What are the chances of seeing/Spotting Mountain gorillas in Uganda?

The chances of seeing mountain gorillas during your safari are 99% and more for tourists planning a gorilla trekking safari to Uganda for the first time and wishing to confirm whether gorillas can be seen all year round. In this article, we are going to explain what gorilla trekking is and the chances that you have at spotting the different gorilla families in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking is one of the top safari activities carried out in the country and the most organized, starting from the purchase of gorilla permits to booking for other services. From the time gorilla tracking was officially opened two decades ago, there have not been any instances where trekkers have missed out on seeing mountain gorillas in Uganda.

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Gorilla trekking in Uganda (Bwindi and Mgahinga) starts early morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking in Uganda, and trackers are sent out in advance to locate where the gorillas spent the previous night and start following them as they feed and get nestled in their new spot. They are always in constant communication with the guides, and after the briefing, you follow the routes guided by the trackers to find the gorillas. Note that the trackers cannot stop the gorillas from moving; they just keep following them until the Mountain gorillas stop, which is why tracking can take 30 minutes to 6 hours. After finding the gorillas, you spend an hour with them, observing and taking photos.

What happens if I don't see the gorillas during the trek?

Many tourists ask what happens when they fail to see gorillas in Uganda, but this is very unlikely to occur due to the many gorilla families that are found in Bwindi and the ever-present Nyakagezi gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park. But in cases where you fail to spot the gorillas due to unavoidable circumstances like heavy rains and mountain gorillas acting wild, the Uganda Wildlife Authority compensates you with an extra day for free to track gorillas in either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park.

Some factors that can reduce your chances of spotting Mountain gorillas in the wild are if you are sick (especially with a cold, cough, diarrhea, and other viral infections). This is because mountain gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans, and they can easily catch any illnesses from humans that might be fatal for the entire gorilla family. You must notify your guides if you are sick to reschedule the permits.

Reasons why seeing Mountain gorillas is a 99% sure thing

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has put a lot into planning for gorilla trekking safaris in both Bwindi and Mgahinga, thus ensuring that spotting the gorillas in their natural habitat is a must for all trekkers. If it were a gamble, there would be negative reviews from previous trekkers.

Before the gorilla trekking exercise starts, trackers are sent out to the forest to search for the last seen places of the Mountain gorillas, and these work behind the scenes to make sure that you have the best trekking experience and get to see the gorilla family you have been assigned to. The trackers start early in the morning with satellite phones, and they are always in communication with the guides directly to where the gorillas were last seen. All this is done before you start your trek, and they will guide you throughout the trek so one can't come for gorilla trekking in Uganda and not spot them.

It is also impossible not to spot Mountain gorillas in Uganda because you trek with experienced armed rangers to help you track gorillas comfortably. The gorilla trekking exercise takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours, and with these rangers, they ensure you have an incredible safari experience and that all trekkers get to spot the Mountain gorillas.

Where to go for Mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is carried out in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. These are the only parks in Uganda where the endangered mountain gorillas can be tracked, and they can only be found in two other national parks, which are Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of Uganda's most visited national parks in Uganda and home to over half the population of the remaining gorillas in the world and other wildlife species including reptiles, over 350 recorded bird species, 120 mammals, 200 tree species. The national park is home to about 24 habituated gorilla families, and these are found in the four sectors of Bwindi, which include the Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija sectors. Gorilla habituation in Uganda is also carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and with this, you have 4 hours with the primates.

Mgahinga National Park is also located in the farthest southwestern part of Uganda along the border of Uganda with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. This is the smallest national park in the country and is home to only the Nyakagezi gorilla family. Mgahinga is also home to three Volcanic Mountains, namely Mount Sabinyo, Mount Muhabura, and Mount Gahinga; it is also home to the endangered golden monkeys and other wildlife, including LHoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and olive baboons among others.

How to purchase a gorilla trekking safari

The gorilla permit cost is the same for both Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks. You will need to secure the gorilla permit in advance to confirm your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda. The permits can be purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority through their website, and this has to be done at least six months before the trek date for proper planning. You can also book through a local tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris because they have experience in purchasing permits and organizing gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda. Get in touch with Encounter Safaris after you have confirmed the trek dates and share them via email. We then check for the availability of the permits, and once we ensure that they are available on your desired dates, we send an invoice. You are required to send payment as soon as possible. Once the payment comes through, we proceed to purchase the permits and send scanned copies of them.

How much is gorilla trekking in Uganda?

Gorilla trekking in Uganda costs different depending on several factors and the tour operator you use. We start with the gorilla permit cost, which is $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents, $500 for African citizens, and UGX 300 000. The gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents and EAC citizens, and UGX 750,000 per person per session. 

The number of days spent on the safari: The minimum number of days you can spend on your gorilla safari is three, but you can still spend more days, especially if you have other safari activities to participate in. When you spend more days on your gorilla safari, the cost is high, but a few days is equal to a budget-friendly gorilla trekking safari.

Accommodation: Gorilla safari accommodation ranges from budget to mid-range, and luxury accommodation facilities and the type of facility you choose will affect the cost of your safari. Tour operators help you make the right choice depending on your budget, but if you have an unlimited budget, go for a luxury accommodation facility.

Transport: Road and air transport are commonly used to get to Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park. But first, you need to look at the air ticket, depending on the airline that you are using, and then look at the transport used within the national park. Charter flights can be booked through a tour operator if you are planning to fly to the trekking destinations, and this has to be done in advance. The same applies to using roads; tour operators will organize your transport throughout your stay, and the cost will depend on several factors, including the size of the group sharing the vehicle, fuel prices, and the company you are using.

Hidden fees: Several other things with hidden fees significantly affect the cost of the gorilla trek safari, and these include Travel insurance, personal purchases of souvenirs, tips, the things to pack for the gorilla safari, and other factors.

When to go for a gorilla trekking safari

Although gorilla trekking is an all-year-round safari exercise, the best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda is in December, January, February, June, July, August, and September, which fall in the short and dry seasons. The drier months make it easy to trek through the forest since the vegetation is not as thick as it is during the wet season, and the routes used for trekking are easy to use. You can still trek gorillas during the wet season from March to May and October to November if you are on a budget because discounts are offered on accommodation and other services during the wet season. The wet season also receives few trekkers and is the best time for tourists who wish to trek with no large crowds. The downside of trekking during the wet season is the rain, which sometimes hinders gorilla trekking and the muddy, slippery trek routes.

What to wear for gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga?

This is one of the things that most tourists planning a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, and we have compiled a list of what you can wear, including the following:

• Warm sweaters for the cold weather
• Long-sleeved shirts protect your skin from the sun and bug bites and keep you warm.
• A sunhat and sunglasses, depending on the weather. However, this is optional.
• Waterproof hiking boots. These should also be ankle-length and comfortable to avoid blisters on your feet.
• A waterproof raincoat: the weather in both Mgahinga and Bwindi is unpredictable since it is a rainforest, so you must always carry a raincoat.
• Two pairs of trousers that are lightweight and in neutral colors. Jeans are good but not the best when trekking gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park.
• Garden gloves: these help protect your hands when holding onto the trees and trekking poles during the trek.
• Stockings to keep you warm and prevent insects from crawling up your pants during the trek. When trekking, you have to tuck in the trousers and the socks.
• Avoid bright colors when packing clothes for a gorilla safari; black is also not recommended, and blue attracts tsetse flies. Neutral colors are the only ones that are recommended.

What to pack for a gorilla safari

There are essential things that you should bring on your safari, and these include a camera with extra batteries, extra lenses, a camera bag, binoculars to spot the different wildlife species in the national parks, sunscreen, insect repellent, snacks, a refillable water bottle and first aid kit among others.

Where to stay during the gorilla safari 

Bwindi: There are a lot of facilities within Bwindi that you can use, and these include Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Broadbill Tented Camp, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, clouds mountain gorilla lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Safari Lodge, karungi camp, Lake Mutanda Resort, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Trekkers Tavern cottages, Agandi Eco Lodge and Nshongi camp among others.

Mgahinga: Mgahinga is a small national park, and most of the accommodation facilities are found in the nearby towns of Kisoro. Some of the lodges that you can use for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga include Lake Mulehe Lodge, Gahinga Lodge, Mucha Hotel Kisoro, Amajambere Iwacu Community Lodge, and Lake Chahali Lodge, among others.

Getting close to the mountain gorillas is an experience like no other. Contact us to plan your safari today.