GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE

GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE
Gorilla Trekking is an experience where a group of people get to hike/trek through the thick forests in
order for them to capture a glimpse of what gorillas look like and be able to view the environment in
which gorillas stay.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in South Western Uganda. The park covers 321 square
kilometres. The park is situated within the districts of Kanungu. The nearest town is Kanungu or Kihihi.
There are several ways of accessing Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park; On road, one can take the
Kampala-Kabale and Ruhija route or Kampala – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi – Buhoma/Nyondo. Or
else, you can take the Kampala-Kabale-Kisoro-Rushaga/Nkuringo route. Again, there are charter flights
from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi town which links up to Buhoma sector or Kisoro Airstrip
which links to Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga sector. Visitors to Bwindi can also take flight from Kajjansi
Airfield.
How the trek starts
You will wake up early in the morning at exactly 7:00am on the day of your Gorilla trekking date and
move to the briefing point by 7:30am. The briefing is normally about how to start and end the trip, the
information about the primates you are going to see and most importantly, the security measures to
follow. After briefing, you will be allocated different tracking routes, each 8 members. These security
measures include not coming very close to the primates, avoid throwing objects to them, avoid using
cameras with flashlight as it makes them suspicious and many other. After allocating you to your group
and route, you will head to the forest accompanied by guides and armed rangers as you begin you search
for gorillas.
Other things to see on your trekking journey
During your gorilla trekking journey in the forest, you may see different monkey species, different
butterfly species, mammals, beautiful sceneries and many more. Sometimes the forest is challenging
because of the rain and therefore, a good level of fitness will be required. During this gorilla trekking
session, expect to be muddy and sweaty.
Once you find the gorillas, the fatigue you had will disappear and you will be allowed to take photos,
record or film videos with your camera or phones but as a security measure you are advised to avoid
flashlights while taking photos or recording a video. You will be allowed to spent at least 1 hour with
these primates observing them at a specified distance determined by the guides and game rangers. What
a beautiful experience!
When and how to book the Gorilla Trekking Permit
You are encouraged to book the gorilla trekking permit 3 to 6 months before the trekking date. This helps
you to avoid a long queue that might be brought by the peak season and unexpected disappointments.
Gorilla Trekking Permit in Uganda can be booked in two ways; you can book for the permit directly
through Uganda wildlife Authority via a phone call or email, or you can book through a tour operator like
Shoebill Uganda Tours to book on your behalf. Booking for a Gorilla permit sometimes is hectic as there is
a long que in peak seasons therefore using a tour operator is encouraged because it saves time hence
reduces the costs. You can contact Shoebill Uganda Tours on for any assistance.
A gorilla permit in Uganda is acquired at $700 per person who would like to trek and spend an hour with
habituated mountain gorilla family while observing their behaviours, taking photographs and recording
videos. On the other hand, if you are interested in an exclusive gorilla trekking experience of only 4
members tracking a group of mountain gorillas requires you to book a gorilla habituation Permit at only
$1500 per person. This activity is an extraordinary experience where you can spend four hours with the
gorillas and the unique thing about this activity is that it is only done in Uganda and that is only in Bwindi

Impenetrable Forest National Park. It can be in either Rushaga or Nkuringo regions in Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest National Park.
The best time for gorilla trekking
The best time for gorilla trekking is during dry season, that is from May, June, July August September and
February. During this period, there is little rainfall hence the area is not too muddy for trekking.
You can book with us Shoebill Uganda Tours for the excellent trip in Bwindi impenetrable National Park
and have the everlasting experience. You can book with us, Shoebill Uganda Tours and we give you all the requirement to use in gorilla trekking in bwindi impenetrable.