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Gorilla trekking Uganda from Kigali/Uganda gorilla safaris from Kigali involve you flying to Kigali International Airport in Rwanda and then connecting to Uganda through the Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale to enjoy a Uganda gorilla safari from Kigali Rwanda to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Gorilla trekking from Kigali/Uganda Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Kigali in Rwanda brings you to one of the most famous yet convenient places to do your Gorilla trek from.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park protects almost half of the remaining population of Gorillas in the world.
Bwindi Gorilla Trekking is also the most famous of the 4 Mountain Gorilla destinations. These are Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa.
A Uganda Gorilla safari from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park provides the best Gorilla trek experience in terms of saving money as it is easier to access Bwindi impenetrable forest from Kigali International Airport than it is from Entebbe International Airport.
However, some travelers with a long itinerary package may begin their Gorilla trek journey from Kigali International Airport and end in Entebbe International Airport or begin from Entebbe International Airport and end in Kigali Airport.
With a team that is dedicated to providing the best Gorilla safaris, we can help craft for you a customized itinerary that will give you the best Gorilla tours from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park during your amazing trip.
Alternatively, this Gorilla trek package can also allow you to explore destinations for wildlife safaris in Uganda for example Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park, among others.
The distance from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 176.8 kilometers, taking a drive of about 5 hours for your Gorilla trek. If it was not for the lower speed limits in Rwanda, this would have taken a shorter time for your journey to go trekking these primates in Bwindi.
After you finish completing your breakfast from your lodge, you will carry your packed picnic lunch and be guided to the park headquarters to receive a briefing about guidelines to follow while for the Gorilla tour and also the history of the park.
Note that the ranger will then divide you into groups according to your fitness levels, interests, and age. By telling them your expectations and needs, they will put you in a suitable group to go meet a Gorilla family during your Gorilla trek.
The park ranger will afterward lead you through the rainforest to trek Gorillas and meet a Gorilla family. The Gorilla trek itself is quite challenging, especially if you do not have a fair level of fitness.
When you meet a Gorilla family, you will spend one hour with them as you enjoy the captivating moment of watching these human-like Mountain Gorillas as they feed, play, and generally go about their day on this amazing trip.
By booking day Uganda Gorilla safaris from Kigali, you save money, effort, and time especially when going to visit not just Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but also other national parks in Southwestern Uganda.
Short distance:
It is much easier for travelers to connect to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Kigali than from Entebbe or Kampala as they go to trek Gorillas. Thus, saving time used in long distances.
With the shorter distance between Kigali and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, it is also possible to have a return journey back to Rwanda after your Bwindi Gorilla trekking. This is because the drive time from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 8 hours while the distance from Rwanda is around 4 to 5 hours by road.
Cost of Gorilla permits:
Also, the permits for trekking Mountain Gorillas in Uganda are cheaper, thus making you save money due to cheap fares while you also remain staying in comfortable accommodations. This is because you will spend money cautiously according to your budget.
Enjoy other safari experiences apart from the Gorilla trek:
When you book a day Uganda Gorilla safari from Kigali, you also get a chance to enjoy other safaris like visiting the Genocide monument and Kigali City. This can take place on the same day as your transfer or return journey.
For customized Uganda Gorilla tracking packages from Kigali, there are various safaris that you can add to your trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
All these packages to go trek Gorillas begin from Kigali when a trusted guide picks you up from Entebbe International Airport and then transfers you to a booked hotel after which you will begin your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
On the scenic roads, you will be able to view the beautiful hills of both countries revealing Rwanda’s nature of being the land of “a thousand hills” and Uganda’s nature of being the “Pearl of Africa”.
After departing from Katuna or the Cyanika border, you will enter Kabale or Kisoro and then enter Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where you will spend your night.
The drive will take about 4 to 5 hours and you will either have lunch or dinner on arrival at your lodge.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has 4 sectors which are Rushaga, Nkuringo, Ruhija, and Buhoma tourists from Kigali enter through Rushaga and they usually also trek from this region.
Other things to do in Bwindi impenetrable forest include the amazing forest walks through the scenic nature, a Batwa pygmy visit, and birding.
If you wish to book Uganda Gorilla safaris, the itineraries of these different packages are an inspiration to help you start planning for your Uganda Gorilla trekking from Kigali. To build a customized package that suits your needs and interest, contact us for the best-crafted itinerary.
We shall design the best itinerary that leads you to Southwestern Uganda to track Mountain Gorillas in either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, do Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest NP, and other experiences that will uncover the best of the country.
Bwindi Forest is not just popular for viewing Uganda Gorillas and the Silverbacks, but also for beautiful scenery and a Uganda birding safari.
Gorilla tours in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Kigali also offer you a wide safari experience when you add other activities to the primate expedition. These may include Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walks at Nyungwe NP, big five wildlife safaris in Rwanda Akagera National Park, relaxation at the beaches around Lake Kivu, or a Kigali City tour.
Alternatively, you can enjoy different safari activities in Uganda like Chimpanzee trekking at Kibale NP, Mountain Gorilla, or Golden Monkey trekking at Mgahinga national park.
At Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will enjoy amazing game drives, Lion tracking, and boat cruise safaris that will grant you unforgettable wildlife safaris.
Other famous places to visit in Uganda apart from Bwindi impenetrable forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park include Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley NP, Lake Mburo NP, Mount Elgon Rwenzori Mountains, and Kampala City.
Below are some of the different packages for Bwindi Gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali, Rwanda.
However, for an amazing experience, it is best to book a 3-day safari or more. Day one will be for pick up at Kigali International Airport and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable NP. Day two for Gorilla tracking and day three for any optional activity then drive back to Kigali International Airport to catch your flight back home.
A two days safari will give you a first and last night experience that may not allow you to fully explore the various attractions as you will have to return on the same day of your tracking safari.
Travelers to Rwanda can also enjoy amazing safari experiences as the country boasts various attractions and safari activities.
Some of the experiences in this land of “a thousand hills” include the popular Gorilla tours to Volcanoes NP and tracking Golden Monkeys, Nyungwe Forest for Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest, and the Kigali City tour.
However, the Gorilla treks are the star activity of the tourist sector of the country.
Let us discuss them below.
Volcanoes National Park is a hilly destination with wonderful scenery in the Virunga region and one of the places that best describes the label given to Rwanda as the land of “a thousand hills”.
The park is a famous destination for Gorilla treks and its headquarters is at Kinigi, a village in Musanze, formerly known as Ruhengeri.
There are about 17 groups in the forest with around 10 habituated Gorilla family groups in the park for trekking, thus the destination with the second highest number of Mountain Gorillas in the park.
The following are the major things to do while on your safari in Volcanoes NP
While at Volcanoes NP, you can stay at Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Virunga Lodge, and various other places.
Wildlife safaris in Rwanda are famous in Akagera National Park, which is also the only place where you will be able to see the big five animals. Found in the Northeastern part of the country and boasting various wildlife species, Akagera National Park is a great place to have game drives, boat cruises on Lake Ihema, fishing on Lake Shakani, nature walks, and birding.
At Akagera National Park, you can stay at Akagera Game Lodge, Rusizi Tented Lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, and Vintage Cottages among others.
Kigali City is the capital of Rwanda and the major destination for tourists. It is a clean place, with neat streets that are free from polythene bags since they were banned, and violating this leads to imprisonment.
On your Gorilla tours from Kigali City to Bwindi, you will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center with memorial photos and objects of those who died in the 1994 terror. You will also visit the national museum, the Amahoro Stadium, and some craft shops in the city.
Other places to visit while in the country include Lake Kivu, Nyungwe NP, and Kahuzi Biega National Park among others.
To have an amazing safari experience, it is important to still follow the Standard Operating Procedures, even after the Covid 19 pandemic.
Gorilla tours in both countries are very great and memorable experiences that will grant you a close encounter with Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat.
However, your preferred destination will depend on your taste and preferences or the level of your budget.
Below, we look at the various factors that will allow you to choose the most preferred destination for the Gorilla tour.
In terms of accessibility, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is easier to access from Kigali than accessing Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park from Entebbe or Kampala.
It is also much easier and less costly to access Bwindi impenetrable forest or Mgahinga national park from Kigali than it is from Entebbe or Kampala. More so, Rwanda has better roads that make transportation quicker.
This consequently makes Rwanda a better destination in terms of accessibility to Gorilla tour destinations.
One would also like to consider the landscape of the national parks found in both countries for their Gorilla tours.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is Uganda’s major destination for Gorilla tours is largely a rainforest with a lot of vegetation that is quite challenging to pass through.
On the other hand, Volcanoes NP has lesser vegetation thus making sights to be clearer than in Bwindi Impenetrable NP.
Nonetheless, Volcanoes National Park has a steeper landscape than Bwindi impenetrable forest which is at a relatively lower altitude. This thus makes trekking in Volcanoes, found at a higher altitude to be more strenuous than trekking in Bwindi Forest.
The Gorilla trek cost differs in both destinations with Rwanda selling more expensive Gorilla permits than Uganda. The Ugandan Gorilla tracking permit is $ 700 while Rwanda sells a Gorilla permit at $ 1500.
This shows how advantageous it would be for travelers especially those on a budget safari to save more than half the cost of trekking in Rwanda when they do a Uganda Gorilla trek.
While both destinations are guaranteed places to meet a Gorilla family, Uganda has more families than Rwanda. There are about 24 habituated Gorilla family groups in the two Ugandan Gorilla tour destinations while Volcanoes NP in Rwanda has about 14 habituated Gorilla family groups.
Note that both countries have good accommodation facilities to suit your stay. However, in terms of the best luxury options for your safari, Rwanda offers better luxury accommodation services thus a more favorable place, especially for high-end travelers.
Both countries will give you the best Gorilla safaris. However, the choice of where you will go for your Gorilla tour will majorly depend on your budget, fitness, and level of luxury.
Uganda Gorilla tours are quite cheaper than trekking Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda. The Ugandan permit for Gorilla tours is $ 800 for foreign nonresidents, $700 for foreign residents, and UGX 300000 for citizens of East Africa.
On the other hand, Rwanda Gorilla treks are $1500 for foreign nonresidents. Foreign residents and citizens from other countries in Africa pay $500 while citizens of East Africa including Rwandese pay $ 200.
This thus makes Gorilla tours cheaper in the Ugandan tracking destinations than in Rwanda because of the cheap fares.
The Rwanda Development Board announced in 2017 that the trekking permit costs $1500 for foreign nonresidents while citizens of East Africa pay $200. Foreign residents and citizens or residents from other countries in Africa pay $ 500.
The cheapest place for trekking Mountain Gorillas is Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A Gorilla permit in DR Congo in Central Africa is $ 400.
A 3 day Gorilla safari in the country will cost about $ 3000 to $ 6000, depending on various factors. These are the cost of the trekking permit, accommodation choice, other safari activities added, and length of stay among others.
Trekking Mountain Gorillas is quite expensive, but it is worth the money because you contribute to conserving the primates and their natural habitat.
To go trekking Mountain Gorillas in the country, you need to book a trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or have your tour operator book it for you.
The dry season from June to September is the best for trekking Mountain Gorillas in the country.
June to September, of the dry season, are the best months to visit the country for a Gorilla trek because the trails are dry and thus easy to pass through.
The dry months of June to August and December to February are the best for trekking Mountain Gorillas during your Gorilla tours in the country.
By road, the distance from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park is about 105.4 km and the drive takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. To Bwindi, it is about 176 km with a drive time of about 5 hours.
A Gorilla safari in the country is safe as the country is generally having a high-security level. Mugging and robbing are very unlikely, and the Mountain Gorillas are harmless since they are habituated.
It is best to wear long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, gloves, sturdy shoes, and socks when going for your day Uganda Gorilla safaris to trek Gorillas in Bwindi NP. While trekking Gorillas, this attire will keep you harm-free from the weather, thorny plants, and an easier Gorilla trek.
Carry your camera, binoculars, rain jacket, a waterproof back bag, your packed picnic lunch, your Gorilla tracking permit, and other important documents when going to trek Gorillas in Bwindi NP.
The activity is fair and manageable for a normal level of fitness. You will enter a dense forest and some of the hikes will be strenuous. But upon meeting a Gorilla family, you will forget all the strenuous moments with the thrilling sight of the Uganda Gorillas!
An amazing Gorilla trek safari from Kigali to Bwindi Uganda Gorilla trek is among the best Uganda Gorilla safaris you could ever have! It is a safari that leads you to the beautiful rainforests to experience high-value adventures of trekking Gorillas at relatively low costs.
Trek Gorillas today in the comfort of your budget by booking a Gorilla trek with the safari beginning from Kigali.
Cate
Samuel
Situated in the heart of East Africa, Uganda is a land of staggering contrasts. From the snow-capped peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains to the vast, wildlife-rich plains of the Great Rift Valley, the biodiversity here is unmatched.
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