Gorilla Tracking Tours
and Wildlife Safaris
In Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya & Tanzania
By Kisoro Tours

Mountain gorilla tracking is walking on foot trekking endangered mountain gorillas experience in rain forests of East Africa A maximum of 8 tourists (people) are allowed to visit each habituated gorilla family per day on a daily basis throughout the year.

Yes currently there are a few cases of threats to mountain gorillas in Africa which include losing their habitat to human encroachment, gorillas live in a limited habitat range that is being encroached by growing human populations which puts mountain gorillas’ habitats under pressure. Poaching is another threat but currently, it’s not a big problem because nowadays mountain gorillas are well protected, especially in Uganda and Rwanda. The biggest threat to mountain gorillas is disease, Despite the park rangers protecting gorillas and the national parks mountain gorillas are still exposed to different diseases that can be got by tourists/visitors as humans we share similar genetics with mountain gorillas but the immune systems of the gorillas sometimes cannot cope with human diseases.

In the whole world mountain gorillas can only be found in three countries in East Africa, gorilla tracking can only be done in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. both parks are found in southwestern Uganda.

Because of the gorilla’s physique definitely, safety will come to your mind but I can guarantee you that yes mountain gorilla tracking in Africa is one the safety if you compare it to another wildlife encounter in Africa, gorilla tracking is an amazing activity especially when you finally catch a glimpse of a mountain gorilla.

Personally, I can assure you that gorilla tracking can be done any day throughout the year but some people prefer to go for gorilla trek during the dry season in the month of June, July, August, September, October, December-during Christmas season, January and February.

March, April, May, and November are considered as Rainy seasons which makes some people think that tracking during the Rainey season is more challenging but I tell them that the gorilla tracking experience is the same.

The minimum age limit for gorilla tracking 15 years old and above, there is no maximum age limit on gorilla tracking is if you are 95 years and above you can still trek mountain gorillas as long as you are physically fit enough to walk/hike in the impenetrable forest of Africa for about 3 to 6 hours.

1. You need long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to protect you from insects’ bites, hot vegetation, and thorny trees.
2. Insect repellent is a must-have if you’re traveling in Africa because those impenetrable forests apart from mountain gorillas it is also home to different insects, so having insect repellent will be a good idea
3. You will also need a Walking stick which is provided at no cost by the park rangers/guides, A walking stick will help when tracking up and down in the forest.
4. Drinking water and a packed lunch provided by the lodge or the tour operator you booked your safari with, you cannot afford to miss out on drinking water and a packed lunch because you cannot tell how long your trekking will last so food is a must.
5. Walking/hiking boots As you will be walking a forest that is muddy and wet you need waterproof hiking boots which are important during your trekking.
6. You may need a warm sweater because in the evenings and mornings sometimes Bwindi Forest can be cool so it’s always nice to have a warm sweater with you
7. We also recommend that you bring a rain jacket because gorilla tracking is done in the rainforest which means it can rain at any time of the day
8. Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat are also nice to bring with you so that they can protect you from strong sun

Gorilla tracking starts every day at 7:30 am throughout the day year with a briefing from the ranger/guides taking you through the rules and guidelines you must follow while trekking gorillas after a briefing at 8:oo am the trekking begins and the time spent in the forest depends on the movements of the family you have been assigned to trek.

Each country has its own Permit price so it depends on which country you want to see mountain gorillas from, Below is the gorilla permit prices in their respective country as of 2024-2025

1. Uganda gorilla permit costs $700 per person per trek
2. Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person per trek
3. Democratic Republic of Congo gorilla permit costs $1032 per person including one night of accommodation and transport from Goma town to Virunga National Park and back to Goma

Apart from the gorilla permit price differences gorilla tracking experience remains the same in all three countries, It’s also important to know that when you purchase one gorilla permit it means that you have directly contributed to the conservation of this most endangered species.

Flying into Rwanda and crossing the border to Uganda is the easiest way to access Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, it is only a 3 to 4 hours drive from Kigali airport in Rwanda to reach Bwindi forest in Uganda while you fly to Entebbe airport of Uganda you need 8 to 9 hours drive from Entebbe to reach Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. flying to Rwanda and trekking gorillas in Uganda helps you to save double 5 hours on traveling time and $800 on each gorilla permit

Gorilla trekking is limited to 8 people per gorilla family/group once a day and gorilla permits are also booked on a first come first saver basis so we recommend that you book and pay for your trekking permit far in advance between six months to a year in advance to avoid disappointments.

Uganda has two mountain gorilla trekking locations, Uganda gorillas can be seen in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park both parks are located in southwestern Uganda in the districts of Kisoro, Kabale Rubanda, and Kanugu near the Rwanda border and DR-Congo

Recently Uganda introduced a new tourism product of gorilla habituation experience in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park-Rushaga sector, this new product gives a chance to tourists to spend more time with mountain gorillas of Uganda in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, gorilla habituation experience involves spending time with researchers, trackers, ranger guides with gorilla family that is under habituation process in Bwindi Forest.

Gorilla habituation experience permits cost $1500 per person including park entrance fees to Bwindi forest, ranger guide fees, and a team of researchers who will take you through the whole process of gorilla habituation experience.

Kisoro Tours Uganda can book a permit for gorilla habituation for you which will allow you to spend four hours with mountain gorillas undergoing the habituation process, the four hours exclude the time you spend before reaching the gorillas so it means four hours with mountain gorillas.

The answer is yes it is now possible for disabled, and elderly people to participate in mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda, elderly and disabled persons are the main senior citizens of this world so they shouldn’t keep missing out on such an amazing exciting lifetime experience of mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda.

Kisoro Tours will organize this trip for the elderly and disabled persons in Uganda or Rwanda, They will be assigned to trek with a gorilla family that is closer to the park headquarters, and for the elderly and disabled who are unable to walk long distances we arrange for the porters who will carry them on a sedan chair into the forest trek the gorillas and after bring them back to the car on the starting point.

Detailed information

Yes, gorilla trekking permits must be obtained first to visit the gorillas, and as only eight (8) permits are granted per gorilla group/family each day they are extremely limited.

We will secure permits for you as far in advance as possible. Your gorilla permit entitles you to one hour with the mountain gorillas. This money goes toward the conservation of the habitat, anti-poaching efforts, and education of the local communities.

Unlike gorilla trekking which starts at 7:30 am, mountain gorilla habituation starts at 6:30 am and briefing is done much earlier.

Gorilla habituation experience is currently possible in Uganda Rushaga sector located in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. It is thus not possible in the Buhoma, Nkuringo, or Ruhija side of the Bwindi forest. This is because currently, it is only in Rushaga that we have two gorilla families under the habituation process as compared to other regions that do not have gorilla families under habituation. Those interested in this experience should be ready to go to the south and book accommodation closer to Rushaga since this activity requires an early start.

Gorilla habituation permit includes park rangers/guides, park entrance fees, and researchers spending four hours with mountain gorillas during the habituation process in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

There is a difference between gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation, Standard gorilla trekking costs $700 per person and you get to spend only one hour with the already habituated gorilla family while the gorilla habituation experience costs $1500 per person allowing you to spend four hours with mountain gorillas family that is under habituation process. It only takes place in the Rushaga sector-Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which has mountain gorilla families under habituation process and as of now, it’s only in the Rushaga sector where new gorilla groups are under habituation in Uganda.

The minimum age for both gorilla tracking and gorilla habituation is 15 years and above, There is no maximum age and the permit booking guidelines are the same for both trekking and habituation, however in terms of permit numbers, gorilla habituation is limited to only 4 people per day per family while tracking is limited to only 8 people per gorilla family per day.

Most tourists combine wildlife game viewing safari with gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda Tanzania, and Kenya, Some love to go rafting on the River Nile before they go back home. You can go for a wildlife game viewing safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda or Akagera National Park in Rwanda. Queen Elizabeth National Park is understandably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. It is the home of the famous tree-climbing lion as well as the Uganda Kob, other antelope species, elephants, baboons, hippos, buffalo, and chimpanzees. Over 600 species of birds have been recorded, making the park a magnet for bird watchers. A safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park includes Game drives to see wildlife, exclusive birding tours, launch cruises on the park’s lakes, and cultural tours.

Mountain gorillas are the largest living primates with their homes in East Africa. They function in a well-developed social structure and often exhibit behavior and emotions similar to the human experience, including laughter and sadness. Poaching, disease, and habitat destruction remain threats to gorillas.

There are two subspecies of the eastern gorilla—the mountain gorilla and the Grauer’s gorilla. Eastern gorillas live in the mountainous forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, northwest Rwanda, and southwest Uganda. The world’s remaining mountain gorillas live in three countries spanning four national parks—Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Virunga National Park. The Grauer’s  gorillas are endemic to the forests of the Albertine Rift in eastern DR-Congo

Gorillas stick to vegetarianism as their main diet, feeding on stems, bamboo shoots, and fruits. Western lowland gorillas, however, also have an appetite for termites and ants and break open termite nests to eat the larvae.

Gorillas move around in families/groups that can range from a couple of individuals to more than 40 members. A dominant male leads (silverback) and holds the position for years

gorillas are charismatic and intelligent animals, mountain gorillas share 98.3% of their DNA with humans. gorillas are our closest cousins after chimpanzees.

Female mountain gorillas have a gestation period of 8.5 months and nurture their young ones for several years, generally, female gorillas give birth to one baby every four to six years which slows down mountain population growth and makes it harder for gorillas to recover from any population decline.

Kisoro Tours Uganda does bookings and purchases of gorilla trekking permits, chimp permits, golden monkey’s permits, accommodation booking, car hire, transport, and many other travel services in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and DR-Congo for International Travel Agents, Tour Operators, and individuals travelers. You can as well reach us at info@kisorotoursuganda.com or call us at +256785790925 and on WhatsApp for a free quote or any other enquires you may need to make, we can as well check for your permit availability and advise you accordingly. We recommend that you book your gorilla permits at least 6 months in advance to avoid disappointments but also those with mint bookings and see how we can help you

Yes, it’s no longer an issue whether old, elderly, disabled or seniors can now all go for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest National Park, At Kisoro Tours we organize gorilla trekking for the disabled, elderly, and seniors, it is organized in the same way as others, the only difference is that they are assigned to trek a gorilla family which is closer and for the elderly, disabled people and for all those who cannot walk for long distances we will organize and to hire porters and a sedan chair which will take you to the gorillas and back so there is no excuse to miss out on this lifetime experience. Contact our team to discuss this in detail or to book a gorilla trek for elderly and disabled people in Bwindi Forest.

The mountain gorilla is the most intriguing primate in Africa which means everyone wants to see them in their natural habitat because they cannot be seen in the zoos like other animals, for anyone to see mountain gorillas must go to Uganda, Rwanda, or DR-Congo in East Africa.

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