Travel advice for gorilla trekking and Safari in Uganda

When travelling for gorilla trekking and Safari in Uganda, you need to confirm a gorilla permit for Uganda first. Ensure you arrange all the necessary travel requirements like your visa in case you must possess one, purchase the international plane tickets in advance too.

Most Popular Safaris

4 Days Gorillas and Golden Monkey Safari

2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Safari through Kigali

3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari

5 Day off season Gorilla and Chimp Safari

5 Day Gorilla and Chimp Tracking Safari

16 Days Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari

5 Day Gorilla & Chimp Tracking Safari

5 Day Low season Uganda Gorilla & Chimp Safari

5 Day Uganda Gorillas & Game Safari via Kigali

5 Day Gorilla Habituation & Chimps

If you hope to travel for gorilla trekking or Safari in Uganda during the peak season that is June, July, August, September, December and January, you must do advance preparations. During the peak season, demand for gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, Uganda safari accommodations and other safari requirements is high in every destination.

If you book gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you must note the area where your gorilla permit is booked. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four areas under which the gorilla permits are booked that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. Before booking accommodation for the gorilla safari, consider where your permit is booked to avoid having to wake up early to drive in the dark in order to catch up with briefing in another area.

When travelling with children for a safari in Uganda, they must be under your supervision all the time so that they donot get away from you. Alternatively they can be with your driver guide in case you make safari arrangements with your tour operator.

You need to spend the night before starting your Uganda safari in the country so that you can start the up country drive early and arrive to check in to your lodge. You may also disembark from your early morning flight and start the drive to the Uganda safari destination but this is quite tiresome especially if you have jet lag.

Select all the activities you wish to combine with your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda so that the appropriate itinerary is drawn and the right quotation drawn in advance for better planning.

Where to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Uganda has Bwindi Impenetrable National Park as home to the mountain gorillas in the country. At the moment about 21 gorilla trekking families are open in Uganda with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park having about 20 families. Some of the Uganda gorilla trekking families in Bwindi include Rushegura, Mubare, Nkuringo, Oruzogo, Mishaya, Bweza, Busingye, Habinyanja, Kahungye and others.

On gorilla trekking day, tourists are allocated these gorilla families within the area where the gorilla permit is booked following a criteria like age brackets, physical capability, interests ad much more.

When booking accommodation for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, ensure you note the area where your permit is booked. This is to ensure you arrive in time for early morning briefing which is compulsory.

Bwindi accommodations: Clouds Lode, Bwindi View Bandas, Mahogany Springs, Silverback Lodge, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Engage Lodge, Gorilla Forest Lodge, Nshongi camp, Ichumbi Lodge and others.

Mgahinga National park

Mgahinga National Park is another habitat for the mountain gorillas currently hosting one gorilla family called Nyakagezi. In the past the mountain gorilla permits for Mgahinga National Park were hard to pre-book because this gorilla family used to cross into Rwanda. Currently, Nyakagezi gorilla family is living steadily in Uganda and the permits available for pre-booking.

You can also engage in a golden monkey safari in Mgahinga National Park. Golden monkeys are interesting primates with a larger body compared to other monkeys. Golden monkeys live in communities and can be seen during golden monkey trekking or habituation experience but you need a permit for each adventure. 

Accommodations for Mgahinga National Park: Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle, Majambere Iwachu, Community Camp

Other Uganda safari Destinations 

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park lies stride the equator with the north and southern banks. During a game drive in the tracks of Murchison Falls National Park, you may spot animals like lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, herds of elephants, herds of elephants, giraffes, hartebeests, statungas, and others.

While taking a launch trip on River Nile, enjoy the beauties on the escarpments that overlook River Nile course. Watch out for the numerous wild animals that grace the showers to quench thirst and take a bath. An array of birds flock the shoreline of River Nile especially the water birds that enjoy the freebies. Look out for the aquatic animals like crocodiles, hippos, otters, water vipers and so much more.

As you draw closer to the Murchison Falls, you feel a change in the boat turbulence as the river gets rough. You hear the thundering roar at the falls as river Victoria Nile water squeezes through the narrow bend to burst out vigorously and form a cloudy appearance.

You can also hike to the tops of the falls where the actual drama of River Nile water as it stumbles over a bed of rocks before pushing through.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Sitting in the floor of the western arm of the rift valley is Queen Elizabeth National Park. This biosphere hosts a huge list of both fauna and flora. Its backdrop is formed by the Rwenzori ranges. When you take a game drive in the tracks of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may spot animals like lions, leopards, hyenas, topis, bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs and others. More than 605 bird species are residents of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

While on a launch trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park Kazinga channel, you may look out for animals like herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, lions, hippos, crocodiles, and others. All year, the shores of Kazinga channel is flocked by different bird species including foreign migrants. From the launch trip on Kazinga channel, you can see more that lies on the rift valley floor.

Kibale National park

The prime chimpanzee safari destination of Uganda is Kibale National Park with a population of about 1500 chimpanzees. You can do chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, which allows you one hour with a fully habituated chimpanzee troop. Chimpanzee habituation experience is possible too where you are allowed four hours with the semi-habituated chimpanzee community.

Other 15 primate species are present in the Kibale forest, including bush babies, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, and others. More than 325 bird species are residents of this tropical rainforest.

You need to book the chimpanzee safari permits for Kibale National Park. In advance so that you do not lose them as the supply of chimpanzee permits is limited to maximum of 6 per troop per session. Two chimpanzee safari sessions happen every day that is early morning and afternoon.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park is located in the North Eastern corner of Uganda but is one of the game-rich destinations of Uganda, hosting the biggest number of carnivores in the country. During a game drive in the tracks of Kidepo National Park, you have high chances of spotting lions, leopards, cheetahs, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, black-caked jackals, klipspringers, Burchell’s zebras, bushpog, bushbuck, hartebeests, defassa waterbucks, Bohor reedbucks and others.

Kidepo Valley hosts a plethora of birds, with more than 463 birds listed in this park, including the ostriches. 

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is the detour park to the safari destinations in the western part of Uganda. During the game drives in Lake Mburo National Park, you may spot animals like zebras, elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, cape buffaloes, elands, impalas and so much more.

Taking a boat ride on Lake Mburo is stunning especially when you look over to the surrounding evergreen vegetation often graced by water birds. You may have chance to see fishermen casting there nets but this is only possible with permission from Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Semuliki National Park 

This is home to some of the historical flora that dates as far back as the Ice Age period. A visit to Sempaya hot springs where you can perform a tray of eggs boiling session is incredible. Watch out for several primates living in the forested parts of Semuliki National Park.

Rwenzori National Park and Elgon National Parks on the bottom of the mountains Rwenzori and Elgon respectively also have interesting features to see.

Visit the source of River Nile.

River Nile has its starting point in Jinja from Lake Victoria. The drama at this point is mysterious as river Nile water emerges vigorously from the bottom and separate from Lake Victoria water which is calmer. You sail on the boat to this point. Watch out for the riverside evergreen vegetation including forest cover that hosts several birds and primates.

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

Gorilla trekking and safaris in Uganda are open all year but the dry season which is June, July, August, September, December and January is most sought after. For gorilla trekking, you need to purchase a gorilla permit in advance especially for the dry season. You need to book the gorilla permits atleast 6 months to a year in advance in order not to panic at the last minute as gorilla permits are limited to maximum 8 per gorilla family per day.

Since the demand for the Uganda safaris is high in the high season, also other logistics that support this adventure are on high demand too like accommodation, vehicle hire, professional guides and others. You need to book them in advance.

Although no limit is put on game safaris or birding, you need to reserve where to overnight during your time on these safaris in Uganda. This is because options of accommodations run out as the season breaks in.

The low season which is normally the rainy season receives less demand for Uganda safari but destinations are open all year. If you have a limited budget, you may use this opportunity as some service provider may open chances for discounts like on accommodation, vehicle hire and others.

For an exclusive safari experience in Uganda, the low season opens chances for you to spend time on the different destinations with less disturbance from other tourists.

Is Uganda safe for gorilla trekking and Safari?

Uganda is safe for all safari activities. The destinations where safari activities in Uganda are monitored by Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides. They undergo training to protect wildlife, inhabitants and the habitants.

Before going to do activities like gorilla trekking, chimpanzees safaris and other Uganda tours, ranger guides brief you about the guidelines you must follow so that you donot agitate the wild animals.

Every walk in the wilderness must be escorted by a ranger guide or more. This is because there are unhabituated dwellers that hurt you. Never walk in the National Park alone because you may encounter animals that may hurt you.

Keep closer to the people you are walking with like during the gorilla safari, chimpanzee safaris, birding and much more. This is to prevent chances of getting lost in the jungle especially during gorilla safaris in the vast historic forests.

Is Gorilla trekking in Uganda difficult?

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest or Mgahinga National Park happens in a volcanic area with ridges and plateaus. At times the mountain gorillas live on the slopes and so you need to hike in order to gain access. The hike to find the mountain gorillas is quite challenging as you have to walk through soggy and slippery surfaces from the rains that fall regularly and yet less sunlight is allowed through to the ground.

Along the trails is tangled vegetation that drapes over the high trees and ridges so you need the ranger guide with a machete to trim it in order to create a path to where the mountain gorillas may be.

Hire a porter before the gorilla trek to help carry your belongings so that you are not dragged behind by their weight.

What is the cost of gorilla trekking and Safari in Uganda?

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we package our safaris according to luxury, mid-range, and budget. The cost of the gorilla trekking and Safari in Uganda starts with the gorilla permit cost. At the moment the gorilla trekking permits cost is $800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents and 300000shs for East Africans.

To cost the gorilla and Safari in Uganda, we consider some of the following: the number of days on Safari, number of people travelling with, time of booking the safaris and others.

Contact our safari consultants for more information.