Are you guaranteed to see gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park during the rainy season?

Gorilla trekking in Uganda during the rainy/wet season is possible, and you are guaranteed to see the Mountain gorillas during the trek. Bwindi has 24 habituated gorilla families in the four sectors of Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Rushaga giving chance to all the tourists to trek a gorilla family each per day. You will also be guaranteed to spot gorillas during the wet season because there is so much thought put into the preparation first by sending out pre-trackers early morning to search for the mountain gorillas and once they spot them, they communicate with the guides where to find the gorillas ensuring that you get to see the gorilla families even when it’s raining.

Most Popular Safaris

8 day Uganda safari via Kigali

5 days gorillas and chimp safari

8 days gorilla tracking tour

19 day best of Uganda safari

15 days Uganda Rwanda safari

18 day Uganda Ultimate Safari

16 day primate game and culture

11 days gorilla tracking safari

5 days gorilla and Nile river source

17 day Uganda birding and wildlife

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the deep southwestern part of Uganda covering over 327 square kilometres filled with tropical rainforests. Bwindi is home to almost over half the population of the remaining gorillas in the world making it the best place to track gorillas in the world.

The cost of the gorilla trek permit in the rainy season in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is impossible without a gorilla permit, and this can be purchased through the Uganda Wildlife Authority or a local tour operator. Uganda last offered permit discounts in 2020 but at the moment, there are no discounts. The cost of the gorilla permits as of 2024 is $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 for African citizens and UGX 300, 000 for East African citizens. The gorilla habituation on the other hand costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for African citizens, and $1000 for foreign residents and UGX 750, 000 per person.

The cost of the gorilla trek permits covers park entrance fees, Gorilla medication and conservation, Ranger guide fees, and support for local community projects and research purposes. However, the cost does not cover transport, accommodation, meals, insurance, personal purchases, or tips.

How to purchase a gorilla permit in Bwindi

Gorilla permits can easily be purchased by contacting a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris with your trek dates. The next step is to check the availability of the permits on the dates you have provided. Once we confirm that the permits are available, we will send you an invoice so that you can make the payments. No permit will be purchased if you do not make the full payment. When we confirm that payment has been made, we proceed to purchase the permit and send you a scanned copy.

Note that although the wet season is also known as the low season, gorilla permits need to be booked in advance to properly plan for the safari.

Gorilla trekking and habituation experience in Bwindi

Gorilla habituation in Bwindi is carried out in the Rushaga sector and instead of spending an hour with the gorillas, with the habituation experience, you get to spend 4 hours with the primates and get to ask all the questions you have about the gorillas from the researchers.

Gorilla habituation and trekking start early in the morning with a short briefing at the park headquarters. During this meeting, you are reminded about the rules and regulations about gorilla trekking, assigned gorilla families, and the tracking starts. The trekking exercise can take between 1 and 6 hours, and after finding the gorillas, you get to spend an hour with them and four hours with them during the habituation process.

The cost of gorilla trekking in Bwindi during the wet/low season

The cost of the gorilla trekking safari to Bwindi during the rainy season covers the luxury, mid-range and budget safaris. Some of the reasons as to why the cost of the safari might vary include:

The number of people: The more people you are willing to combine the safari with, the less the safari is going to cost per person because the costs are shared among the group, including guide fees, fuel/gas, and vehicle hire, among others. When you travel solo, you will end up spending more since all the expenses are paid by one person.

The number of trek days: The more days spent on a safari, the higher the cost, and the fewer days spent, the lower the cost. The minimum number of days spent on a trek safari is 3, although you can still have more days.

Other safari activities: The number of activities you plan on participating in during the gorilla trek safari will also affect the cost of the trek. You can join gorilla trekking in Bwindi with bird watching, guided nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, game drives, and boat safaris, among others.

Advantages of gorilla trekking in the rainy season in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking in the rainy season has its advantages, and these are some of the reasons why some tourists prefer to track gorillas during the wet season.

There are smaller groups of people trekking gorillas during the wet season giving a chance to trekkers who prefer less crowds to enjoy a gorilla trek in Bwindi. Sometimes during the wet season with the few tourists, you get a chance to choose a gorilla family of your choice to trek after the briefing. 

Some lodges during the wet season offer discount rates to tourists and this is one of the reasons why it is a good time to travel especially if you are travelling on a budget.

The gorilla permits are easier to book and get during the wet season because few tourists are coming into the country. It is not a struggle when purchasing gorilla permits during the dry season.

Mountain gorillas can easily be found during the wet season because there is plenty of food and gorillas usually don’t wander off deeper into the forest as it sometimes is during the dry season.

Disadvantages of trekking gorillas in the rainy season in Bwindi

Trekking gorillas during the wet season is a muddy and slippery affair and this makes it difficult to properly track gorillas through the jungle. The roads connecting to the national park and between the four sectors are affected by the rains and the government is trying to work on them to improve the roads.

Bwindi is a tropical rainforest that receives 1000 to 2000 mm of rainfall annually, and the rains can easily disrupt the trekking exercise.

In conclusion, gorilla trekking in Bwindi can be carried out in both the dry and wet seasons, but the best time is during the dry season.

What to bring for the gorilla safari in Bwindi

The rainy season needs a lot of preparation, and below are some of the things that you need for a successful gorilla trekking safari.

• Strong hiking boots to trek through the muddy and slippery routes. The hike boots should be well-fitting, comfortable, ankle-length and waterproof.

• Warm sweaters for the cold weather

• Waterproof rain jacket or windbreaker

• Long-sleeved shirts for warmth and to protect yourself from insect bites.

• Pants and you should avoid jeans because when they get wet, they will slow you down.

• A waterproof backpack to carry your luggage during the trek.

• Insect repellent

• A camera with extra batteries and lenses

• Flip-flops to use after the trek

• Adjustable gaiters

• A travel adapter

• Sunscreen

• Binoculars

• Snacks and a refillable water bottle.

Rules and regulations for trekking gorillas in Bwindi

To be able to trek gorillas in Bwindi, some rules and regulations need to be followed as they were put in place to conserve the already endangered gorilla species. The Uganda Wildlife Authority and park authorities make sure that the rules are followed by all tourists. The rules and regulations to be followed include the following:

• The age limit for tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi is 12 years and above, and anyone below 12 will not be allowed to trek.

• After locating the gorillas, you spend an hour with the Mountain gorillas before returning to the park headquarters to be awarded a certificate for participating in the trek.

• The maximum number of people who trek a gorilla family per day in Bwindi is 8.

• No sick tourists are allowed to trek gorillas in Bwindi to prevent human to gorilla infections.

• Follow all the guidelines given to you by the guides.

• Keep Bwindi clean by not littering the national park

• There are no toilets but in case you want to use one, dig a 30cm hole in the bushes and cover it up after use.

• Never eat and drink when the gorillas are around because this is prohibited,

• Always make sure that you turn away from the gorillas when you want to cough or sneeze and cover your mouth and nose during the process.

• Smoking is strictly prohibited when trekking gorillas.

• Avoid touching the gorillas and feeding them is also prohibited.

Is gorilla trekking safe in Bwindi?

Yes, gorilla trekking in Bwindi is safe and this is because the Uganda Wildlife Authority has come up with measures to ensure that the exercise is safe. UWA set up the rules and regulations that all tourists have to follow, armed rangers are available to protect the tourists, there are security checks at the park entrance where all illegal items will be confiscated and the guides have enough experience which makes the trek memorable and safe under their guidance. Trekkers have to be vigilant as well and report any disturbances or worrisome sightings and also follow all the rules and regulations.

Accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Accommodation in Bwindi comes in three categories that are basic, mid-range and luxurious accommodation facilities and among these, you get to choose one that fits your budget. When selecting the best lodges for you, you need to first look at your budget and thereafter book one that is close to and or within the sector you have been assigned to. There are four sectors in Bwindi and these include Rushaga, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Buhoma sectors. Below is a list of accommodation facilities you can use in the different sectors of Bwindi.

Rushaga sector: The different lodges within Rushaga include Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, and Gorilla Valley Lodge.

Rushaga sector is home to several habituated gorilla families, and this is the only sector where you can go for the gorilla habituation experience. Some of the families that are found in the Rushaga sector include the Nshongi group with 25 gorilla family members, the Bweza gorilla family, the Mishaya gorilla family, the Kahungye gorilla family and the Busingye gorilla family among others.

Buhoma sector: Lodges in and near Buhoma sector include Ride 4 A Women Guest House, Silverback Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Buhoma Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, The Haven Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi lodge, and Mahogany Springs Lodge.

Buhoma is home to about five habituated gorilla families and these include the Katwe gorilla family, Habinyanja gorilla family, Mubare gorilla family, Muyambi gorilla family and Rushegura gorilla family.

Nkuringo Sector: Some of the lodges that are found in the Nkuringo sector include Crested Crane Bwindi Hotel, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Virunga Campsite, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla and Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge.

Nkuringo was the second sector to be opened for trekking, and the gorilla families in the sector include the Nkuringo, Bushaho, and Bikingi gorilla families, among others.

Ruhija Sector: Accommodation facilities in the Ruhija sector include Bakiga Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, and Gorilla Mist Camp.

The gorilla families to trek in Ruhija include the Kyaguliro gorilla family, Oruzongo gorilla family, Mukiza gorilla family and Bitukura gorilla family.

In conclusion, gorilla trekking in Bwindi can be carried out in the wet season although the best time is during the dry season and in both seasons, you will still be guaranteed to see gorillas in Bwindi.

For more information about gorilla trekking and how to organize a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, contact us at Encounter Africa safaris. We have staff with experience in organizing gorilla safaris in Bwindi in the dry and wet seasons and other gorilla safari trekking destinations.