When to See Mountain Gorillas in Uganda.
Best Time To See Gorillas In Uganda: The best months to visit Uganda to see gorillas are during the dry seasons, which are in December, January, February, and from June to early September every year. These are the best months to visit Uganda because the country has mild rain and is dry, making it easy to visit the parks and view the gorillas clearly because the vegetation is not dense.
But the rainy season can also be a great time to go to Uganda for gorilla tracking. During the rainy season, the rain makes the vegetation grow and the food available, and this makes the gorillas congregate in certain places, making it easy to see them during a short walk.
Gorilla tracking on a Uganda safari is done all year round, including the rainy season. Therefore, if you have any plans to visit Uganda for gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, you will have more than a 90% chance of seeing the gorillas.
Where in Uganda is gorilla trekking conducted?
Gorilla tracking in Uganda is mainly done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. These popular Uganda gorilla tour destinations can be reached through various routes. One can fly into Entebbe International Airport and then connect to southwestern Uganda by road, passing through the major towns of Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale. The journey from Entebbe or Kampala to Bwindi and Mgahinga takes about 9 to 10 hours by road. One can also fly into Kisoro Airstrip to reach the southern part of Bwindi or Mgahinga or into Kihihi Airstrip to reach the northern part of Bwindi Forest National Park.
Another easily accessible route is the flight to Kigali International Airport in Rwanda. From Kigali, tourists can easily access Uganda’s gorilla trekking sites via Cyanika or Katuna border entrances, which take about 4 to 5 hours. These routes and modes of transport make Uganda gorilla tours easy and convenient for tourists wishing to enjoy the world-famous gorilla tracking experiences in Uganda’s green protected areas.
How to book a Gorilla Tracking Tour in Uganda
To organise a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda, the first process involves acquiring and purchasing a gorilla permit. The gorilla permit is a crucial aspect of Uganda gorilla tours and can only be acquired from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The fee for the permit is not fixed and is charged as follows: $800 per person for foreign non-residents, $700 for East African residents, and 300,000 UGX for East African citizens.
After you have organised your travel programme, you should get in touch with us so that we can help you acquire the permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. We will check the availability of the permits for your preferred dates. After confirming the availability of the permits, we will proceed with a tentative booking and send you an invoice for payment. After receiving your payment confirmation, we will go ahead and acquire the permit for you.
We shall then email you a scanned copy of your gorilla permit. Gorilla tracking in Uganda is usually done in a group of not more than 8 tourists. In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, 36 habituated mountain gorilla groups can be tracked, with only 288 permits issued daily. Because of the limited number of permits, it is highly recommended that you book your gorilla permits at least 3 to 5 months in advance to avoid missing out on this activity when you go on a Uganda gorilla tour.
What is the cost of gorilla trekking in Uganda as of 2026?
The price of Uganda gorilla tours, particularly gorilla trekking in Uganda, depends on the nature of the travel experience, whether it’s luxury, mid-range, or budget, as well as the length of the trip. The biggest expenditure when going on a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda is the gorilla tracking permit. For non-residents, the tracking permit is $800 per person per trek. Residents of East Africa can buy the permit for $700, while citizens of East Africa pay only 300,000 UGX.
Tourists who wish to spend more than 2 hours with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat can embark on the gorilla habituation experience. The gorilla habituation experience is an activity where the wild mountain gorillas are habituated to the human presence, and this allows people to go and observe them. In Uganda, the activity is done in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, in the Rushaga sector, and this is a rare activity that provides an opportunity to understand the behaviour of the mountain gorillas. A gorilla habituation experience permit in Uganda costs $1,500 for foreign residents, $1,000 for foreign residents and 750,000 UGX for citizens of East Africa. Note that these prices are valid until June 30th, 2026, this year.
Where to Stay on a Gorilla Trek in Bwindi Forest Impenetrable National Park
While organising a gorilla trekking safari adventure in Bwindi Forest National Park, it is essential to note the lodging options to consider for a better experience. The park is categorised into sectors for gorilla tracking safaris, such as the northern sectors of Buhoma and Ruhija and the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo.
For the Rushaga sector, some of the best places to stay include Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Four Gorillas Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Nsongi Camp, Icumbi Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, and Karungi Camp. These are all near the beginning points for Uganda gorilla tours in Rushaga, which is famous for gorilla habituation tours.
For the Nkuringo sector, some of the best places to stay include Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, and Lake Mutanda Resort. All these are near the gorilla habituation permits and trekking points in Nkuringo, making them perfect for Uganda gorilla tours.
For tourists visiting the northern side of Bwindi, there are accommodations such as Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, and Ride 4 a Woman in the Buhoma sector. In Ruhija, some of the best places to stay include Trekkers Tavern Cottages, Agandi Eco Lodge, Gift of Nature Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge, and Broadbill Tented Camp. These are the best places to stay when planning a gorilla trekking safari and other Uganda gorilla tours to Bwindi.
Accommodation on a Gorilla Trekking Holiday in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
There are different types of accommodation from which tourists can choose when on a gorilla trekking tour in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mutanda Eco Community Centre, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Golden Monkey Guest House and Virunga Hotel and Campsite are some of the cheap accommodations which offer basic amenities to travellers on a budget. Mutanda Lake Resort, Ichumbi Hotel, Travellers Rest, Ikaze Cottages, among others. Luxury accommodations such as Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Mount Gahinga Lodge provide tourists with the best services, amazing views, and the best comfort, making them the best for a Ugandan gorilla tour adventure.
For further details and questions about the different gorillas in Uganda, feel free to contact our reliable tour operators. We can help you plan and organise your Uganda safaris to make sure you have an unforgettable experience. You can also make your Uganda safari tour arrangements online with established organisations such as Chopper Tours and Travel, which has some of the finest tour packages for safaris in Uganda. With our expert services, you can experience the park’s primates (mountain gorillas), wildlife, birdlife, and breathtaking landscapes with ease and comfort.
