Bwindi Gorilla Trekking from Kigali

Uganda gorilla trekking from Kigali is a short trip with a simple flow. You land in Kigali, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, trek to a habituated gorilla family and drive back to Kigali for your flight. Bwindi and Mgahinga are in southwestern Uganda, 3 to 4 hours' drive from Kigali through the Katuna or Cyanika border.

By comparison, a drive from Entebbe to Bwindi or Mgahinga takes up to 8 hours, and a drive from Kampala takes 8 to 10 hours. This is why many travelers choose Kigali as the arrival point for gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Kigali to Bwindi gorilla trekking: a typical 3 day plan

• Day 1: Arrive in Kigali and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
• Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi, with one hour with a habituated gorilla family.
• Day 3: Drive back to Kigali in time for your connecting flight.

See the full 3 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali itinerary, or choose the gorilla habituation experience from Kigali for up to four hours with the gorillas.

Currently, there exist only 1063 mountain gorillas on earth. They are listed among the endangered species and their survival in the wild is still threatened. Scientifically, they are best referred to as Gorilla beringei beringei and they are generally well built with muscular bodies. Males weigh up to 390 pounds while females weigh 250 pounds. They live in groups or families comprising of 3 to 30 mountain gorillas. In every gorilla family, there is a dominant adult male also referred to as silverback gorilla. Female mountain gorillas have the same gestation period (8.5 months) just like humans. An adult male gorilla is stronger than man about 18 times. They are muscular but shy unless irritated, they can charge against you.

One habituated gorilla family group is limited to only 8 visitors each day. The park guides are available to accompany visitors on a trek to see these rare apes. In Uganda, there are 21 habituated gorilla families and these exist in Bwindi (20) and only 1 is in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Yes, tracking mountain gorillas in Uganda is safe! All treks to see these apes are conducted within the already habituated gorilla families and because they undergo habituation, it means they are used to human presence. On actual gorilla trek, tourists are led by experienced and armed park guides.

What is the difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla tracking?

Gorilla trekking is activity involving visitors navigating through the jungles to view mountain gorillas. A valid gorilla permit is required if you are to participate in this primate adventure. Visitors can spend from 2 to 6 hours trekking to see gorillas depending on someone’s physical fitness level. During gorilla trekking, visitors follow an assigned group of gorillas with a dedicated park guide in the lead.

Gorilla tracking is a term that denotes monitoring method in which tourists search for a particular gorilla group already habituated. What makes it different from gorilla trekking is that it is normally completed by park rangers or advanced organization with aid of different methods to help locate where gorillas can be and when they are found, what follows is trekking.

What are the chances of viewing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat?

There are higher chances of viewing massive mountain gorillas in their habitat. Tourists have about 99% chance of enjoying great sight of these large apes in the wild. The trekking process has been eased since trackers are sent in advance to find where a gorilla family is before tourists are finally set off to trek.

Why are mountain gorilla permits expensive?

Yes, gorilla permits are costly but an hour with mountain gorillas is priceless! The charge for permits is expensive because a portion of the fees collected goes to aid conservation activities, paying park rangers, facilitating gorilla doctors’ work who ensure the perfect health of these amazing apes, as well as empowering the neighboring local communities. In Uganda, a gorilla permit costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and UGX 300,000 for East African citizens.

Where Bwindi is

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is shared among three districts: Kanungu, Rubanda and Kisoro, in the southwestern corner of Uganda. It is reachable within 3 to 4 hours' drive from Kigali, or 8 to 10 hours from Kampala. The park covers 331 sq. kms, largely of dense rain-forest. It has 4 mountain gorilla trekking sectors: Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija.

Gorilla families in Bwindi

Bwindi has the largest number of habituated gorilla families, about 20, and they can be trekked in any of the park's 4 sectors. The gorilla groups to track include Kutu, Rwingi, Katwe, Mubare, Christmas, Oruzongo, Mukiza, Kyaguriro, Bitukura, Mucunguzi, Kahungye, Busingye, Habinyanja, Rushegura, Bweza, Mishaya, Nshongi, Bikingi, Bushaho and Nkuringo. Each of them is trekked by only 8 visitors per day.

Best time for Bwindi gorilla trekking

Bwindi is open to tourists all year round. The dry season, from June to September and December to February, is the best time to trek gorillas. There is less or no rainfall, and the trails are drier and easier to navigate. The wet months are March to May and October to November. The trails and steep slopes become muddy and slippery, but plenty of food is available for the gorillas to feed on.

At the start at each gorilla trekking day, travelers are introduced to the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. This is during the pre-gorilla trekking briefing which takes place at the headquarters of the respective gorilla national parks. The rules and regulations of gorilla trekking have been put by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Also known as dos and don’ts, gorilla trekking rules have been put to ensure safety of the endangered gorillas and travelers themselves. Gorilla watching is the most done travel activity in Africa which attracts huge volumes of travelers to Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

Travelers are warned to follow these rules to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable gorilla trek. Mountain gorillas are endangered species which share over 99% of human genes making them susceptible to human communicable illnesses. Some of the rules apply before meeting gorillas while others apply when with the gorillas. The rules and regulations of gorilla trekking in Africa include among others:

Before meeting the gorillas

• Do not trek the endangered mountain gorillas when sick. Any traveler showing any signs of cold, flu or infection will not be allowed to visit the endangered gorillas. Mountain gorillas are susceptible to human illnesses.
• Carry your gorilla permit and other travel documents for verification
• Travelers aged below 15 years are not allowed to visit the gorillas (Trekking gorillas is a strenuous adventure which may be hard for the children)
• Only eight travelers are allowed to visit one gorilla family
• In gorilla habituation experience, only four people are allowed to visit a gorilla family
• Keep within your group (do not move alone in the jungle)
• Human waste especially feces should be buried at least 30cm (12 ft) deep
• Do not litter in the park
• Follow the guide of the park ranger. Pay attention to his/her instructions when in the jungle

When with the gorillas

• Keep a distance of seven meters away from the endangered mountain gorillas. This limits the spread of human diseases to the gorillas
• do not look direct into the eyes of the endangered gorillas. Direct eye contact with the gorillas is irritating to the endangered species
• do not use flash light cameras. Remember to switch off your flash light before taking any pictures. Torching in the eyes of the gorillas is highly discouraged
• Keep your voices low when with the gorillas. These endangered species enjoy a quiet environment.
• Do not smoke in presence of the endangered mountain gorillas
• Do not eat when with the gorillas
• Do not drink when with the endangered mountain gorillas
• Spend strictly an hour with the gorillas. 1 hour with gorillas is counted from the time travelers set their eyes on the gorillas. You can however spend several hours in the jungle before meeting the endangered gorillas
• Turn back your face when sneezing or coughing to avoid direct transmission of germs to the endangered gorillas
• Do not touch the baby gorillas
• If a silverback gorilla charges at you, keep calm, step back and play it cool. Running away or charging back at the silverback gorilla will make the beast wilder and may cause irreversible harm.

Other rules and regulations that govern Africa’s National parks

In addition to gorilla dos and don’ts, check other rules in other national parks and protected areas in African parks. This applies to travelers who want to combine gorilla trekking with other wildlife experiences especially game viewing. These include:

• Do not drive off the designated tracks. Off track driving in the savannah parks of Uganda is punishable.
• Camping is not allowed in the park except at designated sites.
• Motor horns and other loud sounds are not allowed in national parks.
• Dogs, cats and other pets are not allowed in the national parks.
• Do not bring ammunitions and firearms in the park. It’s only rangers that are allowed to carry guns in the park. The guns are not for shooting but rather scaring wild animals in case of any attack.
• Keep your entrance receipts safely. You will be asked for verification from time to time.
• Do not drive beyond 40 kilometers per hour while in the park. Over speeding is highly discouraged and punishable.

What does gorilla habituation mean?

Gorilla habituation experience is a general term that means a process in which gorillas are made to get used to human presence. The process usually takes 2 years more or less depending on how fast they can get accustomed to human being before they are opened up for gorilla trekking. While on a gorilla trip, there is possibility to participate in mountain gorilla habituation experience and this is provided for only in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The activity attracts mostly scientists, conservationists, researchers and trackers.

This exceptional experimental training or taming of wild mountain gorillas is meant to make them familiar and comfortable with human beings around them. Gorilla habituation experience is a first step all gorillas go through before they are declared free and open for travelers to trek. The experience gives travelers a chance to take part in training gorillas unlike in trekking where a traveler just watches from a distance. Travelers hike along with a team of conservationists, gorilla doctors, researchers and armed park rangers to meet the wild gorillas.

The team imitates gorilla activities such as eating vegetation, walking on arms and climbing trees which make it more fun and enjoyable. Within the 2 to 3 years, the team responsible for gorilla habituation must visit the gorilla family undergoing habituation everyday with or without travelers.

Where to do gorilla habituation experience?

The experimental experience is only done in Rushaga sector, south of Bwindi impenetrable National park. Every traveler who therefore wants to take part in this magical experience must visit Rushaga sector in south eastern Uganda. Apparently, 2 gorilla families (Bushaho and Bikingi) are undergoing habituation and will be opened soon for trekking.

The already habituated gorilla families in Rushaga sector include Mishaya family, Kahungye group, Busingye family, Bweza family and Nshongi gorilla group. Rushaga sector is home to the highest number of habituated gorilla families hence the best place for gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Cost of Gorilla Habituation Experience?

Each traveler intending to take part in gorilla habituation experience is required to have a permit. A single gorilla habituation experience permit costs $1,800 for foreign non-residents, $1,600 for foreign residents and UGX 750,000 for Ugandans and East African residents. This cost is far higher than the normal gorilla trekking permit, which costs $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and UGX 300,000 for East African citizens. However, the $1,800 for a gorilla habituation experience is surely worth it.

How many people are allowed during Gorilla Habituation Experience?

Each day, only four people are allowed to visit one gorilla family undergoing habituation experience unlike in gorilla trekking where a single gorilla family is visited by 8 people a day. This guarantee availability of 8 gorilla habituation permits issued everyday on first come, first served basis.

Allowed time for gorilla habituation experience

Mountain gorilla habituation experience allows a traveler to spend up to four hours with the endangered gorillas unlike gorilla trekking where travelers only spend an hour with the gorillas. This gives them extended time to learn, train and observe the social characters of gorillas in their families. However, travelers can spend over 8 hours in the jungle. The four hours are counted from the time travelers sset their eyes on the endangered gorillas.

When and how to book for a gorilla habituation permit in Uganda?

6 months before the habituation experience day is the ideal time for booking a gorilla habituation experience permit. This is due to the high demand and low supply of habituation permits in Uganda. Travelers intending to do this memorable experience are therefore advised to book in advance to avoid last minute disappointments. Regarding how to book a gorilla habituation experience, you can directly contact Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), a government body responsible for wildlife / mountain gorilla conservation, trekking and habituation in Uganda. Alternatively, you can book through any trusted travel operator offering gorilla habituation packages to Bwindi Forest.

Best time for gorilla habituation experience

Dry season from June to October and December to February is regarded as the best time to do gorilla habituation experience. This season is normally dry with less or no rain at all. This eases movements through the jungle forests of Bwindi with thick bushes and wet grounds. Also, the dry season is best for photography. However, gorilla habituation experience can be done throughout the year. Wet season in March, April, May, October and November normally attracts discounted offers from service providers especially lodges and hotels.

What to pack for gorilla habituation experience?

Spending over half a day in the jungle forest is not a joke! You ought to pack the basics to ensure an enjoyable and less stressing gorilla habituation experience. Your packing list for habituation experience should include hiking boots/shoes, gardening gloves, long pants, long sleeved shirts / blouses, sun glass, hat, rain jacket and insect repellants. Also, remember to pack enough drinking water and energy giving snacks to keep you strong throughout. A porter and walking stick are also highly recommended for everyone coming for a gorilla habituation experience.

Gorilla habituation add-ons!

The other travel activities you can add on your habituation experience include gorilla trekking, nature walks, bird watching and community tours. These together make a complete Uganda safari package to Bwindi impenetrable National park. Gorilla habituation experience is a lifetime experience worth doing. Book now, spend extended time with the endangered gorillas and enjoy this magical encounter!