Are you guaranteed to see gorillas?

During a gorilla trekking tour, it is not a guarantee that you will see gorillas. Remember, they live in the forest and are mobile animals. However, no one has missed seeing gorillas during a gorilla trek before. The chances of encountering a habituated gorilla family in Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo during a gorilla trek are at least 95%. This is a significantly high percentage because your guides, the park rangers, are excellent trackers who have been doing this for years.

What is the best time to track gorillas?

The best time to track a habituated gorilla family in their natural home is during the dry season. This period enhances your possibility of seeing gorillas in their natural habitat. There are plenty of factors why you should consider tracking gorillas during the dry season. One of them is that the weather conditions are so favorable for a gorilla trek. Atmospheric conditions during this time are quite drier and warmer than the wet seasons, with fewer rainfall patterns.

This makes it so comfortable for an outdoor activity that requires a lot of hiking through dense vegetation. The ground becomes less moist, thus less slippery and muddy in comparison to the wet season. This is good to ensure that you do not slip at every step you take. Therefore, you hike on the gorilla trails for as much time as necessary to reach the gorilla family you are looking for. June to August and December to February are generally the dry seasons every year.

How to see gorillas?

The best way of seeing gorillas in the wild is by going on a gorilla trek. On trekking day, you are expected to arrive at the trailhead at around 7:00 a.m. This ensures that you are early enough to be briefed about what to do and not to do while gorilla trekking. You also get some information about the habituated gorilla family you are guaranteed to see. Finally, you are led into the jungle to look for the gorilla family.

The guides will lead you up to where the gorillas are. They will ensure that you get to witness them with your own eyes for up to an hour. Taking photos is allowed, but no flash photography. Then you will return to the trailhead. You will notice that the entire trek takes somewhere between an hour to 8 hours. This is because gorillas can move deeper into the jungle as they search for either food or favorable weather.

What do you need to see gorillas in the wild?

You will need a gorilla permit to track and see gorillas for yourself. You can acquire a gorilla permit through any reputable tour operator. Standard Safaris is one of the tour operators. You just have to be 15 years old or above to qualify for this. Also, have your valid identification from your government. Without a permit, you can not be allowed to trek gorillas. Moreover, it is not advisable to track gorillas without the guidance and protection of park rangers.

Where are you guaranteed to see gorillas in Africa?

Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are some of the best places in Africa to see gorillas. In Uganda, Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks are the only destinations where you are guaranteed to see gorillas. These 2 national parks are where half of the world’s remaining wild mountain gorillas thrive. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park alone has around 459 mountain gorillas and 23 habituated gorilla groups. A gorilla permit costs USD 800 per person.

In Rwanda, another home for the critically endangered mountain gorillas, you are guaranteed to see them in Volcanoes National Park. With over 12 habituated gorilla families in the park, you are guaranteed to see gorillas in the wild. Only luxury gorilla treks are offered in Rwanda. This means a gorilla permit would cost USD 1500 per person. A luxury gorilla trek is one to die for, and you will most definitely enjoy it.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, you are guaranteed to see gorillas in the eastern part of the country. This is where you find their natural homes, Virunga National Park and Kahuzi-Biega National Park. If you want to see the mountain gorillas, Virunga National Park is the destination you should visit. Meanwhile, if you want to see their cousins, the critically endangered eastern lowland gorillas, visit Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

Gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of Congo costs USD 400 per person. Although you are guaranteed to see gorillas in Congo, disruptions due to armed conflicts pose serious challenges to gorilla trekking tours. These result in occasional closures of the parks to avoid harm to any traveler. Nevertheless, you will be in contact with us for information regarding when to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo. You might as well monitor alerts over the internet or the news.

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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