If backpacking is your style of travel, here is your own guide to gorilla trekking for backpackers.
Where is the best place to go for Gorilla trekking for Backpackers?
Of the three (03) Places; Uganda, Rwanda, or the Democratic Republic of Congo – where you can go, trek & see mountain gorillas in the Wild, Uganda remains the most affordable for backpackers.
In Uganda, there are two (02) places; Bwindi, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mgahinga which is located approximately 13km/8 mi from Kisoro is definitely the best choice for a backpacker.
Why Mgahinga is the best place to go Gorilla trekking for Backpackers.
- It’s easier to get to Kisoro aboard public transport from Kampala or Kigali. Kampala to Kisoro costs about $20 – oneway. Kigali to Kisoro (via Cyanika Border) will cost you $18. ***Please treat the prices mentioned as a guide as they can change without prior notice.
- Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is only a 40-minute drive from Kisoro Town. One can easily hire a local taxi for about $50 to drive them up to the Park offices for Briefing, and eventually gorilla trekking.
- Kisoro town offers a varied range of cheap & basic places to stay for as low as $12 – $40. Kindly double-check to know if the prices include breakfast. And if they do, kindly manage your expectations; the breakfast is usually very basic – a cup of tea, a slice of bread, and if lucky an omelet…nothing fancy!
- Kisoro is a hub for the adventurous backpacker – there is a lot more to see other than Gorillas basing out of Kisoro town.
Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park currently has only one (01) habituated mountain gorilla group open to tourism, and only 08 Mountain gorilla permits are available on a daily. Only persons of age 12 years and above can trek gorillas in Uganda. This can only be done after securing a gorilla trekking permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in Kampala. The best way to secure a permit is through a locally registered tour operator like Realm Africa Safaris™.
Note: Gorilla Permits must be pre-purchased. Don’t travel without confirming the pre-purchase of your Gorilla Permit.
Mountain gorilla Permits in 2023 – 2024 & beyond cost;
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- Foreign Non-residents pay $700 per person.
- Foreign Residents pay $600 per person.
- East Africans pay UGX250,000 per person.
Best time to go gorilla trekking for Backpackers
Low season is a perfect time for backpackers looking for amazing discounts on bucket-list experiences like gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and any other wildlife Safaris.
The best time to go gorilla trekking for Backpackers is during the low season months of April, May & November. During this time of the year, lodges & hotels offer amazing low season Discounts on accommodation, Car rental companies offer good deals on car hire, and Tour operators in turn also offer irresistible all-inclusive Budget Gorilla tours for the off-season.
Learn more about The advantages of going gorilla trekking during the low season.
How to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
From Kampala, you will travel approximately 500km/311 mi to get to Kisoro. The standard form of public transport to Kisoro district and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Bwindi National Park from Kampala City is by road. Daily public buses run from Kampala city to Kisoro district and back. The drive time between Kampala and Kisoro town takes between 8 and 9 hours. Luckily enough, the highway between Kisoro and Kampala is all paved (though narrow), making the commute somewhat faster. A drive from Kampala to Kisoro traverses major cities and towns of southwestern Uganda, including Masaka, Mbarara, Ntungamo, and Kabale.
A one-way public bus ticket from Kampala to Kisoro town usually costs between $10-$30. Note that some long-distance buses travel at night, and other coaches still have scheduled departures during the day. It is advisable to book the bus ticket a day before the scheduled departure or at least on the morning of the departure date. While there are quite many buses on the Kampala-Kisoro route, reserving a seat on the bus can get tricky with last-minute bookings.
The following are some of the bus companies that operate the Kisoro-Kampala route. Buses with business class seats.
- The Modern Coast. Modern Coast Bus is a dynamic Kenyan company with a franchise in Uganda. The buses frequently transport people traveling between Kampala and Goma/DR Congo.
- Jaguar Bus Company. The Jaguar booking office in Kampala is located along Namirembe Road, close to the Mengo City Oil branch. If not driving, the best way to access the Jaguar booking office is by taking a Boda Boda.
Other Buses operating on the Kampala-Kisoro route
- Horizon coaches. Horizon is one of the oldest bus companies in Uganda. Daily buses are running from Kampala through Mbarara and Kabale towns daily.
- Bismarkan coaches. Bismarkan is a reliable bus company when traveling to Kisoro from Kampala. Biskmarkan buses park in the central bus park in the Kisenyi neighborhood in Kampala.
- Trinity Bus. Trinity buses run the Kampala-Kigali route but pass through Kisoro and Kabale towns on the way to Rwanda.
- Post-Bus. As the name suggests, the Post Bus is run by Posta Uganda, a government parastatal in charge of shipping mail across the country.
If your budget is flexible, you could consider Flying from Kajjansi or Entebbe International Airport into Kisoro. Kisoro has an airstrip with daily flights coming in from Entebbe international airport and Kajjansi. Backpackers traveling to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla tracking could opt to fly for 1hour to Kisoro. From Kisoro airport, it will only take you 15 mintues to get to you preferred backpackers accommodation in Kisoro.
Learn more about Flying to Kisoro
How about getting to Kisoro Town from Kigali?
Traveling from Kigali (Rwanda) to Kisoro is considerably faster than commuting from Kampala. We recommend taking a Bus to Gatuna (Katuna) border into Kabale Town, From Kabale you’ll then hop onto another bus to Kisoro. While this trip may seem tedious because there are two bus connections, it is the most recommended route for the following reasons;
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- Kigali to Kabale is a popular route so the buses (tickets) get sold out fast. This means your bus leaves in a shorter time span. Kigali – Kabale being a major route, this means you get at least 01 bus leaving every 30 minutes.
- The route of Kigali – Kabale crosses into Uganda at Gatuna/Katuna border which operates 24 hours. This gives you a lot of flexibility to meet your connections.
So we are assuming you are now sold into the idea of connecting from Kigali to Kabale, and Kabale to Kisoro. This entire journey takes about 5 hours to get to Kisoro through the Gatuna border crossing into Kabale town. In Kabale, there are public buses/mini-buses that run from Kabale to Kisoro which might take about 01 hour 30 minutes.
