Go see Gorillas in Bwindi National Park. Bwindi forest is impenetrable with lots of undergrowth and is often referred to as a ‘place of darkness. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the haven of the renowned mountain Gorillas with more than 459 Mountain Gorillas. There are 21 habituated Gorilla families in Bwindi open for tourism. There are four sectors which include the Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors, and these Gorilla groups are distributed within the various sectors. Bwindi forest is located in South-western Uganda on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley, it covers an area of 331 square kilometres. It was gazette in 1991 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. Besides Gorillas, Bwindi National Park is endowed with a variety of wildlife species which include 120 species of mammals including 11 species of primates like Golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, Red-tailed monkeys, Black and white colobus monkeys and Olive baboons among others.
Bwindi National Park - Gorilla Tours Uganda
Activities in Bwindi include the following;
7 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trek
This safari starts and ends in Kigali. Track the Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi forest in Uganda on a budget 3 days trip. The safari includes a two nights stay at the base of the forest. A Gorilla trekking adventure and then return to Rwanda.
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3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trek
This safari starts and ends in Kigali. Track the Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi forest in Uganda on a budget 3 days trip. The safari includes a two nights stay at the base of the forest. A Gorilla trekking adventure and then return to Rwanda.
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5 Days Gorillas & Primates
Go Gorilla Trekking and Golden Monkey tracking. This is a safari to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park. These 5 days safari will also take you to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale.
MoreSafaris to Bwindi National park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is frequently visited for gorilla tracking because the remarkable mountain gorillas are the main attractions in the park. Bird watching, golden monkey tracking, chimpanzee tracking, nature walks, mountain hiking, and community tourism (Batwa experience, Buhoma community tours) also exist in this park. Other mammals in Bwindi National Park include the Forest elephants, buffaloes, Yellow-backed duiker and over 348 species of birds out of which 23 species are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley and 14 others are not found anywhere else in Uganda but in Bwindi alone, over 202 species of butterflies out of which 8 species are Albertine rift endemics and more than 400 species of flora (including 160 species of trees with historical, cultural and biological importance attached to them). There are also 27 species of Amphibians out of which 11 are Albertine rift endemics.
Gorilla Habituation Experience - Bwindi National Park
The Gorilla habituation experience activity gives you 4 hours with semi-habituated gorillas. This activity is available only in the sector of Rushaga where two families of Bushaho and Bikingyi visitors can be visited by tourists interested in doing the habituation process. It’s much more than seeing gorillas, habituation is a research process where trackers and researchers train the Mountain Gorillas to get used to human presence. Without changing their natural behaviour and so, visitors are allowed to take part in research-based activities such as chewing on vegetation, walking on knuckles, and imitating gorilla vocals.
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Activities to focus on in Bwindi National Park.
Gorilla trekking safaris
Gorilla trekking is the main activity due to the presence of 21 habituated gorilla families trekking in the four Bwindi sectors of Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. Gorilla tracking is done all year around but best done in the dry season from June to September and December to February. You can Track gorillas in the wet season April to May and October to November and it comes with advantages such as discounts on the price and high availability of Uganda gorilla permits. Gorilla trekking permit gives you one hour to spend with gorillas in their natural habitats. Among other gorilla rules include wearing a mask, not using flash photography and keeping a social distance of 7 meters away from the gorillas.
Hiking and Nature Walks
If you want to experience the biodiversity of Bwindi Forest, include some nature walks on top of Gorilla trekking. These walks begin at 09 am or afternoon at 2 pm. The Buhoma section is a favourite place for both guided and self-guided nature walks such as the waterfall trail Ivy River trail and Rushura trail. There’s also a 35 km walking trail from Buhoma connecting to Nkuringo on foot through Bwindi Forest. In the Ruhija section, take the bamboo forest trail or hike to the Mubwindi swamp in the middle of the forest. This is the best spot for birders looking for African green broadbill. For the best view of Bwindi, go to Nkuringo because trails take you to the top of Nkuringo Ridge where the views are most stunning.
Bird Watching
Bwindi is Africa’s number one bird-watching destination. There are more than 345 species recorded including 90 % of the bird species endemic to the region. The birding trails if looking for endemic species are in Ruhija and Buhoma where you can spot species like short-tailed warbler, African green broadbill, stripe breasted tit can be observed in Ruhija sector.
Community walks
You will get to meet and interact with people living around Bwindi Forest some of which have set up their own cultural tours, art and craft workshops as well as conservation projects. Walks are led by local guides introducing you to southwestern Uganda’s cultures like the Batwa pygmies, Bakiga and Bafumbira. While visiting the local villages around Bwindi, you will learn how many experiences like weaving, tasting banana beer, fire-making without match sticks, hunting, bow and arrow shooting with Batwa and be taken into another world by their energetic traditional dance performances and drumming. There are also health and education projects where funds from gorilla tourism provide local communities around Bwindi with access to clean water, building schools and many more that empower the people to improve their well-being as well as support conservation.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Tours in Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in South Western Uganda is an amazing place for your holiday in Africa. It is covered by the oldest evergreen rainforest in the world, with high mountains shooting straight up in the air, deep valleys, winding roads, breathtaking lakes, bush tribes (The Batwa people, also known as Pygmies), wild animals and much more.
Experience the Misty Rain-forest
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is perfectly situated in the southwestern part of the country, the most popular tourist destination in Uganda with other attractions such as the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mutanda, Caves and Mgahinga National Park among others. It is a fantastic place to go on safari in Uganda. Close and personal gorilla encounters, bush community walks, jungle trekking on foot and canoeing are all possible activities around this area, which will give you the experience of a lifetime. Mountain gorilla trekking is the main tourist activity in the Impenetrable Bwindi National Park. Another interesting area is the stunningly beautiful Lake Bunyonyi and Mutanda on the edges of the forest Park with their floating raft houses and luxury tents – an absolute must-see! As the diversity Bwindi has to offer can be quite overwhelming at first, we collected the top-recommended Bwindi National Park Tours for our guests that will take you to explore different locations in the park.
Where Nature meets Adventure!
In addition to recommended safari packages, Bwindi National Park gives information on the different varieties of fauna and flora in Bwindi Forest and surrounding areas, as well as facts and history about the region. Our main objective is to promote and conserve Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for certain generations and make you appreciate the beauty of the area just as much as we do. Should you have any questions or planning a Bwindi National Park Tour, please feel free to contact us.
One Day Gorilla Trekking Safari Bwindi Forest - Uganda
The one day Gorilla trekking safari to Uganda in Bwindi is best for visitors who plan an over stay in Rwanda. This adventure to Gorillas can be eitheir in Bwindi National Park in sections of Ruhija OR in Mgahinga National park.
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Accommodation in Bwindi, Lodges and Camps
There is a compiled list of Safari lodges where to stay on a Gorilla safari to Bwindi National Park. Book a lodge for a holiday stay pointing out the best budget, midrange and luxury lodges in the park. Accommodation in Bwindi ranges from up-market facilities to low-budget facilities for all categories of tourists. The lodges are found in different sections of Bwindi National Park. It is therefore important for the Gorilla tracker to understand in what area the Gorilla group he was assigned to is located, so as to identify the facilities and be able to make reservations with them.
Nkuringo Gorilla Camp
Located uphill Nteko Ridge in an area 2161m above sea level offering a spectacular and panoramic view of the park. This is an eco-friendly lodge that has 2 comfortable cottages with adjoining bathrooms, tents, twin Banda, five rooms with shared bathrooms, and campsites for tourists who come with their personal tents. They also offer self-catering services for guests who wish to prepare their own meals but also have a small restaurant which prepares local foods. Besides accommodation, forest walks, Batwa village walks, canoeing cultural demonstrations of the people of Nkuringo village, and bird watching are offered by this camp.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
This is a luxury lodge comprising 10 stone cottages that have a fireplace, two of these are family cottages with one double and one twin bedroom in each of them. Have a lounge shared by the cottages, each room has adjoined bathrooms with hot and cold showers. Have a restaurant that prepares local and international meals and a bar with spirits, wines, beers and soft drinks. After a long day of gorilla tracking, visit the massage spa to relax the body. Do not forget to visit the curio shop and get any craft piece of your choice.
Other activities also available here include village walks of the Batwa people, bird watching and forest walks, and traditional dance performances.
Ruhija Gorilla Mist Camp
This is a mid-range remote tented camp with 8 fully furnished, well maintained and cosy rooms with single, double and twin beds. The camp has a restaurant that prepares delicious meals and has a spacious dining area, a bar that offers cocktails, also free Wi-Fi and room service to clients. The remote location makes it a nature lover’s paradise. Activities here include forest walks, and bird watching.
