Category: Uganda safaris

Bwindi National Park Fly-in or Drive Safari:  Kampala to Bwindi is 530 kilometers and takes 8–9 hours by vehicle. Stop at the Equator to capture photos on both sides of the world or at Mpambire Royal Drum Village.

Safaris are another roadside attraction. Lake Mburo National Park requires overnight stays. This park connects all western Ugandan national parks.

Daily flights from Kajjansi or Entebbe Airport to Kihihi Airstrip. You must book a seat and arrange a transfer car.

Driving or flying safaris are now available at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has airstrips on both sides for modest planes. Clients may fly to Kisoro Airstrip in southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and drive to Nkuringo or Rushaga in 2.5 hours.

Tourists may fly from Entebbe to Kihihi or Kayonza Airstrip to monitor gorillas in the Ruhija or Buhoma flanks of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Driving from Kayonza to Buhoma takes 45 minutes, whereas from Kihihi Airstrip it might take two hours. Three hours should be plenty to hike gorillas in Ruhija’s Eastern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Kampala to Buhoma or Ruhija takes 8–9 hours by car, while Nkuringo or Rushaga takes 9–10 hours. The drive from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is lovely and full of sights. These include stops at the equator crossing, royal drum making, seeing his pastoral group graze ankle-long-horned cattle, and the undulating hills of Kigezi.

Flights from Entebbe to any park side might take an hour or more, depending on connections. Fly Uganda and Aerolink Uganda are the primary airlines serving Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and others. Aerolink conducts morning and afternoon flights from Entebbe to Kihihi, occasionally connecting to other national parks. The first flight leaves Entebbe at 7:30 and arrives in Kihihi at 9:45 am, while the afternoon flight arrives an hour later.

Fly Uganda charters may land at Kayonza, near Buhoma in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, or Kihihi Airstrip, depending on the number of passengers. Kihihi Airstrip handles larger aircraft. They also provide a per-seat charge with a minimum of two passengers for individuals on a budget who cannot charter their own plane.

Strong winds and volcanic slopes make Kisoro airport most accessible in the morning.

Flying to see gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an option if you have little time, but driving to learn about Uganda and its people is more enjoyable.

Recommended routes to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Kampala-Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi-Buhoma.

The quickest route from Kampala to Buhoma on Bwindi. After 390 miles, take Murram Road for 82 km. Driving takes 8 hours.

Kampala-Kabale-Ruhijah-Buhoma

It takes 3–4 hours to travel 95 kilometers on a murram road from Kabale to Ruhija to Buhoma. As the road is under development, only a 4×4 vehicle may pass through during wet periods.

Kampala to Kabale to Nkuringo, the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, is 105 kilometers. Winding roads take four hours to traverse this distance.

You may spend the night at Kisoro, 80 kilometers from Kabale, and then drive 35 kilometers to Nkuringo for a briefing in the morning.

Kampala-Kabale-Kanungu-Buhoma

You drive 414 miles on a tarmac road from Kampala to Kabale in around 6 hours. Connect with a 150-km murram road from Kabale to Kanungu to Kanyantorogo for 5 hours. This route may have impassable roads, requiring a 4×4.

Queen Elizabeth National Park to Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

On a wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you must drive 160 m from Mweya, the park’s administrative center, to the Buhoma section of Bwindi Park.

When staying in the Ishasha area of southern Queen Elizabeth National Park, anticipate to travel 64km. Check the fig trees for tree-climbing lions.

By Air

Kihihi and Kisoro airports get daily domestic flights from Entebbe or Kajjansi. The morning and afternoon flights may carry up to two individuals.

For private gorilla trekking, schedule charter planes from Kajjansi Airstrip or Entebbe Airport. Booking is required so CAA is notified of your flight and other permissions are completed.

Booking Fly-In Gorilla Trekking Safari (Requirements)
A valid passport

Full names on the passport

Nationality

Age

Allowance for hand baggage is 10 kilos.

Katland Safaris offers fly-in gorilla treks. Your information is needed to reserve seats for our customers. In high seasons (June–September and December–January), tickets sell out, thus booking is recommended.

You must organize a shuttle to your resort as flights land at the airfield. After landing in Kihihi, Buhoma is two hours away. No standby taxis are available at the runway, however our safari consultant may pick you up upon request.

Things to do before gorilla trekking Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Visit Mpambire Drum Village
The people running this royal drum-making community inherited the globe from their forefathers. Here, animal skin and timber trunks are used to make drums. Even the King’s Kabaka drums are made here. Locally built and tuned drums of different sizes and musical tones are made here.

Kayabwe Equator
A roadside circular concrete where the Equator is claimed to pass. Stop here to capture images of the northern and southern hemispheres and do the water experiment. Souvenir stores provide crafts to take home.

Lake Mburo National Park
You may drive via Lake Mburo National Park for a short game drive to or from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You may witness elands, impalas, waterbucks, reedbucks, Uganda kobs, giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, and more. Even if you’re only passing through, you must pay for park entry.

The Queen Elizabeth National Park
Stop at Queen Elizabeth National Park for a night or two before visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Early morning game drives via several tracks are available here. Beautiful crater lakes at the bottom of the Rift Valley are reached via the crater lakes trek. Most notable is Lake Nyamunuka, which smells bad since animals die there and is termed the animal hospital.

Lions that feed on Uganda kobs spend the day on the Kasenyi grassland trail. Catching prey may be difficult here.

Lake Katwe is Uganda’s oldest business. Miners still gather salt with their bare hands. Pans of dried salt are collected by customers and taken to marketplaces nationwide.

The Kazinga channel launch lets you witness the park’s most stunning sights from the Rift Valley bottom. A clear day may see the snowcapped Rwenzori mountains. Lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, water bucks, bushbucks, and others frequent the channel’s banks. They bathe and satisfy their thirst here. Foreign migrants and flocks of birds frequent the coast.

The bridge from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park may be washed away by strong rains, thus you must check its status.

Kibale National Park
On your Africa vacation, Kibale National Park is great for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking. The park provides the best opportunity to see many chimpanzees in the wild, especially during harsh rainy seasons when they eat trees. The best way to Fort Portal is via Mubende.

Despite its numerous attractions, chimpanzee trekking is its main point. The park features the most habituated mountain gorillas in East Africa and primate species in Africa.

A $300 per-person chimpanzee hiking permit is required. Chimpanzee trekking is available morning or afternoon. One chimpanzee community may host six visitors every session. Find the chimpanzees and have one hour to see them. Follow all chimpanzee trekking guidelines as taught by the warden during the briefing. Its major briefing point is Kanyanchu tourist center and a secondary location is Sebitori.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is accessible after chimpanzee trekking. It may take 6 hours to reach Buhoma.

Uganda Wildlife Education Center
Entebbe has several activities if you arrive in Uganda before your gorilla trekking safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The Uganda Wildlife Education Center, formerly Entebbe Zoo, describes most Ugandan creatures. Their exhibitions mimic their natural habitats. Lions, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, vipers, chimpanzees, and uncommon shoe-bill birds live at the facility. Taking a guided tour of the facility will teach you about these species and their typical Ugandan parks.

Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary
If you have limited time on your gorilla trekking safari but want to view chimps exclusively, Ngamba Island is perfect. This is one of Lake Victoria’s Koome Islands. Chimpanzees who cannot return to their natural groups are rescued here. These chimpanzees were rescued from poachers, snares, circuses, abandoned, and other situations.

You feed the chimpanzees from the observation platform, so you must come early to experience this excitement. Inoculation is required to perform keeper for the day or chimpanzee up close if you arrange early.

For more information on How to Get to Bwindi National Park via Fly-in or Driving Safari, contact us and see our travel adviser.

Uganda summer vacation gorilla expedition planning. We have experience arranging entertaining gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Summer gorilla trekking is easy to arrange. Game watching is also possible in other national parks over these vacations. Most northern hemisphere nations experience summer from June to September.

This is when most schools are on vacation, making it the optimum time to schedule a Ugandan gorilla safari.
In June–September, Uganda’s dry season and summer are the greatest periods for gorilla trekking. Are you from a summer-having country considering Africa? A summer vacation gorilla trek safari to Uganda is best arranged by contacting us.

Knowing about gorilla trekking and finding the ideal tour operator makes planning a summer vacation gorilla climb in Uganda easier. Gorilla safaris need knowledge of several things:

A gorilla permit and application
Cost of gorilla safari
The finest gorilla safari season
Prepare for a gorilla safari and observe the guidelines when walking in the nation.
We will plan a budget-friendly gorilla trip in the nation for short and extended safaris. A gorilla hike or habituation experience lets you spend more time with them.

Gorilla habituation only occurs in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It studies gorilla behavior and trains them to tolerate humans. Tourists observe gorillas for four hours during habituation. Pre-booked gorilla habituation permits cost $1500 per person.

A gorilla permit

Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permits provide access to gorilla trekking locations. To book a permit, you must enter your name, journey dates, and passport details to verify your age.

Bwindi has 19 gorilla-habituated families, while Mgahinga has one. The Uganda Wildlife Authority prints 160 gorilla permits every day (152 for Bwindi and 8 for Mgahinga). Gorilla hiking permits in Bwindi are produced per park sector. Rushaga obtains 43 licenses, Buhoma 40, Ruhija 24, and Nkuringo 24. Since your accommodation will likely be in the sector you reserve, know it before booking.

Gorilla hike permits may be bought from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or a local tour operator. Buying via a registered travel operator is better since contacting UWA directly may take time. You must submit your name and journey dates before checking whether permits are available. After we confirm the permits are available, you must provide payment using corporate bank information, not personal ones.

Bookings are not confirmed until payment is received. An email copy of the permit will be issued after payment confirmation. We can assist with gorilla permit information.

Gorilla permits are offered at face value, so the price is the same wherever you buy one. Here’s the gorilla permit fee.

Nonresidents abroad $800

Immigrants $700

EAC residents 300,000UGX.

Can Ugandan gorilla trek permits be canceled?
If you have completely paid for a gorilla permit, you may cancel and obtain a refund, however there are cancellation conditions.

0–8 days before journey. No refund

9–45 days before the trek 25% return

46–90 days before the trek 50% refund

Over 91 days

75% refund.

Gorilla hiking restrictions
The Uganda Wildlife Authority set trek and gorilla guidelines. Mountain gorillas and hikers are protected by these measures:

Each trekker must be 15 or older. Because it’s impossible to discipline kids and make them obey rules, no one under 15 may journey. They cannot concentrate on watching primates.

Maximum 8 persons each day trek a gorilla family. This prevents crowds from disturbing gorillas.

Tour guides often bring machetes to remove overgrown bushes throughout the trip, so when you need to use the restroom, dig a 30cm-deep hole away from your group and cover it up to prevent sickening the gorillas.

You must observe these gorilla rules:

Keep your voice down and utilize low tones to communicate.
Avoid sudden noise by turning off or flight modeling your phone.
Never smoke among gorillas. Health is affected.
Try not to touch gorillas, especially when they approach.

Additionally, eating and drinking are prohibited. Only 300 meters from the gorillas or guide-designated locations may be done.
Do not flee when a gorilla approaches; gently wait for it to pass and lower yourself in submission.
Please avoid quick motions like waving your hands.
Tourists are warned not to gaze at gorillas in their eyes since it is a challenge.
Turn off the flash while shooting shots.
To minimize mountain gorilla illnesses, the national park must eliminate trash and other unauthorized items.
All hike groups must stay 7 meters from gorillas.
Uganda gorilla trekking safari packing
The following should be packed for a Rwanda gorilla trekking adventure.

Natural-colored jungle garments. Avoid blue, which attracts tsetse flies, black, which absorbs heat quickly, and army camouflage on a gorilla safari. Remember to bring undershirts and two sets of clothing.
Trousers and long-sleeved shirts are recommended for Uganda summer gorilla safaris since they keep you warm and prevent scratches and mosquito bites.
A cozy sweater and waterproof rain jacket for any time of rain, even in the dry season.
Hiking in the forest with garden gloves prevents scrapes, blisters, and tree splinters.
Take sturdy, ankle-length hiking boots for the gorilla safari. You’ll be traveling across new terrain, so bring something blister-proof. Running shoes would struggle in the park, particularly in the wet.
Although Uganda provides bottled water, you must have a 1-litre refillable for the walk. Avoid filling the water with hazardous tap water.
A fully stocked first aid package is essential for a summer gorilla expedition. Keep prescription medication, particularly painkillers, on hand.
A camera and gear. Photos of mountain gorillas are required on a gorilla safari, so bring your camera, spare lenses, batteries, lens cleaning, and tripod.
To see hidden or distant gorillas, carry your binoculars since sharing may lead you to miss the greatest images. You may also see vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and birds in the park using binoculars.
Both rainy and dry seasons need adjustable gaiters to protect legs from water, dirt, dust, and mosquitoes.
Items to bring: toiletries, food, sun hat, sunscreen, bug repellant, waterproof bag, and walking stick.

What does the summer vacation gorilla trek safari include?
All of our summer vacation gorilla safaris include transportation from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park, gorilla permits, lunches, and lodging. We obtain the permit and arrange all the elements of a good gorilla trek safari for you. They must pay individually and in advance for any services other than the gorilla permit.

Cost of gorilla trek safari
Due to the huge number of visitors in summer, Ugandan service providers raise prices on everything, making it difficult to estimate the cost of a gorilla safari. The cost of a summer vacation gorilla safari to Uganda depends on transportation, party size, lodging, and travel season.

Large groups are cheaper to travel with since they share hotel and transportation expenses. The safari cost depends on the kind of lodging you choose: budget, mid-range, or luxury. 4×4 safari vehicles are often used for gorilla safaris and may be shared to save expenses.

Ugandan gorilla trekking accommodations
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Kisoro town in Mgahinga National Park requires accommodation near to your areas. The list below includes economical, mid-range, and luxury accommodations.

Bwindi lodges include Bwindi View Bandas, Buhoma Community Bandas, Buhoma Haven Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, Cuckooland Camp, Trekkers Traven Cottages, Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla safari Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Silverback Lodge, crested Crane Hotel, Lake Mutanda Resort, and

Mgahinga: Virunga Hotel, Travelers Rest Lodge, Mgahinga community camp, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Landmark Tours and Travel, Bugondo Guest House, and Nkuringo safari lodge.

We can help you arrange your summer vacation.