Uganda Gorilla trekking tour including other activities

Many tourists visiting Uganda focus on visiting Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park but Uganda has much more to offer, in this article we share a few options for Uganda Gorilla trekking tour including other activities. Gorilla Trekking in Uganda is done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, for you to be allowed to go for the gorilla trek you will need to have a gorilla permit which costs USD800 for foreign nonresidents, USD700 for the East African Residents, USD500 For Africans and 300,000 Uganda shillings for the East African Citizens, this gives you an opportunity to spend one hour encounter with the mountain gorillas. You can as well opt for a 4 hour encounter experience that is Gorilla Habituation which costs USD1500 per person per trek, this is gives an opportunity to spend more time with the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Forest National Park

Uganda has much to offer for tourists ranging from trekking other primates, to wildlife and cultural experiences, here are the other Top Things to do on a Uganda Gorilla trekking tour including other activities.

Other Primates tracking

Primate tracking is one of top Uganda safari activities to do, Uganda is home to various primate species including Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Golden Monkeys, among others. On this activity you will be able to explore various forests in search for the famous primates major activities include Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee trekking and Golden monkey trekking.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda

Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda is done in Kibale Forest National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kalinzu Forest and Budongo Forest close to Murchison Falls National Park. The chimpanzee tracking is done in the morning and afternoon and we can book for you the permits and organize this trek for you depending on the itinerary and timing of the activities. For the normal chimpanzee tracking, a Chimpanzee permit costs USD250 for the foreign non residents, USD200 for the residents and 150,000 Uganda shillings for the citizens this gives you one hour encounter with the chimpanzees. You can as well do the chimpanzee habituation experience which gives you a half day encounter with the chimpanzees; this is only done in Kibale Forest National Park

Golden Monkey Trekking

Golden Monkey tracking is only done in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Golden monkey tracking permit costs USD100 giving you an opportunity to spend one hour encounter with the Golden monkeys, then a Golden monkey habituation permit costs USD140 giving you 4 hour encounter with the Golden monkeys.

Gorilla Habituation Experience

Gorilla Habituation Experience is a gorilla activity done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park that involves trekking/walking and hiking through the forest to search for semi-habituated mountain gorillas which leave together in a given gorilla family group but are not used to human presence, once you find them you will participate in activities geared to making these mountain gorillas get used to human presence. Gorilla Habituation Experience gives you an opportunity to spend much time with the mountain gorillas that is four hours encounter different from the one hour encounter during the normal gorilla tracking. This experience is unique given the fact it gives you an opportunity to learn more about mountain gorillas. It is done is a group of 4 visitors tracking a given semi-habituated gorilla group.

Wildlife viewing

You will be able to do various game drives in savannah national parks of Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and Uganda’s most popular National park Queen Elizabeth National Park, wildlife to see includes tree climbing lions, Buffaloes, Elephants, warthogs, Giraffes, Zebras, Leopard, among others.

Experiential Tourism Activities

Experiential tourism activities is one of another item you should not miss including in your itinerary, these include lion tracking, Mongoose tracking, Hippo Census and Bird counts these are all done in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Depending on the time you have on your safari you will you do one of the activities which normally give you a great up-close experience with animals in their natural habitat.

Cultural experiences

Uganda is ranked among countries with most diverse cultures with more than 50 ethnic tribes and languages, you will be able to enjoy various cultural experience, you will be able to visit many communities in various national park part of your itinerary where the local community will share with you the hard experience of living near the park and how they have managed to co-exist peacefully with wildlife you will as well enjoy the cultural encounters and traditional dances.

Mountain Hiking and Cycling

Mountain Hiking and cycling is another amazing adventure activity that you can add onto your safari to Uganda. Uganda is a land of various hills, mountains and various highlands giving you a great opportunity for hiking activities and cycling. Mountains include Elgon, Rwenzori, Moroto, Sabinyo, Muhavura and Gahinga among others which are common for hiking.

Bird watching

With over 1000 recorded bird species in Uganda, Uganda is one of the best destinations for birding in Africa; it is home to various migrant birds and Albertine endemics with the Shoebill as one of the must see bird specie the major birding areas include Bwindi Forest, Mabamba swamp, Mubwindi swamp, Bigodi wetland and Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park among others many birds as well can be spotted during game drives in various national parks. Some of the Birds include, Collared pratincole, Palm-nut vulture, Pel’s fishing-owl, Rare Swamp flycatcher, Gray crowned crane(Uganda’s National bird), Giant Kingfisher, Giant Heron, Shoebill stork, Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Nightjars, Marabou stork, Black headed lapwing, Back-bellied Bustard ,Swamp Fly catcher, Giant Heron, African Jacana, Secretary Bird among others.

Boat Safari excursions

With various lakes and rivers in Uganda boat trips and excursions is one of another top Uganda safari activity to do, Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, River Nile Excursions to the top of the falls and the Delta give you an opportunity to enjoy wildlife up-close and various water animals in Murchison Falls National Park.

What is the best time to Visit Uganda

The best time for visiting Uganda is during the months of December to February and then June to October which is relatively drier than March to May and November. Uganda is crossed by the equator making it experience a modified equatorial type of climate with two rainy seasons and because of this people tend to associate drier seasons to be the best time to visit Uganda. This is true because when it is raining, it becomes hard to drive through the park for wildlife viewing because of the heavy rains that make the trails too slippery.

Additional Activities to Consider:

• Visit Lake Bunyonyi: Known as the “Switzerland of Africa,” this lake offers breathtaking scenery and various water activities.
• Boat cruise and stay at Lake Mutanda.
• On foot Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
• Cultural Tours: Visit local communities to experience Ugandan culture, including traditional dances and crafts.

Packing Tips:

• Clothing: Lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and trousers for trekking, warm layers for cooler mornings and evenings.
• Footwear: Sturdy hiking boots for trekking.
• Gear: Binoculars, a good camera, and a backpack.
• Essentials: Insect repellent, sunscreen, and a hat.

Uganda’s stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife make it a top destination for adventure and nature lovers.

Why book a Uganda Gorilla trekking tour including other activities Through Eco Adventure Safaris

At Eco Adventure Safaris we are committed to the well-being of our staff and guests as well as to having a positive impact on the communities and wild places that our operations reach. Contact us here about planning and booking Uganda Gorilla trekking tour including other activities.