How Long Does Gorilla Trekking in Uganda or Rwanda Take?

How long does gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda take? How many days do I need for gorilla trekking? Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda never restricts visitor exploration. If your budget does allow, you can have as many days as possible to track mountain gorillas instead of enjoying a single gorilla trek.

There are 99% chances of seeing mountain gorillas in the wild. This means that even if you track once, you can still have a glimpse of these large apes in the wild. Prior Park guides leading you through the African jungles in your group of 8pax, trackers are sent to the wild to carry out a search for these primates and they will keep in touch with the park guides. The park guide will be directed to where the group of gorillas that are you are looking for is which makes it easier to find these apes than before.

You can also decide to track gorillas twice and this is possible on 4 days gorilla safari in Uganda or 4 days double gorilla trek in Rwanda. Double gorilla trek means you will have to secure two gorilla permits for the different families you intend to visit.

A night prior actual tracking of mountain gorillas is the best option for anyone intending to see these apes. You can utilize day one for traveling to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and spend the rest of the evening relaxing at the lodge.

The following day (second day), you can go for your first day gorilla trekking and perhaps add a village walk or cultural tour in the nearby local communities – in Uganda, visit the Batwa community and in Volcanoes National Park, visit the nearby Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.

The 3^rd day will be for you to transfer back to Kigali or Kampala city and this is ideal for visitors interested in a 3-day gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or even 3 days gorilla tour in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

Starting your gorilla safari in Uganda from Kampala is of great advantage because en-route, there are plenty of other attractions or destinations to make a stop visit. The main areas of interest en-route to Bwindi or Mgahinga on Masaka to Mbarara-Kabale route include Mpambire drum makers village, Equator crossing, Lake Mburo National Park and for tourists interested in tree climbing lions, drive via Queen Elizabeth National Park to watch these unique creatures relaxed on the tree branches.

To have wide range experiences, you can even add normal gorilla trekking and guided game viewing safaris. This means, you can combine Uganda safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park on 5 days, or gorillas and chimpanzees with a chance to visit Kibale National Park on 5 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee tour.

How long does a gorilla trek last?

A normal gorilla trek in Rwanda or Uganda lasts for 2-6 hours every day and all tourists are accompanied by an experienced park guide. Tracking gorillas in either countries begins with briefing about gorilla trekking rules or guidelines. Allocation of gorilla groups follows and at 8:00am, the actual visit to see them in the wild starts.

The length of your Uganda or Rwanda trek is determined by how far gorillas are found, nature of habitat and level of physical fitness. Trekking with mountain gorillas isn’t an ordinary experience, it all requires you to navigate via the jungles, steep slopes – all these take energies that is why you need packed lunch or snacks, bottled water, waterproof hiking boots, daypack, long sleeved shirt, rain jacket or coat, etc.

When to go gorilla trekking -Uganda or Rwanda?

Mountain gorilla trekking experiences are open all year-round. But, the dry season is the best time to visit Uganda or Rwanda to meet the massive gorillas. This is from June to September or book your gorilla tour and travel from December to February.

Visiting Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park to see gorillas means, you will spend USD700 to book for a gorilla permit. To see gorillas in Rwanda, expect to spend USD1500 to secure a gorilla permit.