Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi National Park 2026

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park 2026 is a tour that delivers what it promises. This experience is offered in the southwestern Uganda’s prestigious national park. It involves a guided walk along gorilla trails in the forest to search for a habituated group of mountain gorillas. When you find them peacefully foraging for their meal, watch them for a sufficient one hour. Throughout the trip, ranger guides are available to lead you safely to the apes. Ensure to follow the trekking guidelines they offer you at the start, in a briefing session. This tour starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends in 2 to 6 hours.

How much does Gorilla Trekking cost?

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park costs $800 per person for foreign non-residents. Only $700 per person is expected from foreign residents. It is only $500 per person for everyone from the Rest of Africa. Meanwhile any Ugandan or person from the East African Community, be prepared to pay shillings 300,000 per person. This year, discounts have been introduced for gorilla trekking in the low season for foreign travelers. Now, you can pay only $600 and $500 per person for foreign non-residents and foreign residents respectively. This offer is for only the months of April, May and November.

Brief Introduction to Bwindi

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site of 321 square kilometers. Mostly composed of lowland and Afromontane forest, Bwindi is found just at edge of the biodiverse Albertine Rift valley. The forested park is famous around the world because it has almost a half the mountain gorillas in existence. As of 2026, mountain gorilla population in Bwindi is 459 and the number seems to be growing. Meanwhile there are 426 chimpanzees and many other primate species. They include L’hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons and others.

Other activities offered in Bwindi?

Gorilla Habituation experience

Though gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park 2026 is very exciting, it might seem short to many. That is why you should a do gorilla habituation experience for a much longer duration with the apes. During this, 4 visitors are offered a chance to do a 4-hour gorilla habituation experience. This is done alongside a team of researchers, habituators and ranger guides etc. And what makes the experience extra special is that you track and spend time with semi-habituated mountain gorillas.

Community walks

Just outside Bwindi Forest, you can move on a guided walk to interact with the indigenous people. Meet the Batwa or Bakiiga tribes near Nkuringo or Buhoma. The former were once dwellers in the forest. Learn about how they thrived in the ecosystem and their way of life. Both tribes offer insight into their cultures through music, dancing, drumming, food preparation, dressing and more. A local guide also leads you on certain areas of the forest to offer knowledge about their folktales and others.

Birdwatching

According to statistics, Bwindi Forest has 357 species of birds, of which an impressive 23 are Albertine endemics. And among these brown necked parrot and white-bellied robin chat can only be seen in this forest, nowhere else. This is a qualification for a bird paradise, one that any birdwatching enthusiast or even ornithologist would desire. Your birdwatching tour in Bwindi ensures that you find the blue-headed sunbird, Shelley’s crimson wing and African broadbill etc.

Nature walk

Yes, gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park 2026 brings a lot of visitors to the destination. But, have you heard of the nature walks offered in Bwindi? On foot and relaxed, follow nature trails to explore the serene tropical rainforest. With a guide, you can walk to observe hills, waterfalls, rivers, streams, flora, primates, mountain Rwenzori and Lake Edward etc. Either in the morning or afternoon, a nature walk offers opportunities to soak in the cool forest air.

How to travel to Bwindi?

In 2026, road and air transport remain the best modes of transportation to Bwindi National Park. Assuming your transfer starts from Kampala, the road distance you must cover is 501 kilometers. This is 10-11 hours of driving, minus pauses for lunch or scenic views. If this is not what you want, air transport is purposefully offered from Entebbe International Airport. There are 2 destinations for the scheduled flight, either Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip. Flights to either of them takes an hour and 15 minutes.

When is best to Travel?

Take it from us, the best time you should travel to Bwindi National Park is the dry season. However, this should not make you avoid visiting throughout the year. What makes the dry months of the year so compelling are the favorable outdoor conditions. This is when Bwindi forest experiences dry conditions, with little to no rains. Now, that has the advantage of low undergrowth or vegetation cover. You can walk on gorilla trails with little vegetation to disrupt your movements. Also, the mountain gorillas are clearly visible when not covered by large leafy vegetation.

Low rainfall received in this period makes the tour continuous. Also, walking on the ground is much better due to less mud. This helps prevent you from slipping and sliding a lot. The months that experience dry weather are usually June to August and December to February. All you have to know is dry seasons are also peak tourism seasons in the country. Therefore, try to book your gorilla permit and accommodation at least 3 months earlier to beat the competition. Otherwise, you have to opt for the wet season. This causes heavier frequent rains, dense vegetation and muddy gorilla terrains.

Why Travel with us?

Experience gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park 2026 with us for a multitude of reasons. One of them is that we are fully registered, with Uganda Tourism Board. This means that we are a reputable tour company allowed to explore Uganda and beyond with visitors from all over the world. We have also done this for many years. Therefore, your gorilla trekking tour, like the previous ones will be seamlessly organized. Confirm this through the rave reviews our clients normally write on TripAdvisor regarding their trips with us. It also implies that your tour package will also be tailored to suit your desired experience. For this contact us via our website for more information.

E A

My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From gorilla trekking to game drives, every moment was magical and the wildlife encounters were simply breathtaking. Our guide Godwin was knowledgeable and attentive, and every detail of the trip was perfectly organized. Uganda’s beauty exceeded all our expectations, and the team took wonderful care of us throughout. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa, we’ll cherish these memories forever. Highly recommended

KLAU conde

I LOVE MY SAFARI WE DID GORILLA TREKING AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BIG FIVES, Everything was phenomenal the drivers the lodges my favorite one was Acacia Lodge, where you open the door of your lodge and you have the Elephants and hippos there . we also went to the Ecuatorian line very cool

Elisa Peralta

We spent a WONDERFUL time in Rwanda, thanks to Standard Safaris and especially thanks to our amazing driver George. If you plan to go on safari in Rwanda with Standard Safaris, ask him as your driver guide. He will share all his knowledge and experience about animals, nature, people, food etc… He drives very safely and is friendly. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals ( especially the big 5😃 in Akagera NP) and Know so much more about Rwanda. We were travelling with our 2 children (7 and 11 years old), and they were delighted. We feel very lucky and we are grateful for this wonderful safari in East Africa.

Susana Lara Valenciano

We booked a 9-Days safari in Uganda with Standard Safaris, all-inclusive with a driver guide, all tour activities, permits and lodges. Honestly, we were very happy to have George as our guide. He drove us safely around the country and explained many things along the way. Thanks to him, we were able to spot many animals in the national parks, and we always stayed on track with our itinerary. The jeep was new and well maintained, however, the seats in the back were quite high with small windows, which made it difficult to look outside. But nevertheless, we still had a 10/10 safari experience in Uganda. We look forward to returning for another safari next year and telling our friends about Standard Safaris.

Pablo Sanchez Rubio

My wife and I had a gorilla safari of a lifetime in Uganda late last month. Our driver/guide Denis was incredible. He gave us so much information about Uganda and was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, cultures, people, politics, the geography, etc. By the end of the week we considered him a friend and we will recommend him and Standard Safaris to anyone looking to go to East Africa. Thank you so much guys!

Salome Ochando

If there were 10 stars I would give them. From my first "Hello" with Coleb to our last set of selfies on the equator with Denis, this tour company out-did themselves!! Absolutely professional and helpful from beginning to end. We're already booking another trip for next year! They had organised everything- gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, all national park entrance fees, lodgings, every meal included. It was so easy I didn't even know where we were going until we were there! Pure relaxation. We had a few extra free days at the end so Coleb suggested adding on Mabamba Wetland and this was a wonderful experience with the shoebill and all these beautiful birds. Denis is the best tour guide I've ever met. 100% knowledgeable and professional and accommodating and..a new friend😊.. Thank you Standard Safaris!!

G L

Everything was great Amanya and Ian the drivers are amazing they take good care of us i highly recommended this tour

Jennifer Johns

Denis is such a fun ball of energy. He was always on time and nothing was too much work or a hassle for him. He takes everything as a learning opportunity and has an eternal optimism that is infectious. Organising our different tours etc through Coleb was also seamless. He responds so quickly and always has great advice on how to best travel in Uganda

Niklas Freese

We booked a very last minute gorilla trekking tour from Kigali with Standard Safaris, and everything was perfectly organized from start to finish. The booking process via WhatsApp was incredibly easy, fast, and uncomplicated. Our guide, Ian, picked us up right on time at our hotel in Kigali. The entire tour was an amazing experience, but Ian truly made it unforgettable. From the beginning, he told us to let him know anytime we wanted to stop for photos, which made the drive much more enjoyable. He also introduced us to traditional Ugandan food along the way and shared interesting information about the country and its culture. Ian is genuinely one of the kindest and warmest people we have met. His friendliness, enthusiasm, and care made us feel welcome throughout the whole trip. Thank you, Ian, for making this experience so special:)

Vanessa Paola Varsallona

I had a fantastic experience on this tour and would highly recommend it. Everything was very well organised, and the highlight was, of course, the unforgettable gorilla trekking experience. Ian was my driver and Frank was my guide. They were both incredibly helpful, professional, and friendly throughout the trip. Ian was always punctual and reliable, making every transfer smooth and stress-free, while Frank was an excellent guide who made sure everything went perfectly. They went above and beyond to accommodate all my requests and helped me secure a gorilla family with babies, which made the experience even more special. Their kindness, flexibility, and dedication truly made a difference, and I couldn't have asked for a better team. I highly recommend both Ian and Frank!