5 Day Gorilla trekking Tour and Game safari In Uganda

Gorilla trekking safari combined with the game safari is a chance for seeing the unique wildlife that Uganda is proud of. A number of animals are conserved in the National Parks and game reserves of Uganda. CONTACT US

Gorilla trekking

Day 1: Drive to Bwindi Forest National Park

Having taken your breakfast, your driver guide will be ready to drive you to Bwindi forest National Park. On the way, you will have a stopover at the equator to have some memorable photos, perform the water experiment and proceed to Bwindi forest. Enjoy the scenic view of the Kigezi islands, spot a number of birds and monkeys that cross your way. This scenic drive takes about 9 to 10nhours and then you get to Bwindi area and check in your lodge.

Day 2 Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National  Park

Early in the morning, take your breakfast and head to the ranger station for briefing. You will be advised how to behave while with the gorillas and as you trek to see the gorillas. Enjoy the enchanting monkeys and whistling birds that roam in the forest. Finally get to find the gorillas stand at a distance of about 7 meters watching them play and search for food. Finally return to the lodge and relax.

Uganda Safari Tour

Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Having enjoyed your gorilla trekking safari, carry on to Queen Elizabeth National park. This biosphere reserve is home to a number of animals and a beautiful back drop of Rwenzori ranges. Enjoy a game drive in the southern sector which is home to the tree climbing lions. Get into the lodge and relax.

Game Safari In Uganda

Day 4: Game drive and Launch cruise

Rise up early in the morning for a game drive in the crater sector of the park. You may have a chance of seeing other animals like the lions, leopards, buffaloes, water bucks, bush bucks, elephants and so many others. Return to the lodge for late day breakfast. After lunch, head to the pier for a launch cruise on the Kazinga channel. This is like the congregation ground for birds, animals and great vegetation cover. Take pictures and return to the lodge.

Day 5: Drive to Entebbe

After this wonderful experience, drive back to Entebbe to catch up with your flight back home.

Safari recommendations

• Book your gorilla trekking permit at least 6 months to the date of safari
• Do some exercises so that you can keep fit
• Pack the right gorilla trekking gears and a swim suite
• Carry a camera to keep memories of your safari.
• Ensure that you advise us about your flight detail so that we can pick you up in case you are interested.
• Carry your medical documents and first aid in case of any illness.
• Carry some hard cash that you will exchange into local currency to buy or pay for anything.
• Avoid buying eats from the road while you travel upcountry to prevent illness.

When To Book A Gorilla Trekking Permit In Uganda

How to book gorilla trekking permits, when to book gorilla trekking tour, which accommodation to book for gorilla permit and what is the price of a gorilla trekking permits is all explained in the article below

Booking a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda for a gorilla tracking safari includes paying earlier for your gorilla tour. Gorilla trekking is one of the renowned safaris in Africa that are sought after. Most gorilla trekking permits are sold on first come first serve basis. Each day gorilla tracking starts only at 8.00am with briefing from the ranger guide to a group of only 8 clients per gorilla tracking family. CONTACT US

The right time to book a gorilla trekking permit is atleast 3 months to the date of trekking the gorillas but this also depends on the period. During the months of July, August, September and October, gorilla permits get sold out because they are on a very high demand yet a few are released for tracking and to be booked by numerous people. 

Gorilla trekking permits in Uganda are sold at $600 for foreign nonresidents and for foreign residents its $ 500. You must purchase you permit in advance. This is accompanied by booking accommodation which is normally sold out too during this period. You must be ready to deposit some money to save yourself panic at the last moment.  Discounted gorilla trekking permits are normally issued by Uganda wildlife Authority each year in April, May and November. 

Enjoy gorilla tracking in Uganda also involves booking a flight seat on the daily domestic flights. They are departing Entebbe Airport early in the morning and afternoon. You may disembark from your early morning g flight and re-embark on the flight transferring you to Kihihi and then a car picks you to take you to your overnight lodge.

You must state the number of people you wish to travel with so that your gorilla permits are secured because gorilla permits are sold according to area. If you wish to travel with other people you have to state them in advance. This is because gorilla permits are sold according to area so finding permits in the same area during the peak time is quite hard. Also each area has different families so in case you wish to trek together, you can do this during briefing.

Gorilla trekking and Wildlife Experience In Africa

Gorilla tracking although known for being a great African Safari you must be very keen with all the requirements for it to be successful. Gorilla tracking can only be possible if you book a gorilla permit. What is surprising is that although  gorilla tracking is highly demanded, only 8 gorilla permits are released to be booked each day each family. Uganda has only about 10 gorilla families open for tourism while Rwanda has also most the same number and also issues 8 gorilla permits per group per day. CONTACT US

Accommodation to stay at while on a gorilla trekking safari is determined by the area where the gorilla permit is booked. Many travellers who book gorilla safaris on their own have fallen victim of missing out on this great experience as they discover that where they spent the night is fur away from the area where their gorilla tracking permit was booked. You must be very informed about Bwindi area and where the gorilla families are. You need to know that gorilla trekking starts as early as 8.30am on a normal day and you must be briefed at the ranger station with other trackers to avoid missing out on the very important details of the jungle.

After gorilla tracking, in Uganda you may also head for a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This drive is between 5 to 6 hours on a scenic road where you may get the chance of meeting animals like the lions, leopards, water bucks, bush bucks, elephants, Uganda kobs, buffaloes and so many others.

During the launch cruise on the Kazinga channel, you have the chance of seeing other animals that move to the shore to quench their thirst and wallow in the mud. Birds like great and lesser flamingos, cattle egrets, Egyptian geese, shoe bill, marabou stalk keep flocking the shore. Schools of hippopotamus, crocodiles also make this trip very interesting. Watch the Rwenzori ranges that stand erected as you sail on the channel. On a clear day, you may have the chance of seeing the snow cap on the Rwenzori. 

In case you also have the opportunity of sloping down the Kyambura gorge to meet the chimpanzees that live freely in the forest. This trek to see the chimpanzees requires you to be quite fit because you have to trek to see them at the bottom of the gorge. During the dry season, they move closer to the river to cool off the day’s heat so you must be ready to find them.

4 days Gorilla Trekking Safari

4 day gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi forest National Park Uganda includes a night with the chimpanzees on Ngamba Island where orphaned and abandoned chimpanzees are reserved and rehabilitated. After seeing other primates in Bwindi forest, you may have to the chance of seeing chimpanzees.

Day 1: Drive to Bwindi Forest National Park

You driver guide will pick you from your overnight hotel and take you to Bwindi forest National Park. The drive is quite long but very scenic where you have the chance of seeing the undulating hills of Kigezi and Kisoro, arrive in the evening redy for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: GorillaTrekking in Bwindi Forest

This is the gorilla trekking day where you will have the chance of meeting the gorillas in there natural environment. Gorilla tracking requires you to have carried your lunch because the return time is not known. Move to the ranger station for briefing and hire a porter to give you extra support in case you are tires. You may have the chance of seeing animals like olive baboons, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey checked mangabey and so much more. When you get to find the gorillas, you will have just an hour with them. And return to the lodge.

 Day 3: Drive to Entebbe and Sail To Ngamba Island

After gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Forest, drive back to Entebbe to catch up with your overnight on Ngamba Island. This is home to the surviving chimpanzees of the jungle harassment. These chimpanzees survive by the regular visit that clients give them. You may also overnight in Entebbe and rise up for an excursion to Ngamba Island.

 Day 4: Drive to Entebbe Airport

Early in the morning, you will head to the feeding area to participate in the feeding of the chimpanzees. Watch them as they struggle for food and the weak are left without food. Return to the land and catch up with your flight back home.

Why Gorilla tracking In Bwindi Forest Is hilarious safari

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest is not only a fitness testing hike but also a fun stimulating move. During other Uganda safari activities, you may rise up at any time and still participate but Gorilla trekking involves rising up very early to take your breakfast, carry packed lunch and special gorilla trekking gears like garden gloves, wear trekking boots, long sleeved shirt and trouser, insect repellants, hire a porter who will give you a push when stuck and so much more.

While you wait at the briefing station for briefing, you get to mingle with trekkers who booked different gorilla tracking safaris like luxury, midrange or budget. You are all briefed at the same point, only 8 of you are allocated gorilla trekking families to trek and start trekking gorillas at the same time.

Gorilla trekking require prior exercising to keep fit because as for Uganda, Bwindi forest where the mountain gorillas live is hillier and so at times the gorillas are found either at the bottom or up the hills which requires some energy.

On the way, you follow your ranger guide who will tell you more about the gorilla trekking activities point out more interesting animals, trees, birds and others that you may not have noticed. Carry on but in case you wish to ease yourself, you ask the ranger guide to dig a hole were you bury your waste.

Olive Baboons, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey tailed mangabey, are some of the interesting primates that you meet. As for birders, this is like a birders’ haven since Bwindi forest is home to almost half of Africa’s endemic birds. It’s a double opportunity. The gorillas are very canning animal, they usually send a spy to watch out for any intruders who want to disturb the group. You are highly requested to be very keen when walking. You get to hear them grumble at each other before seeing them

When you finally spot them, wait for the ranger guide to tell you to take photos after analyzing there behavior. This is because gorillas although known for being serene, they also get agitated by the conditions in the forest like if attacked by unhabituated family, they become very aggressive. Stand at a distance of about 7 meters from them and take there photographs, watch them as they play and mothers taking care of the little ones as the silverback watches on. You are allowed to stay with the mountain gorillas for just an hour and return to your lodge to rest.