Uganda · National park
Bwindi Gorilla Safaris
Steep, ancient rainforest, and home to about half of the world's mountain gorillas.
Discover Bwindi
A Bwindi gorilla safari takes you into one of Africa's oldest rainforests, a steep tangle of ridges and valleys in southwest Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park covers about 321 square kilometres and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. The 2018 census counted 459 mountain gorillas here, roughly half of the world's population.
Treks start from four sectors: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south. Each sector has its own habituated families and its own lodges, so the sector on your permit decides where you stay. We book the permit and the lodge together, then plan the drive or flight around them. See gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda for how a trek day works.
- Size
- About 321 km²
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994
- Gorilla permit
- US$800 per person
- Sectors
- Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo
- Getting there
- Fly to Kihihi or Kisoro, or drive from Kigali
- Ideal stay
- 2–3 nights
What to do in Bwindi
Gorilla trekking
Groups of up to eight meet the rangers at 8:00 for a briefing, then follow trackers to a habituated family. The walk can take an hour or most of the day, and the hour with the gorillas starts once you reach them. Porters can be hired at the trailhead to carry bags and offer a hand on the slopes.
How a trek day works
The habituation experience
In the Rushaga sector, a small group can join researchers and trackers working with a family that is still getting used to people, and stay for up to four hours. It costs more than a standard permit and is limited to four visitors a day, so it needs booking well ahead.
Ask about habituation permitsForest walks and birds
Bwindi is one of the best places in East Africa for Albertine Rift endemic birds, and the forest trails around Buhoma and Ruhija lead to waterfalls and viewpoints. Community walks with local guides visit farms, schools and Batwa heritage sites on the forest edge.
Safaris visiting BwindiWildlife you may see in Bwindi
Primates
Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, L'Hoest's monkeys, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys.
Mammals
Forest elephants live in the park but are rarely seen, along with duikers and giant forest hogs.
Birds
Around 350 species, including most of the Albertine Rift endemics, such as the Rwenzori turaco and African green broadbill.
The story of Bwindi
Bwindi is one of the few forests in East Africa believed to have survived the last ice age, which helps explain its extraordinary diversity of plants, butterflies and birds. It was declared a national park in 1991 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
The forest covers steep ridges and narrow valleys between about 1,160 and 2,600 metres. Its name is often said to come from a local word for a place of darkness and mud, which suits the terrain well.
When to go
Gorillas can be tracked every day of the year. June to September and December to February are the driest months, when trails are firmer and permits sell out first. March to May and October to November bring heavier rain and muddier slopes, but also quieter lodges. At this altitude, mornings are cool whatever the season.
- JanDrier
- FebDrier
- MarWetter
- AprWetter
- MayWetter
- JunDrier
- JulDrier
- AugDrier
- SepDrier
- OctWetter
- NovWetter
- DecDrier
Drier, peak seasonWetter, green season
Where we travel in Bwindi
Featured Bwindi safaris
8-Day Uganda Luxury Gorilla & Wildlife Safari
Entebbe › Kibale › Queen Elizabeth › Bwindi › Lake Mburo › Entebbe
View itinerary
10-Day Uganda Primates & Big Game
Entebbe › Murchison Falls › Kibale › Queen Elizabeth › Bwindi › Lake Mburo › Entebbe
View itineraryLuxury lodges in Bwindi
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Stone cottages on the ridge above the Nkuringo sector, looking out to the Virunga volcanoes.
Ask about this lodgeBwindi Lodge
A Volcanoes Safaris lodge at Buhoma, its bandas facing the forest edge.
Ask about this lodgePlanning your visit
Getting there
Fly from Entebbe to Kihihi for Buhoma and Ruhija, or to Kisoro for Rushaga and Nkuringo. By road it is a full day from Entebbe, or four to five hours from Kigali to the southern sectors.
How long to stay
Two nights is the minimum for one trek without rushing. Three nights allows a second trek, the habituation experience or a forest walk.
Where to stay
Stay in the sector on your permit, because driving between sectors takes hours on mountain roads.
Combine with
Queen Elizabeth and Ishasha to the north, Lake Bunyonyi to the south, or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Questions travellers ask
How fit do you need to be for Bwindi?
Reasonably fit. Trails are steep and often muddy, and treks can last from one to six hours. Rangers try to match groups to families by fitness, walking sticks are provided, and porters can be hired at the trailhead.
Which Bwindi sector is best?
There is no best sector for the gorillas themselves. Buhoma is closest to Kihihi airstrip, Rushaga and Nkuringo suit travellers coming from Kigali or Lake Bunyonyi, and Ruhija sits high on the ridge between them. We choose the sector from permit availability and the rest of your route.
What is the minimum age for gorilla trekking?
Trekkers must be at least 15 years old. Anyone with a cold, flu or other infectious illness is not allowed to trek, because gorillas catch human diseases.
How do we get to Bwindi?
Scheduled flights from Entebbe land at Kihihi for the northern sectors and Kisoro for the southern ones. By road it is a full day from Entebbe, or about four to five hours from Kigali to the southern sectors.
Can we do two gorilla treks in Bwindi?
Yes. Two permits on consecutive days, ideally in the same sector, visit two different families. A third night makes it comfortable.
More of Uganda
Murchison Falls
Uganda's largest park, where the Victoria Nile drops through a seven-metre gorge. Giraffe, elephant and lion on the north bank.
Discover Murchison Falls
Kibale Forest
Evergreen forest near Fort Portal with 13 primate species and Uganda's most reliable chimpanzee tracking.
Discover Kibale ForestQueen Elizabeth
Savannah, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel between lakes George and Edward. Tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector.
Discover Queen Elizabeth
Something made for you
Any trip can be lengthened, upgraded or combined across both countries. Send your dates and the number of travellers, and you'll get a costed plan within a day.