Gorilla trekking Uganda from Rwanda is a tour experience which takes place across two different countries where mountain gorillas live. The gorilla trekking experience starts from different points in Rwanda and Kigali city is one of the main starting points in the country. Kigali international airport is the major point of entry into the country where tourists can take domestic and international flights during safaris.
During the gorilla trekking tour in Uganda from Rwanda, tourists can be driven from Kigali International Airport to Bwindi National Park or to Mgahinga national park which are the destinations where gorillas can be seen in Uganda.
Tours between Uganda and Rwanda for gorilla trekking starting from Kigali can also involve visiting other destinations in both countries such as Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe forest national park and Akagera national park in Rwanda as well as the different national parks of Uganda.
The drive from Kigali to Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park which are located in the south western part of Uganda takes about 4 hours and tourists can cross to Uganda using the Cyanika border or the Gatuna border.
When comparing gorilla trekking experiences between Uganda and Rwanda, some of the factors which may favor trekking in Uganda over Rwanda include that the permits in Uganda are cheaper, there are options and tourists can choose where to engage in the gorilla trek in Uganda.
Uganda also has a bigger population of mountain gorillas as compared to Rwanda which is over half the world’s population of mountain gorillas which can be seen during tours in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park.
The duration of the gorilla trekking experience in Uganda from Rwanda can be as short as 2 days tours starting and ending in Kigali. However, 3 days gorilla trekking experiences are recommended because they allow tourists to drive to the destinations for gorilla trekking and engage in the gorilla tour before driving back to Kigali.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park from Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park from Rwanda can take place across the different sectors of the national park.
Bwindi national park from Rwanda is a short driving distance as compared to driving from Entebbe. The route used to get to Bwindi from Kampala is the Kampala-Mbarara-Kabale route which is about 8 to 9 hours drive which is longer in comparison to the 4 hours drive from Kigali.
During tours to Bwindi national park, apart from driving from Rwanda or Entebbe, tourists can fly to the airstrips in the national park which include Kihihi airstrip and Kisoro airstrip from Entebbe international airport.
The gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi national park can be done across the different sectors which are in different parts of the national park. Nkuringo sector and Rushaga sector are in the southern part of Bwindi national park while Buhoma sector is in the north and Ruhija sector is in the eastern part of the park.
Briefings for gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park take place at the park headquarters around each of the sectors. Tourists are informed of what to expect during the trek and also the rules and regulations to follow during the encounter with the mountain gorillas.
After the briefing which is done by the park officials, tourists in their groups of 8 begin the search for the mountain gorillas with the park rangers who are knowledgeable about the trails in the forest and the behavior of the gorillas.
The gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi national park requires individuals to have gorilla permits which are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and these permits can be booked through licensed tour operators.
Gorilla permits for trekking in Bwindi national park cost 800 USD per person for foreign nonresidents, 700 USD for foreign residents and 300,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens. These permits are issued to individuals above the age of 15 years visiting Uganda for encounters with the gorillas in the wild.
Tourists can also engage in gorilla habituation experiences in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi national park. The habituation experience involves getting the gorillas used to the presence of humans in their natural habitat and permits for this activity cost 1500 USD for foreign nonresidents, 1000 USD for foreign residents and 750,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
Other activities to do around Bwindi national park apart from gorilla trekking and habituation include Batwa community tours, guided nature walks, hiking and also bird watching.
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Rwanda is an experience which involves encountering the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat in the forested slopes of the park.
During the gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga national park, tourists can visit the Nyakagezi gorilla family which is the only habituated group of the gorillas at the destination. The Virunga mountains found at the national park such as Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabyinyo can also be seen during the gorilla trek.
Tourists are encouraged to book their gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga National Park in advance because of the limited number of permits issued daily for the activity. The permits for the gorilla trek cost 800 USD per person and allow tourists to spend 1 hour in the presence of the gorillas in their natural habitat.
In the bamboo forests of Mgahinga national park, tourists can encounter gorillas during the gorilla trekking experience and also see other primates such as the golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys among others.
The drive from Kigali Rwanda to Mgahinga national park takes about 4 hours and tourists can use the Cyanika border to get to the park. From Entebbe international airport, tourists can fly to Kisoro airstrip to get to Mgahinga national park. The drive to Mgahinga national park from Kampala takes about 10 hours via the Kampala-Mbarara-Kabale-Kisoro route.
Other activities done around Mgahinga national park during gorilla trekking tours from Rwanda include golden monkey trekking, hiking, bird watching, community tours and also guided nature walks around the forests.
