Gorilla Trekking in Uganda from Kigali

Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda from Kigali are fast becoming a popular option for visitors looking cheaper gorilla safaris and cut on long driving hours to Uganda’s famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. With the Rwanda gorilla permit at $1,500, gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali is a great option if you are looking for a gorilla safari that is within your budget range since a gorilla permit in Uganda costs $700. If you are interested in tracking mountain gorillas in Uganda, here is a complete and detailed guide to gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali;

Where can I do Gorilla Trekking in Uganda from Kigali?

Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda from Kigali are conducted in two gorilla parks; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, with most tourists opting to track mountain gorillas in the world-famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Visitors from Rwanda may now go gorilla trekking in Uganda. These gorilla treks begin at Kigali International Airport. These gorilla trekking safaris are highly affordable and convenient, especially for budget tourists and those with a set travel itinerary.

What is a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda from Kigali like?

Visitors can select between a two-day safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and a three-day excursion in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Visitors on two-day gorilla trekking trips will be picked up from their accommodation in Kigali and will spend the night in Mgahinga National Park or Kisoro town before their day of trekking. 

Visitors enjoying a three-day gorilla trekking trip in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park will be picked up from their accommodation in Kigali and will spend the night in Bwindi National Park.

Here is what a 2 day gorilla trekking safari in Uganda from Kigali lookslike;

Day 1: Pickup from Kigali and Transfer to Bwindi National Park.

Depending on your location in Kigali, you will be picked up from your Kigali accommodation and taken on a tour of the wonderful Kigali city, including visits to Kimironko local market, where you will mingle with the people and try to haggle on local goods, as well as visit the genocide memorial site, where you will learn more about the awful 1994 genocide. You will then have an early lunch and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park through the Cyanika border. Your journey to Bwindi from Kigali takes approximately 4-5 hours depending on how long it will take you to clear with the immigration’s office at the border. Arrive in the evening in Bwindi – the home of Uganda gorillas. Upon your arrival in Bwindi, you will check-in to your lodge where you will later have dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 2: Gorilla Trek in Bwindi and Drive Back to Kigali.

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters with your packed lunch and bottled drinking water for a briefing by the park ranger guides at 7:30 a.m. Following the briefing, you will begin your gorilla trekking adventure in search of mountain gorillas, which takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the activity of the gorillas. After the walk, you will eat your lunch packs before returning to Kigali in the evening. Drop off at the airport or your Kigali hotel.

If you are interested in 3 Days Gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali, here is what your itinerary might look like;

Day 1: Pickup from Kigali and Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

On the first day of the 3 days gorilla trekking safari in Uganda from Kigali, you will be greeted by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then begin the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park, which takes about 4 to 5 hours’ drive passing through Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale. You will see undulating hills in Rwanda, terraced farmlands, and lovely landscapes along the road. Upon arriving in the park, you will check into your preferred lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2: Gorilla Trek in Bwindi and Optional Batwa Cultural Trek

After an early breakfast on the second day of your three-day gorilla trekking safari in Uganda from Kigali, you will meet your driver guide and go to the park headquarters for a briefing. Following the briefing, you will begin hiking in the forest in search of mountain gorillas, which will take between 30 minutes and 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are situated because they prefer to migrate from one location to another in quest of food. Other primate species such as l’hoest monkeys, chimps, black and white colobus monkeys, numerous plant species, and birds may be seen when hiking.

Once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be permitted to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, allowing you to observe their habits and behaviors, watch gorillas feed, breastfeed, and groom young ones, take photos, and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home after the safari. Following your one-hour encounter with the gentle giants, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will be awarded a certificate for your participation in gorilla trekking, and then meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner, and overnight, same as the previous night.

In case you complete your gorilla trek early, you can opt for a cultural tour in the afternoon, where you will visit the neighboring Batwa cultural tour. A visit to the Batwa community will give you an opportunity to learn more about their interesting culture and get to interact with the friendly locals. The Batwa people are an indigenous ethnic group in Uganda that settled in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and have solely relied on the forest for their survival till in the recent years when they fully integrated into other communities neighboring the park.

Day 3: Drive Back to Kigali.

On the final day of your three-day gorilla trekking safari in Uganda from Kigali, you will check out of the lodge and meet your driver guide to begin the journey back to Kigali. You will eat lunch en route and enjoy spectacular views of the gorgeous countryside, Kigezi hills, traditional homesteads, terraced farmlands, and so on. Upon arrival, our driver guide will take you to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight or to any other location advised.

What you should know about gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali?

Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda are home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Only two gorilla species have been reported in Africa: the Eastern and Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla). The mountain gorilla of Uganda is a subspecies of the Eastern gorilla that can only be found in the east-central African rainforests. They exclusively exist in the mountains, as their name implies, at heights ranging from 8,000 to 13,000 feet.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southern Uganda, near the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are surrounded by one of Uganda’s oldest and most ecologically diversified rain forests, dating back over 25,000 years and containing around 400 plant species. This “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 459 mountain gorillas – about half the world’s total, including many habituated groups that can be followed.

The Nyakagezi gorilla family is the only habituated gorilla family that tourists may follow in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park at the moment. There are 21 habituated gorilla families/groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for visitors to monitor, with 15 of these gorilla groups available for tourists to follow. In the Rushaga sector, habituated gorilla families include the Nshongi, Mishaya, Kahunge, Busingye, Bweza, Bikyingi, Mucunguzi, and Rwigi.

The Buhoma area of Bwindi features four habituated gorilla families: Mubare, Habinyanja, Katwe, and Rushegura. The Nkuringo region of Bwindi National Park is home to three habituated gorilla families: the Nkuringo, Christmas, and Bushaho families. Finally, four habituated gorilla families may be found in the Ruhija section of the national park: the Oruzogo, Bitukura, Mukiza, and Kyaguriro gorilla groups.

What is entailed during a gorilla trek in Uganda from Kigali?

Uganda gorilla trekking excursions in Uganda from Kigali begin at precisely 8 a.m. You will travel from Kigali, Rwanda and arrive at the individual parks’ headquarters by 7 a.m. on the day of trekking. You will be greeted and informed by the lead ranger at each national park. You will be guided through the park’s rules and regulations, as well as suggestions to follow before, during, and after trekking gorillas in the park, during the briefings.

How many people are allowed to track a gorilla family in Uganda?

When you are traveling from Kigali to Uganda to undertake gorilla trekking, you will be placed in trekking groups based on the gorilla group that you have chosen to track. In Uganda, gorilla trekking groups are limited to a maximum of eight persons per gorilla family/group. Each gorilla trekker group is escorted by an armed UWA ranger to protect your safety and an experienced UWA guide to assist trekkers in locating a gorilla group.

How long does it take to track a gorilla family in Uganda?

Tracking mountain gorillas in Uganda might take anything from 4 to 7 hours or more depending on the location of the gorilla family that you will be tracking. Once trekkers have discovered a gorilla family/group, guests are only allowed one hour with the gorillas. You should make the most of this time, so make sure you have your cameras ready for this day and precise occasion. This one hour spent with the gorillas is the highlight of every gorilla trekking expedition in Uganda departing from Kigali.

Why should I do Gorilla Trekking in Uganda from Kigali?

You will save a lot of money if you book your Uganda gorilla trekking trip from Kigali. If you are visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Southern Uganda, booking your safari this way will still provide you with significant benefits. Transferring from Kigali to Southern Uganda is far less difficult and costly than from Entebbe.

Short Drive to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Parks.

Previously, many customers favored Rwanda gorilla trekking adventures over Uganda gorilla trekking adventures. This was mostly due to the two-hour trip from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, as well as the 4–5-hour drive from Kigali to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, as compared to the eight-hour drive from Entebbe to Bwindi. With the option of booking one-day and two-day gorilla safaris, trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda becomes a bit less pricey.

If Rwandan driving speeds were not limited to 40km/h to 60km/h, the journey would have taken three hours. The journey is around 176.8 kilometers long, which is roughly three times shorter than the distance between Entebbe and Bwindi. Please remember that the border is never closed. Better still, you may arrive at 6 p.m. and transfer to Bwindi on the same day.

Save on cost of Gorilla Permits in Uganda than Rwanda.

The Rwanda Development Board announced a 100% rise in gorilla permit costs ($750 to $1500) in 2017. Kigali is significantly less costly than Entebbe or Kampala for gorilla trekking in Uganda. You can arrive in Kigali and take a bus to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on the same day that you hike gorillas in Bwindi and depart from Kigali. If you choose to start your safari in Kampala, you must budget for lodging for the first and last nights of your trip. A Uganda gorilla safari from Kigali is quite inexpensive. Instead of $1500 for Rwandan permits, each Ugandan permit will set you back $700.

Accommodations in Uganda are more budget Friendly compared to Rwanda.

In terms of hotel expenses, Uganda has more cheap lodges for travelers on gorilla safaris than Rwanda. If you are on a tight budget, Uganda may be a better option for gorilla trekking than Rwanda. If you are going gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Kigali, you might consider staying at one of the following lodges: Buhoma Haven Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Four Gorillas Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Haven Lodge, Kiho Gorilla Lodge, Ruhija Gorilla Mist Camp, Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, Clouds Lodge, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, to name a few.

It’s great for short trips.

Shorter trips are feasible due to the small distance. You may even embark on a two-day gorilla trekking safari in Uganda from Kigali, arriving in Kigali and being transported to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on day one, then hiking gorillas and returning to Kigali on day two. However, we recommend spending at least two nights in Bwindi. Three-to-four-day safaris are great.

What should I pack when doing gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali?

When you are traveling from Kigali to do gorilla trekking in Uganda, you should pack the following items: sunscreen, insect repellent, a good pair of hiking boots, long trouser and long-sleeved shirt, a rain coat, mineral water, Uganda gorilla trekking permit, packed lunch/snacks, camera, and a pair of binoculars.