Our 3 days gorilla habituation safari in Uganda takes you to the great Bwindi Impenetrable National park in southwestern Uganda for a memorable encounter with mountain gorillas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was the first national park to begin organizing mountain gorilla trekking in 1991. The park has highest population of mountain gorillas in Africa. It is the only park where tourists can take part in the gorilla habituation experience. About 18 gorilla groups have now been habituated and open to standard gorilla tracking.
What is gorilla habituation experience? The gorilla habituation experience allows tourists to take part in the process of habituating gorillas. Gorilla habituation refers to the process of making the primates used human presence. A suitable gorilla group is identified for study by a group of researchers, conservationists and local trackers. Once the researchers learn their feeding and nesting timetable, they come up with strategies to gain their trust. The process takes about 3 years and by that time, the primates would be able to tolerate humans in their midst. Researchers used to do everything behind the scenes but the Uganda Wildlife Authority begun allowing tourists to see what goes on in 2014.
The gorilla habituation experience is different from standard gorilla trekking because it lasts longer. Tourists have 4 hours of interacting with the primates which is different from standard gorilla trekking where visitors have only one hour with the primates. The gorilla habituation experience begins earlier than usual because the plan is to follow the primates throughout the day. During the gorilla habituation experience, visitors join a team of primatologists and trackers to make a routine visit of the identified wild gorilla family. Visitors have 4 hours to observe the gorilla group, get to know the different individuals and take photos/videos.
There are two gorilla families open for the habituation experience in Bwindi. They include the Bikyingi and Bushaho group. Bwindi has over 50 gorilla groups which are not yet habituated. This means that there will always be a group open to visitors interested in the gorilla habituation experience. The experience is not available in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo because they have very few wild groups (if any) remaining. The gorilla habituation experience is organized in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi and only 4 visitors are allowed to follow each gorilla group in a day. The gorilla habituation experience costs $1500 per person. This tour starts from Entebbe in Uganda but can also begin from Kigali in Rwanda.
Tour Summary
Day 1: Travel to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 2: Gorilla Habituation Experience
Day 3: Travel back to Entebbe, Kampala or Kigali Rwanda for departure
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up at the airport or hotel – Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Our safari Guide/Driver will meet you at the airport or hotel for pick up. You will be briefed on the details about the safari before embarking on a 480 kilometer journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. While traveling, you will make stopovers to spot some road side attractions like equator crossing point and Igongo Cultural Centre just to mention a few. The Western park of Uganda has beautiful landscape, national parks and forests. All these features can be spotted on your way to Bwindi. Lunch will be at the Igongo Cultural Centre in Mbarara before proceeding to Bwindi. Expect to reach Bwindi late in the afternoon.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge or Lake Mulehe Lodge.
Day 2: Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi
You will rise up very early, have a cup of tea and wait for the driver to take you to Rushaga sector head offices. At the head offices, you will undergo a briefing about the rules for gorilla tracking and then be 
handed over to a team of researchers/Park Rangers who will lead you to the dense forests of Bwindi. The activity is similar to normal gorilla trekking in Bwindi but you will be with a team of experts. The interaction may be a bit different and you might be required to keep a longer distance to the primates because they are not yet certified as suitable for closer encounters. The Researchers and Park Rangers may get closer to the primates before allowing you to get nearer. You will observe the gorillas for 4 hours. This would be enough time to take all the photos and videos you want. Expect to come out of the forest late in the afternoon very tired but happy to have learnt a lot about mountain gorillas and what is being done to protect them in Africa.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge or Lake Mulehe Lodge.
Day 3: Travel back to Kampala, Entebbe or Kigali in Rwanda for departure
Wake up at your own time but taking into consideration if you have a flight or program later in the Afternoon. The driver will start the long journey to Entebbe in case you are departing through Uganda or Kigali in Rwanda. There will be stops along the way for lunch and photography. The Driver will drop you at a hotel in one of the mentioned cities or straight at the airport in case you have a departure flight.
End of Safari
Tour Inclusions and Exclusions
The cost of the 3 days gorilla habituation safari will include: –
- Accommodation for 2 nights
- Gorilla habituation permits
- Ground transportation with fuel
- A Full-time English speaking Driver/Guide
- Meals, lunch and water throughout the safari
The cost of the 3 days gorilla habituation experience in Uganda excludes Airfares, Visa fees, personal insurance, lodge/hotel fees, wines, souvenirs, laundry and tips to service staff.
Accommodation
Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge: Lake Mulehe is one of the best mid-range lodges in Bwindi. It has a very scenic and serene environment with very comfortable rooms. The rooms have been tailored for single, group and family travelers. It has an excellent restaurant and bar but guests can choose to be served form their own rooms.
Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge: Ichumbi is strategically located close to the area where the gorilla habituation experience starts. The lodge offers quality luxury services in a calm and relaxing atmosphere. The rooms are very comfortable and each is self-contained (fitted with a shower, a modern bathroom and a flush toilet among other things). Each room has a balcony where guests can sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of Bwindi Impenetrable forest. The restaurant serves dishes from across the globe accompanied with fresh fruits obtained within the area.
Additional Information
The gorilla Habituation experience requires participants to be fit enough to walk for long distances. It is more demanding physically than the usual gorilla trekking experience. Other than the time taken finding the gorillas and getting back to camp, the experience also involves four hours of monitoring the primates. The four hours may require following them for long hours as they stop and move looking for food. Participants need to be prepared mentally and physically for a grueling day. However, the reward is spending more time with mountain gorillas and learning almost all there is to know about the primates from the best.
Travelers can choose to arrive from either Uganda or Rwanda. The Uganda route involves landing in Entebbe International Airport before being driven to Bwindi impenetrable national park in a journey that takes 8 hours. The Rwanda route involves arriving through Kigali international airport and then being driven across the Ugandan border to Bwindi impenetrable national park. This route is shorter and takes only 4 hours by road. One can also arrive from Entebbe in Uganda and depart from Kigali in Rwanda.
Apart from the gorilla habituation experience, Uganda has a lot more to offer from her 10 national parks and over 13 game reserves. One can combine the gorilla habituation experience with golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park and a safari to spot the big five in Queen Elizabeth or Murchison Falls national park. There are also amazing interesting experiences like visiting the Batwa pygmies. Other activities include whitewater rafting in Jinja, lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park and sport fishing.
For the most comfortable experience, one should consider arriving with key items in the gorilla tracking packing list. They include a camera, insect repellents, a yellow fever card, hiking boots, a weather jacket, gloves, a cap and clothes that cover the while body.
Rules for gorilla habituation experience
- Only a maximum of four people may take part in the gorilla habituation experience.
- A 7-meter distance gap must be maintained between a participant and the nearest gorilla during the 4 hours of observation.
- All participants should keep their voices low while hiking in the forest and once they meet the primates.
- A traveler is not allowed to take part in the gorilla habituation experience if he/she has any contagious or airborne disease like flue, cold or bacterial/viral infection that can be transferred through contact/air.
- Unnecessary movements while observing gorillas is not allowed. Do not eat food or drink anything while with the primates. You don’t want them to get it from you. You also don’t want to litter the park or leave behind residues with human viruses.
- As tempting as it is, do not touch a gorilla or one of the young. This will only attract the attention of the silverback who will be watching every movement. This rule is very important especially during the gorilla habituation experience where you will be interacting with a semi-wild gorilla group. Never take photos using flash cameras to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
