Gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park; Gorilla trekking is an interesting activity that involves tourists moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated mountain gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and it’s known for harboring the highest number of mountain gorillas which makes it one of the best gorilla trekking destinations. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park is done in four sectors namely Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors. Apart from Bwindi impenetrable national park, gorilla trekking is also done in Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Buhoma sector
Buhoma sector is one of the four gorilla trekking sectors located in the northern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park. Buhoma sector is a home of 5 habituated gorilla families namely Mubare, Habinyanja, Rushegura, Katwe and Binyindo gorilla families which are available for trekking on a daily basis.
Rushaga sector
Rushaga sector is another gorilla trekking sector located in southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park. Rushaga sector is a home of 8 habituated gorilla families that are available for trekking daily namely Busingye, Nshongi, Kahungye, Bweza, Mishaya, Bikingi, Rwigi and Mukyunguzi gorilla families.
Ruhija sector
Ruhija sector is located in the eastern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park in Kanungu district. Ruhija sector is a home of three habituated gorilla families that are open for trekking daily namely Oruzogo, Bitukura and Kyaguriro gorilla families.
Nkuringo sector
Nkuringo sector is another gorilla trekking sector in Bwindi impenetrable national park located in southern part of the park in Kisoro district. Nkuringo sector is a home of four gorilla families namely Nkuringo, Bushaho and Christmas gorilla families that are available for trekking daily.
Gorilla trekking in all the sectors that is Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Ruhija sector starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide who is well conversant with different gorilla trekking trails. Trekking of mountain gorillas in bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 2 hours to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they are like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other wildlife species and once the gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their habits, behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record videos.
Best time to go gorilla trekking Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less rainfall in the park therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be passable which makes gorilla trekking easy.
Cost of gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park are legal cards or documents that are issued to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit habituated gorilla families and spend one hour with the gorillas. A gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi impenetrable national park costs 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
How to book gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park can be booked through a tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month, year and gorilla sector that you wish to visit. After contacting us we will check for permit availability on your preferred dates and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit. Once the payment has been made, we will purchase the permits on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.
Gorilla trekking permits in Bwindi impenetrable national park should however be booked 3 to 6 months in advance before the trekking date because they are competitive and usually get sold out quickly especially during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February.
How to get to the gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where visitors will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and then to one of the gorilla trekking sectors which takes about 8 to 9 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.
Bwindi impenetrable national park can also be accessed by air transport means where tourists will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with bar aviation or Aero link from Entebbe international airport to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road which takes about 2 hours’ drive. Domestic flights to Bwindi impenetrable national park can be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris.
You can also access Bwindi impenetrable national park from Kigali Rwanda where you will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to any of the sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park via Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale which takes about 4 to 5 hours’ drive.
Gorilla trekking is an exceptional activity in Bwindi impenetrable national park that can be combined with other activities like chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation experience, bird watching among others in Kibale forest national park. For more information about the gorilla trekking sectors in Bwindi impenetrable national park, do not hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book a gorilla trekking package.
