How Does Gorilla Trekking In Uganda Work?

Gorilla Trekking Uganda

Gorilla Trekking is the most remarkable wildlife encounter in the world and Uganda is the best destination the world to have a face-to-face encounter with mountain gorillas the rarest and the most endangered wildlife in the world.

Here is a 6 Step Guide to gorilla trekking in Uganda.

1. Secure Your Gorilla Trekking Permit

The first step towards visiting the endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda on Mountain Gorilla Trekking experience is securing a gorilla trekking permit, if you are booking your Uganda gorilla safari with a tour operator the gorilla permit is usually included in the price and obtained it is arranged by the tour operator.

The only way to see the mountain gorillas is by having a gorilla permit, gorilla permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority and one can only obtain a permit through a registered tour operator.

This means if you are a foreign visitor, you need to arrange with a licensed Tour Operation. The only categorizes of visitors who can acquire gorilla permits directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority are Ugandans, East African Citizens and Foreign Residents living in Uganda.

While you are securing a gorilla permit, should take note of the seasons that is low and peak tourism seasons. In the High/peak season that is end of December to January or July to August, gorilla permits sell out. In the low-season (October, November, March, April and May), in this season you can normally secure a gorilla permit in a short notice.

In Uganda, gorilla trekking is done in Five locations. Four of these that is Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors are found in Bwindi impenetrable national park and the 5^th is in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which has one habituated gorilla group.

All these locations have different accommodations so when you are booking your accommodations, you should take note of the sector and its accommodations. Gorilla permit is bought for a specific gorilla group.

2. Prepare For The Gorilla Trek

Once you gave booked your gorilla permits and your tour, it is time to start planning for your gorilla trek. In theory it is just to show up at the gorilla trekking starting point and make sure you gave a gorilla permit (unless you travel with a tour operator who takes care of it) and passport to identify yourself but there are few things that you should know as you prepare for a gorilla trek.

In the forests, it can be slippery, rainy and insect bites, so there are some of the things you should plan to pack to make your gorilla trek as smooth as possible.

• Comfortable hiking boots – in the jungle it can be slippery so you need a good pair of climbing shoes, they should be well fitting.
• Backpack – a good light backpack to carry along the trek, the backpack should be comfortable to carry.
• Rain gear – to protect you from rain as it comes unexpectedly in the forests of Bwindi and Mgahinga.
• Long Sleeved shorts and long pants – to protect you from insects and thorny leaves
• Socks long enough to tuck in your pants – to protect your legs from getting bitten by safari ants
• Warm sweaters or a jacket – to keep you warm at the lodge in the evening, it can be chilly in the evenings due to height and mist.

3. The Morning Of The Gorilla Trek – Registration & Briefing

After breakfast at the lodge, you will head to the park for gorilla trekking. You will join other trekkers at the park’s headquarters for briefing.

Note: Make sure you go with your packed lunch from the lodge

If you are traveling with a tour operate, the safari guide will plan all of this for you, but you should talk to the lodge a day before so they arrange a packed lunch for you. It is also important to bring along the water to drink during the drink.

When you get to the Gorilla Trekking starting point, you will register by showing your gorilla permit and passport. If you are travelling with a tour operator your guide will take care of this, at this point you have decided which group you will actually trek.

Note: if you gave a specific interest like short trek due to health issues or wish to spend more time in the jungle you will be assigned a gorilla family to best suite for your interest.

Before you are allowed to head into the jungle, you will have briefing about how you should be act while around the Mountain Gorillas.

Note:  Mountain Gorillas are closely related to humans so are contagious to human diseases like cough, incase you are ill, rangers have a right to refuse you from participating in the gorilla trek due to the risk of infecting the gorillas.  

Even though mountain gorillas are habituated, they get irritated when people stay longer than necessary.

4. Heading Into The Jungle – Trekking To Where The Gorilla Are

At this point, you we have decided the gorilla family to trek and it is time to head into the jungle, we recommend grabbing a walking stick for the trek to help you keep balance in the jungle. You will trek in a group of 8 (eight) led by a specialized guide and rangers.

Depending on where the group you are trekking is that morning you either start trekking straight from the briefing point or driven a bit to get closer to the location where the Gorillas.

Your specialized guide has a good idea of where the gorillas are since Uganda Wildlife Authority trackers leave early in the morning to locate the gorillas based on where they spent the night, the trackers then keep following the gorillas and communicate to the specialized guide about the best route to lead the Gorilla trekkers to the Gorillas.

The period of time spent on the trek depends on where the gorillas are that day, the trek can be as short as 30 minutes or take several hours of about 5 hours or more.

5. Meet The Mountain Gorillas

Seeing mountain gorillas for a first time is a magical moment to hold on forever, there are rules that allow you to spend one hour in the presence of mountain gorillas. During this time, you still move together as a group with a specialized guide who will direct you on how to behave.

You will watch gorillas go on with their daily life in the forest and enjoy sightings of different members like the dominant silverback, adult females, adolescents and babies.

6. Finalizing The Gorilla Trekking

When the one hour has passed, you will trek through the jungle heading back to the park’s headquarters. Depending on the time you might have a short breakfast to enjoy packed lunch to re-energize o finalize the trek.

When you are out of the jungle, you will congregate at the park’s headquarters to celebrate finishing the trek and encountering mountain gorillas which is once – in – a life time experience, you will be rewarded with gorilla trekking certificate to finalize the trek. The certificate will serve as a souvenir to remember this special occasion.

Book your gorilla safari in Uganda, send us your safari inquiry at info@bwindiforestgorillatours.com and our expert tour consultants will answer.