Bwindi Gorilla Habituation Experience: 3 Days Safari.
This 3 days gorilla habituation experience is an exciting safari that is designed for clients who are interested in spending a lot of time with the mountain gorillas. The Uganda safari starts and ends in Entebbe/Kampala and will take you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is located in southwestern Uganda, and it’s the only gorilla destination that offers a gorilla habituation experience. Gorilla habituation is done in the Rushaga sector, and it involves travellers moving on foot with researchers into the tropical rainforest in search of the mountain gorillas and, once found, spending four hours with them in their natural environment.
Highlights of the tour
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla habituation experience
Day 3: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Your driver guide will pick you up from Entebbe Airport or your hotel, brief you about the habituation safari and later start the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It’s a whole-day journey that takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive, and on the way, you will have a stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe, where you will buy souvenirs and take photos, and proceed with another stopover in Mbarara town for en route lunch. After lunch, you will continue the journey with views of the plantations, Kigezi Hills, homesteads, and amazing scenery, among others. Upon arrival in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla habituation experience
After an early breakfast, you will carry your packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for the briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla habituation. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with a team of researchers, park guides and park rangers. Gorilla habituation takes a whole day, and during gorilla trekking, you will be able to view other primates, bird species, tree species, colourful butterflies, and more.
Once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend four hours with them, which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, watch them feed, play, rest, fight, breastfeed, groom young ones, engage in the naming process, take photos, and more. After the gorilla habituation experience, you will return to the park headquarters, where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in the gorilla habituation experience and then meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe
You will check out of the lodge after breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kampala. You will have en route lunch on the way and proceed to Kampala, arriving early evening, and upon arrival, you will be dropped off at Entebbe International Airport by your driver-guide or dropped off at any place of choice, depending on your schedule. End of the 3 days gorilla habituation experience.
The tour includes
- Gorilla habituation permit
- Full board accommodation
- Meals at the lodge and en-route (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Full-time English-speaking driver guide
- 4WD safari Vehicle and fuel
- Pick up and drop off in Kampala/Entebbe
- Bottled drinking water during the safari
The tour excludes
- Airflight tickets (International and domestic)
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses like buying alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, souvenirs, crafts, telephone calls, laundry services, and hiring a porter, among others.
- Tipping and gratuities
