Bwindi Gorilla Habituation Experience

Trekking, walking, and hiking through the forest to find semi-habituated mountain gorillas that leave together in a particular gorilla family group but are not accustomed to human presence is known as the “Gorilla Habituation Experience.”

Once you locate them, you will engage in activities designed to help these mountain gorillas become accustomed to human presence. In contrast to the one-hour meeting during regular gorilla tracking, Gorilla Habituation allows you to spend a significant amount of time with the mountain gorillas—four hours. Because it allows you to understand more about mountain gorillas, this experience is unique. Four tourists follow a particular troop of semi-habituated gorillas.

Where is Habituation of Gorillas carried out?

Only in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is gorilla habitat established. It is carried out in Rushaga and Nkuringo, which are in Bwindi’s southern sections. Ruhija, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Nkuringo are the four main gorilla monitoring sectors in Bwindi; only Rushaga and Nkuringo are used for gorilla habituation experiences. Only two of the twelve gorilla families in Bwindi that are accustomed to regular tracking are available for gorilla habitat experiences.

The distinction between tracking and gorilla habitat

Both gorilla habitat and gorilla tracking/trekking are conducted in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park; the main distinction is that gorilla tracking involves a one-hour encounter with the mountain gorillas, whereas gorilla habitat involves a four-hour encounter. Groups of four people see the mountain gorillas on Gorilla Habituation, and groups of eight people undertake gorilla tracking. While a gorilla tracking permit costs USD 800 for foreign nonresidents, USD 700 for foreign residents, and 300,000 Uganda shillings per person per trek, a gorilla habituation permit costs USD 1500 for foreign nonresidents, USD 1000 for residents, and 750,000 Uganda Shillings for East African citizens.

When is the ideal time to visit Uganda for gorilla habitat?

The best time to go gorilla habitat in Uganda is between June and October and December and March. This is a dry season with moderate rainfall, which makes it easy to trek through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Additionally, the vegetation is not yet fully grown during this time, making it easy to see the mountain gorillas and providing excellent photo opportunities.

The other months of April, May, and November are typically wet seasons, which causes the vegetation to grow high and makes sightings difficult. However, because food is easily accessible and mountain gorillas don’t travel great distances in search of it, these treks are typically shorter. Because the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda is an extremely well-organized excursion that offers a 99% probability of seeing the mountain gorillas, it can be done all year round.

How to reserve a Ugandan Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari

To confirm your reservation for the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Forest National Park, you must obtain your gorilla habituation permit in advance. Please send us an email here as soon as your travel dates are confirmed. We will use this information to check the Uganda Wildlife Authority online for gorilla habitat permits.

If permits are available for your dates, we will notify you so that we can send you an invoice to pay for the permits. Your reservation for the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Forest National Park will be confirmed as soon as the payment is completed and credited to our account. We will then promptly purchase your permits and email you a scanned copy for your records and review.

Because there are only four people per group and only two groups available, gorilla habituation permits are limited to eight per day and are sold out on a first-come, first-served basis, it is recommended that you book your gorilla habituation experience in Uganda at least two to three months before your trip.

How much does it cost to experience gorilla habitat in Uganda?

You can spend four hours in Bwindi Forest National Park interacting with mountain gorillas by purchasing a gorilla habituation permit, which costs USD 1500 for foreign nonresidents, USD 1000 for foreign residents, and USD 70 (750,000 Uganda Shilling) for East African citizens per trek. In addition to other services like transportation, lodging, and guiding, the price of the gorilla habitat permit is significantly higher than that of any other gorilla habitat safari in Uganda.

For a successful gorilla trekking safari, you will also need to pay for additional services like transportation, lodging, and guiding in addition to the gorilla habituation permit. The cost of our three-day gorilla habitat trip is USD 2400 for single travelers and USD 2000 for two individuals sharing. Get in touch with us here, and we’ll make the appropriate reservations.

Accommodations for your Bwindi Gorilla Habituation Experience

It is advised to remain in the southern section of Bwindi Forest National Park, where the Gorilla Habituation Experience is conducted. In the southern region of Bwindi Forest National Park, lodging options vary from Gorilla Heights Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Clouds Gorilla Lodge, and Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge are luxury options that cost between $250 and $700 per person per night. Budget options include Rusgaha Gorilla Havens Lodge, Karungi Camp, and Nshogi Camp, among others, which cost between USD 90 and $100 per person per night. Mid-range options include Rushaga Gorilla Camp and Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, among others, which cost between $150 and $200 per person per night.

The Best Way to Visit Bwindi Forest National Park to See Gorilla Habituation

By Road: The primary safari route from Entebbe/Kampala, which is about an 8–9-hour drive away, leads to the southern portion of Bwindi Forest National Park. On the Kabale-Kisoro road, you must turn off at Muko. You will see the Uganda Wildlife Authority signage, which you must follow to reach your reserved lodging in the Rushaga or Nkuringo sectors.

By Air: To reach the southern sectors of Rushaga and Nkuringo, take a plane from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala’s Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip. Domestic airline carriers Aero Link and Fly Uganda offer both scheduled and chartered flights. A transfer from the airport to the park will need to be arranged with your tour operator.

Why Reserve Your Gorilla Habituation Experience with Monumental Expeditions and Safaris?

With the highest commitment to our customers’ safety and enjoyment, Monumental Expeditions and Safaris offers eco-friendly safaris and individualized service. In addition to having a good influence on the communities and wild areas that our operations reach, we are dedicated to the health and welfare of our employees and visitors.

We adhere to the environmental philosophy “Take Nothing but Photographs, Leave Only Footprints” on all of our activities and safaris to guarantee that the ecosystem is preserved. We can arrange your Gorilla Habituation safari in Uganda if you get in touch with us here.