3 Days Uganda Gorilla Tour
3-Day Uganda Mountain Gorilla Tour
Trek into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for one hour with wild mountain gorillas. Your permit, porter, lodge and transport are all included.
Tour Overview
About half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas live in Bwindi, in south-western Uganda. In three days you'll drive from Kampala or Entebbe, trek to a gorilla family and spend one hour with them, then visit a Bakiga village on the way back. Your guide, permit, porter, lodge and meals are all taken care of.
Trip Highlights
One Hour with Gorillas
Sit with a habituated gorilla family and watch the silverback, mothers and playful juveniles.
Porter Included
A local porter carries your bag and helps you up the steep trail, and your fee supports the community.
Bakiga Village Visit
See papyrus basket weaving, banana beer brewing and traditional dance, and buy crafts from the makers.
Bird Walk at the Forest Edge
Bwindi has over 350 bird species, including African green broadbill and handsome francolin.
Secure Your Gorilla Permit
Only 8 visitors can see each gorilla family per day, so permits sell out fast. Tell us your dates and we'll check availability and send you a quote.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Kampala / Entebbe → Bwindi
Your guide picks you up from your hotel early in the morning in a 4×4 safari vehicle, so you beat the city traffic. Stop at the Equator monument near Kayabwe for photos and the water-draining demonstration. Have lunch in Mbarara, then drive on through the hills and tea plantations of Kabale district to your forest-edge lodge.
After you check in, take in the view of the misty forest. Before dinner, your guide briefs you on safety, gorilla etiquette, what to wear and what to carry. Then it's an early night before the big day.
- Early pickup and Equator stop at Kayabwe
- Lunch in Mbarara
- Trekking briefing and dinner at the lodge
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
After an early breakfast, pack your daypack: rain jacket, packed lunch, at least 2 litres of water, insect repellent and your camera. Wear long sleeves and long trousers to protect against stinging nettles. At the Uganda Wildlife Authority station you register and meet your porter, who carries your bag and helps you on steep, slippery ground.
Rangers then brief you and assign you to a gorilla family. Only 8 visitors are allowed per family per day. The rules are simple: stay 7 metres back, don't eat near the gorillas and don't use flash. The trek into Bwindi can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours, depending on where the family is that day. The trail climbs steep hills and crosses streams through dense forest.
When you find them, you get exactly one hour. Watch silverbacks beat their chests, mothers nursing infants and juveniles wrestling in the undergrowth. Photos are welcome, without flash. Back at the ranger station, each trekker receives an official UWA Gorilla Trekking Certificate.
In the late afternoon, you can add the optional Batwa visit (extra cost). The Batwa were the forest's original hunter-gatherers and will share survival skills, songs and dances. Then it's a hot shower and a celebratory dinner at the lodge.
- Registration, porter and ranger briefing
- Gorilla trek and one hour with the family
- Gorilla trekking certificate, with optional Batwa visit
Nature Walk, Community Visit & Return
After a relaxed breakfast, take a gentle guided walk along the forest edge. Bwindi has more than 350 bird species, and your guide points out African green broadbills, handsome francolins and the African emerald cuckoo. You may also see L'Hoest's monkeys and red-tailed monkeys.
Next, visit a nearby Bakiga village. Local women show you how they weave baskets from papyrus reeds, you watch banana beer being brewed, and there's traditional dancing. It's also the best place to buy crafts directly from the artisans.
Then drive back north through the terraced hills of Kabale and the cattle plains of Mbarara, stopping for lunch on the way. We drop you at your hotel or the airport in the early evening.
- Guided bird and nature walk
- Bakiga community and craft village
- Lunch on the road and drop-off in Kampala or Entebbe
What's Included
Included
- Gorilla trekking permit ($800 per person)
- Private 4×4 vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide
- 2 nights lodge accommodation
- All meals as per itinerary
- Porter during the gorilla trek
- All park and entry fees
- Bottled drinking water
Excluded
- International flights
- Uganda tourist visa ($50)
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guides, porters and lodge staff
- Alcohol
- Souvenirs and personal items
- Optional Batwa visit fee
Get Your Price
The price depends on your group size and travel dates. Send us a message and we'll reply with a quote that includes your gorilla permit.
Before You Book
Good to Know
- The drive: 8–9 hours each way, so we leave early. Our 4×4 is comfortable and we stop for lunch and photos.
- Fitness: The trek is steep and can be slippery, and lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours. Your porter makes it much easier.
- Permits: Limited to 8 visitors per gorilla family per day, so book early. Anyone with a cold or flu will be asked not to trek, to protect the gorillas.
- What to pack: Long sleeves and long trousers, waterproof boots, a rain jacket, gloves, insect repellent, at least 2 litres of water and your camera.