Gorilla habituation experience vs normal gorilla trekking?

In Uganda, visitors are provided with 2 choices of meeting the mountain gorillas: gorilla habituation experiences and normal gorilla trekking tours. Both experiences involve walking on foot through the forest to see mountain gorillas in the wild. A gorilla habituation experience involves a visitor accompanying researchers into the forest to participate in the process of habituating gorillas to human presence. Park guides and armed rangers are involved.

A normal gorilla trek is also a guided tour where a visitor follows a park guide and an armed ranger who offers protection. A gorilla habituation experience involves tracking and seeing a semi-habituated gorilla family. Conversely, a normal gorilla trekking tour is one where visitors are allowed to track and observe an already habituated gorilla family in the forest. For the normal gorilla trek, you need to be physically fit to move in the forest while locating the gorillas.

Destinations

Gorilla habituation experiences in Uganda only happen in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Currently, the only region in Bwindi where gorilla habituation experiences are done is from Rushaga. Regarding gorilla trekking tours in Uganda, they are offered in only 2 national parks. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Both national parks are situated in southwest Uganda.

Permitted group size

During a gorilla habituation experience, only 4 visitors can enjoy tracking and spending time with a gorilla family. This offers more intimate encounters with the precious mountain gorillas. In contrast, as many as 8 visitors are allowed to trek a habituated gorilla family in either national park. These visitor numbers help lower the chances of transmitting diseases to the primates. Additionally, this minimizes stress on the mountain gorillas while promoting conservation.

Starting time

Gorilla habituation experiences start at 6:30 a.m., therefore, each visitor is expected to be at the starting point before that time. A normal gorilla trekking tour starts at around 8:00 a.m. Also, we advise you to arrive at the starting point before this time. Being there earlier offers a chance to attend the mandatory briefing. During this briefing, visitors get a clear understanding of the dos and don’ts of tracking gorillas in the forest.

Viewing time

Normal gorilla trekking tours may last for 2 to 6 hours, but with a viewing time of 1 hour. This is sufficient to ensure that each visitor observes the gorilla family in their natural home. For a gorilla habituation experience, each visitor is offered 4 hours of viewing time. This time is sufficient for more intimate encounters. This is also good for studies into mountain gorilla behavior.

Price

The price of a gorilla habituation experience differs from that of a normal gorilla trekking tour. This price is used to purchase a permit that will be shown at the park entrance. Each permit is valid only for the day of the experience/trekking. Each permit purchased caters to park entrance, guiding, and contribution to community development. The prices are categorized based on the residence status of visitors,

Gorilla habituation

Foreign non-resident – USD 1,500

Rest of Africa – USD 1,000

Foreign resident – USD 1,000

East African Community – UGX 750,000

Gorilla trekking

Foreign non-resident – USD 800

Rest of Africa – USD 500

Foreign resident – USD 700

East African Community – UGX 300,000

Traveling

Reaching either Bwindi or Mgahinga can be done either by road or air transportation. From Kampala, Mgahinga is around 498.7 kilometers through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale. This is a travel time of 10-11 hours. From Kampala, Bwindi is around 501.6 kilometers via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale. Traveling there also takes 10-11 hours. We recommend you use a 4X4 safari Land Cruiser. These and more vehicle types are available for hire at Standard Safaris Limited.

Flights start from Entebbe International Airport and go to either Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airstrip. These two are the closest airports to the gorilla destinations. Travel time is around 1 hour and 15 minutes, which is much shorter than road transportation. Currently, the aircraft are operated by AeroLink Uganda and are available daily.

Recommendation

Though gorilla habituation experiences are quite different from gorilla trekking tours, you can opt for either depending on your preference, time, and the adventure you are looking for. You can opt for a gorilla habituation experience if you are seeking deeper insight into gorilla behavior. You can also choose a gorilla habituation experience if you want a more intimate and extended experience. This is also done to enjoy the process of gorilla habituation.

The choice to go for a gorilla trekking tour is made if you want to spend a shorter time with the mountain gorillas. A gorilla trekking tour also offers more challenging adventures, therefore, requires you to be in great physical shape. Nevertheless, gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experiences offer unique experiences that ensure that your encounter with Uganda’s mountain gorillas is memorable.

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.