Three Day Gorilla Trekking Uganda Itinerary and travel Guide
This guide and three-day gorilla trekking Uganda itinerary will explain how to prepare for gorilla trekking, what to expect, and how to plan your trip.
I’m a big proponent of bucket list travel. There is something so special about achieving an experience that you once only dreamed about that. I am constantly imagining and updating my travel bucket list.
Recently, I was able to check one item off the list when I went gorilla trekking in Uganda. My ten days in Uganda were spent viewing wildlife, exploring the country, and learning about the culture.
The vacation ended with the best three days of gorilla trekking. Keep reading for answers to all your questions about seeing gorillas in Uganda.
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Where to Go Gorilla Trekking in Africa?
Mountain gorillas are only found in one area in the entire world and not even in zoos. Their habitat is located on the border of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC is not safe for tourism, so that leaves Rwanda or Uganda.
Both of these countries are great locations for gorilla trekking. However, Rwanda is more expensive than Uganda.
Our guide shared that he prefers the trekking in Uganda but enjoys both locations. This guide is focused on three-day gorilla trekking in Uganda.
If you choose to trek in Rwanda instead, I am sure you will have a great time and some parts of this guide will still be helpful.
The region in Uganda for gorilla sightings is called the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. In addition to talking about trekking, this guide will share some tips for visiting this region of Uganda.
Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
To get to Bwindi, you will likely first fly into the Uganda International Airport (EBB) in Entebbe. From there, take a bush plane to the Kihihi airstrip.
After landing in Kihihi, there is an hour drive to Bwindi. Your accommodation should be able to coordinate this transit.
Where to Stay Near Bwindi in Uganda
The best place to stay near Bwindi is the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. The GFC is located within the national park, making it super easy to access the gorilla trekking facilities.
In addition to the perfect location, the GFC is a luxurious accommodation with amazing service. The resort has twelve freestanding permanent safari tents. Each tent includes a living space, deck, and large bathroom with a walk-in shower and a freestanding tub.
The common areas include a gift shop, mini spa, bar, lounge, and restaurant. The resort is all-inclusive with beverages, buffet breakfast, a packed lunch, and a gourmet three course dinner each day. The food is absolutely incredible.
What makes the Sanctuary GFC the clear place to stay is the amazing service. The staff goes above and beyond in every way. For example, they cleaned our dirty hiking shoes each day during turndown service.
They also provide complimentary laundry services with a 24-hour turnaround time. When you arrive back at the resort from trekking, you will be welcomed with warm food, a cold drink, and many smiling faces.
Typical Day of Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
Below is an overview of what to expect each day of gorilla trekking. All of this is subject to change, but the description will give you a good idea of what will happen.
Arrival
Each morning, all trekkers will arrive at the visitor center around 7:30 am for check in and a safety briefing. While waiting for everyone to arrive, you will be treated to a performance from locals, showcasing their traditional song and dance.
Following the welcome performance, the lead guide will provide an orientation and safety briefing. Then, groups will be divided up. Groups of up to 8 people will be paired with one gorilla family, one guide, and two guards.
Groups will hike separately, each to a different gorilla family. Some people will start directly from the visitor center, while others will have to drive over an hour to the starting point, depending on the location of their family.
Trekking
Once you arrive at your group’s trailhead, you will begin hiking with one guard and the guide at the front and the other guard at the back.
The previous night, your group’s trackers will have stayed with the gorilla family until they went to bed.
First thing in the morning, they set out ahead of your group to revisit this location and begin tracking the gorillas. The guide and trackers will be in close contact to determine which direction to hike.
Remember, these gorillas are wild. They do not stay in one place, they don’t follow the path, and they can be difficult to find. Due to this, you could be hiking anywhere from thirty minutes to seven hours.
To help with the hike, I highly recommend hiring a local porter. For $20 per day, they will carry your backpack, help you navigate the terrain, and provide any other necessary support.
The hike will begin on a trail, but you eventually will have to go “off-road” to find the gorillas. This could be into a forest, marsh, brush, or any other wild terrain.
The ground is uneven, there are roadblocks, and there will be branches in your face. This is why it is very important to have the correct gear to protect yourself.
Eventually, you will meet up with the trackers who have hopefully located the gorillas. Once you contact the gorillas, you will have one hour to visit with them.
Viewing
When you arrive at the gorillas, you will leave your backpack, walking stick, and other gear with the porters and guards. The small group of hikers, trackers, and your guide will continue to make contact with the gorillas and begin viewing.
The guides will position you to have a good line of sight to the animals, from a safe distance. While viewing the gorillas in their natural habitat, you will also learn about their history and behaviors.
During your hour with the gorillas, the guides may relocate you to view different family members, as they can spread out over the area.
In each viewing, the goal is to see the silverback (dominant male) and any babies in the family.
During this time, take as many photos and videos as you want. I also encourage you to put your phone or camera down for half the time to soak in the experience without looking through a lens.
Following the hour with the gorillas, you will hike back to the trailhead and return to the visitor center to complete the outing.
Training for Gorilla Trekking
For the best gorilla trekking experience, it is important to train beforehand. As mentioned above, the hiking can be as long as seven hours, covering up to around 8 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain. If you can easily hike that much, you will be fine.
If not, spend a few months leading up to your trip training. Some activities to prepare your body are long walks, incline walks on the treadmill, the stair stepper, or practice hikes.
If you also plan to go chimpanzee trekking during your vacation in Uganda, note that the gorilla trekking is a much harder version of this activity.
Is Gorilla Trekking Safe?
One of the biggest questions I got before this trip was “is it safe to be that close to Gorillas”? And I was asking myself the same thing.
Even with the safety precautions I’d been briefed on, I was nervous up until I actually experienced it for myself.
The first and biggest safety precaution is habituation. While the gorillas are all wild, they have become accustomed to human interactions.
For a series of months, the gorillas are visited by groups of trackers and volunteers to get used to seeing humans. From these repeated interactions, the gorillas learn that humans are not threatening.
The second safety precaution is having one guide, two trackers, and two guards per group. The guides and trackers spend every day with the chimps, learning their behaviors and mannerisms.
Based on the chimp’s body language, the guide will direct the group to give them more space or even leave.
The armed guards do not intend to shoot the gorillas but will shoot a warning shot if a dangerous situation with any wildlife occurs.
Overall, I felt safe throughout the entire process and believe that with the correct precautions, it can be a safe experience for everyone. The guides assured us that gorillas are gentle giants and can safely be viewed so long as the group follows directions from the professionals.
What to Wear Gorilla Trekking
The above collage shows what to wear hiking in Uganda. It’s important to prepare with the correct gear to protect yourself during the hike.
1. The first important item is a good pair of hiking boots, these will protect your feet and ankles on unstable terrain.
2. The next item I recommend is ankle gaiters, these will protect your legs from the brush and from safari ants, stinging ants that love to climb into pants.
3. Finally, bring a hat to protect your face and head from branches and mosquitos.
Three Day Gorilla Trekking Uganda Itinerary
Three days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Bwindi. It will allow you some time to get settled into the area and two full days of trekking.
While gorilla sightings are nearly guaranteed, having two opportunities will improve your chances of seeing the animals, just in case.
Before or after your three days of gorilla trekking in Uganda, I recommend spending additional time exploring the country or visiting neighboring countries such as Kenya and Tanzania.
Day 1: Arrive in Bwindi, settle into your accommodation, and explore the Bwindi community
2: First day of gorilla trekking
3: Second day of gorilla trekking
Summary of this Three-Day Gorilla Trekking Trip in Uganda
In summary, the key to a successful gorilla trekking experience is in the preparation. It is important to select the correct safari lodge, pack the correct gear, and prepare your body for the hike.
If you are well prepared, once you arrive, your focus can simply be on enjoying the experience, soaking in the memories, and taking amazing pictures.
For more details on planning a trip to Uganda, check out my travel guide and 10-day itinerary.
