Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

The Gorilla Trekking Experience

In Uganda, visitors can choose between two unique gorilla tour experiences. The most popular option is the regular guided gorilla trekking excursion, which allows visitors to spend an hour with a fully human-habituated gorilla troop. The alternative is the Gorilla Habituation Experience, which allows visitors to spend at least four hours with a semi-habituated (wild) gorilla group in the company of researchers and rangers. Both options require booking a permit, which includes tracking and guide services and payment is usually made in cash.

To participate in either the regular guided gorilla trekking excursion or the Gorilla Habituation Experience, visitors must obtain a permit which includes tracking and guide services. The regular trekking option allows visitors to spend one hour with a fully human-habituated gorilla troop, while the Gorilla Habituation Experience provides the opportunity to spend at least four hours with a semi-habituated (wild) gorilla group in the company of researchers and rangers. Permits for both options must be paid for in cash.

The great apes of tropical Africa are truly mesmerizing, with their immense size leaving a lasting impression on even the most exhausted of eyes. Watching mountain gorillas is an intense and heartwarming experience, as visitors witness their remarkable strength paired with profound gentleness, deep social bonds, harmonious coexistence with the environment, vulnerability, and struggle for survival. Our fascination with these creatures may come from the similarities we see between them and ourselves, as we aspire to possess the qualities we admire in them.

Despite sharing almost all of our genetic material with gorillas, we used to only be able to view them from a distance, either behind the thick walls of zoo enclosures or in cheap horror movies. However, there is now a growing trend of people traveling to Uganda’s mountains to witness gorillas in their natural habitat. To participate in gorilla trekking, visitors must arrive at one of UWA’s visitor centers or park management quarters early in the morning. They typically spend the night in nearby lodges so that they can arrive at the briefing point by 7:30 am.

When booking a gorilla trekking tour, the operator will secure your permit and reserve a safari lodge close to the designated starting point, ensuring that you arrive in time for the excursion. Once there, a park warden will provide a briefing on the basic rules and guidelines for interacting with gorillas. The warden will then randomly group the trekkers into small parties of eight, accompanied by two armed rangers and a tracker guide, depending on the number of gorilla families in the area. It is also possible to hire a local porter, who can carry your belongings and offer assistance along the way; we highly recommend hiring one, as they typically charge only 20 dollars.

Reaching the gorillas can be a grueling experience, with steep and muddy terrain, dense forests, and high-altitude air making it a challenging journey. To overcome these challenges, having a porter to assist you with your belongings can be a godsend. The gorillas’ location can vary anywhere within an extensive range of two to fifty square kilometers (0.75 – 16 square miles), causing the trek to take anywhere from thirty minutes to four hours, and nobody can predict the exact time. During the trek, your guide will use a sharp-edged machete to clear a path through impenetrable vines and bushes while relying on GPS coordinates and a walkie-talkie to communicate with other rangers. Upon arriving at the destination, you will likely discover the dark-furred apes on a mid-morning foraging break and lounging in an area as vast as half a football field.

During the gorilla trek, the rangers and guides will help you find a suitable spot to watch and photograph the gorillas without disturbing the silverback, who is the group’s leader. You’ll have the incredible opportunity to observe the troop silently for one hour, keeping a respectful distance of at least ten meters (32 ft). However, the gorillas may break this rule and get too close, requiring you to follow your guide’s instructions. As you watch the gorillas, you’ll witness their social behaviors and intimate connection with nature, which are very similar to our own. The gorillas groom each other, share lighthearted moments, display dominance, mate, and even pass gas, while the young ones are homeschooled in everything instinctual. One hour spent with the gorillas will feel like a gentle desert breeze, and before you know it, your guide will lead you out of this 25,000-year old paradise.

Gorilla Habituation Experience

This unique experience is exclusive to Uganda and offers the ultimate encounter for primate enthusiasts. Habituation of the gorillas alongside researchers allows travelers to witness these majestic creatures becoming accustomed to human presence without fear. The activity takes place in the Rushaga sector and typically lasts four hours with only four tourists permitted to habituate a gorilla family, costing USD 1500. These wild gorillas are unlike any other in their natural jungle environment, with their movements unpredictable and families never staying in one place twice. The trek to find them may vary in terrain and duration depending on their location in the jungle.

Mountain Gorilla Families in Uganda

Uganda boasts of being home to mountain gorillas found in the Virunga Volcanoes of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Other countries where gorillas can be seen include Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and D.R. Congo’s Virunga National Park. Uganda has 13 habituated mountain gorilla families, with 12 of them located in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and one in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. To help trackers plan their gorilla trekking, below is a list of the 12 mountain gorilla families and their specific locations in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Gorilla Group/ Families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

• Mubare gorilla group
• Habinyanja family
• Rushegura gorilla family
• Oruzogo troop
• Bitukura family
• Kyaguriro troop
• Mishaya gorilla family
• Nshongi gorilla group
• Kahungye gorilla group
• Busingye gorilla group
• Bweza group
• Nkuringo gorilla group

When embarking on a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, plan to spend up to 8 hours, including one hour in the gorillas’ presence. The most exhilarating part of a gorilla safari is the time spent in the rainforest, where you’ll search for a gorilla family, follow ancient trails, and discover the forest’s people’s history.

Every day, the gorillas relocate to a new spot in the forest, so your guide will pick up where they left off the previous day and lead you to them. Gorilla trekking is available year-round and is equally enjoyable, but during the rainy season, the forest trails may be muddier, and tracking may be more difficult, making the dry season the ideal time to track gorillas.

When it comes to embarking on a gorilla trekking safari, Uganda is the ultimate destination as it provides an unparalleled sense of adventure with a plethora of wildlife, surpassing that of Rwanda. Apart from the majestic mountain gorillas, Uganda offers a diverse range of attractions such as the breathtaking Murchison Falls, diverse primate species in Kibale Forest National Park, and a myriad of options to suit your travel duration and budget.

In Mgahinga Park, you can embark on a trek to track the Nyakagezi group, which is situated amidst the picturesque slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes, including Mount Muhavura (4,127m), Mount Gahinga (3,474m), and Mount Sabinyo (3,645m).