Where to see Gorillas in Uganda?

Where to see Gorillas in Uganda is a frequently asked question and rightfully so. Visitors are always curious to know where to see the gorillas in Uganda. Uganda is one of the best places in the world to see the mountain gorillas as about 1004 individuals are left in the world and Uganda is home to half of this population. Seeing mountain gorillas in the wild is a worthwhile trekking adventure and one that will leave you with wonderful memories.

Where is the best place to see Gorillas?

The best place to see mountain gorillas in Uganda is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a diverse tropical rain forest park that covers an area of 321 square kilometers mainly made up of dense thick vegetation and that’s where the park derives its “impenetrable” name. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage and is known as the most diverse national park in East Africa. Gorilla Trekking is the prime tourism activity here and the gorillas draw visitors from across the world looking to spend time with these endangered gentle giants.

Visitors are allowed to spend one hour with the gorillas once they locate them in Bwindi Forest. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has different sectors where one can trek gorillas and these include Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. Availability of gorilla permits in the sectors is dependent on season, of course during high season the gorilla permits sell out fast so we always recommend booking permits in advance.

The second best place to see mountain gorillas in Uganda is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park covering an area of 33.7 square kilometers. The national park is located in south western Uganda and boarders with Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the south. The park covers the Ugandan part of the Virunga Mountains which has three main peaks that is Muhabura (4,127m), Gahinga (3,474m) and Sabinyo (3,645m). The national park hosts a total of 76 mammal species but is famously known for the gorillas and golden monkeys. Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a popular activity in the park but other activities like golden monkey trekking, nature walks and birding can be done. There is only one habituated mountain gorilla group in the park named Nyakagezi, this gorilla group is available for trekking all throughout the year depending on availability of gorilla trekking permits issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda takes between 2-8 hours. The gorilla trek begins with a briefing from the ranger guide at the Park headquarters after which under the guidance of ranger guides and porters, you start the journey in to the forest in search of the mountain gorillas. The length of trekking is determined by a number of factors that include sector of trekking, physical fitness of visitors and location of gorillas in the forest.