3 Day Gorilla Trekking Safari – Bwindi
3 Day gorilla trekking safari is done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is located in Kanungu district, southwestern Uganda. In 1991, it was gazetted as a national park and opened to the general public as a tourism attraction site. Later in 1994, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of Uganda National Parks with gorillas.
The park is part of the famous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is home to 400 Mountain Gorillas, 120 mammal species, 350 bird species and contains almost 400 plant species.
Highlights of the 3 Day Gorilla Trekking Safari
- Day 1: Pick up from Kampala and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 2: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi
- Day 3: Return to Kampala
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1:Pick up from Kampala and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Transfer to Bwindi: After having your early morning breakfast, your safari guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kampala at exactly 6am. You will then set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park using the Mbarara- Masaka Highway which is a well- terrain tarmacked road.
- The Equator Experience: You will have a stopover at the renowned equator stop in Kayabwe, Mpigi district. Here you will take pictures at the equator monuments. These two equator monuments mark the point where the equator runs through Uganda.
- Cultural Experience: You will Proceed to Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch. This epic cultural center is a good stop for many travelers on route to western Uganda and it is just 12 km from Mbarara Town. Igongo Cultural Centre was opened to the general public in 2010. While here, take a short tour of the center’s museum which has a lot to tell about western cultural history. You can also visit the Nkwanzi crafts and bookshop where you can purchase a few souvenirs for yourself. After having a hearty meal, proceed to Bwindi where you will check into your accommodation, have dinner and your overnight stay.
- Accommodation: Buhoma Haven Lodge
DAY 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
- Gorilla Trekking: On this day of the 3 Day Gorilla Trekking Safari, you will have breakfast very early at your lodge as your guide will pick you up at 6am. You will embark on a short journey to the Parks headquarters in Buhoma. You are supposed to be at Buhoma at exactly 7am for a briefing by the park’s head ranger which will begin at 8am and then you will be put in groups of 8 individuals per group depending on the gorilla group you are going to track. Tracking begins at exactly 8:30 am hence endeavor to always keep time. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a total of 15 habituated gorilla groups that are tracked from four trailheads. Of these 15 habituated gorilla groups, 3 are found in Buhoma area in the northwest part of the park; while 4 gorilla groups are situated in Ruhija in the eastern part of Bwindi and 8 gorilla groups in Nkuringo and Rushaga respectively, located south of Bwindi. Each tracking group consists of strictly eight individuals with each group having a park guide and ranger. Tracking can take about 1- 6 hours depending on how easy and quickly the gorillas are spotted. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be given exactly an hour with them; hence you should maximize your time well and don’t forget to take lots of pictures without using your camera’s flash. The tracking trails can be very wet, steep and slippery thus you should wear a good pair of hiking boots.
- Community Expedition: After your tracking activity, you can proceed to have an optional hike to local communities and on this expedition, you can visit Batwa People [pygmies] communities that have lived within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for many years. Return back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
DAY 3:Return to Kampala.
- Return to Kampala: Have a relaxed breakfast and then check out of your Lodge. Proceed on your return journey back to Kampala. Take an optional half-day tour of Kampala City if you are interested. This day marks the end of your 3 day tour and your guide will either drop you off at your hotel or direct at Entebbe International Airport.
We hope that your stay in Uganda was a very pleasant one and you had at most fun during your entire trip. Don’t forget to rate us and give a review of your experience via Trip Advisor.
This tour package consists of the following costs;
- Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit
- Accommodation
- All meals as per your itinerary
- All park entrance and destination fees
- Mineral water while on safari
- Guide fees
- 4×4 wheel drive safari vehicle
- Nature walk
- Batwa community walk[optional]
- Half-day Kampala City tour[ optional]