Why Trek Mountain Gorillas in Uganda?

Why Trek Mountain Gorillas in Uganda?

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Uganda is home to almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, making it the best place to see these endangered primates. Trekking involves hiking through dense rainforests, following expert guides and trackers, until you finally meet a gorilla family group.

Once you find them, you spend one magical hour observing their behaviour. You will view mothers nurturing their babies, playful juveniles tumbling about, or silverbacks keeping a watchful eye over the group.

Unlike zoos or sanctuaries, trekking in Uganda gives you an authentic, raw, and emotional connection with wildlife. Every trek is different, every encounter is special, and the memory stays with you forever.

Rushaga sector is one of the Most visited and famous sectors of Bwindi and harbors the highest number of habituated gorilla families which include; Kahungye, Nshongi, Bweza, Busingye, Bikyingi, Mishaya, Muchunguzi, and Rwigi.

The gorilla families however vary in size. The silverback leads the family and determines the movements and other daily activities within the family group. The fact that there are many gorilla families in the Rushaga Gorilla sector, you will be glad to choose for yourself which gorilla family you prefer to track.

Why trek Mountain Gorillas in Rushaga Sector?

The 331 km2 (127 sq mi) Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is too large to trek or monitor. UWA subdivided the sanctuary into four sectors to make it easy for tourists and researchers to access the habituated gorilla families. From the north, trekkers can see gorillas in the Buhoma sector. Ruhija is east of the park, while in the south is Nkuringo, and 18 km (11 m) Rushaga.

This Rushaga Sector is beautifully sitting on a hill, looking across the vast, rugged rift valley landscapes with all the Virunga Mountains. It’s a spectacular sight to see sitting on top of any ridge in this area. 

This sector is also one of the four sectors that make up the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.  Bwindi Forest has in recently recorded the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world.

The high costs of gorilla trekking in Rwanda have driven most tourists to the Rushaga Gorilla sector since it is cheaper and accessible from Kigali through the Cyanika border in Kisoro district.

In addition to gorilla trekking, Rushaga also offers gorilla habituation experience –  a process where the mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence.

Access Rushaga Sector

Rushaga Gorilla Sector is accessible either by land or air. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is accessible on land and can be reached from Queen Elizabeth National Park to the north (2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2 hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8 hours). The roads meet at Butogota, 17km from the Buhoma entrance gate. There are also chattered fly-ins to Bwindi from Entebbe International Airport.

How to book Bwindi Gorilla Permit

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gorilla permits can be booked or obtained at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) offices in Kampala. For any visitor to be able to access the Bwindi Gorillas, require a gorilla permit or pass and you will be glad to dwell in the impenetrable forest and watch the large primates, Mountain Gorillas for a full hour. We hereby help you check the availability of Bwindi gorilla permits and can also reserve them for you if interested.

The current Bwindi Gorilla Permits price for a standard gorilla trekking permit in Uganda is; 

USD800 per person for Foreign Non Residents

USD 700 per person for Foreign Residents

USD500 per person Rest of Africa

UGX300,000 per person East African Citizens

For a gorilla habituation experience, the price is;

Foreign Non-Residents – USD 1,500 per person 

Foreign Residents – USD 1,000 per person 

Rest of Africa – USD 1000 per person 

UGX 750,000 for East African Community Citizens.

These prices are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and are valid from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026. 

The gorilla trekking in  Uganda can only be done after booking Gorilla Permits at UWA.

Gorilla Safaris Consultants offers all-around gorilla safari package Inclusive of gorilla permits; Plan your safari with us today for ultimate safari memories and experiences.