What do I do if I want to spend more hours with gorillas in Uganda?

Do you want to visit mountain gorillas in Uganda and wish to spend more time with the endangered primates in their natural habitat, unlike the maximum of one hour that was set? This is one of the most frequently asked questions by clients, and in this article, we are going to look at all the details on how you can do this so that you can choose what is best for you. Mountain gorilla tracking in Uganda is done in two destinations and these are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Over half of the remaining gorilla population in the world is found in Uganda making it the best trekking destination in the world.

Most Popular Safaris

8 day Uganda safari via Kigali

5 days gorillas and chimp safari

8 days gorilla tracking tour

19 day best of Uganda safari

15 days Uganda Rwanda safari

18 day Uganda Ultimate Safari

16 day primate game and culture

11 days gorilla tracking safari

5 days gorilla and Nile river source

17 day Uganda birding and wildlife

Uganda as a country has provided several options for tourists who want to spend more time with the mountain gorillas in Uganda and we shall be discussing this in this article. Trekking gorillas in Uganda is one of the best lifetime experiences and once you start booking and preparing for one, you should enjoy it to the maximum.  The different options that you can use to spend more time with the gorillas include the following:

Gorilla habituation in Uganda

Gorilla habituation in Uganda is carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and this refers to the process of researchers training the endangered gorillas so that they can live closer and get used to people as they keep on living or going on with their day-to-day lives. The only gorilla families that are open for trekking are those that have undergone the gorilla habituation process, and this takes about 2 to 3 years, depending on the gorilla family that is being habituated.

The habituation process starts with spending short periods with the gorillas per day while marinating a safe distance from the gorillas. With each passing month, the time spent studying the gorillas increases until the researchers are sure that the gorillas are ready for trekking by larger groups of tourists.

Even when gorillas are not ready or fully habituated, the gorilla habituation experience helps to ensure that they are more comfortable in the company of humans and by participating in the experience, you are contributing to the conservation and future survival of gorillas. You will also be one of the first people to meet the semi-habituated gorilla families before they are introduced to the public.

The time during habituation: unlike gorilla trekking, where you have an hour with the gorillas, four hours are used during the habituation exercise, ensuring the tourists have more time with the primates. After tracking and locating the semi-habituated gorillas, each group of four gets to spend four hours studying the gorillas as they about their day, feeding, grooming, caring and interacting with each other.

Where to go for habituation: Gorilla habituation in Bwindi is carried out in the Rushaga sector, and two families were set apart for this exercise and these are the Bushaho gorilla family and the Bukingyi gorilla family. With only four trekkers allowed per group, you are advised to at least book six months to the trek date mostly if you are planning on trekking during the dry season.

Gorilla habituation permit: The gorilla habituation permit is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the price is higher as compared to the normal gorilla trekking permit. The reason why it is more expensive is that there are only 8 gorilla habituation permits that are printed per day in Bwindi, and a maximum of four people track the gorillas per day. The cost of the habituation permit as of July 2024 is $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 for foreign residents, $1000 for African citizens and 750, 000 UGX for East African citizens.

Organize multiple gorilla treks

This is one of the ways in which you can spend more time with the gorillas in Uganda. There is no limit to purchasing gorilla permits in both Bwindi and Mgahinga for as long as you can afford them. The cost of the gorilla permit in Uganda is $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and 300 000UGX for East African citizens. Given the fact that with each permit you purchase, you have an hour with the Mountain gorillas, organizing multiple treks is the way to although it is quite expensive.

There are a few advantages of organizing multiple gorilla treks, and these are: you get to fully compare your time with one gorilla family to the next and fully understand their behavioural patterns, you get to explore the different Bwindi sectors, including Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo sectors. Each of these sectors has a number of habituated gorilla families and for proper organization, get in touch with us to help you organize multiple treks in Uganda to be able to spend more time with the gorillas.

The cons about organizing multiple gorilla treks in Uganda is that you might end up tracking gorillas in the same sector since sectors are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, especially during the dry/peak season, but you can try to request a different sector if you book well in advance.

Note that the trekking experience is different even though you are tracking through the same forest because gorilla families move from one area to the next and since it takes between 30 minutes to 6 hours before locating the gorillas, it might not be possible to trek two gorilla families per day because you might be worn out from exhaustion.

The only way you get to enjoy a multiple gorilla trek safari is if you plan the multiple treks on days apart to get the best experience from the gorilla trekking exercise and for our physical and mental health.

Gorilla trekking rules and regulations

Gorilla trekking is a well-organized and thought-through safari activity, and several rules are followed by visitors during the trek and when with the gorillas. These same rules apply to gorilla habituation and they include the following:

During the trek

• Make sure that your hands are washed and clean before the start of the trek
• A maximum of 8 for gorilla trekking and 4 for gorilla habituation may trek the habituated gorilla families per day. This is to help reduce the exposure of humans to gorilla diseases.
• If you are feeling sick and have a contagious disease, you will not be allowed to trek the gorillas and it is safe if you volunteer not to trek
• Keep your voice during the trek to maximize your time in the forest, which has many wildlife species.
• The guides will take you where they left the gorillas the previous day and from here, you will start following the trail in search of the gorillas and try to look out for the gorilla nests in your way.

With the gorillas

• You can ask your guide a question if you have one but keep low tones
• Keep a maximum distance of 7 meters from the gorillas for the safety of the gorillas
• You are prohibited from touching and feeding the gorillas
• Do not eat or drink when near the gorillas
• Taking flash photography has been prohibited
•  You have a maximum of an hour after locating the gorillas
• When you have to use the toilet when in the forest, ask a guide to help you dig a 30cm hole  and cover it up yourself after you are through with your business
• Never leave rubbish in the national park.

By purchasing a gorilla trekking permit and following all the gorilla trekking rules, you are contributing greatly to the conservation of the gorillas and their natural habitat.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is one of the most participated and appealing safari activities in the world, and many tourists from all over the world travel to Uganda just to come and enjoy trekking the primates throughout the year. Mountain gorilla trekking involves walking through the forests with an experienced guide searching for the allocated habituated gorilla family and after finding them, you spend the next one hour learning more about the giant primates.

The first step in organizing a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda is to get in touch with a tour operator like Encounter safarSafarisrovide more information about the trek and then process the trekking permit before you start planning and thinking about other services like accommodation and other safari activities and transport among others.

How to get/purchase gorilla trekking permits                                                             

A gorilla trekking permit in Uganda can easily be purchased through a trusted operator and in advance to get better deals. After contacting your tour operator about your interest in trekking gorillas in Uganda, a travel advisor will reach out to you and ask for details like full names, a copy of your passport especially the bio bio-data, the number of permits to be purchased and the dates for trekking. After this information has been provided, we check for the availability of the permits on the dates you have provided, and, in case they are available, we get in touch, and payments need to be made before the purchases are made.

When the permits are not available, we advise and get in touch with you with the available dates so that you can easily make a decision. After we receive payment, we proceed to make the purchases on your behalf and send a copy for proof of purchase. You need to keep this copy with you at all times so and come with it on your safari. Gorilla permits in Uganda are in demand, and since it is first on a first-come, first-serve, they need to be booked in advance to have a fun-filled safari experience.

What to bring for your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda

To be able to have the best gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, there are essential items that need to be packed to have the best experience and we have the best list of essentials for your safari. The clothes packed should be of neutral colour because there are colours that should be avoided, like blue, which attracts tsetse flies, bright colors that are not good for blending in and black, which absorbs heat. Meals are provided throughout the safari but you can still carry your favorite snacks if possible.

• Long-sleeved shirts are a necessity to keep you warm during the morning and late evenings, protect your skin from bug bites and sun protection at the same time.
• Lightweight trousers are important to keep scratches off your skin and protection from bites
• Waterproof rain jacket to keep dry through the trek during a gorilla trek
• Ponchos and sweaters or your preference to keep warm during the cold weather
• Socks to keep warm and to keep crawling insects from your trousers
• Gaiters to keep the dust and mud off your trousers
• Strong and comfortable hiking boots to use during the trek. If possible, get waterproof ankle-length boots.
• Camera and this should come with extra lenses, memory cards and extra batteries
• A pair of binoculars
• Gardening gloves. Hiking through the forest is not for the weak and you need to be ready to protect all parts of your body including your hands from scratches and blisters.
• Waterproof backpack to help you carry your day-to-day safari essential items, and these include insect repellent, refillable water bottles, sunscreen, snacks, personal first aid kit, toiletries and other personal items.

Spending more hours with the gorillas in Uganda is possible but you need to properly plan for the safari. In conclusion, you can start by purchasing a gorilla habituation permit to spend four hours with the primates, and if this fails, you can try to purchase more than one permit for different days to easily recuperate before embarking on multiple gorilla treks.

Get in touch with us for more information about gorilla trekking in Uganda and what to do if you wish to spend more hours with the primates. Let us help you plan your gorilla trekking to Uganda and Rwanda by contacting us through email and our trip advisor will be ready to help you with your desired itinerary.