Best time to go for Gorilla trekking in Uganda

Best time to go for Gorilla trekking in Uganda

Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda; Gorilla trekking is the most popular activity in Uganda and it involves visitors moving into the tropical rainy forests in search of the mountain gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in two national parks namely Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park both located in southwestern region. Gorilla trekking is also done in other destinations like Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga gorilla national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking in Uganda can be done anytime of the year because regardless of the season you will get the same satisfaction. This article will therefore help you to identify the advantages and disadvantages of visiting the mountain gorillas in each of the seasons.

Gorilla trekking can be done during the dry season which is also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, October, December, January and December. This is however the best time in that rainfall in the tropical rainforests will be less which makes access roads dry and passable, vegetation in the forest will be thin which helps you to clearly view the mountain gorillas and other wildlife species and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable compared to the wet season when the trails are muddy and slippery which make trekking difficult.

The dry season has its own disadvantages like crowds in the park and gorilla trekking permits will be competitive which require tourists to book 3 to months in advance before the trekking date. Though the dry season is the best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda, there is no guarantee that you will not experience rain as Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park are tropical rainforests hence it can rain anytime of the day.

Best time to go for Gorilla trekking in Uganda
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking can also be done during the wet season also known as the low season in the months of March to May and November. Though the wet season is characterized by heavy rainfall, it doesn’t rain the whole day and the sun comes out as soon as it has just rained which means that gorilla trekking activity can still be carried out without any disturbance or difficulty. The wet season has some advantages like less crowds in that you will be able to enjoy the national park with few visitors, acquiring gorilla trekking permits will be easy and some lodges will reduce their rates so as to attract more tourists which favors budget travelers.

Gorilla trekking experience

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a gorilla family to trek. Allocation of gorilla families is done according to different factors such as age, physical fitness and personal preference therefore in case you are not physically fit you are advised to communicate with your guide so that they allocate you a gorilla family that is near to trek. After the briefing you will start trekking in the jungle with a park guide who is well conversant with different trails in the forest. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Uganda takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species such as chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, view different bird species, mammals among others. Once the mountain gorillas are located you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their habits, behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home after the Gorilla safari.

In order to engage in an adventurous gorilla trekking activity, you are required to have a gorilla trekking permit which is a card/ document that is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit a habituated gorilla family in either Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park. A single gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs 700 USD per person for foreign nonresidents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.

Best time to go for Gorilla trekking in Uganda
Mgahinga Gorillas

Achieve global safaris organizes gorilla trekking trips anytime of the year regardless of the season as you will be able to get the same satisfaction whether it’s the dry season or the wet season. For more information about the best time to go for gorilla trekking in Uganda, you can contact us or visit our website for luxury and budget gorilla trekking packages.

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