How to Get to Rushaga Gorilla Sector

Overview

Rushaga gorilla sector is one of the four gorilla sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of southwestern Uganda. Rushaga is found in the southern sector of the park with the highest population of mountain gorillas and gorilla families. It has over 8 habituated gorilla families including the Busingye gorilla family, Nshongi gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Bikingi gorilla family, Rwigi gorilla family, Mucunguzi gorilla family, and Kahungye gorilla family.

Rushaga sector is remarkably the best to visit as it offers both gorilla trekking and habituation experience. It is the only place in Uganda for gorilla habituation experience where visitors spend four hours with the eye-catching mountain gorillas undergoing the habituation process. Visitors seeking to embark on a gorilla trekking experience, purchase a gorilla permit. This permit is a document that allows visitors to trek the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Acquiring a gorilla trekking permit is only through a locally registered tour company like Standard Safaris which purchases it on the client’s behalf from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Gorilla trekking in the Rushaga gorilla sector begins with an early morning pre-trekking briefing. After checking the permits, grouping the trekkers, and allocating them to a gorilla family, they a led to the forest by a professional ranger guide. Trekkers then transverse the thickets to the gorillas where they spend an hour in their presence as they take pictures and watch the primates go by with their chores.

How to get to the Rushaga gorilla sector?

There are two ways of getting to the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park depending on the traveler’s favorite means of travel and route.

Road

For travelers coming from Kampala the capital of Uganda and Entebbe, driving to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an 8-9-hours drive. Connecting to Rushaga from Entebbe is the longest drive compared to other sectors of Bwindi and time may vary depending on the traffic. The Kampala-Masaka route via the Mbarara-Kabale route is used to get to Rushaga sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by road.

From Kigali

Kigali is the capital of Rwanda and is usually used by many travelers combining Rwanda and Uganda safaris choosing to first explore the beauty of Rwanda. A drive from Kigali to Rushaga sector is a 5-hour driving distance shorter compared to that from Kampala. Visitors drive from Kigali via the Cyanika border to Kabale and Kisoro then to Rushaga in the southern part of Bwindi. This is a 202.6-kilometer drive to the Rushaga sector from Kigali.

By Air

Scheduled flights are available using Aerolink to fly from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airport starting at exactly 7 am. Flights are scheduled daily from Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro Airfield. Traveling to the Rushaga sector of Bwindi by air is the fastest means of transport to the sector. It takes about 2 hours to land at Kisoro Airfield where a 40-minute drive to the sector is taken.

When is the best time to see mountain gorillas in the Rushaga sector?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park experiences two seasons throughout the year, the wet and dry seasons which are open for safaris, permitting tourists to come to Uganda at any time of their preference. Rushaga gorilla sector has its dry season running from June to September and December to February. This is the period when the roads are navigable to the Rushaga gorilla sector and flights are less affected by weather. Gorilla trekking on the other hand in the sector is easier with dry grounds for hiking faster into the high altitudes of Rushaga where the mountain gorillas are found. The wet season is however hectic, tiring the gorilla trekking as the mountain gorillas hide on the rainy days in search of warmth making it difficult to spot them.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.

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