Why book gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali

Uganda has half of the remaining population of mountain gorillas in the world. The Mountain Gorillas can be found in southwestern Uganda in the tropical forest of Mgahinga and Bwindi National Park. Gorilla trekking will give you an opportunity to view the gorillas in their natural environment. The gorillas have 98% human DNA and are our closest cousins and the chances of seeing the gorillas in Uganda is 98%.  There are 19 habituated gorilla families in Uganda found in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga National park, every gorilla family is allocated 8 visitors per day which gives you an opportunity to visit the gorillas any time of the year. Gorilla trekking is one of the very famous tourism activities done in Uganda, book gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali with us. Click here to see Packages.

The capital Kigali of Rwanda is the closest to southwestern Uganda where gorilla trekking is done, Kigali is about 4 hours’ drive to southwestern Uganda to either Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga National Park to see Mountain gorillas. You can fly into Kigali International Airport and do a 2-day gorilla trip in Uganda. The distance from Entebbe to southwestern Uganda is approximately 9hours which makes landing in Kigali an advantage

Gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali

Gorilla tracking gives you an opportunity to see the gorillas in their natural habitat,  Uganda is home to half of the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas in the world meaning your visit here you have 98% chances of seeing the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. A gorilla permit is a key priority for you to have to do gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali.

The gorilla permit has to be purchased in advance to secure a spot for your trek for any date depending on your travel dates and availability of the permits that day. Gorilla tracking is done in a group of eight people per gorilla family meaning eight permits only are available for each gorilla family, you will need to secure your gorilla permit in advance months or days prior to visiting Uganda.  All you need to do is to send us your actual dates when you prefer trekking gorillas and we will check the availability of permits online. We will reserve your permit tentatively and send you a permit payment invoice. Once you make a payment, we will go ahead and secure your permit and thereafter send you scanned copies of receipts from Uganda Wildlife Authority.

On the day of your gorilla trek, you will have a briefing early morning at the Park headquarters where your permits are allocated, the Park warden and guides will brief you about the dos and don’ts while on the trek, you will later head to the forest, once you find the gorillas, you will be allowed to view gorillas for one hour and take photographs and later return to the starting point, you will receive a certificate for successful gorilla trekking in Uganda.

Where to do gorilla trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is only done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park as detailed below.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The famous Bwindi Forest National Park is found in the southern part of Uganda sharing a border with Congo, it is one of the only two national parks in Uganda where you can trek and see the endangered Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat, Bwindi Forest National park is divided into different sections/sectors where you can do the Gorilla tracking experience namely Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija and Nkuringo sector. All these sectors are can be accessed from Kigali while on your gorilla trek trip.  Bwindi Forest National Park has 10 habituated gorilla families open for gorilla tracking experience, each gorilla family has different gorilla individuals, and each individual has a name which the park guides will detail for you. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is the backbone of gorilla trekking in Uganda and has attracted many visitors globally.

Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park is second Place after Bwindi where gorillas are found in Uganda, it is located in Kisoro district southwestern Uganda, East Africa. Mgahinga gorilla national park is among the Virunga conservation area of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda famous for Mountain gorilla trekking. It is Uganda’s smallest national park which is boarded by Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bwindi Forest National Park in Uganda. Mgahinga National Park harbors the endangered mountain gorilla and the rare Golden Monkeys.  The park is a tropical rain forest comprised of lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, montane rain forests, and mountain Bamboo. Mgahinga has only one gorilla family/group for gorilla trekking and the group is called Nyakagezi.

What is the cost of a gorilla permit in Uganda?

Uganda Gorilla permits are more affordable compared to Rwanda gorilla permits. In Uganda, the permit costs USD700 per person per trek for Non-Foreign Residents, USD600 per person for East African Residents, and Uganda shillings 250.000 per person for East African Citizens. The permit price is the same for both the Mgahinga national park and the Bwindi impenetrable National Park. Depending on where you would like to trek, we will check Permit availability and advise you accordingly. The gorilla permits in Uganda can be rescheduled in case you do not make it for the trip to future dates at no extra cost.

Where to stay while booking gorilla trekking from Kigali

Gorilla trekking national Parks have a variety of accommodation choices where you can stay while on your visit. Most of the lodges are found in the outskirts of the forest with a clear view of the forest and the mountain ranges. The Lodges range from Budget to Luxury and these include; In Mgahinga National Park, you can stay in Gahinga Lodge which is a luxury hotel, Lake Chahafi Lodge, Lake Muhele Lodge which can serve as for both Midrange and Budget. In Bwindi, you can choose to stay in a sector where your permits are allocated either in Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija.

Why book gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali with Safari Booking and Travel services?

Safari Vacations and Travel services offer amazing Uganda gorilla trekking experiences from Kigali Contact us for our discounted packages and also tailor-made trips. At Safari Vacations and Travel Services, we are well set to host tourists with various SOPs put in place in-line with WHO for the safety and health of our clients, we ready to organize your safari following precautions set to prevent the spread of COVID and ensure you do your safari safely and successfully.