I went gorilla trekking in Uganda with G Adventures and it was the experience of a lifetime! Read on for tips and info about gorilla trekking tours in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Upon hearing my footsteps, the tall, dark, and handsome male looked over his shoulder slowly, sized me up with disinterest, then went back to eating his lunch. I felt my heart lurch in disappointment: despite having journeyed from far to see him, he was blatantly ignoring me. Still, I panted in excitement– I had been looking forward to our date all week.

I stole a look at his profile as he quietly sat and ate his food. He was stunning, stately, and gave off an air of danger– exactly the type of guy I was prone to fall for time and time again. I shivered as I checked out his muscular back: I couldn’t wait to tell my family and friends about our encounter. I took a one last step forward as I took a deep breath, reached for my camera, and hoped he– the mountain gorilla I hiked three hours through the rainforest to see, that is– would notice me…

Going gorilla trekking in Uganda with G Adventures

Hungry for adventure? As I discovered, going gorilla trekking in East Africa is the perfect way to satisfy your appetite.

Because I’ll be completely honest. After having travelled so much over the last year, I’ve been feeling jaded– the most accurate word is “meh”– about travel. Could it be due to fatigue? Absolutely. But I think it’s also because my travels of late have felt so “same-y”: touch down in destination, see monument/tourist attraction/museum, eat… lather, rinse, repeat.

My experience this summer gorilla trekking through Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, then, was JUST the travel shake-up I needed, because it was unlike anything I had ever done before. The experience did a lot to reignite the flames of my passion for travel and discovery, though I’m guessing that hiking through the African rainforest, in hot pursuit of an endangered primate, will do that to you!

But let me back up and explain how I got to Uganda in the first place. Last July I spent approximately 12 days exploring East Africa, 8 of which were on G Adventures’ Culture and Wildlife of Uganda and Rwanda tour (see full itinerary here). G Adventures is a leading travel company that offers small-group adventure tours around the world, and I’m honoured to be one of their brand ambassadors this year.

The tour I was on allowed me to gain insight into Ugandan and Rwandan culture, eat loads of tasty local food, and observe first-hand the flor and fauna the region is famous for, something for which I’m super grateful. However, I’d be lying if I told you that coming face to face with a silverback mountain gorilla wasn’t an absolute highlight of the trip!

What is gorilla trekking exactly?

There’s no need to be embarrassed if you’re not exactly sure what gorilla trekking is or entails– it’s only in the last few years that it’s exploded in popularity. Also known as gorilla tracking (some purists will argue there’s a slight difference), the practice is a way for tourists to observe mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. As the name hints, this is done by “trekking” or “tracking” the creatures on foot: it’s essentially a hike through the rainforest to visit mountain gorillas in the wild.

The experience is a particularly special one since mountain gorillas, the largest primate on earth, are extremely rare. With fewer than 800 left, the species is endangered, and great conservation efforts are made to keep the remaining population intact.

Because of development and deforestation, mountain gorillas are only found in three countries in the world: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. To see the gorillas tourists must pay for a (pricy!) permit and be accompanied by a guide. This allows the local economy to flourish and deters poaching, which has been a big problem in the past.

Should you go gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo?

Once you’ve decided to take the plunge, a common dilemma is deciding whether to go gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, or the DRC. There are advantages and disadvantages to doing it in each location. For example, while gorilla trekking is quicker and easier to do in Rwanda than Uganda, it’s also way more expensive, with permits in Rwanda ringing in at $1500 USD per person, as compared to $600 USD pp in Uganda.

While a gorilla trekking permit in Democratic Republic of Congo is the cheapest of the three countries at $450 USD pp, safety in the eastern part of the country is a concern. Getting to where the gorillas are in the DRC’s Virunga National Park also requires a border crossing, as the nearest international airport is in Kigali, Rwanda.

However, I didn’t have to worry about any of that since G Adventures’ tour included a gorilla trekking excursion to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda at no additional cost. This is one of the many benefits to going gorilla trekking with a tour.

My experience gorilla trekking in Uganda with G Adventures

As I mentioned above, I went on my gorilla trekking tour in Uganda with G Adventures (it was a one day excursion built into my 8 day Culture and Wildlife of Uganda and Rwanda tour). But as a huge proponent of solo and independent travel, some of you will surely question why I chose to partner with a tour company in the first place.

The answer is simple: G Adventures took care of the itinerary, safari permits, accommodation, and transportation, which meant that I could enjoy the experience without worrying about logistics. Planning multi-day, multi-destination trips can be daunting even in relatively touristy destinations like Western Europe. Going on a tour took all the guesswork and stress out of the equation, and it was also more cost effective.

How a gorilla trekking excursion in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park works

Our day started before sunrise with breakfast, and then a pickup from our lodge. Our G Adventures group members (9 of us in total) were driven by 4×4 to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, where we were deposited at the Visitor Center. We were then seated and asked to listen to a presentation from one of the head guides, who explained how the day would go. He also went over some ground rules and gave advice for how to best enjoy the experience.

After that, our G Adventures group was split into two and redistributed amongst the other tourists who were at the park for gorilla trekking that day. In all, there were 8 to 9 groups comprised of 7 to 10 people. The number of tourists permitted to visit the park each day is strictly regulated.

Each group was accompanied by its own tour guide, porters (you can pay them to carry your bag during the trek), and a couple of professional trackers who not only have intimate knowledge of the gorillas’ location, but are also armed and equipped to protect the group should anything go awry.

The composition of the trekking groups is primarily based on fitness level and the anticipated length of the trek. Given that the fitness level of our group was pretty high, we were told that we would hike to see a family of gorillas located deep within the forest, and that it would take between 2.5 to 3 hours until we reached them.

After locating the family, we would spend one hour observing them (this is a standard rule for any gorilla trekking excursion), stop for a picnic lunch, then hike back the same way we came. In total, we could expect to be out in the forest for just over 7 hours before heading back to the lodge.

Despite having read online that the hike could be difficult, I found it relatively easy, with the exception of a forty minute stretch where the forest was so impenetrably thick with trees and foliage that our guides had to cut through it with machetes. That same stretch also required quite a bit of climbing, scrambling, and jumping, so I was very happy to be appropriately dressed and in good shape!

Finally, just shy of the 3 hour mark, we happened upon what we were looking for: a group of five or so mountain gorillas having a drink at the stream. It. was. glorious.

For the next hour, our trekking group alternated between extreme giddiness, glee, and awe. Observing these great creatures up close, and in their natural habitat, is really quite remarkable. When our 60 minutes were up, we turned back around and found a clearing where we were able to eat our packed lunches (I purchased mine from my lodge that morning), then made our way back to the entrance of the park. The 2.5 hour trek back was over in a flash– clearly I was still on a high from seeing the gorillas! G Adventures then arranged our transfer back to our lodge.

Other things you should know about Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
-Bring something to eat + pack a lot of water. Obviously, once in the actual forest there is nowhere to purchase food or water. This can be problematic if you find yourself on a longer hike like I was.

-Dress appropriately. Wear layers that are breathable and be sure to bring a waterproof jacket as it can rain without warning. Also be sure to bring proper shoes! The terrain is muddy and uneven in many places. I was happy to have my hiking boots for the ankle support, though old sneakers would also do the trick.

-Bring local currency or USD to tip your guides. While tips aren’t required, they are certainly encouraged and appreciated. Expect to tip your main guide anywhere from $10 to $20 USD.

-Employ a porter to carry your bag during the trek, even if you’re perfectly capable of doing so yourself. Nearly all of the porters at the park are from the surrounding villages and for many this is their sole source of income. Engaging porters injects money into the local community and shows goodwill. I was lucky to get a female porter (there aren’t very many ladies doing this job) and it felt good to be able to help.

-Bring a camera (and extra batteries or an external charger if you’re snap happy). I’m obsessed with high-quality photography, so I brought my full frame Sony camera (read: heavy a** cam). I must say that I was extremely happy I did. For all you photography buffs out there: now’s the time to break out your best telephoto zoom lenses! I only took my 24-70mm with me and was super sad I didn’t have a longer lens.

The takeaway

I travel a lot, to the point were travel sometimes loses its lustre. But while Uganda may have been the 107th country I’ve ever visited, gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was an experience like no other! Have you ever travelled to this part of the world or gone gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, or the Democratic Republic of Congo? If not, would you consider it?

Lauren Pope