.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park
In Bwindi national park, tourists can enjoy gorilla trekking tours across the different sectors of the national park which include Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Rushaga sector and Ruhija sector.
Bwindi national park is popular for the gorilla trekking tours in Uganda and is home to many gorillas. Some of the habituated gorilla families found at the destination include Nshongi gorilla family, Mubare gorilla family, Rushegura gorilla family, Habiyanja gorilla family, Busingye gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Ourzogo gorilla family, Nkuringo gorilla family, Kahungye gorilla family, Mukiza gorilla family, Katwe gorilla family, Bushaho gorilla family, Kyaguriro gorilla family, Muyambi gorilla family, Bitukura gorilla family, Christmas gorilla family, Bikingi gorilla family among others.
During gorilla tours in Bwindi national park, tourists can visit the Buhoma sector in the north, Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector in the south and Ruhija sector in the eastern part of the national park. Briefing for the gorilla trekking experience take place in the different park headquarters of the sectors of the national park.
Many other activities take place during tours around Bwindi national park include gorilla habituation in the Rushaga sector, bird watching tours, guided nature walks, hiking and also community tours with the Batwa people.
To get to Bwindi national park during the gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda, tourists can drive or fly to the airstrips in the national park which include the Kisoro airstrip used to access Nkuringo and Rushaga and also the Kihihi airstrip used to access Buhoma and Ruhija sector.
The drive from Kampala to Bwindi national park takes about 8 to 9 hours along the Kampala-Mbarara-Kabale route and another route used to get to the national park is from Rwanda via the Cyanika border or the Gatuna border which takes about 4 hours.
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park is among the activities which can be done in the park which is located in southwestern Uganda in Kisoro district.
Mgahinga national park is home to the Nyakagezi gorilla family which is the only habituated gorilla group at the destination. When visiting this gorilla group, tourists attend a briefing at the Ntebeko park headquarters where they are also assigned ranger guides to move with them through the forest.
The national park is part of the Virunga conservation area and is also home to golden monkeys which can be seen around the bamboo forests of Mgahinga National Park. The Virunga mountains found at the destination include Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabyinyo which are a popular hiking destinations.
Activities which can be done around Mgahinga National Park apart from gorilla trekking tours include golden monkey trekking, climbing the Virunga volcanoes, Batwa community tours and also bird watching experiences.
During gorilla trekking tours in Mgahinga National Park, tourists can across the destination by driving for about 9 to 10 hours from Kampala to Kisoro. Another way to get to the park is by driving from Rwanda via the Cyanika border which takes about 4 hours.
Flights can also be booked from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro airstrip to get to Mgahinga National Park.
