The Ultimate Guide to Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Uganda

Last Updated on April 27, 2024 by snaphappytravel

Our honest review of Gorilla-trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. With detailed advice on how to book a tour, where to stay, and what to wear on your trek.

For our honeymoon this past August, we were lucky enough to tick off a major bucket list item. Gorilla-trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest, Uganda was something I’d wanted to do for a very long time. And to be honest I wasn’t quite sure what to expect! From our research it seems everyone has a different experience. Gorilla-trekking in Uganda is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

We combined the gorilla trek in Bwindi with a safari in Serengeti (as well as other amazing stops), and I have to admit it was the best honeymoon I could have imagined for myself!

As promised, I will give you all the details about gorilla trekking in Uganda in this piece. As well as answer all the burning questions you have been asking us since our return.

If you plan on spending more time in Uganda, this guide to visiting Uganda is so detailed and I found it really helpful!

Why We Chose Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Over Other Area’s in Africa

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is only done in two national parks – Bwindi and Mgahinga. At the last count, 17 mountain gorilla families were found living in Bwindi, and just one family was found in Mgahinga. Bwindi has almost 500 individual mountain gorillas – which makes your chances of seeing these majestic creatures all the more likely. The range of accommodation options in Bwindi was far greater, too.

Why didn’t we choose to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you may ask? The cost of a gorilla-trekking permit in Rwanda is significantly higher at $ 1,500 USD per permit versus Uganda’s $700 USD. So, the primary reason for choosing Uganda over Rwanda was the cost.

Trekking for gorillas in Rwanda is supposedly easier and a less strenuous hike – if you’re tight on time this day trip from Kigali is highly recommended. It’s 8 hours long and takes you to Volcanoes National Park to go trekking for gorillas. It includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, a local guide, and lunch. It costs from $300 USD per person, however that doesn’t include the trekking permit (which is $1,500 USD).

Our Experience Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

We started planning our Gorilla-trek in Uganda at least six months in advance. Advance planning is essential as the permits sell out quickly – there is a limited number available daily. We researched all the gorilla-trekking companies in depth and finally decided on Adventure in the Wild. This company is fairly priced and they were quick and honest in their responses to our questions over email. We also liked the accommodation options they offered for our two nights in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. 

This particular tour is very similar to the option we chose. It’s a 3-day tour, has a 5/5 rating by past guests and costs from $2,000 USD per person. It includes two nights accommodation, the gorilla trekking permit, food and drinks, all transport and a guide.

At the start of our 4-day tour, our guide – Elias (who was fantastic by the way) collected us from our accommodation in Kigali, Rwanda. We planned a more unique route and spent a night in Akagera National Park. Before making the long journey into Uganda and finally to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Be prepared for long periods in the car, the journey from Kigali to Bwindi is at least 4 hours each way. It’s the same distance from Entebbe, the closest main city to the national park.

We arrived in the late evening to our accommodation at Gorilla Mist Camp and quickly dropped our bags at our cabin before going straight to the buffet dinner. We were told that it would be a fairly early start the next day (breakfast at 7 am) so we headed to bed early and found hot water bottles in our bed which was a sweet touch as it does get pretty chilly in the evenings.

The day of the trek in Bwindi

We had breakfast before our departure to the meeting point at Bwindi National Park headquarters, there we were given a briefing and treated to a welcome dance by the local women! You are then split into smaller groups, and they try to match you with others of similar fitness levels – most of the other trekkers were over 50 years of age, so we weren’t expecting an overly strenuous hike.

You can choose to hire a porter to carry your bag and help you on the hike, which I highly recommend doing as it gives more income back to the locals. And even though I’m fit I definitely used my porters help more than I expected to. I think it costs from $10 – 15 USD for a porter.

It took us less than 30 minutes to reach our gorilla family. It was a steep downhill climb through dense forest, but we suddenly stumbled upon a family of 8 gorillas eating near a tree. You have only an hour in their presence to observe and take photos.

How Difficult is Gorilla Trekking?

Gorilla trekking is considered a moderately strenuous activity, and a reasonable level of fitness is recommended to complete the trek. In saying that, how far you have to hike on the day depends on the location of your assigned gorilla family and how far from the road they are located. For example, it took us around 20-30 minutes to reach our gorilla family, but we were assigned to a group of older hikers, one of whom had a knee injury.

Other people we met were hiking for 2 hours to reach their gorilla family. It all depends on what group you’re assigned to at the start. In short, if you think you will struggle, let your guide know before you get assigned a hiking group.

Is Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Safe?

In short, yes, gorilla trekking in Uganda is safe. Our experience felt completely safe, and we didn’t have any problems. Before even venturing into the national park, you are given a detailed briefing at the park headquarters. Some of the most important things to note from this are:

• You must remain 7 meters away from the Gorillas at all times, don’t eat or drink in their presence
• Don’t make any loud noises
• Refrain from using flash photography
• Do not make eye contact with the Silverback Gorilla
• If a gorilla gets too close to you, then you are told to act submissively, bend, or crouch down – do not run away!

Our gorilla family was very habituated and unaffected when a large branch broke off from a nearby tree, making a loud noise. At one point, our Ranger even took me right up close to a large female Gorilla sleeping on the ground. She wasn’t affected by my presence, even though she knew I was standing just a meter away.

Gorillas are notoriously clever. We had an hour in their presence, and when the time was up, the Gorillas knew before we did and began moving into the thick forest away from our prying eyes.

In short, follow all the guidelines outlined in your briefing and also your rangers recommendations while in the Gorilla’s presence and you will have no issues.

Why not read next, Why a honeymoon in Zanzibar is a good idea

Are Gorillas Endangered?

The sad fact is that there are only two populations of mountain Gorillas left in the world. One population lives in the Virunga mountains of Central Africa. The second population (and the one we visited) lives deep in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.

According to results released in May 2018, the number of mountain Gorillas is estimated to be just 1,000 individuals. This puts them on the critically endangered list, which is just two classifications away from completely extinct!

How Much Does it Cost to Go Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?

The permit alone costs $700 USD per person, which is significantly lower than Rwanda but higher than the Democratic Republic of Congo. You can also choose to have a local guide accompany you on the trek, to help you with your backpack and assist you down the steep hills and narrow paths to your gorilla family. This costs $15 USD per guide.

In my opinion, it is definitely worth it. And even though I consider myself fit, my guide was incredibly helpful whilst going down the very steep muddy hill to our gorilla family. In hiring a guide you are also contributing to the local community.

Besides the permit and the local guide, you will still need to pay for transportation to and from Bwindi as well as accommodation here. This is why we chose to book with Adventure in the Wild as they gave us a 4 night package which included everything.

This particular tour is very similar to the option we chose. It’s a 3-day tour, has a 5/5 rating by past guests and costs from $2,000 USD per person! Which seeing as it includes everything (accommodation, food, transport and permit) is great value-for-money!

Some tour recommendations: You can also book a tour to Bwindi from Kampala – this one is also 3 days long and includes all accommodation, food, drinks, transport as well as your permit.

Or you can include it as part of a 10-day Uganda Safari! Now, that’s a truly bucket-list-worthy experience – imagine 10 days on safari! It visits all of Uganda’s main national parks and the gorilla trek!

Why is Gorilla Trekking So Expensive?

Conservation of the mountain Gorillas is not as cheap as you may think. Up until mid-2018 they were classed as ‘endangered species’. A lot of the money from the Gorilla permits is invested in trying to increase their population. And thankfully it has helped, as their numbers now surpass 1,000.

About 75% of the funds from the permits are channeled back to support the growth of these Gorillas. The local community takes about 10% and the government retains the remaining 15%.

Are Gorillas Endangered?

The sad fact is that there are only two populations of mountain Gorillas left in the world. One population lives in the Virunga mountains of Central Africa. The second population (and the one we visited) lives deep in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.

According to results released in May 2018, the number of mountain Gorillas is estimated to be just 1,000 individuals. This puts them on the critically endangered list, which is just two classifications away from completely extinct!

What to Wear on Your Trek

• A good pair of hiking boots with ankle support, synthetic material as opposed to leather is best. And a sole with a good grip. These are the newer version of the hiking boots I had and I found them brilliant! My husband had these ones!
• A rain poncho as opposed to a rain jacket as it is lighter and easier to pack in your backpack. This is a great all-round rain poncho!
• Long pants and a long sleeve top – ideally with built-in insect repellant. I had this pair of ladies waterproof trousers, and they were so comfortable. These mens waterproof trousers are the pair my husband had!
• Thick wool socks, preferably merino wool so, your feet don’t get too sweaty. We also recommend tucking your pants into your socks to limit insect bites

Thanks for reading my blog!

With all of the above tips, we hope you have all the information you need for your Gorilla-trekking experience in Uganda. It is truly an amazing experience. One you will undoubtedly remember for the rest of your life!

If you have any further questions about Gorilla trekking in Bwindi – feel free to ask us in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading my blog, I also have heaps of other articles on Africa including Amboseli National Park; dining at The Rock Restaurant on Zanzibar, climbing Kilimanjaro and more!

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