Is a Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda Part of your Uganda Tour Itinerary?
Thousands of travellers visit Uganda every year to enjoy short Uganda safaris and Long Uganda safaris with their friends, husbands, wives, and families depending on the time they have for their tour in Uganda.
One of the most popular and trending Uganda safari activities done by tourists on safaris in Uganda are the short gorilla safaris as well as long Uganda gorilla safaris.
There is no doubt that Uganda adventure safari holiday travellers have embarked on Africa safaris in Uganda just to have lifetime encounters with Uganda’s endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
What is Your Preferred Gorilla Safari Destination in Uganda?
Is it Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park? Thousands have embarked on Africa safaris to have lifetime encounters with Uganda’s endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
Prominent as Africa’s oldest rainforest, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda is characterized by rising ridges and valleys that act as home to the famous mountain gorillas that everyone overseas yearns to see.
At an elevation ranging from 1160 to 2600 meters above sea level Bwindi Impenetrable Park forest is blessed with half of the world’s remaining mountain Gorillas.
It has over 19 habituated gorilla families well distributed in its four regions, Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.
Spending one hour with these gentle apes is worth every penny paid to see them. Mountain gorillas in Bwindi are a must-see, well worth including on your bucket list.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park covers an area of about 33.7 km², and it is about 4 hours from Kigali. Mgahinga National Park is home to the Nyakagezi gorilla group that is open to tourists on gorilla tour in Uganda and is strategically situated in the extreme corner of the country, forming part of a large conservation area that straddles the borders of Rwanda and Congo.
What Your Experience Will Be Like?
Taking a 2-3 hours trek (minimum) up the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks’ bamboo forest, gives you an opportunity to encounter these gentle apes. Reaching the gorillas requires navigating uphill and downhill through thick tangles of vines, thorns, and roots.
As part of your adventure, in a group of 8, your walk experience will take you through the past shoulder-high grasses of the forest, characterized with stinging nettles, and night-black fur penetrating the vegetation.
It a nice experience provided you dress in the right clothes; how to dress for a gorilla trekking Uganda safari
There are no paths, no signs, no directions and no clearings. At the back and in the lead are your Uganda safari tour park ranger guides, accompanied with a Uganda tourism police officer to ensure your whole gorilla tour Uganda experience is safe.
These gorilla trekking Uganda tour rangers stalk nearer with machetes in hand to help them push aside bushes making it clear for you.
The walk is done at a minimal pace to keep you lively. Within no time, you will be at your assigned Uganda gorilla trekking safari mountain gorilla family.
This is the best opportunity to observe these gentle apes’ everyday interactions that behave just like humans.
Just like our families, a father is the family head. Similarly, you will encounter a silverback gorilla energetically watching over its family.
A silverbacks’ mass is amazing, yet his power food is just a diet of leaves.
This male leads a harem and their offsprings that normally converge around their boss to make a family.
Uganda safari tour tourists don’t always miss out capturing moments like this on camera. After a rush of snapshots, tourists get mesmerized by the wonder of being close to these gentle apes; mountain gorillas.
I had always wondered why tourists get excited after seeing these gorillas during their gorilla safaris Uganda, during their gorilla trek safaris Rwanda and during the gorilla tours in Congo.
Having experienced the excitement, perhaps it’s their similarity to us! Or maybe those familiar hands and the expressions!
Honestly, their humanlike expressions prompt you to anxiously keep your sight on them. I think the exact difference between their kind and ours is that they are in the wild!
Enjoy a descent slope down using the same trail to get back to your starting point so you catch up with your guide. Safaris in Uganda teach you survival skills as for this case you may require to grasp onto bamboo for balance.
Now that you have time, you will have a glance at some of the rare birds in a rain forest. For bird fanatics, this is the best chance to hit two birds with one stone.
A Uganda birding safari in the rain forest gives you chance to see up to 23 Albertine endemics such as the Short-tailed Warbler and Blue-headed Sunbird as well as seven IUCN red data listed species.
Most Bought Uganda Gorilla Safari Packages
- 3 days Gorilla trekking safari in Uganda
- 3 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari to Bwindi
- 3 Days Uganda Gorilla tour to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- 4 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari
- 5 Days Gorilla and Wildlife Safari in Uganda
- 6 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari
- 6 days Uganda Gorilla Tracking safari
- 8 Days Uganda safari tours
- 9 Days Uganda Safari
- 10 Days Uganda Gorillas Chimps Safari
- 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour
- 13 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari
Do You Have a Place to Stay?
If you are using Uganda Tour Operator, ensure they booked for you your Uganda safari accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or in Mgahinga.
One of the best places to stay in is at the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp.
Situated uniquely inside in the heart Bwindi Forest National Park Uganda, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp awaits your stay in one of its eight private luxury tents in the heart of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest during your Uganda tour.
Ecologically respectful, contemporary-yet-classic in style, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp blends in sensitively with the dramatic African mountain landscape and you are only minutes away from the start point of your Uganda gorilla trekking safari adventure.
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp’s has a communal area that stars a comfortable lounge for its visitors characterized by a well-stocked bar and elegant dining area, giving you great views of the luxuriant rainforest.
During the meal times, you will enjoy expertly prepared dishes with simple flavours and fresh local ingredients.
They serve traditional smoked beef in peanut sauce served with Kalo (millet bread). This is one of the best. Taste it!
A bar and dining cottage overlooks the rainforest, and a raised natural platform is built for open air-dining under the stars by the roaring campfire.
The bar and dining cottage overlooks the rainforest and a raised natural platform is built for open air-dining.
Accommodation
Beds are draped in neutral-toned linens, and local artefacts set a scene that ensures memorable moments both inside and out the accommodation.
Each tent has a spacious, stone-walled bathroom with private sections and a free-standing bath for a relaxing soak after a day’s trekking.
The trees around the camp light up in the morning when the sun starts shining, and thanks to there being so few tents, the camp retains an intimate, exclusive feel, enabling you to experience Africa’s magic with the lightest of footprints yet with practically every mod con.
Raised on wooden platforms, spacious, airy and beautifully designed, the sleeping tents possess a double or twin bed, a well-furnished veranda, plenty of room to change in and a separate bathroom.
Each tent bathroom contains a sink, flush toilet, shower and a standalone bath.
The tents have well-polished wooden floors, with locally sourced tables and seats. There clean looks and feel of the rooms gives you a homely and welcoming environment.
Mosquito nets are provided for each tent so no worries however; you should carry an insect repellant with you.
On the day for your Uganda gorilla tour…
Before you go for your Uganda Gorilla safari, you will be served with a full English and continental breakfast.
After breakfast, the camp will pack you delicious lunch including fresh fruit, sweet and spicy delights to take with you for your Uganda gorilla trek safari.
After your gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, grab your self-drinks under the stars by the roaring campfire as you discuss your amazing Uganda safari adventure.
Enjoy an à la carte meal served in the dining area overlooking the rainforest. You will dine at a silver service dinner with four to five courses each evening. One of the mains might even include black pepper beef with stir fry noodles.
Child Policy
The sanctuary welcomes children aged 6 years and over. Children aged 15 years and younger pay the child rate if they are sharing a room with 2 adults. The rest pay the same with adults.
Rates Include;
- All meals
- All drinks (excluding premium brands and champagne)
- Laundry
- Community walk
- Concession fees
Rates Exclude
- Premium alcoholic drinks and champagne
- Gorilla permits
- Transfers to and from airstrips
- Gratuities to driver/guides and staff
- All items of a personal nature, telephone calls and curio shop purchases
- Medical insurance
- Park fees
Uganda Safari Activities You Can Do While at The Lodge
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This is easier if you book through indigenous Uganda tour operators like Prime Safaris & Tours Ltd.
Gorillas are one of the wild animals however, they have been habituated to tolerate human presence.
Trekking through this dense forest with steep slopes means that you are required to be physically fit to enjoy the activity.
Enjoy The Batwa Experience
During your leisure time at the lodge, take time off and walk to the nearby communities with your Uganda tour guide and interact with the local Batwa People.
It can be a full day activity or just an hours activity depending on your choice. The visit includes music performance, visitation by the goddess, hunting and gathering demonstration and an opportunity to see how they live.
The Twa tribe who is also known as the Batwa are the oldest inhabitants of the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. They speak the same language as the Hutu and Tutsi groups of Rwanda.
Birding walks
Bwindi Forest boasts over 350 bird species, including 24 that are endemic to these highlands straddling Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo – the so-called the “Albertine Rift Endemics”.
For keen birders, we can arrange for you a Uganda bird watching safari adventure with an
Forest Walks
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a spectacular place to visit. In addition to the gorillas, Bwindi is also home to rare forest elephants, giant forest hogs and eleven kinds of primates, such as red-tailed and blue monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons and chimpanzees.
You can also find forest duiker antelopes, bushbuck antelopes and over 200 species of butterflies. We can offer a guided forest walk on the Munyaga waterfall trail.
This trail starts from the Park office and ends at the magnificent Munyaga waterfall. The walk to and from the waterfall takes about three hours and is a good way to practice or cool down a day before or after the gorilla trekking tour in Uganda.
You also have other opportunities trekking gorillas during your Africa wildlife safari in Rwanda and Congo.
When on a Rwanda safari, you can enjoy a Rwanda gorilla safari in Volcanoes National Park. When you choose to go on a Congo safari, engage in Congo gorilla trek safari in Virunga National Park Congo.
Short Gorilla Safaris in Uganda Rwanda and Congo
Uganda
- 3 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda
- 3 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari to Bwindi
- 3 Days Uganda Gorilla Tour to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Rwanda
- 1 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour
- 2 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda
- 3 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Rwanda
Congo
- 2 days Congo gorilla safari to Virunga National Park
- 3 days Gorilla Tour Trekking Tour in Congo – Short Congo gorilla Virunga
- 3 days Mountain Gorilla safari Virunga National Park Congo
Popular Days Tours in Uganda
- 1 day Kampala city tours
- 1 day Jinja city tours
- Ngamba Island day tour
- Sipi Falls day tour
- Lake Mburo day tour
Interested in other Uganda safari activities and Africa tour activities a side gorilla trekking safaris Uganda, below is a guide for you;
Uganda safari categories | Rwanda safari Categories | Congo safari categories |
· Uganda Gorilla safaris | · Rwanda Gorilla safaris | · Congo gorilla safaris |
Tanzania safari categories | Kenya safari categories | |
· Tanzania Wildlife safaris | · Kenya Wildlife safaris | |
Other Africa Safari Destinations | ||
· South Africa safaris | · Zimbabwe Safaris Tours | |
· Zambia Safaris Tours | · Madagascar Safari Tours | |
· Namibia Safaris Tours | · Ethiopia Safaris Tours | |
· Namibia Safaris Tours | · Egypt Safaris Tours | |
Combined East Africa Safaris | ||
· Uganda Rwanda safaris | · Uganda Tanzania safaris | · Kenya Uganda Tanzania safaris |
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