How safe and easy is the border crossing between Rwanda and Uganda for gorilla trekking in Bwindi?

Crossing Rwanda into Uganda for gorilla trekking in Bwindi requires a gorilla permit. From Rwanda, you cross into Uganda via the Gatuna or Cyanika border. If you need a visa as a travel document, securing an East Africa visa is the best decision to enter Rwanda or Uganda. The East African visa allows you entry into at least two member states, and Uganda and Rwanda are community members.

Most Popular Safaris

2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Safari through Kigali

3 Day Low Season Uganda Gorilla Safari via Kigali

5 Day Gorilla Trekking Rwanda

3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tracking Safari

5 Day Uganda Gorillas & Game Safari via Kigali

4 Day Uganda Safari via Kigali

14 Day Uganda Safari via Kigali

3 Day Gorilla Habituation via Kigali

3 Day Bwindi Double trek via Kigali

You must book a Uganda gorilla trekking permit first, which you must secure in advance. Take note that the gorilla trekking permits for Uganda for the peak season are in high demand worldwide, yet a maximum of 8 permits are allowed per gorilla family daily. Currently, Uganda has over 20 gorilla trekking families living in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are booked according to area. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is subdivided into four regions: Buhomaa in the North, Ruhija in the East, Nkuringo, and Rushaga in the South. 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a pristine forest in southwestern Uganda. This forest is famous for hosting almost half the number of mountain gorillas worldwide. Bwindi forest is also home to approximately nine other primates, some of which include blue monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, chimpanzees, and others. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park confirms many birds of over 350 bird species, including Albertine rift endemics.

At the border of Rwanda and Uganda (Gatuna or Cyanika), there are security officers from both Uganda and Rwanda, plus immigration officers to help clear all the necessary documents you must fill and sign. When you secure the travel visa in advance, you save on the time you may spend at immigration. Your driver guide is in place to help you with any procedures you need to familiarize yourself with and where you need assistance.

The drive time from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 5 to 6 hours. You must also secure accommodation during the gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi. Before securing accommodation for a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you must consider the area where the gorilla permit is booked.

How To Book Gorilla Permits For Uganda (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park)

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can assist you in booking your gorilla permit when you enquire from us. You need to provide us with some gorilla trekking safari details.

Choose a date when you are interested in doing a gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the number of permits you wish to purchase. You can also give us a time frame that is the starting date of your gorilla safari and the departure date.

When you enquire from us, our safari consultant checks the availability of gorilla permits from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority. Encounter Africa Safaris is one of the few companies accredited to have access to the list of mountain gorilla permits.

As soon as the gorilla permit availability is favorable, we advise clients to purchase theirs as quickly as possible. The status of the gorilla permits changes at any time without warning, yet they are limited to a maximum of 8 per gorilla family. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gorilla permits may amount to about 160 gorilla permits. However, the number may change as the gorilla family habituation process continues.

No gorilla permit is booked without payment, so you can either purchase it wholly or in installments of 30% and 70%, respectively.

What is the cost of Uganda gorilla trekking permits?

The current price of Uganda gorilla trekking permits is $800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, and 300000shs for East Africans.

The cost of Uganda gorilla permits covers the park entrance fees, security, mountain gorilla conservation, certificate, community support, ranger guide fees, and and one hour with the mountain gorillas.

Exclusions from the price of Uganda gorilla permits include porter hire fees, accommodation, tips, and other extra personal expenses.

Is the cost of the Uganda gorilla trekking permit worth the money?

The cost of a Uganda gorilla permit is worth every penny as you get to be just meters away from the few leftover mountain gorillas in the world. Each day, only a maximum of 8 tourists can spend at least one hour in the company of a fully habituated gorilla family.

More funds are needed to support the survival of mountain gorillas from the vegetable population, as currently, about 1000 mountain gorillas live in the world. They are still an endangered primate species. For each gorilla permit purchased, a portion is used to support the conservation of mountain gorillas.

 When you hire a porter for your Uganda gorilla safari, you directly get to support the local community. A porter is a person who helps you carry your gorilla safari gear for an affordable fee. Hiring a porter is one way to sensitize and engage the local community in mountain gorilla conservation and their habitat. Some of these porters are reformed poachers returning to the community to preach the gospel of mountain gorilla conservation.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas During Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi?

Seeing the mountain gorillas in Bwindi's impenetrable national park is a sure adventure. Before the gorilla family is ready for public visits, it is first habituated for an unknown time. Gorilla habituation is a process by which researchers watch a wild gorilla family and take notes. This is done to help them get accustomed to human presence for a limited time without altering their nature. 

Each day, a team of ranger guides patrols the gorilla families in the early morning to establish where they nest and possible hangout spots. Because of the bulky size of their bodies, mountain gorillas rarely move fur from these locations. Some of these clues are what ranger guides use to trace the mountain gorillas with the tourists.

Mountain gorillas feed from a particular location for a long time until the food supply runs low, and then they relocate. It is easy to know where the gorilla family may be feeding from for some time so they can be traced.

Tourists are requested to help follow the clues left by the mountain gorillas during the search, like fresh dung, freshly chewed-on leftover foliage, and footprints, as this is part of the fun to experience in the forest. Note that mountain gorillas get to know about your presence before you trace them, so follow all the rules of gorilla trekking.

After finding the mountain gorillas, please wait for the ranger guide to establish their mood before taking photos, and stay in a tight group so that you do not look suspicious before the mountain gorillas.

How difficult is gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is quite tiring. The nature of the topography where mountain gorillas live is volcanic, with ridges and plateaus covered by lush green vegetation. You may be required to hike to get to the mountain gorillas. These primates love spending the day life on the slopes of the highlands in the wilderness.

One needs to bear some level of fitness to complete the gorilla tour. 

Ask for a supporting stick to use during the gorilla trekking in this forest, too. 

Hire a porter to carry some of your belongings so that this extra weight does not drag behind you. The porter may also give you a push when you need it.

Are mountain gorillas dangerous during gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Mountain gorillas are naturally shy and calm primates despite their intimidating appearance. The bodies of the mountain gorillas are covered with fur and have a larger body structure. Mountain gorillas walk by knuckle locomotion. At a glance, mountain gorillas may stimulate some adrenaline and cause you to panic.

During the briefing, tourists are given clues and told what to expect when they find the mountain gorillas. There is no need to panic or shout because you may cause the mountain gorillas to dash into hiding.

When with the mountain gorillas, do not stare into their deep, shy brown eyes, as you may cause them to feel agitated and charged.

Although mountain gorillas are shy and serene, do not provoke them because they may charge.

Mountain gorillas may react when angry by thumping their chests, hooting, pulling grass around them, and much more. Any time you notice such odd behavior, do not panic because you may cause a stampede.

Wait for the ranger guide to establish the matter's genesis and tell you what to do. Sometimes, the gorilla family has power struggles; the silverback may be teasing visitors, may be attacked by an outsider mountain gorilla, and much more. Just remain calm and wait for the ranger guide's instructions.

When will you return from gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Return time from gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Nationa Park is hard to determine. At the start of the gorilla trek after briefing, the ranger guide leads tourists on the trail where the mountain gorillas were last seen the previous day. The ranger guide also follows the clues from the early risers who patrol the gorilla families to help minimize the time tourists take in the wilderness.

 Some tourists have found the mountain gorillas in 2 hours, while others may take more time depending on the factors prevailing in the forest. Seeing the mountain gorillas depends on factors like the adventurous nature of the family, weather conditions of the days, stability of the gorilla family, death of a family member, and others. The pace and fitness level of the mountain gorillas also speaks volumes over the time of finding the mountain gorillas.

Upon finding the mountain gorillas, only one hour is allowed with them during gorilla trekking. Mountain gorillas need to carry out their day-to-day life alterations like exclusive feeding, grooming, and lounging because human presence may disrupt their daily life.

What are the rules for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

• Littering alters the natural habitat where these primates thrive. Dumping items like plastic does not decompose, which alters the nature of the forest, which is the habitat in which these mountain gorillas feed.
• Spitting on vegetation is forbidden because it contaminates the food for the mountain gorillas. 
• Stay in a tight group during the gorilla trekking experience because they feel ambushed, insecure, and agitated when you surround them. This may lead them to retreat into the deeper ends of the park.
• Flash photography is not allowed because mountain gorillas fear new environmental occurrences.
• If you catch any communicable infection like cholera, flu, cough, or Virus, volunteer to stay behind so that you don't pass it to the gorillas. They are highly susceptible to human infections. The extent to which they may be affected may cause the conservation work done to go back to highly endangered.
• Eating or smoking 300 meters closer to the mountain gorillas is forbidden to prevent the chances of the gorillas grabbing it from you. Wild animals must search for their own food and not depend on human provision.
•  Burry all fecal materials beyond recognition so the animals in the forest cannot exhume them. Ask the ranger to dig a hole for you about 30 cm and cover it well.
• Avoid the mountain gorillas and use your handkerchief or elbow if you wish to sneeze or cough.
• Try not to talk loudly or make noise when going on a gorilla trekking experience because you may also scare the other forest dwellers who may be interesting to see.
•  Wearing a clean mask before meeting the mountain gorillas is an added rule for all primate safaris after the Corona Virus Lockdown.
• The age limit for gorilla trekking adventure is 15 years and beyond because children below this age may not withstand the conditions in the forest.

For any more information, please contact us and our safari consultants will be ready to assist you in planning your safari today.