Combining gorilla trekking in Uganda with safari in Tanzania

Combining gorilla trekking in Uganda and a safari in Tanzania gives you a glimpse into the hot tour destinations in Africa. In Uganda, you must purchase a gorilla trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority before confirming this primate tour. Tanzania has a variety of safari destinations from which you have to choose to make this combo.

Uganda has two gorilla trekking destinations: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Currently, Uganda has about 21 gorilla trekking families open for trekking, but gorilla permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are sold according to the area. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is subdivided into four areas: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo.

Most Popular Safaris

10 Day Rwanda Akagera and Kenya Coast Safari

15 Day Uganda Gorillas & Kenya Beaches

14 Day Uganda Sese, Mombasa, Watamu tour

4 Day Masai Mara Safari

8 Day Masai Mara Gorilla & Chimp Safari

9 Day Kenya Uganda Game Safari

3 Day Serengeti National Park

5 Day Serengeti & Ngorongo Safari

9 Day Kenya Game Safari

7 Day Highlights of Kenya & Tanzania Safari

While on a Tanzanian safari, game drives are the top activities in the country, with the great wildebeest migration being the foremost event of the country each year. Serengeti National Park is home to the great wildebeest migration, but there are other safari destinations in the country. You can also do chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountain, and Gombe stream National Parks.

If you must possess a visa to enter Uganda and Tanzania, you need to make the necessary arrangements in advance to reduce the time you spend on immigration on arrival. If you are to use air transport, you can apply for a visa on arrival at Entebbe Airport in Uganda and Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania.

 When you are destined to use road transport, the entry or exit point from Uganda into Tanzania and vice versa is the Mutukura border. You can also apply for a visa now, but expect some time wasting.

How to combine gorilla trekking in Uganda and safari in Tanzania

Day 1: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Early in the morning, your driver guide will pick you up from your overnight hotel or lodge in Uganda and start the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You may cover the distance from Kampala or Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is about 530 kilometers for approximately 8 to 9 hours, excluding stops.

Do not expect a smooth ride because the roads in the countryside are bumpy and dusty, so prepare accordingly. In case you have road sicken, take the prescribed pills. 

On arrival, check into your lodge. When booking accommodation for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, ensure you note the area where your permit is secured to avoid having to wake up and drive in the night.

Bwindi Accommodation: Clouds lodge, Mahogany Springs, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi View Guest house, Nshongi Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, and others.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

After breakfast, head and gather at the ranger station with your gorilla trekking gear for briefing. Hire a porter if you would like their services. After the briefing, you randomly allocate the gorilla family to trek according to the families in your area. A maximum of 8 tourists are allowed to visit a particular gorilla family per day.

The ranger guides lead the way to the trail's starting point, where the mountain gorilla family was last seen the previous day. They also use the clues from the early rises who wake up to monitor where the mountain gorillas may have nested and possible hangout spots for the day.

The time of finding the mountain gorillas may be hard to determine, but keep your mind open to other interesting features in the forest like the sparkling waterfalls, dense network of rivers, and so much more. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park also hosts other primates like blue monkeys, olive baboons, black and white colobus, chimpanzees, and others. Look out for several bird species, including Albertine rift endemics. Have some patience before locating the mountain gorillas so you still desire to meet them no matter what time.

Upon finding the mountain gorillas, remain closer to the people you are trekking with. Do not stare into the dark, sunken eyes of the mountain gorillas, and do not use flash photography and many other guidelines.

Only one hour is allowed with the fully habituated mountain gorillas to leave them to carry on with their day-to-day life, like grooming, feeding, and much more. Human presence interferes with the running of the mountain gorilla life.

After one hour, get away from the mountain gorillas stealthily so as not to appear suspicious before these primates.

Day 3 Fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport Tanzania

After the gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda, you must drive back to Entebbe airport to Catch up with your flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania.

Accommodation Airport Planet lodge, Mountain MeruGame Lodge, River Tree country inn, Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge, Home Villa Arusha, Moyoni Airport Lodge. 

Note that most of these facilities offer Bed and Breakfast services. You need to plan accordingly.

Day 4 Drive or fly to Serengeti National Park

If you opt to drive to Serengeti National Park from Arusha, Tanzania, the drive is about 4 to 5 hours. Look out for the beautiful scenery of the countryside. You may also break the journey with a stopover in Ngorongoro Crater, where several wild animals may be sighted.

If you fly from Kilimanjaro, the flight is about 2 hours and a half to Serengeti National Park. From Arusha, the domestic flights may take about 2 hours to Serengeti National Park.

Serengeti accommodation: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, Four Seasons Serengeti Lodge, Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp, Serenero wildlife lodge, Siringit Serengeti camp, Elewana Serengeti Pioneer Camp

Day 5: Game Drive in Serengeti National Park

Rise early for a game drive in the Serengeti National Park tracks. Game drives in this park are best in the early morning when the wild animals emerge from their overnight hideouts and late evening as they return home.

During the game drives in Serengeti National Park, you may spot wildebeests, herds of Buffaloes, giraffes, African Bush elephants, cape buffaloes, Impalas, gazelles, elands, lions, leopards, hyenas, black Rhinos and so many others.

 Birders have a lot of birds to spot during the drive on the tracks of Serengeti National Park.

Day 6 Second Game drive in Serengeti National Park

Wake up for another spectacular game drive in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. The wildlife views of Serengeti National Park are never-ending. You can do game drives in this park as often as you wish, too, but never get a full of it. Look out for the wild animals and features you missed the previous day.

Optional

Visit the Masai community

The Masai are the masters of the Serengeti National Park and know how they have survived for years with so many predators from Serengeti National Park. They are cattle keepers who have stuck to their culture despite the influx of modernity.

When you pay a community visit to the Masai homesteads, you contribute to their community income. If you wish to support the community around the Serengeti National Park directly, you can plan this visit. You get to see their homes (Manyattas), engage in the practice of making crafts, enjoy an arranged traditional dance session, purchase some souvenirs to take home, and much more.

Day 7 Departure day

 After the gorilla trekking in Uganda and game safari in Tanzania, embark on your journey home. You may also engage in other safari activities in Tanzania, like relaxing on the Beaches of Dar-el Salaam. Visit the Zanzibar Islands and much more.

How much is the gorilla trekking permit for Uganda?

At the moment, the cost of the gorilla trekking permit for Uganda is:

$800 for international nonresidents

$700 for foreign residents

300,000 shs for East Africans

What is included in the cost of the gorilla trekking permit for Uganda

Park entrance fees, ranger guide fees, mountain gorilla conservation support, security, one hour with the mountain gorillas, certificate, etc.

Exclusions in the gorilla permit cost are tips, porter hire, souvenirs, and other personal expenses.

How much is Park Fees for Serengeti National Park

High season ( June to October )

Adults $70 for international nonresidents

$35 residents foreigners

10000Tshs for East Africans

$20 per international nonresident child ( 5 years to 15 years) for both the high and low season

Low Season ( March, April, May, November)

$60 for international nonresident adults

$20 for international nonresident children (5 years to 15 years)

 Below five years children do not pay park entrance fees in Serengeti National Park

When is the best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda and Safari in Tanzania?

Both gorilla trekking in Uganda and safaris in Tanzania are year-round activities; however, the most preferred is the dry season. The animals in the forest and the game parks are full of life, and more activity happens in their habitats. The dry season is from June to September, and December and January also serve as the peak tourism season in both countries.

During Uganda gorilla trekking in the dry season, the mountain gorillas are quicker to spot, plus other forest dwellers. Although Bwindi forest is known for receiving rains any time without warning, the dry season is quite different because there is less precipitation in the forest. More sunlight is let into the dense canopy to the ground, making the trek to find the mountain gorillas more interesting.

The great wildebeest migration will take high gear during the dry season. So many tourists are booking a safari to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to witness this mysterious natural wonder.

Advance booking for gorilla trekking permits during the dry season must be kept from being let down by last-minute bookings as the permits sell out early. Yet, they are restricted to a maximum of 8 per gorilla family.

Options for accommodation with great views and different budgets run out during the high season of Serengeti National Park, so it is best to secure your accommodation in advance.

The wet season is usually the low season for tourism in Uganda and Uganda. Chances of getting last-minute gorilla trekking permits are more open in Uganda. For accommodation during gorilla trekking in Uganda or game safari in Serengeti National Park, chances of last-minute booking are higher in the low season. You have a chance of getting an upgrade on any logistics to use for supporting your safari in the low season.

Suppose you have a limited budget but have gorilla trekking in Uganda and a safari in Tanzania on your bucket list. In that case, you can plan in the low season as some service providers may offer discounts to break even.

What to pack for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Game safari in Tanzania?

Gorilla trekking requires a special list of must-pack items for the best experience. You can use some items on the gorilla trekking safari packing list for game safaris in Tanzania.

• Insect repellant to keep away stinging insects that would harm you while walking to locate the mountain gorillas.
• Garden gloves protect your palms from stinging nettles and even rough surfaces you may land on when you trip and fall.
• Bug spray is in case your room is infected.
• Toiletries in case your skin is very sensitive or your lodge does not provide.
• Snacks to munch on in case you get hungry because breakfast is taken too early to last the entire time in the wilderness.
• A raincoat or poncho is used if it rains in the wilderness. This area receives rain at any time without warning.
• Wear long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt in the wilderness to protect your body from harsh conditions in the forest.
• A pair of stockings to tack in your trousers and protect your body from insects that would creep into your clothes.
• Safari boots can go through the soggy surfaces in the jungle as the wilderness is wet most of the time, and rivers overflow, especially in the severe rainy seasons.
• Safari hat to protect your hair from getting wet in case it rains, or dew drips off the leaves.
• Pajamas to wear in the night when getting to bed.
• Duffel bag to carry with your belongings, as you may get no help offloading or loading your bags.
• Flip flops to change into in case you come from gorilla trekking and are tired of wearing closed shoes.
• Some cash to exchange into local currency when purchasing anything locally.
• Clean Face masks to wear when standing before the mountain gorillas. This was adopted after the Covid-19 period. The mountain gorillas can be victims of this virus since they are susceptible to human infections because they have about 96% human DNA.
• A camera to take photos and protect memories of your experience during gorilla trekking.

Contact us and let's organise your combined safari to Uganda and Tanzania today. Check out our trip advisor reviews as well.