East Africa
Uganda: an hour on foot with a gorilla family
The green side of East Africa. Instead of open plains you get rainforest, crater lakes and steep hills, and the headline experience is an hour spent standing among a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi.
In short
Permits are dated, capped and non transferable. The trekking day is fixed first, and the rest of the route is built around it.
Four days is the minimum: arrive in Entebbe, drive to the Bwindi region, trek on the middle day, return. Six days adds Kibale Forest for chimpanzee tracking on the way through, which is the better trip if you have the time.
Bwindi sits in the far southwest, on the edge of the Albertine Rift. It is old, dense montane forest holding roughly half the world population of mountain gorillas, and the trekking is genuinely a hike rather than a walk.
Uganda permits cost considerably less than Rwanda, which is why the four day route starts at USD 2,770 per person sharing. The trade is a longer drive from the airport to the trailhead.
Shortest route
4 days
Longer route
6 days
From
USD 2,770 pp
Trek length
2 to 8 hours
Minimum age
15
Forest lodge interiors in the Bwindi region
Why go
Forest, not plains
Kibale Forest has the highest primate density in East Africa, with chimpanzee communities habituated over decades. Tracking there follows them through the understorey, usually early in the morning while they are still feeding, and it is noisier and more chaotic than any savannah sighting.
The driving between Kibale and Bwindi is long but genuinely scenic, through tea estates, banana plantations and the crater lake country around Fort Portal. Our six day route breaks it up rather than pushing it into one day.
Uganda also receives far fewer visitors than Kenya or Tanzania, and trekking groups are capped at eight people per gorilla family per day. Whatever else is true of the trip, you will not be sharing the sighting.
The routes
Two Uganda gorilla routes
Priced per person sharing for two travellers, at three accommodation levels.
Most requested
4 days / 3 nights
Code UTS-DABW-04
Four days, Bwindi
Gorilla Leisure Lodge, Mahogany Spring or Gorilla Forest Lodge
Entebbe or Kampala, then two nights near Bwindi with the trek on day three.
From, per person sharing
USD 2,770 to 4,960
Details
6 days / 5 nights
Code UTS-ANBW-06
Six days, Kibale and Bwindi
Kibale Tourist Lodge, Turaco Tree Tops or Tabebuia Resort
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale first, then two nights at Bwindi for the gorillas.
From, per person sharing
USD 4,310 to 7,085
Details
Included: accommodation, gorilla and chimpanzee permits as applicable, and road transport with a driver guide. Quoted separately: international flights, visas and tips. Permit availability is confirmed at the time of booking.
The western Ugandan hills, green in almost every month.
Practical
Preparing for a gorilla trek
Permits and rules
Permits are dated, limited and non transferable, so we book them as soon as your trip is confirmed.
Trekking groups are capped at eight visitors per gorilla family.
Time with the family is limited to one hour.
Minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15.
Rangers try to match visitors to the nearer families where they can.
What to bring
Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, already broken in.
Long sleeves and long trousers for nettles and undergrowth.
A rain jacket, whatever the season.
Gardening gloves and a walking stick help on steep, wet ground.
Porters can be hired at the trailhead and are worth every shilling.
Uganda receives a fraction of the visitors Kenya does
Best time to visit
Trekking in a rainforest, in every season
June to August and December to February are the drier months and the most popular for trekking. Trails are firmer and the forest is easier underfoot.
March to May and September to November are wetter. Trekking still runs, permits are easier to secure, and the forest is at its most alive. Expect mud, and take proper boots.
Because permits are dated and capped, the season matters less than booking early. Tell us your window and we will check availability before quoting anything.
Why book with us
Permits first, itinerary second
Most disappointments on a gorilla trip come from booking the trip and then trying to find a permit. We do it the other way round: we check availability for your window before we quote, hold the permit as soon as you confirm, and then build the driving days around the date you actually have.
Permits
Held on confirmation
Group size
Eight, capped
Guides
In-house driver guide
Office
Westlands, Nairobi
Questions
Uganda gorilla trekking questions
How difficult is the trek?–
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It varies. Some families are found within an hour, others take six or more, on steep and often muddy ground at altitude. Reasonable fitness is needed, and porters make a real difference.
How much is a Uganda gorilla trip?+
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The four day route runs from USD 2,770 to USD 4,960 per person sharing depending on the lodges. The six day Kibale and Bwindi route runs from USD 4,310 to USD 7,085.
Uganda or Rwanda for gorillas?+
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Uganda is more affordable and the forest feels wilder. Rwanda is faster to reach from Kigali, with a shorter drive to the trailhead. Both give the same hour with a habituated family.
Are sightings guaranteed?+
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Not contractually, but success rates are very high because trackers locate the families each morning before groups set out.
Can I combine Uganda with a Kenya safari?+
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Yes. Entebbe is a short flight from Nairobi, so a four day gorilla trek adds neatly to the end of a Kenya route.
Kenya registered tour operator
TRA registered
Our own 4×4 safari vehicles
In-house driver guides
Westlands, Nairobi
Start planning
Send us your travel window and group size. We will confirm which permits are open before we quote anything.