Best Time To Book Gorilla Trekking Safari

The best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda Rwanda depends on what kind of experience you wish to get after trekking gorillas. Uganda and Rwanda experience both wet and dry seasons throughout the year but this doesn’t prohibit gorilla tracking from taking all year round. Gorilla trekking permits for each year are sold daily and only 8 trekkers are allowed to visit a particular family of gorillas each day. 

Uganda normally receives rainy seasons from March to about Mid May each year and from October to November. This makes the ground slippery and it may rain on you at anytime while in the jungle searching for mountain gorillas. However because of global warming, seasons have greatly changed in that it is quite hard to predict the seasons. January February, June, July, august, September, and part of October are normally dry seasons but this may vary due to the above reasons. These are the peak season of Uganda when most people book to go gorilla trekking tours. 

As preferences differ, while others wish to travel for gorilla trekking during the dry seasons, others wish for the wet season when the gorillas are feeding from the bottom of the highlands. There is plenty of grass during this time and gorillas have to find warmer spots to keep away from the very cold slopes. During this time, gorillas move at a slow pace which makes it quicker for trackers to find the gorillas easily than the dry period when they hike up the highlands, to find food.Gorilla trekking is an all year round activity so when book your gorilla permit, you mustn’t be afraid of searching for gorillas alone with the guide or closing off the activity unless the gorilla permits have been sold out. 

Gorilla trekking as a key a tourist activity in Uganda and Rwanda can only be done in Two National park in Uganda that to say Bwindi impenetrable national Park and Mgahinga National park where trekking gorillas can only be confirmed on the day of trekking since the gorillas at times flee to Rwanda. In Rwanda, Mountain gorillas only reside in Volcanoes national park. Each day, gorilla trekking in both countries starts as early as 0800hrs with briefing at the ranger station. Later, you have to wait to be allocated a gorilla family to track. It is quite hard to predict which gorilla family is the easiest to trek because gorillas keep moving from one area to another due to the conditions in the jungle. 

Bwindi forest national park has a variety of accommodation options that soot every one’s budget but you must very keen when choosing where to stay. Knowing the area where your gorilla permit has been allocated is key to your comfortable stay as you do not get worried of waking up early to see drive to the ranger station for briefing. At times during the rainy conditions, huge tree trunks fall across the road and the roads became impassable so you must be careful making this choice. 

Before booking your gorilla trekking tour, remember to ask for updates on the weather condition in case you wish to trek gorillas during a certain period.