3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour is the best budget and Short Uganda safari tour package designed for you to get up close with a group of mountain gorillas while in their natural habitat. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is in southwestern Uganda, 530 kilometers that is approximately 8-10 hours’ drive from Entebbe or Kampala city center and 3-4 hours by road from Kigali.

It covers an area of 331sq.kms and its establishment in 1991 was mainly to offer refuge to mountain gorillas that today remain fewer than 1004 on earth. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to half the total number of mountain gorillas that currently thrive in the world.

Gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda are conducted in Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, gorilla trekking adventures are done in only the Ruhija, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Buhoma region, each with habituated gorilla families.

Note, only 8 visitors are allowed to trek one habituated family per day and you are accompanied by an armed ranger guide.

The 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour starts from Entebbe or Kampala with pick up by one of our professional driver guides or do the same tour starting from Kigali International Airport/Hotel in Kigali via Katuna or Chanika border with opportunity to visit the scenic Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mutanda for you to embark on community walk or canoe ride while enjoying the breathtaking views of rolling hills or scenic islands.

Alternatively, take a flight from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip then connect to Bwindi National Park.

What to expect on 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour

Brief itinerary of our 3 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari Bwindi Uganda

Day 1: Transfer from Entebbe or Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla tracking

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park

Day 3: Return to Entebbe or Kampala

Detailed itinerary of our 3 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari Bwindi Uganda

Day 1: Transfer from Entebbe or Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla tracking

After you have had your delicious breakfast at your respective hotel or area of residence in Entebbe or Kampala or Kigali, you will be picked up by our professional and experienced driver guide.

You will have a briefing about your 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour and then embark on a road trip to southwestern Uganda via Entebbe or Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale route which may take you about 8-10 hours to drive.

En-route, you have a chance to make a stopover at the Uganda equator (at Kayabwe) for photo taking and a bit of chilling. After,  proceed to Mbarara to have lunch at Igongo cultural center or Agip Hotel.

Later, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishaka-Bushenyi while enjoying the best view of extensive tea plantations at Igara.

Connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda’s second largest savanna national park after Murchison Falls National Park and then drive via the Ishasha sector in the southern side which comes with possibility for you to catch a glimpse at the rare tree climbing lions as they are relaxed on tree branches as well as several elephants, buffaloes, and many others.

Proceed to southwestern Uganda to Bwindi National Park while enjoying the breathtaking sceneries and rolling hills of the Kigezi area. From Kanungu, drive to the Buhoma area of Bwindi National Park on the northern side.

Accommodation options:

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park

Enjoy your breakfast at your preferred safari lodge in Bwindi National Park and after, gather at your respective trailhead as per your gorilla permit to have a briefing at 6:30 am on the set gorilla trekking.

During briefing time, you will be assigned to only one habituated gorilla family to trek in a group of 8 visitors and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has about 20 gorilla families that have been habituated and set for tourism.

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour
3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour

At 8:00 am, you will embark on an actual trek with an armed park ranger guide. Note, gorilla treks in Bwindi National Park start from the 4 main gorilla trekking regions; Ruhija, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Rushaga sector, each of which consists of habituated gorilla groups.

Buhoma sector comprises of Mubare gorilla group, Habinyanja family, Katwe and Rushegura gorilla group; Ruhija region has Kyaguriro, Oruzogo, Mukiza, and Bitukura; Nkuringo area in the southern Bwindi National Park comprises of Nkuringo gorilla group, Bushaho, and Christmas while Rushaga area in the south has Kutu gorilla family, Mucunguzi, Nshongi, Mishaya, Busingye, Kahungye, Bweza, Rwigi, and Bikingi group.

Mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi National Park may take you about 2-6 hours depending on your physical wellness, nature of the habitat and where gorillas are found.

The 2-6 hours rewards you not only with magical encounters with gorillas but also other wildlife species including black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, birds, butterflies, unique plants and many others. Upon finding your gorilla family, you have only an hour to have a face to face encounter, take photos and explore behaviors and body gestures of mountain gorillas.

After the one hour of magical encounter, return to the lodge to have rest and in the evening you will embark on a community visit to the Batwa community.

Batwa cultural tour
Batwa cultural tour

You will have a chance to interact with the Batwa pygmies the renowned forest dwellers who lived in the forest as hunters and gatherers for over 500000 years.

On community or cultural visit in the Batwa community, enjoy the thrilling cultural dances, music performances; explore the ancient hunting and gathering techniques, traditions, cultures and many others.

Dine and spend a night at:

Day 3: Return to Entebbe or Kampala

Early in the morning, you have breakfast and after, check out from your safari lodge ready to embark on a return journey to Kampala or Entebbe.

You will have lunch at Igongo Cultural Center and make a stopover at Uganda Equator for the last photo taking and at Mpambire drum makers to purchase some items.

What is included in your 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour

What is excluded in your 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour

Other safari activities offered in Bwindi National Park

When to go for gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park

Bwindi National Park is regarded as all year round safari destination. Despite this fact, the dry season is the best time to go trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park. The dry season in Bwindi National Park starts in the months of June, July, August, September and December, January, February.

It is also regarded as the peak season and you are encouraged to secure your gorilla permit at least 3-4 months before actual trek. The wet or rainy season is also ideal but it is characterized by plenty of rainfall which makes the habitat muddy thus posing a challenge when hiking through dense vegetation and steep slopes.

It starts in March, April, May, and October, November. The wet season is characterized by plenty of forage which gorillas depend on which makes it simpler or visitors take short hours to find these creatures compared to the dry season when they move to search for what to feed on.

What to Carry for a 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour

Gorilla Trekking Rules to consider while in Bwindi

Your 3 day Gorilla trekking/tracking destination from Entebbe

Other Related Gorilla Trekking Tours