3 Days 2 Nights Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience

You will be picked up very early in the morning by our guide driver and embark on your 588.3km journey to south western Uganda.  After Hitting 5-7 hours on the road, you will have a stopover in Mbarara or Fort portal town for lunch, refreshment, and stretching for the next part of your journey. At around 15:00pm you will get back on the road passing through villages and towns viewing scenic landscapes while enjoying beautiful vegetation and vibrant cultures.

Later in the evening, you will arrive in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and to your designated hotel and check in. You will freshen up, have your dinner, relax and rest, as you prepare for the gorilla trekking experience the next day.

You will wake up at around 6:00 hours in the morning to a fresh, warm and sumptuous breakfast and prepare all your necessities for the trekking expedition. You shall then head straight to Bwindi impenetrable forest Visitor center for briefing. Please expect to be facilitated with important information about gorilla behavior, safety guidelines and expectations during the trek. During the briefing, the Batwa people take time to entertain you through folk cultural and local songs that shall teach you about the Batwa culture and the Mountain Gorillas.

You will then be grouped according to the gorilla family to be followed that day, provided with 2-Armed Uganda Wildlife rangers and one Guide and off you will go for a once in a lifetime experience to trek and interact with these majestic creatures. Please expect an adventurous hike ranging from moderate 2hour to challenging 8hour trek depending on the location of the Mountain Gorilla families on that day. Moderate fitness is required for Gorilla trekking but do not worry, TwentyEight Tours caters for bell-boys to help you carry your mini luggage through the trek and beverages to re-energize you and also to give you a push through the steep Bwindi Impenetrable Forest hills.

Through the dense foliage of Bwindi, you shall come face to face with the silverbacks and their families a unique yet remarkable sight that will create an unforgettable experience worth treasuring for a lifetime. You shall have a 1hour interaction with the gentle giants and observe in close proximity as they climb trees, feed on leaves and tree barks, how the infants groom the older silverbacks and how mothers breast feed their babies and if you a lucky you shall witness a dominant silverback chest- beating a powerful action they use to show dominance, communicate messages related to hierarchy and within their social unit.

After the trek, you will hike back to the visitor center and relax as you debrief with your guides and also receive your Gorilla Tracking Certificate. You shall return to the hotel later in the afternoon, for lunch and relaxation.

Very early in the morning, you will wake up to a sumptuous breakfast, thereafter check out of the lodge and embark on your journey back to Kampala. Please expect scenic views along the way, different stopovers for lunch and visits to local markets for souvenirs as you enjoy your way back to Kampala or to Entebbe International Airport

Gorilla trekking Recommendations

1. The age limit for obtaining a gorilla trekking permit is 15years and above so we ask that persons below that age engage in other tremendous safari options and adventures available to them. This recommendation is due to the fact that children and infants still have underdeveloped immune systems and can pick up zoonotic diseases from the primates and can as well transmit coughs and flus which are common among infants to the primates.
2. Mountain Gorillas easily catch human diseases like diarrhea, influenza, Covid, Tuberculosis, to intestinal parasitic infections so all sick people are discouraged from trekking in order to protect these endangered species.
3. Carry a facemask for your trekking expedition as it is mandatory to wear a facemask in the presence of Gorillas as they can catch some of the human diseases and humans can catch some of the zoonotic diseases from the Mountain Gorillas back to the community.
4. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a tropical rain forest so it can rain anytime, it tends to get cold and the forest floor is most times wet and slippery so we recommend wearing water proof hiking attire and comfortable sturdy hiking boots for a smoother trek. Thick hand gloves are recommended for people who easily get cold.
5. Dull colors that blend easily with the forest are highly recommended not to attract the attention of these magnificent animals and these include browns, greens khakis, and blacks among others. Wearing bright colored clothing is highly discouraged. Also, Sunglasses are highly discouraged except if they are prescription glasses necessary for the client’s visual acuity.
6. While taking photos of the Mountain Gorillas, maintain a 15 feet distance and remove all flash lights as flash photography can irritate the gentle primates to a point of charging at you.