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Gorilla Trekking In Uganda, Everything You Need To Know.

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For an animal lover, there is nothing quite like seeing a species in their natural habitat. Being able to see Mountain Gorillas in the wild was one of the best things I’ve ever done. For years my friend Bianca and I have dreamt of doing this and finally, the time was right & the funds were there. So we headed off to Rwanda and Uganda. In this guide, I will go through everything you need to know so you can start planning when you’ll be gorilla trekking. 

Out of all my wild animal encounters, nothing has been as special as trekking to see Mountain Gorillas. This isn’t something you can do every day; it’s expensive & challenging but also very unique. Mountain Gorillas aren’t found in captivity anywhere in the world (the Gorillas you would have seen are Lowland Gorillas). They’re only found in this small pocket of the world, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We did our gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. 

I think anyone who loves animals needs to experience this, it was just incredible. I’ll run through everything and feel free to contact me if I can help in any other way. 

Gorilla Trekking Itinerary: 

We started in Kigali, Rwanda, and from there, our driver William picked us up and we drove to the Cyanika Rwanda/Uganda border crossing. The process of crossing the border was easy. William told us where to go and it took about 25 minutes. 

We spent 2 nights at Bwindi Jungle Lodge and did 2 full days Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park. 

After our second day trekking, we headed back to Rwanda and spent one night at Gorilla Solutions Lodge. The next morning we visited Volcanoes National Park to see the Golden Monkeys before driving back to Kigali. 

We booked this trip through Gorilla Trek Africa, who I highly recommend. (I’ll get into more booking details below).

How the Gorilla tracking works:

In Bwindi NP there are 14 habituated gorilla families (meaning they aren’t new to human presence but are still wild). Every day each family will have two trackers, employed by the park, who follow them until late evening when they start to set up their nest for the night. Gorillas sleep in a different location each night. So the next morning the trackers will go back to the same spot and if the family had moved on, the trackers will follow their path from the nest. Looking for poo or a path of broken trees and pulled down branches. There aren’t any tracking devices on the Gorillas. 

Each morning we’d start at the park headquarters for a briefing. Then we’d be split into groups with other tourists and three guides.

No group could have more than 8 tourists and once we found the Gorilla family you’re permitted to stay with them for 1 hour. This would mean that it would only ever be a maximum of one hour per day that a family could only be exposed to tourists. And, we were told that in low season it’s likely a family may only see tourists a couple of times a week.

Before I left home and told people what I was doing, some asked if I was scared, haha not at all. But some might be happy to know that along with the group there’s a guide who carries an AK47. Now, they don’t hold these with any intention to shoot the animal. They hold one in case an animal was to charge (they’re actually more worried about wild elephants opposed the Gorillas). And, then they’d fire the gun into the air as a scare tactic.

Once everyone has been split into groups, we’d head off into the national park. Our guide would have radio contact with the trackers and they’d advise them on what direction to start walking. It was so exciting when we caught up to the trackers because then we knew the Gorillas were really close. At this point, we’d put down our walking poles & any other belongings, and proceeded to the gorillas.

It’s required we stay at least 7m away from the Gorillas but they could always come to us.

1 hour with the mountain gorillas:

One hour definitely isn’t long enough. I could have sat there all day! But I’m certainly happy that they do put a time limit on this. We were extremely lucky to have any time with them and I’m so happy that no one is able to take advantage of this experience. 

I thought when I’d first see them I’d start to cry but I was just too excited. On our first day, we’d been walking for around 3 hours by the time we saw the gorillas. So I just couldn’t believe we’d finally found them and were able to get so close.

Each day we were lucky enough to see the whole family, babies through to giant silverbacks.

Both our day’s gorillas trekking were amazing but the second one was definitely the best. They were closer together and we got to see them interacting with each other; it was so cute. We had little babies doing flips in the trees above us and at one point Bianca even had an adolescent push past her leg to climb up the tree next to her.

I felt so comfortable being close to them, I can see why Dian Fossey never wanted to leave.

It’s cute because the Gorillas knew we were there but didn’t seem bothered at all and no one was stopping them from leaving. Sometimes I think they’d have fun with it, they’d look over at you, you’d get your camera ready, then they’d just decide to turn around. 

Surprisedly we didn’t meet anyone else who had booked more than 1 day of Gorilla trekking, people wondered why we did. I figured if I’m going all that way and spending all that money, I may as well do it well. I’d highly recommend booking two days of trekking. It obviously bumps the price up but I promise it’s worth it. Each day you’ll track a different family and in a different area so no day is ever the same. Imagine if you got all the way there and it rained the whole trek so the Gorillas spent most of the hour hiding under bushes? 

Do you need to be an athlete for gorilla trekking?

No, but you do need to have some kind of fitness and definitely the right mind-set. Your hike will depend on where the gorillas are; you could be walking for 40mins or 8 hours. Also, it’s not always strolling along a path! You could be climbing through bushes or using vines to help you up and down steep hills. It gets very rugged. 

But don’t let this deter you, it’s so fun & not your average hike. I felt like I was in the Jungle Book.

At the start of the day, you’ll have the option to hire a porter, for the cost of 15USD (plus tip if you choose). I’d highly recommend this and don’t look at this as being too lazy to carry your own bag. Firstly you’re helping the local community, these are generally unskilled workers and by you hiring them they’re able to provide for their family. Secondly, they’re so helpful! Not only will someone carry your bag, but they are also there to assist you when walking over slippery streams or climbing over a fallen tree.

What should you wear for gorilla trekking?

I think Bianca and I were the only ones who didn’t look like we’d just stepped out of the Kathmandu store. 

The main thing is that you’re comfortable, well covered, and wearing dark or neutral-colored clothes. I wore full length (activewear type) pants and to avoid having my ankles bitten by fire ants I pulled my socks over my pants. It’s definitely not a fashion show out there. Most people wore Gaiters over their shoes but I survived fine without them.

I’d definitely recommend taking a waterproof jacket, there’s always a chance it could start pouring in the jungle and there’s nowhere to hide from it. Most importantly you’ll need comfortable and very supportive shoes. The jungle floor can be very uneven.

While I was packing for this trip I’d read that a lot of people suggested wearing gardening gloves. I didn’t take any but I can see why these would be helpful. At times you are relying on prickly branches or vines to get yourself up or keep you balanced. There were a few times I’d just have to pull my sleeves down to protect my hands. At the beginning of each day, the guides provided us all with walking sticks and these are very helpful. 

A large silver back sitting in the jungle.
A adult mountain gorilla is eating and surrounded by plants.
A small mountain gorilla climbing up a tree in the Ugandan jungle.
Elyse trekking through the jungle in Uganda, the plants are all very green and two locals guides lead her way.
Through the green plants in the jungle is a silver back who is looking away from the camera.
Climbing up a tree in a medium sized primate, in the thick jungle in Uganda.
An adolescent mountain gorilla in the jungle leaning up against a tree

Booking details:

We booked this adventure through Gorilla Trek Africa. Bianca and I did a lot of research & emailed a few different companies. But found Gorilla Trek Africa suited our needs and budget the most. We did all the organizing via email with Nelson and he was very quick to reply and answered all our questions. They also had a lot of great reviews on trip advisor. 

This wasn’t a group tour; we had a private car and the same driver throughout. It was only when we were actually gorilla trekking that we were with a group.

I highly recommend this company, the service was excellent. If you book with them, ask for William to be your driver, he was awesome and very knowledgeable. 

There’s a limited number of permits sold for each day so if you’re going in high season or your dates aren’t flexible, I’d recommend booking at least a few months in advance. We went in February and had it booked by September the year before. Gorilla trekking, in general, is an expensive trip, but I believe it’s worth every cent. 

The current permit prices for foreigners are (these can change at any time), per person/per day:

Uganda $600 USD // Rwanda $1,500 USD // Congo $400 USD (you can also see Lowland Gorillas in the Congo). 

Originally we had planned to trek in Rwanda because generally speaking Volcanoes National Park is less physically demanding and not as far away from a major city. But after the Rwanda government upped the permit price to $1,500 we took the option to travel a few more hours to Bwindi NP. I have no regrets as Uganda was an absolute delight. One thing I would change if I had my time over, I would’ve booked a rest day in between the two treks. Gorilla trekking is a long day and we were so tired each evening. It would’ve been awesome to just hang out in our lodge for a day in between. Bwindi Jungle Lodge is also in such a beautiful spot, located on Lake Mulehe.

We did get to visit Volcanoes NP on our last day. We were there to see the Golden Monkeys; the walk was about 20-30 minutes before we saw them. They were super cute but didn’t really compare with our previous two days with the mountain gorillas. 

And the total price was:

The total cost for this trip was $4,400USD for two people, 4 days / 3 nights and covered absolutely everything except alcohol. Once you remove the permit prices it wasn’t that much. We had a private driver and booked mid-range accommodation which was beautiful, with the most amazing service. The staff would even clean our shoes each night and we’d have a hot water bottle waiting for us when we climbed into bed.

One other thing I should mention, our lodge in Uganda (Bwindi Jungle Lodge) was about one and a half hour’s drive to the national park meeting point. We felt exhausted after the first day of trekking and it had just rained so we were soaking, the long drive back was a killer! Then on the second day, we were dry and not as tired so I really enjoyed the drive and the beautiful scenery. There are accommodation options closer to the park if this isn’t your thing.

**Side note**

Rwanda and Uganda both have Yellow Fever zones. So being vaccinated against this is advisable and you should carry a copy of your Vaccination Certificate. This is really important because depending on what country you’re flying to next, they could refuse your entry if you aren’t holding this certificate.

Is gorilla trekking ethical:

Some people may not agree with visiting animals in their natural habitat. I believe that if, and only if, it’s done the right way it’s acceptable. I do strongly believe this is ethical! You’re given limited time with the Gorillas and we found them to be very strict on this. At no point did anyone restrict the movement or direction of the Gorillas to benefit us and the guides did monitor how close people got to them and ensured we always kept our voices low. 

Also, all this money we are spending on permits is doing a lot of good. A percentage goes to the communities who live around the national parks and also the park employee a lot of locals to protect the area, especially against poachers.

All the hard work by Uganda, Rwanda, and the Congo is paying off because in 2018 they conducted a Mountain Gorilla census. They do a census every 5 years and they found there are now 1063 mountain gorillas in the world.

It’s amazing to hear that the numbers are going up, at one point these beautiful animals were on the brink of extinction. 

When you’re going to see the Gorillas make sure leading up to your trip you stay as healthy as possible. We share 98% of the same DNA and it’s possible for us to transmit diseases to the gorillas. If you have the slightest cold you’ll be unable to enter the national park. And, if you choose to lie and head into the jungle with the sickness, apart from the fact you’d be a bit of an asshole. When the guides notice you’re unwell they have the right to remove you and you won’t receive any refund on your permit. If you advise them prior you’ll receive a 50% refund of your permit price. 

Before leaving for this trip I thought about these days so much in my head and I feel it was as good as I expected. I definitely recommend doing at least 2 days as each encounter is different. 

It was such a special experience and something I’m so thankful for.

Gorillas such beautiful and peaceful animals, happily going about their day. I can’t imagine how anyone would want to hurt them, but it’s wonderful to see that good has overcome bad and their numbers are dramatically increasing. 

While I was in Africa I also visited parts of Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Click the title to read those travel guides. 

If you have also been gorilla trekking, I would love to hear about your experience below. 

Thanks for reading, 

Happy Travels.

A gorilla up a tree in the jungle.
Elyse and Bianca standing with their three African tour guides, a female guide is holding a large riffle.
A small golden monkey sits in the ground eating food.
Golden Monkey in Volcanoes National Park

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This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. Sue

    Absolutely amazing! This has been on my bucket list for so many years! I couldn’t believe it when you told me you had just come back from doing it! I really, really want to do it for my 50th in 2 years! Such great information…Thankyou!!! 🦍❤️

  2. Debbie Leine

    Fantastic Elyse. Very informative. It’s now on my bucket list.

  3. Joanne Graves

    Thank you so much for your informative article. My husband and I are going to Bwindi in October and it has been on my bucket list for years. I can’t believe we are finally going to see the Gorillas!!! Reading your article makes me even more excited about our trip. Thanks also for your advice on clothing etc, and using a porter.

    1. aworldtolive

      Thank you so much and I’m so excited for you both. I hope you have the most magical encounter.

  4. Jane

    Hi Elyse, I forgot to ask if you went to Bwindi NP for both treks or did you go to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park as well?

    1. aworldtolive

      Hey Jane, yeah we went to Bwindi both days, but we did hike in different sections each day and the terrain was quite different.

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