Gorilla trekking4-Day Fly-in Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda
$5,921 / personPrivateView itinerary
Uganda
Uganda safaris
Uganda combines savannah and rainforest. In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest you can trek to see mountain gorillas at close range.
Why Uganda
Half of the world’s mountain gorillas live here.
Uganda is where a safari stops being about what you can see from a vehicle. In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest you hike through ancient rainforest with a ranger team, and a gorilla family that has never known fear of humans lets you sit with them for a permitted hour. It is routinely described as the most profound hour of a lifetime of travel, and that is not marketing, it is simply what happens.
Beyond the gorillas, Uganda is quietly one of the most biodiverse countries in Africa: chimpanzee trekking at Kibale, lions climbing fig trees in Queen Elizabeth, the Nile exploding through Murchison Falls, and the near-mythical north at Kidepo.
It pairs beautifully with a safari too. The classic route adds Bwindi to a Kenya or Rwanda trip, or stands alone as a dedicated primate and big-game week.
The parks
Parks and areas we visit in Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Ancient rainforest holding roughly half the world’s mountain gorillas. Trekking is a two to six hour hike with armed rangers; the encounter itself is a permitted one hour, and worth every step.
Kibale National Park
The best chimpanzee tracking in East Africa, with a habituated community you walk in on after a morning in the forest. The rainforest’s birds and butterflies alone are worth the trip.
The falls
Murchison Falls National Park
The Nile forces itself through a seven-metre gap in the rocks, making it the world’s most powerful waterfall at that point. Boat safaris below the falls show hippo, croc and elephant from the water.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Open savannah between two lakes, famous for lions that climb the fig trees, a habit seen in few places. The Kazinga Channel boat trip is one of Africa’s great wildlife hours.
The far north
Kidepo Valley
Uganda’s wildest corner, up against the South Sudan border: lions, buffalo and elephant in landscapes that feel untouched. For travellers who want the off-grid version.
The gateway
Entebbe and Kampala
Entebbe’s airport sits on a lake peninsula, with botanical gardens, a zoo caring for orphaned wildlife, and the source of the Nile at Jinja, 90 minutes away for white-water rafting.
When to go
When to visit Uganda
| Season | Months | Wildlife | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry, high season | Jun – Aug | Gorilla trails at their driest; prime trekking | Best for trekking |
| Short dry | Dec – Feb | Warm and dry; parks at their most comfortable | Excellent |
| Rains | Mar – May, Sep – Nov | Forest trails slippery, but gorilla trekking still runs daily | Quieter and greener |
Gorilla permits are a fixed government cost, around US$800 at the foreigner rate at the time of writing, and they are included in our quotes. We never add them on at the end.
Tours in Uganda
Safaris that visit Uganda
Gorilla trekking
Luxury3-Day Luxury Murchison Falls Safari
$2,090 / personPrivateView itinerary
3-Day Nkuringo Gorilla Safari
$2,900 / personPrivateView itinerary
4-Day Bwindi Gorilla Safari
$3,400 / personPrivateView itinerary
Plan your Uganda safari
Tell us your dates and what’s on the list, and we’ll route it for you.
All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
