Today we will discuss the Five (05) important things to consider when Planning a Uganda gorilla tour in 2025 & beyond. The success of any gorilla trekking Safari is accurate planning in regards to;
- Deciding on what to do Gorilla trekking or Gorilla Habituation. (The difference is explained below)
- Secure your gorilla permit.
- Choose the sector or trekking location.
- Select the appropriate accommodation.
- Deciding on how you will get there (road or air)
Top 05 things to consider when Planning a Gorilla Safari in Uganda for 2025 -2026
Planning a Gorilla trekking or Habituation safari in Uganda can be easy if you take into account these top five (05) important things we are about to explain below:
- Deciding on what to do Gorilla trekking or Gorilla Habituation.
Uganda unlike its counterparts Rwanda, offers both the standard Gorilla trekking and the exclusive Gorilla habituation experience. On the Standard gorilla trek, a maximum of 08 tourists are allowed to spend a maximum of 01-hour with a gorilla group while those booked on the Exclusive Gorilla Habituation experience get to spend 04-hours with a gorilla group still undergoing habituation. Habituation is the RAW process of taming a wild group of gorillas – this process takes about 3 – 5 years, and only 04 tourists are allowed daily to join a team of researchers as they visit wild gorillas. **The minimum age to trek gorillas in Uganda is 15 years old. However, children under 15 may be able to trek if meet certain requirements.
- Choose the sector or trekking location.
The Standard Gorilla trekking experience in Uganda can be done in two (02) Places; Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. If Bwindi is where you want to go, you need to remember that there are four (04) gorilla trekking locations in Bwindi: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. You will need to decide where you would like to go. otherwise, if booked on a multi-day safari across Uganda, your tour operator will select a location that fits well into your itinerary. Note: Be careful (seek advice) when on a DIY – Do it Yourself gorilla trip planning, as the location you select can make or break your entire trip.
- Secure your gorilla permit.
After you have decided on whether it is Gorilla trekking or Gorilla habituation that you want to do, the next thing to do is to ensure there are permits. Standard gorilla permits cost; Foreign non-residents pay $800 per person/permit, Foreign Residents – $700 per person/permit, East Africans pay Ugx300,000 per person/permit, and Africans from the Rest of Africa pay $500 per person/permit.
- Select the appropriate accommodation.
It is recommended that you stay at the location where you will be doing either Gorilla trekking or Gorilla habituation. Again we emphasise that you seek advice on the best place to stay guided by the location where you will be doing your activity (gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation).
Good to Know:
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- Where to stay in Gorilla Trekking
- Where to Stay for Gorilla Habituation.
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- Deciding on how you will get there (road or air).
Having decided on either Gorilla trekking or Gorilla habituation, decided on the location you want to visit, secured the permits, and selected the accommodation or hotel, the final thing to do is decide on how you will get there.
Bwindi and Mgahinga can be accessed both by road or Air.
From Entebbe or Kampala, by road, you will drive 9 -10 hours to get to Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
By air, the flight(s) from Entebbe or Kajjansi lasts about 90 minutes. These are commonly scheduled flights aboard an 08 seater Cessna Caravan. However, there is also the option to charter a plane or helicopter should you want to.
Which airports do the flights from Entebbe to Kajjansi land at?
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- Kihihi airport access to Buhoma & Ruhija.
- Kisoro Airport access to Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
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** You will need a road transfer from the airports above to get to your lodge, and gorilla trekking or habituation locations
