How to book a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

How to book a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park starts with securing the gorilla permit in case you choose gorilla trekking or habituation experience as your to-do activities in this park. Gorilla trekking is an adventure where a maximum of 8 tourists search and stay with a fully habituated gorilla family for one hour. The gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where a maximum of 4 tourists escort a team of researchers to spend four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family.

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Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a biosphere reserve hosting a wide range of fauna and flora dating back about 30000 years. Amongst the occupants of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are mountain gorillas, more other nine primate species, 325 more bird species, including Albertine rift endemics, over 88 butterfly species, 51 reptiles, 300 tree species, and so many others.

Four areas make up Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and in case you are booked to do gorilla trekking in this park, you must note that is Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the East, Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south.

Select what you wish to do in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park other than gorilla trekking because this is an eco-friendly destination. 

Booking accommodation during a safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is important. When booked to do gorilla trekking in the areas around this park, you need to secure accommodation within or closer to this area. This saves you from driving in the dark to catch up with a briefing in another area. On the way, you may encounter other obstacles like deep fog, slippery roads, mechanical damage, fallen trees across the road, and so much more.

Since gorilla safaris are the number one activity of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you need to know how to book the gorilla permits for this park.

How To Book A Gorilla Permit For Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Choose a time for your gorilla safari, a 3-day gorilla safari, a 5-day gorilla tour, an 8-day gorilla safari, and more. It would help if you had dates for starting your gorilla safari and the safari end date. You can also select the date you are most interested in doing the gorilla safari. Note down the number of gorilla permits in case you have company.

When you send us your inquiry about going on a gorilla tour in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, our tour consultant checks availability from the list of Uganda Wildlife Authority and gets back to you. Upon finding availability, we advise clients to book their gorilla permits immediately.

Note that gorilla permits are limited and sold on a first-come, first-served basis. None of these gorilla permits can be secured without payment. Even the status of gorilla permit availability changes at times without warning.

If you intend to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, gorilla permits are booked according to four areas that are Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. One needs to note the area where the gorilla trekking permit is booked before booking any logistics of this park.

Later, forward us some personal information for identification, such as your full name as presented on the passport, nationality, date of birth, and passport expiry date.

Book accommodation for your safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

Accommodation for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is booked according to area. This is because the four regions of the Bwindi forest are separated by physical features that make it hard to traverse it from one location to another.

Bwindi has different accommodation categories, including Up-scale, Mid-range, and budget. When you book a safari in Bwindi, you must secure accommodation as soon as possible because they are limited, yet they sell out fast, especially during the peak season.

Bwindi accommodations: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Ichumbi Lodge, Gorilla Resort, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Backpacker's Camp, Engage Lodge, Bwindi View Bandas, Silverback Lodge, Buhoma Community Bandas, Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, Broad Bill Camp

Identify transport means to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

To get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can go by road or air. 

By Road 

You can reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by several routes from Kampala or Entebbe airport. You need a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition as the terrain of this area gets soggy and muddy, especially during the severe rainy seasons.

Kampala or Entebbe to Kabale to Kanungu to Buhoma covering a distance of about 534 kilometers passing Kanyantorogo. The drive time is about 8 to 9 hours.

Kampala or Entebbe to Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Buhoma covering a distance of about 472 kilometers.

Kampala or Entebbe to Kabale to Nkuringo

Entebbe or Kampala to Ruhija to Buhoma

Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kihihi to Buhoma covers a distance of about 160 kilometers from Mweya and 64 kilometers from Ishasha.

By Air

Daily domestic flights can be booked from Kajjansi Airstrip or Entebbe Airport to Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airfield. You must secure a transfer vehicle to your lodge.

Charter flight services can be arranged from Kajjansi or Entebbe Airport to Kihihi or Kisoro.

What is the cost of a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we package our safaris according to Luxury, mid-range, and budget. The cost of a gorilla safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park starts with securing the gorilla permit. At the moment, the gorilla permit cost is:

Gorilla trekking permit cost

$800 for foreign nonresidents 

$700 for foreign residents

300000shs for East African residents

Gorilla habituation experience 

$1500 for foreign nonresidents

$1000 for foreign residents

750000shs for East Africans

What is covered in the cost of a gorilla permit?

The cost of a gorilla trekking permit covers ranger guide fees, park entrance fees, one hour of gorilla trekking or four hours of gorilla habituation experience, security, researcher fee during gorilla habituation experience, certificate, mountain gorilla conservation, local community support.

Exclusions in the cost of gorilla permits tips, snacks, transport, and other personal expenses.

Other items contributing to the Bwindi safari quotation are the number of people on safari, the number of days on tour, additional activities to do in the Bwindi forest, and so much more.

What are other activities to do on safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi forest is the prime birding destination of Uganda, hosting about 325 bird species, including Albertine rift endemics. Ruhija area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the highlight of this park, offering more chances to see several bird species, especially when you hike to the Mubwindi Swamp. Some birds you may spot include Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Mountain Masked Apalises, African Green Broadbill, Shelley's Crimsonwing, Western Green Tinkerbird, and others.

Hiring a knowledgeable and experienced birding guide gives you the thrill of your safari in Bwindi.

Community visit in Bwindi impenetrable national Park

While in the Buhoma area, you can do the Buhoma community walk, where you may visit a homestead, a traditional healer, a banana beer brewery, and so much more. By arrangement, you may watch local dance performances and folk songs.

The Nkuringo community walk allows you to immerse in the culture of the local people. You can visit the traditional healer, rural homestead, blacksmith, and banana brewery.

Nature walk in Bwindi forest.

A guided walk in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park allows you to identify other primates in the forest, like blue monkeys, black and white colobus, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, L'Hoests' and others. Botanists have plenty of plants to identify on a walk in the Bwindi forest from over 300 tree species recorded in the forest.

Is Bwindi Safe for A Safari?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is safe for a safari as every walk in the jungle is accompanied by professional rangers, one holding a machete while another carrying a rifle. The Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides the security team and works with other Uganda security agencies present to keep law and order.

A team of ranger guides patrols Bwindi forest each morning to monitor the forest and set free any snares that poachers may have set. These rangers watch over the security of Bwindi forest, and reports are given to the authorities concerned.

Tourists must mind their safety by not entering the forest without an escorting ranger guide. Although mountain gorillas are habituated, the forest has other occupants that may not be receptive to human presence.

Is A Safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Difficult?

The topography of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is generally mountainous due to volcanic action in this area that led to the formation of ridges and plateaus. When booked to do gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi, you may be required to hike if these primates are lounging on the slopes.

Due to regular rains, the ground of the Bwindi forest is often soggy and slippery since there is limited sunlight let into the ground. You need to wear the right safari gear to assist you in walking through the rough jungle.

When following the trails in the Bwindi forest, they are sometimes obstructed by creepers that tangle on the stems and ridges. The ranger guide holding a machete may try to trim them to create a path for you.

How Long is a Gorilla Safari in Bwindi?

Whether doing gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience, the time of returning from these Bwindi activities is still being determined. The conditions prevailing in the wilderness, such as the proximity to the mountain gorillas' feeding area, the death of a family member, weather conditions of the day, the pace of fellow tourists, and others, contribute significantly to the gorilla adventure's return time.

To not focus on finding the mountain gorillas only, open your mind to other engaging forest occupants like the other primates, birds, unique flora, butterflies, beautiful features in the wilderness, and so much more.

Upon finding the mountain gorillas, only one hour is allowed with them during gorilla trekking and four hours during gorilla habituation experience. As you get away, do this stealthily without recognition.

What Rules Follow On A Safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

• Surrounding the mountain gorillas during gorilla safari may cause them to feel agitated.
• Spitting on the vegetation contaminates their food, which may cause them to catch a humanly contiguous infection.
• Only four people are allowed to do gorilla habituation and a maximum of 8 persons during gorilla trekking per trek. This avoids overcrowding the forest and overwhelming the mountain gorillas under habituation.
• Littering the forest is forbidden because this alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas feed.
• Provoking the mountain gorillas is forbidden because they can get agitated by your presence. They are still having wild behavior.
• Eating or smoking before the mountain gorillas is forbidden to avoid the chances of them grabbing it from you. The mountain gorillas must look for their food rather than depend on human provision.
• Flash photography during gorilla safari may scare the mountain gorillas and send them into hiding. The camera must be soundproof, too.
• Only children aged 15 and above are allowed to practice gorilla habituation. This is because some patience is required before locating the mountain gorillas. A child below this age may not withstand this time and the forest conditions.
• In case you wish to defecate, as the ranger guide di, dig a hole for you at least 30 cm deep and bury everything well beyond recognition. This is to avoid exhuming anything, even with other forest dwellers.
• Only one hour is allowed in the presence of the mountain gorillas when you locate them.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the mountain gorillas because they are wild animals that must not get into contact with humans or you to them. 
• Wearing a clean mask is necessary for mountain gorillas when you locate them. This was adopted after the COVID-19 outbreak when they were discovered to be highly susceptible to this infection.

Contact us for more information.