Bwindi gorilla trekking safari from Kigali 2025/2026
Could you be planning a gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to start up from Kigali-Rwanda? Are you a resident of Rwanda planning to visit Uganda on a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi or a foreigner with a travel itinerary commencing from Rwanda and connecting to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla Park? Kisoro Tours Uganda will assist you in planning a gorilla trip to Uganda from Kigali.
Rwanda is a landlocked country bordered by Uganda in the north, Tanzania in the east, Burundi in the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the west. Rwanda is covered by gorgeous scenery, widely known as the country of 1000 hills, and it is one of the cleanest and most organized countries in Africa. The scenery is particularly striking near the north, west, and east borders.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking Trip from Kigali for 2025/2026.
Gorilla trekking in Africa is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that many tourists seek out during their trip to Africa. Despite the expensive expenses, time, and pain involved in booking and hiking through the jungle to find these endangered primates, seeing gorillas in their native habitat in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo is one of the best wildlife experiences any traveller can have on a safari. Gorilla Trekking involves hiking/walking through the forest and, at times, steep terrain, heavy vegetation, crossing rivers and swamps in search of gorillas.
Check out some of our most popular Uganda safaris starting from Kigali for 2025/2026
1 day Uganda gorilla tracking safari from Kigali
2 days Uganda gorilla trekking tour from Kigali
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6 days gorilla chimpanzees and hiking safari from Kigali
7 days Uganda gorillas and chimpanzee trekking safari from Kigali
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14 days gorillas, chimpanzees and wildlife safaris from Kigali
This activity is challenging and requires one to be fit in the real-time trek. Gorilla trekking allows you to spend one hour encountering and watching gorillas in their natural habitat in Rwanda, Uganda, and Congo. Travelers who want to spend more time with gorillas in their natural habitat can visit Bwindi Forest for the Gorilla Habituation Experience, which includes a 4-hour encounter with the gorillas.
Where does gorilla trekking take place in Africa?
Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali: You can begin your gorilla expedition in Kigali, Rwanda. Gorilla trekking is done in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which have four national parks that are home to the last remaining mountain gorillas. These include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda; Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda; and Virunga National Park in DR Congo. In Congo, you can also see lowland gorillas at Kahuzi Beiga National Park.
To hike in any of the aforementioned national parks, you must first obtain a gorilla permit. With this, once you have your gorilla trekking dates set, we recommend that you begin booking your trip right away because services and permits sell out quickly, especially if you plan to trek during the peak season of June to September. It is always best to book at least 5 months in advance of travel. Gorilla trekking at the mentioned parks can be booked directly or through a trusted tour operator, Kisoro Tours Uganda.
What is the cost of getting gorilla permits in Uganda?
Uganda gorilla trekking permit prices range differently for different categories of people, that is; $800 per person per trek for foreign non-residents, $700 per person per trek for foreign residents, UGX300000 for East African citizens (Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, and South Sudan), and $500 for the rest of the Africans. This trekking permit allows you to spend one hour in close encounters with mountain gorillas in either Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla Park. Uganda has 17 habituated gorilla family groups, 16 of which are in Bwindi and one in Mgahinga.
This means that 136 gorilla permits are available every day for gorilla trekking in Uganda. Gorilla trekking in Uganda also allows you to spend more time with the mountain gorillas through the Gorilla Habituation Experience, which is only done in Bwindi Forest, a gorilla habituation permit costs $1500 per person and allows you to spend four hours with semi-habituated mountain gorillas under the supervision of trackers and researchers, as compared to one hour for standard trekking. One can obtain a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda either directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority or through a trusted tour operator/company, Kisoro Tours Uganda.
What is considered the minimum and maximum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda?
Kids under 15 years of age are not allowed in for gorilla trekking and the maximum age is not all defined as the person is fit and ready to walk through the dense forests. Gorilla trekking for the elderly is now made possible, especially in Bwindi Forest, by the availability of sedan chair carriers, which are used to transport individuals who feel unfit and are unable to go into the forest at the time of their journey, you will be carried to and from the forest by potters. Hiring the sedan chair can be done in advance or on the day of the trek, and the cost ranges from $400 to $500.
What are the cancellation penalties and policies for gorilla permits in Uganda?
To go Gorilla Trekking, you must have a gorilla permit. Everybody who books a gorilla permit should be able to use it for the trip on a specific date. The penalties and policies for cancelling a gorilla permit in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo are the same if you do not arrive on the scheduled day. You don’t communicate from 0 to 8 days, depending on the day of tracking, and you will not receive a permit refund.
Check out some of our Uganda gorilla Habituation Experience Safari in Bwindi Forest for 2025/2026
3 days of gorilla habituation experience
4 days of double gorilla habituation experience
5 days of gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience
6 days gorilla and chimpanzee habituation tour
For the last 2 years, gorilla permit cancellation policies have changed dramatically due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, which has forced both countries to relax cancellation policies. In Uganda, all gorilla treks affected by the pandemic have been allowed to change their trekking dates twice.
What is considered the best period for visiting Uganda for a gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Forest and from Rwanda?
Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park are done all year round, but what is always preferred as the best time to go gorilla trekking in Africa is commonly the months of less/no rain like June, and July, August, and January, February, June, and early September because it is believed to have a clear view since the forage is not overgrown.
What should I carry for a Gorilla Trip to Uganda from Kigali in 2025/2026?
During gorilla tracking, you will require comfortable, hard-wearing walking shoes or boots. When it rains, the forest tends to become rather muddy. Uphill sections can be steep and hard. Consider putting on a long-sleeved cotton shirt and long trousers while on the trek to safeguard yourself from the undergrowth, stinging nettles, and biting ants.
Consider packing some of the following items on a gorilla trekking safari:
Insect repellent, Torch/flashlight (with spare batteries), Wet wipes, Water bottle, Camera, lens, etc., Comfortable walking/hiking footwear and socks, Garden gloves for gorilla tracking, Sandals/Strops/Walking Shoes, Hat and Sunscreen, Rain Jacket, Sweater/fleece, Swimwear, and Binoculars (for game/bird watching)
Why book with Kisoro Tours Uganda for a Bwindi gorilla trekking safari from Kigali in 2025/2026?
Kisoro Tours Uganda will assist you in scheduling your Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Please contact us at +256785790925 also on WhatsApp or email us at info@kisorotoursuganda.com and we will guide you through the booking process. We also provide a variety of gorilla trekking safari packages, ranging from cheap to luxury, which include gorilla permits.
With Kisoro Tours Uganda, you are assured of a great Uganda safari experience. Our staff is fully committed to rendering high-end services and our top-notch is client satisfaction. We are always active in answering any safari-related inquiries as posted on all our handles Twitter(X), Facebook, LinkedIn, and many others. Please endeavor to contact us inline to safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking from Kigali.
