Gorilla Trekking to Africa | Uganda, Rwanda, & Congo | Kitagata Safaris Uganda
A Gorilla trekking tour to Africa is a highlight of all visits done in Uganda and Rwanda and certainly Mountain gorillas are the major reasons as to why very many people visit Uganda or these two destinations on that matter. Gorilla trekking to Africa is defined as; a hike to the tropical forests of Africa to the mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat
When can one go for Gorilla Trekking to Africa? Gorilla trekking to Africa can be conducted all year around in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. The best time to go gorilla trekking in Africa is during the months of June, July, August, September and December. This is because there are less rains and the parks are drier, making it simple to hike and see the gorillas. In Bwindi the average temperature throughout the year is 11cand in the morning and 23c in the afternoon
January and February is a low season offering less huge crowds. Very little or on rain
March, April and may is usually rainy season. Lots of rain. Most challenging during the trek, the slopes are slippery
June, July and August: peak season, its important to buy your permits early since they run out. Best time for gorilla safari in Uganda
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Where to go for Mountain Gorilla Trekking Tours in Africa
There are two national parks where you can see the habituated gorillas. The main attraction is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is located on the very southwestern tip of Uganda. Bwindi homes approximately half of the mountain gorillas left in the world (Bwindi has around 400 gorillas).
Gorilla Tours to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
There are 11 habituated groups of gorillas in Bwindi that you can trek to and see. These groups vary in size, family relationships, and location. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is located on the very southwestern tip of Uganda. Bwindi homes approximately half of the mountain gorillas left in the world (Bwindi has around 400 gorillas).
At the headquarters before the trek, the park rangers and guides will assign each group to a gorilla family in the park. The trek usually varies between 2-6 hours and this will all depend on which family you have been assigned (some are much closer to the park headquarters and others are much further into the forest).
You will be able to have some say in it (especially if you are less/more fit than others), but the guides will be able to gauge the group’s fitness and enthusiasm quite quickly.
Gorilla Tours to Maghinga Gorilla National Park
One other place to see the habituated gorillas, although much less visited, is the Maghinga Gorilla National Park. This park is south of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and is Uganda’s smallest national park, with a size of 33.7km2.
The park protects a variety of rare and distinctive flora and fauna, including mountain gorillas and golden monkeys on the Ugandan slopes of the Virunga Mountains. The park has one habituated group of gorillas which are transboundary.
‘Gahinga’ is the local word for piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes. As well as the protection of the landscape and the endangered species, the park has a huge cultural significance. The Batwa Pygmies were the first tribe of hunter-gatherers in the forest.
Gorilla Tours to Volcanoes National Park
“In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat,” wrote the eminent primatologist Dian Fossey, “are great, old volcanoes towering almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest – the Virungas.”
Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the endangered mountain gorilla and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp, and heath.
Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura.
What is the Cost of Gorilla Trekking to Africa – Uganda?
To see the mountain gorillas in Uganda, you will need a gorilla permit. Uganda sells 88 gorilla permits per day for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for 11 gorilla groups, which works out to be a maximum of 8 people trekking to see one gorilla family at a time, accompanied by UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) guides. You must be over 15 years old to do a gorilla trekking trip in Africa. The gorilla permits are currently selling for $700 per person (US dollars). This is almost half the price of the neighboring country Rwanda, which charge $1,500 per person for a single gorilla permit.
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Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda
Uganda is, arguably, the best country in East Africa to see the chimpanzees, and trekking to see the mountain gorillas is one of the most popular activities in Uganda! There are over 5,000 habituated chimpanzees in Uganda, which offers tourists a 1-hour visit to see the chimps, or an all-day chimpanzee habituation experience (called CHEX).
Chimpanzees are sociable animals and their groups can be comprised of anywhere between 10 and 100 members. They are very intelligent animals and have utilized traits and actions that have been passed on from generations, such as using rocks for crushing nuts and using empty pods for collecting water. Most of all, they are fun and playful, so trekking to see them is a great experience. You can watch them interact, play and even squabble and fight with one another (this is much more interesting than watching a pride of lions sleep all day on safari)!
From a logistics point of view, the chimpanzee permits are $150 per person and include park entrances on the day of the trek. The minimum age is 15 years old (the same for mountain gorillas), except for Kalinzu Forest where the minimum age is 12 years old.
