Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Where to Go Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

All of Uganda’s gorilla trekking takes place in the far south-west, in two national parks a short drive apart.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park holds the great majority of Uganda’s habituated gorilla families. The park is divided into four trekking sectors, each with its own trailhead, families and lodges. Your permit is issued for one sector, so choosing the sector is the first real decision of your trip.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest park, on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes where Uganda meets Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has a single habituated family, the Nyakagezi group, so daily permits are few and the atmosphere is very quiet. Mgahinga also offers golden monkey tracking and volcano hikes, which makes it a good base for two or three days. Our guide to Mgahinga vs Bwindi compares the two in detail.

Gorilla Permit Cost

Gorilla permits are sold by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the government body that manages the parks. At the time of writing a standard permit for foreign non-residents costs US$800 per person, and the gorilla habituation experience costs US$1,500. Foreign residents of Uganda and East African citizens pay lower rates. UWA reviews its prices periodically, so we always confirm the current rate in writing before you pay.

The permit covers your hour with the gorillas, the ranger and tracker team, and park entry for that day. It does not cover transport, accommodation, a porter or tips. Because the permit price is the same whoever you book with, the real differences between quotes come from lodges, vehicles and how the trip is organised — see our full gorilla permit cost guide and what a complete Uganda safari costs.

How to Book a Gorilla Permit

Each habituated family can be visited by a small group once a day, so the number of permits per sector is fixed and the most popular dates sell out. A permit is issued in your name, for a specific date and sector, and needs your passport details.

1. Fix your travel dates and decide roughly how many days you have — this tells you which sector makes sense for your route.
2. Check availability for your date and sector. We check this for you before quoting the rest of the trip.
3. Pay for the permit in full to secure it. Permits are booked through UWA directly or through a licensed operator.
4. Build the rest of the itinerary around the confirmed permit date.

For June to September and December to February, booking four to six months ahead is sensible; the habituation experience and Mgahinga need even more notice. Read how far in advance to book and the cancellation and refund rules before you pay.

Best Time to Go Gorilla Trekking

Trekking runs every day of the year. The two drier periods, roughly June to September and December to February, have firmer trails and are the most popular, so permits and lodges book up first. March to May and October to November are wetter: trails are muddier and steeper sections take longer, but sightings are just as likely, there are fewer visitors and some lodges offer lower rates. Bwindi is a rainforest, so rain can fall in any month. Our guide to the best time for gorilla trekking goes through the year month by month.

What Happens on a Gorilla Trekking Day

Early morning briefing. You report to your sector’s park office around 7:30am with your passport and permit. Rangers explain the rules, divide visitors into groups of up to eight and assign each group a family, taking fitness into account where they can.

The trek. Trackers set out at dawn from where the family nested the night before and radio its position to your ranger. Depending on how far the gorillas have moved, you may reach them in under an hour or walk for several hours on steep, muddy and sometimes unmarked forest slopes. Porters can be hired at the start to carry your bag and help on difficult ground.

The hour with the gorillas. Once you reach the family, you leave bags and sticks with the porters and approach with your ranger. For one hour you watch the silverback, mothers and young feeding, resting and playing, often at close range. When the hour is up you return the way you came, usually reaching the lodge by mid-afternoon. What the hour with the gorillas is like describes it in more detail.

Gorilla Trekking Rules

The rules exist to protect the gorillas, who can catch human illnesses, and to keep habituation working over the long term. Your ranger will remind you of them, and may end a visit early if they are broken.

• Keep at least 7 metres from the gorillas; if a gorilla approaches you, step back slowly as your ranger directs.
• Do not trek if you have a cold, flu or other infectious illness; tell the rangers and they will advise you.
• No flash photography, no eating or drinking near the gorillas, and keep voices low.
• Wear a face mask when asked, and turn away to cough or sneeze.
• Stay with your group and follow the ranger’s instructions at all times.

See gorilla trekking rules and etiquette and what to do if a silverback approaches.

How Fit Do You Need to Be?

You do not need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable walking for several hours on steep, slippery ground, sometimes at altitudes above 2,000 metres. Regular walking or hill hiking in the months before your trip makes a real difference. Nkuringo is the most demanding sector and Buhoma usually the gentlest, although every family moves and any trek can be long. Hiring a porter is strongly recommended for everyone: it makes the day easier and the fee is an important income for families living around the park.

The minimum age is 15, with no exceptions. There is no upper age limit, and travellers with limited mobility can arrange a sedan chair carried by a team of porters for an extra fee. Read how difficult gorilla trekking is, how to train for it and trekking with limited mobility.

What to Pack for Gorilla Trekking

• Broken-in waterproof hiking boots with good grip
• Long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt in muted colours, to protect against nettles and insects
• Gardening or cycling gloves for gripping vegetation
• A lightweight waterproof jacket, even in the dry season
• Gaiters or socks pulled over trouser legs to keep out mud and ants
• A small daypack with at least 1.5 litres of water and a packed lunch from your lodge
• Your passport and permit, insect repellent and a camera without flash

Walking sticks are handed out at the trailhead. Our gorilla trekking packing list covers every item and why it matters.

The Gorilla Habituation Experience

A small number of visitors each day can join the gorilla habituation experience in Rushaga instead of a standard trek. You spend up to four hours with a family that is still being habituated to people, alongside the researchers and trackers doing that work, in a smaller group than a standard trek. It is a longer, more demanding day and permits are much harder to get, but it suits photographers and anyone who wants more time with the gorillas. Compare the two in gorilla permit vs habituation permit, or read our full guide to the habituation experience.

Uganda or Rwanda for Gorilla Trekking?

Both countries offer the same core experience: a guided trek and one hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family. Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is closer to its capital, so the transfer is shorter, but its permit costs US$1,500. Uganda’s permit is about half that, Bwindi has more habituated families and four sectors to choose from, and gorilla trekking combines easily with chimpanzees and savannah parks in a single trip. If you are flying into Kigali, Bwindi’s southern sectors and Mgahinga are only a few hours’ drive from the Rwandan capital. See Uganda vs Rwanda for gorilla trekking and trekking from Kigali vs Entebbe.

How Gorilla Trekking Supports Conservation

Mountain gorillas were once on the brink of extinction. Decades of protection — ranger patrols, veterinary care and community programmes, largely funded by tourism — have allowed the population to grow, and in 2018 the species was moved from “critically endangered” to “endangered”. Part of every permit fee funds park management, and a share goes to communities living around the parks. Habituating a family takes around two years of daily contact, and the rules on distance and health keep that investment safe. Learn more in how Uganda protects its mountain gorillas.

Combining Gorilla Trekking With the Rest of Uganda

Most travellers combine a gorilla trek with chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and game drives and a boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our sample routes show how this fits together: a 3-day gorilla trip for the trek alone, the 7-day gorillas and big game safari for most first-time visitors, and the 10-day primates and savannah route if you have more time.