Where to See Gorillas in Uganda? The 2 Best Gorilla Trekking Parks

Discover the prime destinations to See Gorillas in Uganda, get the facts about these parks, their location and the best time to trek gorillas. Gorilla trekking is a popular activity that involves seeing mountain gorillas in the wild. Meeting these gentle giants in their natural habitat is a once-in-a lifetime experience that sticks with you forever.

Uganda is one of the three countries (the others are Rwanda and Congo) in the world where gorilla trekking is made possible and the main highlight of a typical Uganda safari. It is usually included on almost every safari itinerary that has you traveling to see these gentle giants or combined with other experiences.

There are no more than 1064 mountain gorillas left in the wild today, and half of this population finds home in Uganda, making it one of the only three countries in the world where gorilla trekking is possible.

Uganda offers a fair option for gorilla trekking, with a permit currently costing $800 per person per trek as compared to neighbouring Rwanda’s, which costs $1500 per person per trek. The gorilla trekking permit allows you to see the gorillas in the forest.

Best Places to See Gorillas in Uganda:

There are two places where you can see mountain gorillas in Uganda, which are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Bwindi is Uganda’s popular destination and is featured in almost every safari itinerary. Located in the southwestern region of Uganda, from the capital, Kampala, it is arguably the best place to see mountain gorillas in Uganda up close.

This remarkable park is home to half of the world’s population of these endangered giants, which gives it an edge. The abundance of gorilla families here means that visitors are guaranteed to see the gorillas in their natural habitat with a 98% chance.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an ancient, montane, and lowland forest that spans 128 square miles and is known for its dense forest vegetation. This incredible park was named a UNECO World Heritage Site due to its biological significance and the large number of endangered species that call it home.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Apart from gorilla trekking, visitors can embark on an immersive habituation experience. Gorilla habituation is the gradual process of making wild gorillas get accustomed to human presence and later (after 3–4 years) make them available for gorilla trekking. Other activities to embark on while here include visiting the indigenous Batwa people of Bwindi, birding, and nature walks, among others.

You can browse through our website to choose from our wide range of safari itinerary options to have the opportunity to see gorillas, such as the 3-day gorilla trekking Bwindi safari, the 3-day Bwindi gorilla habituation safari, and many more.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s other gorilla trekking destination and the smallest park. It is located in the far south-west of Uganda, covering an estimated area of 33.9 sq. km.

The park is a portion of the Virunga Mountain range, which covers Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and sits at an altitude between 2,227m and 4,127m. Visitors usually start their gorilla tracking adventure at the Ntebeko Visitors Centre, which is also the starting point of other activities carried out in the park. There are fewer gorilla families here compared to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Apart from the endangered mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, the park is also popular for being a habitat for the endangered golden monkeys, a prolific birdlife, and the indigenous Batwa people. Mgahinga’s most striking features are its three conical and extinct volcanoes, which include Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura, and Mount Sabyinyo.

Other activities visitors can enjoy here apart from gorilla trekking are mountain hiking, golden monkey trekking, birding, and visiting the forest inhabitants known as the Batwa.