Reasons to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda
You can go gorilla trekking in Uganda to see mountain gorillas. This is the most popular thing to do in Uganda, and it involves walking through the tropical rainforest to find the gorillas and spending an hour with them in their natural environment. Uganda has two national parks where you can find mountain gorillas. The largest group of gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and the other group lives in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Both parks are in the southwest of Uganda. In Rwanda, gorillas can be found in Volcanoes National Park. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they can be found in Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park.
Trekking with gorillas in Uganda
Early in the morning, people who want to go gorilla climbing in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are told about the rules, laws, and what to expect at the park offices. Once the training is over, you will be split into eight-person groups and given a familiar gorilla family to walk with along with an experienced park guide. It takes between 2 and 7 hours to trek with mountain gorillas in Uganda, based on where the gorillas are. This is because they like to move around in search of food. Whilst trekking, you can see a variety of animals. When you find the gorillas, you will have an hour to spend with them in their natural habitat, where you can watch them do their daily tasks, learn more about how they behave, take pictures and videos, and exchange ideas.
How much a gorilla hiking pass costs in Uganda
In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, passes to go hiking with gorillas cost 700 USD per person who is not from Uganda and 600 USD per person who is from Uganda. East African citizens pay 250,000 UGX per person.
How do I get a pass to go gorilla hiking in Uganda?
To get a gorilla hiking pass in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, you can book directly with a reputable tour company like Maseke Adventure Co.Ltd. Just let us know the date, month, and year you want to visit and which gorilla park you want to visit. We’ll check to see if the permit you want is still available after you call us. If it is, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. We will be able to buy the permits on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the ticket as proof once the payment has been made.
Why you should go on a mountain gorilla trek in Uganda
Trekking with mountain gorillas is a unique and must-do experience in Uganda. There are many reasons to walk with mountain gorillas, such as
Uganda is home to more mountain gorillas than any other country in the world. You can see them in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s four sectors: Buhoma Sector in the north, Rushaga Sector in the south, Ruhija Sector in the east, and Nkuringo Sector in the south. This means that tourists can choose to trek in either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Uganda also has the most mountain gorilla families that can be trekked every day. This means that travelers, even those who book at the last minute, will be able to get gorilla trekking passes.
Why you should go on a mountain gorilla trek in Uganda
Going on a gorilla trek in Bwindi
It is cheaper to go hiking with mountain gorillas in Uganda than in Volcanoes National Park, where the permit costs 1,500 USD per person for all countries. In Uganda, the permit costs 700 USD per person for foreign non-residents.
Besides gorilla trekking, Uganda also has the exciting gorilla habituation experience, in which wild mountain gorillas are trained to get used to people before trekking. People who do the habituation experience will get to spend four hours with the mountain gorillas, while gorilla trekking only lets you spend one hour with them.
Another reason to go on a mountain gorilla trek in Uganda is that it is easy to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park by plane. Regular domestic flights leave from Entebbe International Airport and land at Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips.
It’s also easy to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park from Kigali, Rwanda. Tourists can fly to Kigali International Airport and then drive across the Cyanika Border in Kisoro or the Katuna Border in Kabale, which takes about 4 to 5 hours.
Uganda offers more than just gorilla trekking. You can combine your gorilla trekking adventure with other trips to other places in Uganda, and after your gorilla trekking adventure, you can do a lot of fun things, such as a batwa cultural experience, guided nature walks, wildlife viewing, chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey trekking, mountain climbing, lion tracking, a boat cruise, white water rafting, sport fishing, etc.
When in Uganda is the best time to go on a gorilla hiking safari?
You can go gorilla trekking in Uganda at any time of the year, but the best time is during the dry season, which is from June to September and December to February. This is because there is less rain in the park during these months, so the access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be clear, making trekking easier than during the rainy season, when the trails are muddy and slippery, making trekking harder.
What should I bring on a tour in Uganda to see gorillas?
On your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, you should bring a lot of things, like bug spray, long-sleeved shirts and pants, hiking shoes, garden gloves, energy snacks and water, a camera and extra batteries, face masks, a waterproof rain jacket, a warm sweater, binoculars, a walking stick, a backpack, and so on.
You have to go gorilla trekking in Uganda. If you want to know more about why you should go gorilla trekking, please contact us at Maseke Adventure Co.Ltd or check out our website for cheap gorilla trekking deals.
