Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda: The Complete Guide

Written by the Paramount Gorilla Expeditions team, based in Uganda, as a complete guide to gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Uganda.

Trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda means walking through ancient rainforest with a guide and trackers until you find a habituated gorilla family, then spending one quiet, unforgettable hour with them. This guide pulls together what travellers ask us most: where to go, what a permit costs, the rules, the best time to travel, how fit you need to be and how to book. Each section links to a deeper guide.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda at a glance

• Where: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (four sectors) and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, both in south-western Uganda.
• Permit: $800 per person for foreign non-resident visitors, issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
• Time with the gorillas: one hour.
• Group size: a maximum of eight visitors per gorilla family per day.
• Minimum age: 15 for gorillas.
• Best months: June to September and December to February, though treks run all year.

Where to see gorillas in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the heart of Uganda's gorilla trekking. Its steep, forested hills hold many habituated gorilla families across four sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. The last full census of the Bwindi-Sarambwe population, in 2018, counted 459 gorillas. Together with the Virunga population, that makes up roughly 1,063 mountain gorillas in the world. Each sector has its own character, terrain and lodges, and choosing the right one matters. Our guide to choosing the right Bwindi sector and gorilla family explains the differences.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits against the border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. It has a single habituated gorilla family, and it is also the only place in Uganda where you can track golden monkeys. Read more in our Mgahinga Gorilla National Park guide.

What a trek is like

You start early with a briefing from the park rangers, who assign you to a gorilla family. Trackers have already located the family that morning, and you walk with a guide and armed ranger escort through dense forest, sometimes on a trail and sometimes along cut paths. Some treks take under an hour, others several hours. When you reach the gorillas you stay with them for one hour, quietly watching them feed, rest and play.

Our guide One Hour With the Gorillas walks through the whole day, from the briefing to the walk back.

Permit cost: what you will pay

The permit is the largest single cost of a gorilla trip. In Uganda it is $800 per person for foreign non-residents, and a lower rate of about $600 has been reported for the wettest months of April, May and November. Rwanda's standard permit is $1,500. Permit prices are set by the wildlife authorities and can change, so we always confirm the current rate before you pay.

For the full breakdown, read Gorilla Trekking Permit Cost: Uganda vs Rwanda, Compared Honestly or the shorter permit cost at a glance. For the cost of the whole trip, see Uganda safari cost.

The rules that keep gorillas safe

• Visitors must be at least 15 years old.
• A maximum of eight visitors may visit a gorilla family each day.
• You spend one hour with the family once you find them.
• You keep a safe distance and follow your guide's instructions at all times.
• Anyone who is unwell, especially with a cold or other infection, may be refused so that the gorillas are not put at risk.

These rules exist because mountain gorillas are endangered and can catch human illnesses. They are also what make the experience feel so calm and private.

How fit do you need to be?

Reasonable fitness is enough. The ground is steep and can be slippery, but you can set your own pace, take breaks and hire a porter to carry your bag and help you on the hills. Our guide How Fit Do You Need to Be for Gorilla Trekking? explains what to expect and how to prepare.

The best time to go

The dry seasons, June to September and December to February, are the most comfortable. The wetter months of March to May and October to November are quieter and greener. Treks run all year because gorillas do not migrate. See our full guide to the best time to see gorillas in Uganda and the wider best time to visit Uganda.

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking: chimpanzee tracking in Uganda

Gorillas are only one of Uganda's great apes. Kibale Forest National Park is famous for chimpanzee tracking, and the minimum age for chimpanzees is 12. Tracking chimpanzees is more energetic and noisier than gorilla trekking, because chimps move quickly and call loudly through the canopy. Many travellers combine a gorilla trek in Bwindi with chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Read our guide to chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest, and our comparison of Uganda's national parks for the full picture.

How and when to book gorilla and chimpanzee trekking

Permits are limited each day, and the dry months fill first. We recommend booking your gorilla permit as soon as your dates are fixed. Our guides on how and when to book gorilla permits and how far ahead to book a safari explain the timing.

Uganda or Rwanda?

Both countries offer one hour with mountain gorillas. Uganda has the lower permit price, more habituated families and more to combine with, such as chimpanzees and savanna game parks. Rwanda has a shorter drive from its international airport. Our Uganda vs Rwanda gorilla safari comparison sets out the differences, and you can combine both countries in one trip with our Uganda & Rwanda Double Gorilla Safari.

Plan your trek with local experts

We are a Uganda-based, Uganda Tourism Board licensed team, and every trip is tailor-made. A few good starting points:

• 6-day Classic Gorilla Trekking Safari: one Bwindi permit trek with a Batwa cultural walk.
• 8-day Uganda Primates safari: chimpanzees in Kibale and gorillas in Bwindi.
• 7-day Uganda Gorilla Trek & Nile Adventure: gorillas plus white-water rafting at the source of the Nile.
• 10-day Uganda Complete: Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls.

Before you travel, check our guides to vaccinations and malaria, visa requirements and travel insurance. Tell us your dates and group, and we will build the trek around you.

Planning more than one country?

Many guests trek in more than one country. These pages help you plan that, in the right order.

• where the trek belongs in the route: where the trek belongs in the route.
• two treks in one trip: two treks in one trip.
• the road crossing between the two countries: the road crossing between the two countries.
• every route, visa rule and package in one place: every route, visa rule and package in one place.

Plan my trip

Plan gorilla and chimpanzee trekking

Keep planning with our Gorilla Trekking for Beginners: A First-Timer's Guide to Uganda, Uganda safari destination guide and 10 Day Gorilla Trekking and Migration Safari: Bwindi and the Maasai Mara. Gorilla and park permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and the Uganda Tourism Board publishes official visitor information. We confirm the current fees for your dates in every quote.

Want an adventure beyond the trek? Read about the lava caves of Uganda and Rwanda.

Chimpanzees can also be trekked in western Tanzania: see our Mahale and Gombe guide for the comparison with Uganda.

For the latest census numbers behind the trek, see how many mountain gorillas are left.

For the long walk across Bwindi between the Buhoma and Nkuringo sectors, see our trek guide.

For the birds of the same forest, see our birding in Bwindi guide.

For the longer, shy-family version of the trek, see our gorilla habituation experience guide.

Short on time? See our 3 days gorilla trekking guide.

For the minimum ages and help for older trekkers, see our gorilla trekking age limit guide.