What are the best gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda?

Uganda's top gorilla trekking destinations are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, both in southwestern Uganda. Bwindi alone is home to over half the world's mountain gorilla population and offers separate trekking sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.

When is the best time to visit Uganda for a safari?

The best times to visit Uganda are during the dry seasons: June to September and December to February. These months offer easier trekking conditions in Bwindi, better wildlife viewing in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Park, and the most reliable park access.

How do I get gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?

Gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest cost USD 800 per person per trek. Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and must be booked in advance, especially for June to September when demand peaks. Orika Africa handles permit booking as part of every Uganda safari package.

What wildlife can I see in Uganda besides mountain gorillas?

Uganda is home to an exceptional diversity of birds and primates, including chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park's Ishasha sector, hippos and crocodiles along the 40km Kazinga Channel, and the Big Five across Murchison Falls National Park.

Uganda
The Pearl of Africa

Bwindi's ancient mist forests. Kibale's wild chimpanzees. Murchison Falls thundering over the Nile. Uganda is the most wildlife-dense country in Africa, and almost nobody talks about it.

The Wild That Most Travellers Miss

Uganda Wildlife Safari

Uganda is East Africa's most biodiverse safari destination, protected by the Uganda Wildlife Authority across 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves, and 13 wildlife sanctuaries. The country holds more than half the world's remaining mountain gorillas, sheltered in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on the edge of the Albertine Rift — a population shared with neighbouring Rwanda. Kibale Forest harbours one of Africa's densest chimpanzee populations, with an exceptionally high sighting success rate. In the north, the Nile forces through a gorge at Murchison Falls before widening into one of Africa's great wildlife rivers. Queen Elizabeth National Park straddles the equator, its Ishasha sector home to lions that climb fig trees. Plan your visit with our gorilla trekking timing guide. Uganda's bird list is among the richest in Africa.

More than half the world's surviving mountain gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, across habituated families, with groups open for daily trekking across separate sectors

Kibale Forest holds one of Africa's densest chimpanzee populations across multiple communities, several habituated for trekking. The Kanyanchu programme has run since 1993 with an exceptionally high sighting rate

Queen Elizabeth's Ishasha sector is one of very few places where lions habitually climb trees, resting in fig trees above the Uganda kob-filled plains below

Murchison Falls squeezes the entire Victoria Nile through an 8-metre gorge before plunging 45 metres into the Devil's Cauldron. The river below supports great herds of Uganda kob and buffalo, and some of Africa's densest hippo populations

Kidepo Valley in Uganda's remote northeast is consistently rated one of Africa's finest parks, sheltering lions, cheetahs, and vast herds in a landscape very few visitors ever reach

Uganda's birdlife is among the richest in Africa. Explore the full range on our Uganda safari packages, including dedicated birding expeditions through the Albertine Rift

UNESCO Sites

National Parks

5★

Rated

6 to 13

Days Ideal

Mountain gorilla mother and baby in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda

Chimpanzee in Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda

The Forests & Plains We'll Take You Into

Uganda's Parks & Wild Reserves

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Mountain Gorillas · UNESCO World Heritage

Uganda shelters more than half the world's mountain gorillas, across this ancient forest that has stood for over 25,000 years. Habituated families allow daily trekking across separate sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. Cultural encounters with the Batwa, the forest's original inhabitants, add a rare human dimension.

Kibale Forest National Park

Chimpanzees · Primates · Forest Birds

East Africa's primate capital holds one of the continent's densest chimpanzee populations across multiple communities, several habituated for trekking. The Kanyanchu programme has run since 1993 with an exceptionally high sighting rate. A wealth of primate species share the forest alongside a rich bird list, including Albertine Rift endemics found nowhere else in East Africa.

Murchison Falls NP

Victoria Nile · Big Five · Shoebill

Uganda's largest park at 3,840 km² spans the northern Albertine Rift, where the entire Victoria Nile is forced through an 8-metre gorge before plunging 45 metres. A Nile boat cruise reveals great herds of Uganda kob, buffalo, and elephants, with giraffes exclusive to the northern plains. The Albert Delta is one of the most reliable shoebill sighting spots on the continent.

Queen Elizabeth NP

Tree-Climbing Lions · Kazinga Channel

Uganda's most biodiverse park spans 1,978 km² across the equator. The Ishasha sector in the south is famous for lions that rest in fig trees above Uganda kob-filled plains, one of very few places on earth where this behaviour occurs. The 40km Kazinga Channel connecting Lake Edward and Lake George draws extraordinary concentrations of hippo, Nile crocodile, elephant, and buffalo. An exceptional diversity of birds has been recorded across the park.

Kidepo Valley NP

Remote · Untouched · Authentic

Tucked against Uganda's border with South Sudan and Ethiopia, Kidepo is consistently rated one of Africa's finest parks. Its vast semi-arid valley shelters lions, cheetahs, striped hyena, and large herds of buffalo and zebra in a landscape almost entirely free of other visitors. The Karamojong community adds a cultural dimension found nowhere else in Uganda.

Semuliki National Park

Congo Basin · Albertine Rift Endemics

Semuliki protects the only lowland Congo Basin forest in East Africa, a biogeographical outlier where Central African species reach their easternmost limit. A remarkable diversity of birds has been recorded here, including Albertine Rift endemics such as the African green broadbill, found nowhere else in East Africa. A completely different Uganda to the savanna circuit.

The Creatures You'll Track

Who Lives in Uganda's Wild

Mountain Gorillas

Uganda protects more than half the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Bwindi's habituated families allow close, unhurried one-hour encounters, with groups open for daily trekking across separate sectors of the forest.

Chimpanzees

Kibale's chimpanzees are tracked from Kanyanchu Visitor Centre with the highest sighting success rate of any chimp destination in East Africa. The Chimp Habituation Experience offers a full day with a semi-habituated group for those who want to go deeper.

Tree-Climbing Lions

In Queen Elizabeth's Ishasha sector, lions routinely climb fig trees to escape heat and insects, a behaviour recorded in very few places on earth. Finding them draped across the branches above a Uganda kob herd is one of Uganda's most singular wildlife moments.

Exceptional Birdlife

Uganda records more bird species per square kilometre than any other African country. The shoebill stork at Murchison's Albert Delta, the African green broadbill in Semuliki, and the grey crowned crane across the wetlands are standouts among them.

Read the Season Before You Book

When to Come to Uganda

Gorilla trekking is possible year-round, but dry seasons offer drier trails and better wildlife concentration. Peak season fills up fast. Permits especially.

Jan

Peak

Feb

Good

Mar

Off peak

Apr

Off peak

May

Good

Jun

Peak