At What Time Does Gorilla Trekking Start and End?
At what time does gorilla trekking start and end?
Are you planning a trip to visit mountain gorillas but you want to know at what time does gorilla trekking start and end so you to plan well for your itinerary? Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four gorilla trekking regions namely Ruhija, Buhoma, and Rushaga. Gorilla trekking means visiting the gorillas in their natural habitat in the forest.
The gorilla trek in Uganda starts at 8 am and ends at around 3 pm. This is the normal time for the gorilla trek, but this can be longer, and that is a full day. It can also be shorter than this, but it all depends on the movement of gorillas in the forest. The trek starts in the morning with a briefing. The briefing is about the dos and don’ts while moving in the forest and with the gorillas. After briefing, the park guides, rangers, and trackers lead you to the forest to find the gorillas. You’ll have only one hour to view the gorillas when you find them. Later, you return to the starting point to receive a certificate for successful gorilla trekking in Uganda.
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How to book Bwindi gorilla permits?
You can book gorilla permits directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Alternatively, which is the easier and more convenient is through a tour operator like Safari Vacations and Travel Services. Once you have your planned dates of travel confirmed we will need you to send us an email. Then, we’ll check for the availability of gorilla habituation permits online with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Once we confirm permits are available for your travel dates we will let you know. We’ll then send you an invoice for you to make payment for the permits.
Once you make the payment and we have received it on our account we will go ahead and purchase your permits. We’ll then send you a scanned copy of the permits for your records and perusal. This will confirm you have booked a Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi Forest National Park. We advise that you book a permit for gorilla trekking in advance at least 2-3 months before your visit. This is because few permits are available per day and sell out very quickly on a first come first serve basis.
Where is Gorilla Trekking Done in Africa?
Gorilla Trekking takes place in Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. These countries host the four national parks that are home to the only remaining mountain gorillas. These include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National in Uganda. Others are Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Congo. In Congo, you also have an opportunity to see the Lowland gorillas. You find them in Kahuzi Beiga National Park. To trek at any of the above national parks, you need a gorilla permit.
With this, once you have your planned dates for gorilla trekking we recommend you start booking your gorilla trip immediately. The fact services and permits sell out very quickly especially should encourage you to do so. If you plan to do the trek in the peak season of June to September, it is always better to book at least 5 months in advance.
Cost and Getting Gorilla Permits in Uganda
The Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permits in Uganda Costs $800 Per person per trek for Foreign nonresidents. $700 Per person is for foreign residents, $500 for African citizens, while Ugshs30,000 is for East African Citizens. These are from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, and South Sudan. This allows you to spend an hour encounter with the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Uganda has 24 habituated gorilla family groups with 23 in Bwindi and 1 in Mgahinga. This means that this means 192 Gorilla permits are available every day for gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda also gives you an option to spend more time with the mountain gorillas. This is through the Gorilla habituation experience which only takes place in Bwindi forest. Gorilla habituation permits cost $1500 per person allowing you to spend 4 hours encountering the semi-habituated mountain gorillas. You do this under the guidance of trackers and researchers as opposed to one hour for the normal trekking.
What is the age limit for Gorilla Trekking?
The minimum age limit for Gorilla Trekking is 15 years and the maximum age is 85 years depending on fitness levels. Gorilla trekking for elders is now possible, especially in the Bwindi forest. This is through the provision of sedan chair carriers, to carry those who feel unfit and are unable to walk into the forest at the time of their trek. Porters carry them to and from the forest during your trek. You can hire a sedan chair in advance or on the day of the trek. the cost ranges from 400-500 dollars.
What is the best time for Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi?
Primate enthusiasts carry out Gorilla trekking in Bwindi throughout the year. The best time to do gorilla trekking in Africa is during the drier months. These are January, February, June to early September. Traveling to the parks in these months is easier and gives a clear view of gorillas. This is because the vegetation cover is not too high to obstruct you.
What to pack for Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi?
During gorilla tracking, you will need a comfortable, hard-wearing, pair of walking shoes or boots. Conditions are generally very muddy in the forest when it is raining. There are uphill sections which may be quite steep and strenuous. It is also advisable to wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt and lightweight long trousers. These protect you from the undergrowth, stinging nettles, and biting ants. Suggested Items to pack for Gorilla trekking;
- Insect Repellent
- Torch/Flashlight – and Spare Batteries
- Wet Wipes
- Water Bottle
- Camera, lenses, etc
- Comfortable walking/hiking boots & socks
- Gardening gloves for gorilla tracking
- Sandals/strops/walking shoes
- Hat and Sunscreen
- Rain Jacket
- Sweater/fleece
- Swimwear
- Binoculars (game/bird watching)
How to get to Bwindi Forest National Park
By Road
You can access the southern sector of Bwindi Forest National Park through the main safari circuit. This runs from Entebbe/Kampala which is approximately an 8-9 hour drive. You will need to turn off at Muko along the Kabale-Kisoro road you will see the signpost of Uganda Wildlife Authority. You’ll then follow it up to your lodge for accommodation in either the Rushaga or Nkuringo sector.
By Air
You can fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala’s Kajjansi Airfield to Kisoro airstrip to access the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo. Scheduled and chartered flights are available and operated by Aero Link and Fly Uganda domestic airline operators. You will need to plan with your tour operator for a transfer from the airstrip to the Park
Why book Bwindi gorilla permits and safaris with Safari Vacations and Travel Services?
At Safari Vacations and Travel Services, we provide personalized service with the utmost dedication to the safety and enjoyment of our clients. We are committed to the well-being of our staff and guests and to positively impacting the communities and wild places our operations reach. We embrace the environmental ethic “Take Nothing but Photographs, Leave Only Footprints” on all our operations and safaris. Hence, all our packages are eco-friendly and our guides receive training to adhere to the rules and regulations governing national parks. During travel, the safety and health of our clients will be our major priority. We also ensure that all our service providers and workers implement the SOPs and health guidelines set for the safety and health of clients and service providers while on safari.
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