Mountain gorilla trekking — the facts
1,063
Mountain gorillas left on Earth
1 hr
Maximum time with gorilla family once found
8
People max per gorilla family per day
$800
Uganda permit cost per person
Trek day morning
- Wake at 5:30am — light breakfast at lodge; pack lunch, rain jacket, gaiters, and trekking poles
- Report to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) briefing station by 7:30am — permit check and group assignment
- Briefing by UWA ranger: 7m distance rule (never approach closer), no flash photography, no eating near gorillas, cough into elbow, no trekking if ill with respiratory symptoms
- Groups of 8 assigned to a specific habituated gorilla family — trackers have been out since dawn locating the family
The trek itself
The trek through Bwindi — you enter the forest on narrow paths cut through dense, ancient vegetation. The forest is primeval — dripping moss, massive fig trees, bamboo groves, and near-total canopy cover. The trek can take 30 minutes or 6 hours depending on where the gorillas moved overnight. When the trackers signal stop — the gorillas are here.
- Trek duration varies: 1–6 hours depending on gorilla family location — average 2–3 hrs for most families
- Terrain: steep, muddy, and dense — porters are available for hire at the trailhead ($15–20) and are worth every cent
- Trackers communicate by radio — they have usually located the family before your group enters the forest
One hour with the gorillas
The encounter — you push through the last wall of vegetation and they are simply there. A silverback, 180kg of pure muscle, sitting three metres away eating a vine stem and looking at you with complete indifference. Juveniles tumble in the undergrowth. A mother nurses a tiny infant. The one-hour limit passes in what feels like five minutes. There is nothing else like this on Earth.
- One full hour with the gorilla family — photograph, observe, breathe it in
- Silverback interactions — he may stand, beat his chest, and charge (a bluff) — crouch, look away, do not run
- Trek back to the trailhead — usually faster than the approach; receive gorilla trekking certificate from UWA
- Return to lodge for a late lunch, hot shower, and afternoon rest on the forest-view deck
- Optional afternoon: Buhoma village walk — meet the Batwa pygmies (original forest people), visit a local school and community project
Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHEX) — upgrade option
Unlike standard trekking (1 hr with gorillas), the GHEX allows 4 hours with a partially habituated family — a far more intimate and less crowded experience. Only 4 people per session. Available in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi. Absolutely worth the premium if available on your dates.
Accommodation — Night 3
Early breakfast (lodge)Packed lunch (forest)Dinner (lodge incl.)
Hire a porter: Bwindi's terrain is genuinely challenging — steep, slippery and dense. UWA-licensed porters carry your day pack and physically assist you on the steep sections. They are local community members and the $15–20 fee is one of the most impactful direct conservation payments you can make. Non-negotiable advice: hire one.
Email us bookings@twijaafrica.com
Call us +256 777 559835
