Uganda is the best gorilla trekking destination
with over half of all the world’s 1063 endangered mountain gorillas and is of no doubt the most preferred gorilla trekking safari destination. Gorilla trekking is the perfect way a visitor can have a close interacting in their natural habitat. Most significantly, this is one way in which you can directly support conservation efforts and population growth of these large apes and other faunal species.
Where Can I go to trek gorillas in Uganda?
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is only done while in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi along protects a total of 459 rare mountain gorillas with about 21 habituated gorilla families. Trekking with Bwindi gorillas is possible starting from any of the 4 sectors that make up this park that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga area.
Mgahinga National Park is Uganda’s smallest park and protects a significant section of endangered mountain gorillas. Unlike Bwindi with several habituated gorilla families, Mgahinga only has one group that is open for gorilla tourism. Treks in Mgahinga begin from Ntebeko area and visitors are accompanied by an experienced park ranger guide.
Both Mgahinga and Bwindi National Park are located in the far Southwestern Uganda and getting there is possible by road and air. On actual gorilla trekking, visitors are assigned to already habituated family of mountain gorillas to trek in a group of 8 members.
While in Bwindi National Park, the available gorilla families/groups to explore include among others Busingye, Kutu, Bikingi, Kahungye, Bweza, Nshongi, Mishaya group, Kyaguriro, Mubare, Oruzogo, Nkuringo, Bitukura gorilla group, Mukiza, and more. At Mgahinga NP, expect to interact with Nyakagezi gorilla group.
How difficult is Uganda gorilla trekking?
Gorilla trekking takes 
you on active walk through the dense rainforest and steep slopes as you search for a family of mountain gorillas. The trek begins from the briefing point and expect to conquer the elevation range of 1160m to 2607m that is for Bwindi and elevation range of Mgahinga is 2227m to 4127m.
The entire trekking adventure requires some level of physical fitness. Besides your fitness level, other factors also influence on gorilla trekking adventure and include weather conditions and location of mountain gorilla family. On normal day, you can take between 2 and 6 hours but the entire adventure never leaves you in regrets.
What to expect on Uganda gorilla trekking expedition?
Your gorilla trekking session begins with briefing about gorilla rules and regulations at the park offices. The park official allocates gorilla groups and park ranger guides. The briefing session starts as early as 7:00am and at exactly 8:00am, you set off for actual trek through the tropical forest in search of endangered mountain gorillas.
On a lucky day, you have plenty of other attractions to explore. Bwindi and Mgahinga are rich protected areas and other than gorillas, you have a chance to identify birds, sight more primates, floral species and colorful butterflies.
When to go for Uganda gorilla trekking experience
Gorilla trekking is one distinct experience that can be enjoyed on Uganda safari at any time of the year. But the most ideal period to interact with a family of gorillas in their habitat is during the dry season. The dry months of the year to consider for gorilla tours in Bwindi or Mgahinga are June, July, August, September and December, January to February.
On average, Bwindi records temperature range of 11 degrees celsius in the morning and in the afternoon, temperatures rise up to 23 degrees celsius. The park also experiences low or off season which occurs around March, April and May; October to November.
What to pack for your gorilla trek
The essentials that must be considered on your packing list include daypack, waterproof hiking boots, rain jacket, a good camera with extra batteries, waterproof hiking boots, a pair of binoculars, long trousers, a tin of an insect repellent, gardening gloves, daypack and others.
Gorilla trekking regulations to follow
Considering the fact that these apes share up to 98% of their DNA with humans, there is need to ensure they are well safeguarded. On gorilla trekking tour, visitors are briefed about the regulations which everyone must observe. Some of the key regulations to observe during gorilla trekking in Uganda include;
- A distance of 7-8 meters is a must to observe while interacting with a family of these rare apes.
- 15 years is the acceptable age limit for anyone intending to track gorillas in any of the parks in Uganda and this regulation also applies to other destinations.
- When sneezing, please consider covering your nose and mouth in case of coughing.
- A maximum of one hour is allowed for you to interact with a family of gorillas.
- When taking pictures, consider turning off your flashlight or pack with you a non-flashlight camera.
How much is gorilla permit in Uganda –is a gorilla permit needed?
A valid gorilla permit is one of the necessary items on any gorilla safari. One gorilla permit costs USD 800 per person and applies to all foreign non-residents, USD 700 per visitor (foreign residents) and Uganda plus the East Africa citizens pay shs. 300,000 per person. You have your permit secured through a reliable tour operator on ground and the other alternative is dealing with reservation team at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Where to stay
Bwindi and Mgahinga feature varied accommodation options consisting of budget, midrange and luxury. They include Gorilla Height Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Bweza Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, and Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge.
