What time does the gorilla habituation start and end in Bwindi NP?

Gorilla habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park starts at around 6:30 a.m. and ends when a visitor returns to the starting point. The experience starts with a briefing and ends with a debriefing after tracking and spending 4 hours viewing a semi-habituated gorilla group. Tracking time depends on the location of the gorilla group. Gorillas are mobile creatures that spend the night in a different place each night.

How is gorilla habituation done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Gorilla habituation requires a visitor to accompany researchers and habituators into the forest to participate in the process of habituating gorillas to human presence. Under normal circumstances, gorilla habituation starts with assembling at the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You are briefed about how the experience will be conducted. Then you join a group of researchers under the guidance and protection of experienced park rangers.

You will search for the semi-habituated gorilla group until you find them. Tracking them is by observing signs such as their droppings, nests, and other indicators. After finding the gorillas, spend a maximum of 4 hours observing them quietly. You will also learn about the studies researchers are carrying out on the gorillas. You will return to the starting point at Rushaga for debriefing. This is the end of the gorilla habituation experience.

When to go for a gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi?

Gorilla habituation experiences in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are available every day. This implies that you can come at any time of the year to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. But we at Standard Safaris recommend that you come in the dry months of the year. The reason is that weather conditions are much favorable during this period than during the wet season. The dry months are from June to August and December to February.

Enjoy the forest with lower precipitation and slightly warmer temperature patterns. The reduced rainfall offers clearer views due to the less dense vegetation cover. The gorilla trails are typically drier during the dry months, thus providing more stable footing and reducing the risk of slipping. The chances of a downpour are also reduced during your experience. This avoids interruptions, thus allowing you to enjoy your day nonstop.

Price of gorilla habituation experience.

Foreign non-resident – USD 1,500
Foreign resident – USD 1,000
Rest of Africa – USD 1,000
East African Community – UGX 750,000

Paying these amounts each is for a permit that you will have to show at the park headquarters. Buying the permit in advance is much better for better planning, as well as enjoying other exciting activities in Uganda. Purchasing a permit is done through a local registered tour operator like Standard Safaris. Besides doing it flawlessly, we also help in curating your tour package to include more tour activities, transport, meals, and accommodation.

Traveling to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

There are only 2 modes of transport for visitors to Bwindi to use: road and air. The journey to the park by road involves a scenic drive in a comfortable 4X4 safari land cruiser. Also, we do have safari vans with different seating arrangements, SUVs, buses, and saloon cars, among others, for you to choose from. The breathtaking road trip covers a distance of around 477 kilometers and duration of 9-10 hours. Enjoy the drive via the Masaka highway, Mbarara, and Kibale.

Air transport is a comparatively faster way of traveling to Bwindi than by road. You get to enjoy the flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip. Enjoy 1 hour and 15 minutes of stunning aerial perspectives over Bwindi. The airstrip is 1 hour and 30 minutes away from the park headquarters. After you arrive, you will be driven to your accommodation by our guide. AeroLink is the operator of the daily flights from Entebbe Airport to Kihihi airstrip.

Other activities to enjoy in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking tour

Gorilla trekking is the most common activity done by visitors to the park. Unlike a gorilla habituation experience, this involves tracking and observing a habituated gorilla group in the wild. Also, during a gorilla trek, you are offered an hour in the presence of the gorilla family.

Birding

Birding is a fun activity if you want to identify the numerous bird species found inside the forest. You are guided along the birding trails in the forest to locate as many species as possible. There are plenty of Albertine endemic species to see. The Rwenzori turaco is among them.

Batwa visit

The Batwa visit involves moving through the villages surrounding the forest to interact with the Batwa Pygmies. This is a tribe that is renowned for occupying the forest for centuries before they were evacuated by the government for conservation purposes. They offer entertainment and demonstrations on how they used to survive in the forest. You also get to listen to their folklore and plenty of other stories.

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.