Trekking

4 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

DURATION

4 Days / 3 Nights

DESTINATION

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

PERMIT

Uganda gorilla permit required

DIFFICULTY

Moderate to Challenging

STARTING & ENDING POINT

Entebbe

Trip tools

Read this trip in your language and choose kilometres or miles. Your choice applies to the altitude chart, weather and every day below.

Altitude & distance

Distances and altitudes are approximate. Your final itinerary confirms each day’s route.

Typical weather · Volcanoes & Bwindi forests

Jan · Mostly dry

Forest, daytime

23°C

Lodge nights

11°C

Short dry season; easier trails.

Long-term averages for planning, not a forecast.

Health & safety tips

You cannot trek with a cold, flu or other infection — gorillas catch human illnesses. Tell the rangers if you feel unwell.
A face mask is usually required within seven metres of the gorillas; carry your own.
Trails are steep, muddy and at 2,000–3,000 m: wear broken-in boots, gardening gloves and long sleeves, and consider a porter.
Carry a yellow fever certificate and ask a travel clinic about malaria prevention before you go.
Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.

General preparation guidance, not medical advice. See a travel-health professional 6–8 weeks before you travel.

Trip overview

Track a habituated mountain gorilla family through the ancient rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Every departure is private, with a professional guide and your gorilla trekking permit arranged in advance.

Trip highlights

One hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family

Trek through Bwindi’s ancient rainforest

Optional Batwa cultural walk

Extendable to Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives

Small trekking groups, limited daily permits

Professional, experienced local guides

Day by day

Met on arrival at Entebbe and driven south-west towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a long day’s drive broken with stops, or by a shorter domestic flight if you prefer. Many departures overnight partway, near Queen Elizabeth National Park, to split the journey.

Hiking time: Road transfer, approximately 8–9 hoursMeals: Lunch & DinnerOvernight: Lodge en route or near Bwindi

Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, checking in to your lodge on the forest edge in time for an afternoon at leisure and a briefing ahead of tomorrow’s trek.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerOvernight: Lodge near Bwindi

An early briefing at park headquarters before setting out with trackers and rangers into Bwindi’s dense, steep rainforest to find a habituated gorilla family. The walk itself is the least predictable part of the day — anywhere from under an hour to a full day’s hike — but once the family is found you spend one hour in their company before returning to the lodge.

Hiking time: 1–8 hours, depending on the familyMeals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerOvernight: Lodge near Bwindi

After breakfast, begin the transfer back towards Entebbe, with a stop en route as time allows. Arrive in time for your onward flight, marking the end of your Uganda gorilla trekking trip with Blue Monkey Expeditions.

Hiking time: Road transfer, approximately 8–9 hoursMeals: Breakfast & LunchOvernight: —

What’s included

Gorilla trekking permit

Professional guide

Ground transport in Uganda

Accommodation as specified

Meals as listed in the itinerary

Drinking water while trekking

Park entry fees

Not included

International flights

Uganda visa

Travel insurance

Porter fee at the trailhead (optional, paid locally)

Tips for guides and porters

Personal expenses

Any service not specifically mentioned under inclusions

Why Blue Monkey Expeditions

Guides experienced with Bwindi’s steep, densely forested terrain

Permits arranged and confirmed before you travel

Safety-conscious trekking with a guide-led pace throughout

Local knowledge of which sector and trail suits each traveller

Personalized planning around your wider Uganda or East Africa trip

Responsible trekking that supports park and community conservation programmes

Good to know

FITNESS

Able to walk 5–7 hours a day on consecutive days. No technical climbing.

GROUP SIZE

Private departure, 1–7 guests per vehicle

VEHICLE

4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, charging sockets and cooler box

GUIDE

Wilderness-first-aid certified mountain guide, plus cook and porters

BEST MONTHS

January–March and June–October

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

From $180 per trip, waived on request where the lodge allows

Frequently asked questions

Pricing depends on your dates, group size and lodge level, including the Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit fee. Tell us your travel dates and we’ll send a costed quote.

You need to be able to walk for up to a full day over steep, often muddy rainforest terrain. There is no technical climbing, but Bwindi’s trails are genuinely demanding.

Rangers keep a minimum distance of around seven metres for the safety of both gorillas and visitors, though the gorillas themselves sometimes move closer.

Yes, the minimum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15, with no exceptions.

Trekking runs year-round. The two dry seasons, June to September and December to February, have easier underfoot conditions.

Yes. Entebbe connects easily with Arusha and Kilimanjaro International Airport, and we regularly combine this trip with a Tanzania safari or Kilimanjaro climb.

Booking & payment

30% deposit

A 30% deposit confirms your dates, lodges and park permits. Everything up to that point is free, including unlimited itinerary revisions.

Balance 30 days before

The balance is due 30 days before arrival by bank transfer or card. Some itineraries can be settled in cash on arrival in Arusha.

Free changes

Dates and lodges can be changed at no cost until 45 days before departure, subject to availability at the new dates.

Cancellation

Cancel more than 60 days out and you lose only unrecoverable permit costs. Inside 30 days the deposit is retained. We recommend travel insurance in all cases.

Gallery

4 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking — photo 1