Bwindi Impenetrable National Park ranked the third-best adventure destination in the world

On November 11, 2025, Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was ranked as the third-best adventure destination in the whole world. This occurred at the TOURISE Global Tourism Awards held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Only Ancash in Peru and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador were ranked higher than Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This recognition not only positions Uganda firmly as a sustainable travel powerhouse but also highlights its role in wildlife conservation.

For your information, the TOURISE Global Tourism Awards aim to recognize destinations that combine innovation, sustainability, and visitor experiences to enhance travel. The TOURISE Global Tourism award draws together tourism authorities, policy makers, and industry leaders from all over the world. In one place, they celebrate excellence and responsible tourism models that benefit both humans and the planet we inhabit. During this, a shared commitment is agreed upon to preserve natural wonders while enhancing the living standards of the local communities.

About Bwindi

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is generally a forested ecosystem found in southwestern Uganda, at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bwindi was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around fifty percent of the global population of mountain gorillas lives in this 321 square kilometer ecosystem. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to a healthy number of habituated gorilla families—22 of them in fact. Most of these are available for gorilla tracking tours.

What to see in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

There is a wide range of wildlife species present in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park besides mountain gorillas. Other attractions in this third-best adventure destination in the world include 357 bird species, 120 mammal species, 51 reptiles, and 200 tree species. With numerous crystal-clear streams and waterfalls, there are plenty of natural wonders to see. An endangered indigenous group of people known as the Batwa live at the edge of the forest. Bakiga is another tribe that you can meet when you visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Primates are not limited to gorillas; other species living in Bwindi include blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, and chimpanzees, etc. Birdlife includes Rwenzori batis, Rwenzori turacos, Shelley’s crimson wings, African green broadbills, short-tailed warblers, and blue-headed sunbirds etc. Since Bwindi is situated within the Albertine Graben, you will encounter several Albertine endemics, including the aforementioned. Various views of the lovely Rift Valley are there for nature lovers.

What to do in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

There is so much to do while at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to discover why it is the third-best adventure destination in the world. These include the following.

Gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking is one of the most thrilling adventures to experience in Africa. Gorilla treks have attracted tens of thousands of visitors to track and watch gorillas in their natural homes. A maximum of 8 visitors track a habituated gorilla group per day. Viewing time of mountain gorillas in Bwindi is 1 hour, while the entire gorilla trek lasts between 2 to 6 hours. All gorilla treks start at around 8:00 a.m., so you must keep time by arriving as early as around 7:30 a.m.

Gorilla habituation experience

Gorilla habituation offers visitors extended periods in the presence of a gorilla family in Rushaga Sector. With researchers and trackers from the park, visitors spend 4 hours watching the semi-habituated gorilla family in their natural homes. Experience this uniquely intimate opportunity to watch gorillas while they are still wild and in the process of familiarizing themselves with humans. This activity starts at around 6:30 a.m. daily.

Birding

As mentioned, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to a remarkable avian diversity, thus a rewarding destination for birders. There are a number of birding trails that lead to various habitats teeming with birds. More bird species to see during this activity include Rwenzori nightjar, regal sunbird, handsome spurfowl, strange weaver, dusky crimson-wing wing and mountain masked apalis, etc.

Community walk

This is done within the villages on the edges of the forest. Visitors are guided by the charming Batwa to meet the local communities. This is an unmissable encounter which offers a chance to learn a lot of things about the people. These locals have a lot to demonstrate to visitors. The Batwa demonstrate their skills in hunting, food-gathering, and creating friction fire, etc. Entertainment is also offered by energetic singers and dancers for visitors.

Nature walk

Visitors are offered Munyanga River trail, Waterfall trail, and others for a peaceful walk in the serene Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is their chance to see the diverse tree species in the third-best adventure destination in the world. The trails are also an opportunity to see plenty of birds, primates, butterflies, and mammals, etc. The nature trails also lead to some breathtakingly lovely streams and waterfalls.

How to reach Bwindi?

There are only 2 modes of transport to use if you want to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Traveling from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park covers a distance of approximately 502.3 kilometers via the Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale route. Enjoy the 10–11-hour scenic road trip south-westwards with guaranteed views of the countryside and natural wonders. We at Standard Safaris recommend that you travel in our 4-wheel safari Land Cruiser for comfort and safety. Options like safari minivans, buses, and others are also available in our fleet.

Air transportation is available if a visitor desires a fast, luxury transfer to the third-best adventure destination in the world. Flights from Entebbe International Airport land at either Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrips. These take around 1 hour and 15 minutes, with aerial views of Uganda. Any domestic flight to either airstrip is operated by AeroLink Uganda on a daily basis. We at Standard Safaris will help with organising pick-ups and drop-offs before and after your flight.

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.