Gorilla tracking – a typical day: what to expect

I shall never forget my first encounter with gorillas. Sound preceded sight. Odor preceded sound in the form of an overwhelming, musky-barnyard, humanlike scent. The air was suddenly rent by a high-pitched series of screams followed by the rhythmic rondo of sharp pok-pok chestbeats from a great silverbacked male obscured behind what seemed an impenetrable wall of vegetation.

Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist (1983) describing her 1963 trip to Kabara. (The screams and chest-beating were of alarm, not ferocity.)

Part of the excitement of tracking the gorillas is wondering exactly where you will find them! As their name suggests, Mountain gorillas live at high altitude. The dense jungle, altitude and muddy terrain can be tiring and some visitors may find the tracking very challenging. Keep your own pace and drink plenty of water. Avoid getting dehydrated.

After early breakfast, your lodge should provide you with a packed lunch and plenty of drinking water. (Check that the packed lunch has been organised when you retire to bed the night before you track). Even if the weather looks fine before you embark on your hike, the higher you get, the more it rains (so don’t forget your rain gear!)

The once in a lifetime gorilla tracking experience starts with an early morning briefing, around 7.30 to 8 AM depending where you are tracking. You will be reminded of the Gorilla Trekking Rules, in place to protect the gorillas and their precious habitat. One of the main rules is that if you are feeling ill, you are obliged to advise the authorities. They will decide whether you are healthy enough to trek. Remember that the health of the critically endangered gorillas is more important than your holiday: a cold or the flu can be fatal to a gorilla.

After your briefing, you will have the opportunity to hire a porter for the day. Highly recommended!

Although one family is sometimes found very near to the start of the gorilla tracking in Uganda, generally you will walk for an hour or more before you find the gorillas. The countryside is incredibly beautiful. For me, the trek is a wonderful part of the whole experience.

Radio contact between the wildlife rangers and information from the previous day’s gorilla sightings make it possible for the rangers to guide you to the right place to find the gorillas.

As you come within range, the rangers will ask you to leave your bags and non-essentials so you can approach the gorillas more closely, cameras at the ready. Take time to simply enjoy the presence of these amazing animals. Do come out from behind the camera lens occasionally.

Immediately I was struck by the physical magnificence of the huge jet-black bodies blended against the green palette wash of the thick forest foliage.

Dian Fossey, Gorillas in the Mist

You will spend an hour with the gorillas, during which time they may be munching on bamboo, hanging from the trees above your head, grooming each other, suckling their babies, playing, sleeping, farting or even having sex! You just never know what to expect.

One of the most important Gorilla Trekking Rules is to keep a distance of seven metres from the gorillas. There’s no guarantee that the gorillas will stick to this however! You will often move around the forest while you are with them. If they approach you, the rangers will ask you to step back. Equally if they walk into the forest, you may be allowed to follow them a little way. Sometimes you will see the gorillas in a light clearing. At other times they will be in dark forest. You need to bear this in mind if you’re planning to take a lot of photos. Bring fast film, if you’re shooting film. Regardless of what type of camera you have, you must always make sure the flash is switched off.

The route back to the park headquarters is often shorter, although some tracks may involve you climbing back uphill in places.

Back at base in Uganda, you will be given your gorilla trekking certificate. Bragging rights, yeah!

(Rwanda used to issue paper certificates too and may offer some similar recognition again in the future. In 2018, RDB were giving trackers beautiful presentation boxes of tea or coffee – Rwandese of course).

The UWA and RDB conservation ranger guides are very knowledgeable and will take good care of you while you are in the forest. These ranger guys (and occasionally girls) will help you negotiate sometimes steep and often muddy ground too. Whether you have questions about the gorillas, or about the wildlife, birds and plants of the forest, feel free to ask. The guides know each gorilla family intimately and can tell you the names and habits of each family member. There is so much to learn about these fascinating and humble primates.

Tips for the rangers are discretionary but very much appreciated. Estimate $15-20 per tracker/ranger. Tips should be in small US dollar bills (dated post-2006) or local currency (Uganda shillings or Rwandese francs, depending on which country you are trekking in).

What to expect on your gorilla tracking adventure. How your day starts in Uganda

Gorilla tracking registration and briefing take place at the Uganda Wildlife Authority park offices from 7.45 am and tracking usually starts at 8.30 am. It is here that you will be given the name of the specific gorilla family you are tracking. Some gorilla families are easier to track than others; it all depends at what altitude they range, or what distance they cover during the day. It normally takes 1 to 3 hours tracking time (each way) to find your gorilla family. If you’re fit, pushing through the dense jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, with a ranger hacking through the occasional branch with his machete in front of you, can be quite an adventure! I LOVE IT!

What to expect on your gorilla tracking adventure. How your day starts in Rwanda

Tea and coffee are provided from around 7.00 am for gorilla tracking visitors assembled in Kinigi, where entertainment was once provided by the traditional Intore dancers from SACOLA (Sabyinyo Community Livelihoods Association). In 2018, entertainment was provided by a large TV screen showing happy trackers. (Bring back the dancers, I say!)

In Rwanda, your gorilla family will be assigned to you at the early morning briefing. The fitter (and more willing!) you are, the more likely you are to be allocated a gorilla family that involves a longer trek. The rangers assess you according to your health, general fitness, age and interests.

You can opt for a short hike (of between 30 minutes to an hour), a medium one (from one hour to three hours) or a longer hike to the large Susa group, which may take the whole day.

Gorilla tracking in Rwanda generally starts with a 45 minute walk up gently sloping farmland. The backdrop of the volcanoes is spectacular and the air is pure. As you approach the park entrance, the ground becomes steeper and thick with bamboo.

Depending on the group you are with, your total tracking time will take 30 minutes to four hours (in either direction). Generally, gorilla tracking is less strenuous in Rwanda than in Uganda.

For gorilla tracking stories and Uganda and Rwanda travel advice, click on the hyperlinks in the
 Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Looking for more info? Check out my Travel Directory or Contact the Muzungu.

Back to Introduction

    <|Where to stay in Rwanda*Gorilla tracking rules|>

Answers to commonly asked questions.

Am I guaranteed to see the gorillas?

• Purchasing a gorilla tracking permit is not a guarantee of seeing the gorillas but you will have an over 95% chance of seeing them, thanks to the rangers’ 24 hour monitoring. The habituated gorilla families do occasionally move out of range, but this is very rare.

Can I change the date of my gorilla tracking permit?

• Permits are non-refundable except for medical reasons, in which case you would need to provide a medical certificate.

When is best time of year to track the mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda?

• Personally, I wouldn’t let the weather forecast decide when the best time is to see the gorillas since it rains most days in the rainforest. The rain may not be heavy, but there will certainly be low-lying mist and wet vegetation. Of course, some treks and trails are muddier than others!
• Predicting the rainy seasons is not an exact science these days but broadly speaking, the rainy seasons are March and April and October and November.
• Uganda and Rwanda enjoy round temperatures of between 21°C and 30°C throughout the year. In the higher altitudes of the mountain gorillas’ habitat, it can be as cold as 10°C.
• Rwanda’s annual Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremony in the first week of September is a fascinating time to visit Volcanoes National Park. It is a celebration of Rwanda’s progress in gorilla conservation, and the challenges these great apes continues to face. This superb event is by invitation only – but, if you’re touring the country, you’re invited! (There is no charge, but your tour operator will need to secure your invitation in advance).

How many days should I book for my gorilla tracking tour?

• You will need to set aside at least three days to see the gorillas in Uganda. Allow one day for travel to your accommodation, one day for the gorilla tracking itself and a third day for travel back or onwards, wherever you opt for. (It is possible to reduce a gorilla tracking tour to two days in Rwanda, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Some crazy people even fly in and out in one day, but don’t do it!)

Can I choose the time of day that I track the gorillas?

• You will need to be up very early on the day of the gorilla tracking and the day will be physically demanding, so you will need to arrive at your lodge by 6 or 7 PM on the day before you track. Note that it gets dark early on the Equator, and we only advise travelling in daylight hours, owing to the long distance and remoteness of your destination. Have an early night in preparedness for the next day.
• In the evening after your tracking, kick back, relax and relive your adventure in one of the lodges near the gorilla tracking areas before travelling the next day, or even the day after.

Should I hire a porter to track the gorillas?

• Hiring a porter means you can pack all your camera equipment, rain gear, snacks and plenty of water without worrying about how you will manage to drag it up a muddy slope through bushy undergrowth!
• In areas where the majority of people are subsistence farmers, portering jobs are invaluable. The day fees for a porter bring in cash – a rare commodity in this remote corner of Africa. By employing someone on a gorilla trekking tour, even for a day, you are reminding people of the personal value to be gained from protecting the mountain gorillas and their habitat. These employment opportunities help reduce encroachment into the protected areas – to set snares or collect timber – where the mountain gorillas live. Employ a porter and you’re not just helping yourself, you are supporting the local community and thus the gorillas themselves.
• The cost to hire a porter is $10-15 (plus discretionary $5 tip). Tips should be in small US dollar bills (dated post-2006) or local currency (Uganda shillings or Rwandese francs, depending on which country you are trekking in).
• TIP: although the rangers will accompany you all the way back to the park headquarters, occasionally the porters leave your group before you reach there, so make sure you have the right money for tips with you, just in case they depart early.

For gorilla tracking stories and Uganda and Rwanda travel advice, click on the hyperlinks in the
 Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Looking for more info? Check out my Travel Directory or Contact the Muzungu.

Back to Introduction

    <|Buy gorilla permits*Where to stay in Uganda|>

What is the Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking?

The Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking (or Trekking) is designed to help you choose where to go mountain gorilla tracking, where to stay, what to pack, and explain how your tracking supports the Mountain Gorillas and the local (human!) population. I also share some ideas on other activities you can do in Uganda or Rwanda, as part of your gorilla tracking tour.

All information contained in this guide is based on my personal experience: tracking the gorillas, working with guides and conservationists, researching guidebooks and 15 years supporting conservation and tourism in Uganda and Rwanda. I can’t guarantee that every fact here is 100% accurate (but I’ve tried my very best!) Before confirming any travel plans, I’d always recommend contacting the Muzungu or one of the organisations listed in my Travel Directory. All feedback, suggestions (and corrections?) are gratefully received.

New for 2024: The East Africa Travel Podcast is inspired by my life on the edge of Kibale Forest: the pant hoots of chimpanzees, cicadas and the calls of tropical birds are the backdrop to life at Sunbird Hill. Great apes feature large in the podcast: fascinating conversations with Ian Redmond OBE, famous for his work with Dian Fossey and Sir David Attenborough; exciting firsthand accounts of gorilla tracking with the Nnaabagereka of Buganda in Bwindi; expert travel writer Philip Briggs’ comparison of gorilla and chimp tracking. (He first tracked gorillas in Uganda 30 years ago when a permit cost just one US dollar!)

According to the results of the latest census (finalised in 2022), there are just over 1,000 Mountain Gorillas living in the mountains that straddle Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (the DRC, formerly known as Zaire). A must for every eco-tourist’s travel bucket list, tracking the Mountain Gorillas truly is a unique wildlife experience. Every encounter with the gorillas is different.

No one who looks into a gorilla’s eyes — intelligent, gentle, vulnerable — can remain unchanged, for the gap between ape and human vanishes; we know that the gorilla still lives within us. Do gorillas also recognize this ancient connection?

George B. Schaller, “Gentle Gorillas, Turbulent Times,” National Geographic

There was very little activity when I first tracked the gorillas in Buhoma sector of Bwindi, Uganda. The highlight of the tracking was watching a baby gorilla hanging from one arm in the moss-covered trees above us, eyeballing us. The climb through a tea plantation and mist-covered slopes of the jungle-like forest were a magical part of the whole experience too.

My next gorilla tracking experience, in Rwanda, was altogether different: there was so much going on, the hour with the gorillas passed by very quickly. We watched twin baby gorillas playing with their mother. Huge adults sat munching in the bamboo above our heads. At one point, the whole gorilla family decided to walk through our nervous giggling group and we edged back in to the bush, as they brushed right past us. We even watched the Silverback having sex! (All of this action was accompanied by loud gorilla farts).

Gorilla tracking is not a cheap experience. However, receipts from gorilla permit sales have made a huge and sustainable impact on the ability of these beautiful creatures to survive. This guide focuses on gorilla tracking in Uganda and Rwanda but gorilla tracking in the DR Congo is sometimes available too. This is great news for us travellers – local people and the gorillas too. Tourist dollars contribute to conservation AND development.

Gorillas remain under constant watch, 365 days of the year. Their security and health are constantly monitored. The gorilla population numbers in Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo have increased from near-extinction levels of 254 individuals in the 1980s to a still ‘endangered’ level of 1000+ in 2023. By going to track the Mountain Gorillas, you are contributing to their survival – as long as you follow the Gorilla Tracking Rules listed in this Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking.

For gorilla tracking stories and Uganda and Rwanda travel advice, click on the hyperlinks in the
 Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking. 
Looking for more info? Check out my Travel Directory or Contact the Muzungu.

What do Mountain Gorillas look like? Are they dangerous? |>

Can I fly to see the Mountain Gorillas? How long is the journey by road from Kampala (in Uganda) or Kigali (in Rwanda) to the gorillas’ habitat?

The main roads to the gorilla tracking regions of Uganda and Rwanda are generally good but travel is much slower than on European or American roads, for example. Secondary roads are often slow and bumpy, especially approaching Uganda’s gorilla parks. Be prepared for long car journeys often taking most of the day. Four-wheel drive vehicles are required for certain routes in the rainy season when heavy rains can cause floods and even damage roads. I’ve travelled to every corner of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga and Volcanoes National Park by every possible means: private car, bus, public transport, boda boda (motorbike taxi) and 12-seater plane. However you travel, enjoy the journey! The scenery is fabulous.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – home to the world’s biggest population of mountain gorillas – is 8+ hours’ drive from Kampala or Entebbe. If you’ve never visited this part of the world before, you’ll find the drive is a fantastic opportunity to watch everyday African life as you drive through the small trading centres. En route through the gloriously green Pearl of Africa you will cross the Equator (and the obligatory stop for photos!)

If you have time to spare, you can easily make a detour for a Safari in Lake Mburo National Park or Queen Elizabeth National Park.

If you prefer to fly, a round trip air ticket from Entebbe Airport or Kajansi Airstrip to the Bwindi area costs approximately $400. This one and a half hour flight in a small aircraft is out of this world! You pass over islands on Lake Victoria, swampy marshlands, villages and the mist-covered valleys of south-western Uganda. Seeing the cloud-covered peaks of the volcanoes appear on the horizon is an unforgettable sight. The airstrips of Kisoro or Kihihi are 30 minutes / one hour from most gorilla tracking lodges.

If you’re pushed for time – or you don’t fancy a long road drive – the best option is a flight to Kigali and the short drive to Volcanoes National Park, home of Rwanda’s gorillas. The drive takes just two hours from Rwanda’s capital city Kigali on very good roads. En route you will quickly understand why it is called ‘the Land of 1000 Hills’!

It’s also possible to fly to Kigali and drive across the border to see Uganda’s gorillas. (Both options take considerably less time than driving from Kampala).

For gorilla tracking stories and Uganda and Rwanda travel advice, click on the hyperlinks in the
 Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Trekking. Looking for more info? Check out my Travel Directory or Contact the Muzungu.

Back to Introduction

   <|Gorilla tracking rules*Gorilla packing list|>

Uganda or Rwanda: how do you decide where to go mountain gorilla tracking?

Mountain gorilla tracking is a professionally organised and well-developed ecotourism experience. It is the number one tourist attraction in both Uganda and Rwanda. Wherever you stay, there is a good range of accommodation options available to you. Gorilla tracking in the DRC offers fewer tracking and accommodation options and is not always available. However, where the DRC is unique is in having both mountain and lowlands gorillas! If you’re interested in gorilla tracking in the DR Congo, do drop me an email.

Ranger guides are professionally trained, will look after you well and are full of useful information. They know the gorilla populations intimately. Ranger guides speak good English. In Rwanda, many guides also speak French (in addition to Kinyarwanda of course!)

The advantages of tracking the gorillas in Uganda

I simply love the drive to see the gorillas in Uganda, even from Kampala, even though it takes a whole day. Whether you are tracking the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhija or Rushaga) or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the last two hours of scenery is particularly divine.

Gorilla tracking permits are cheaper in Uganda and, in my view, Uganda also has lots more to see and do before / after your gorilla tracking adventure. Uganda and Rwanda are right next door to each other however, so you could track the gorillas in Rwanda and then drive to Uganda for the rest of your East African holiday, or vice versa.

Gorilla tracking permits in Rwanda are roughly double what they cost in Uganda, making the country unaffordable to most people. Interestingly, the popularity of gorilla tracking in the DRC is on the increase and is dirt cheap by comparison. Check out my gorilla permit comparison table

The advantages of tracking the gorillas in Rwanda

Rwanda’s boast is that you can fly in and do the gorilla tracking in one (rather hectic) day and fly back home the same night. I wouldn’t recommend that though.

The short drive from Kigali International Airport to the start of the gorilla tracking in Rwanda is only two hours but the drive is not as scenic (breath-taking!) as Uganda. However, the roads are better, so gorilla tracking in Rwanda includes a more comfortable drive. Although the gorilla tracking permits cost more in Rwanda, you may save money by doing a shorter trip. By comparison, in Uganda you have to stay a minimum of two nights, thus pushing the overall price up.

Which is the best: tracking the gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda?

The Muzungu highly recommends gorilla tracking in both Uganda and Rwanda. Both experiences are fantastic.

I loved hacking through the rainforest in Bwindi and I loved the bamboo forest of Rwanda. I know people who have tracked the mountain gorillas dozens of times. They continue to go back because every experience is so different. Likewise with tourists and travellers, some decide that if they are travelling all the way to East Africa, then why not track both Uganda’s mountain gorillas and Rwanda’s gorillas too?

For gorilla trekking stories and Uganda and Rwanda travel advice, click on the hyperlinks in the
 Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Still got a question? Contact the Muzungu.

Gorilla Conservation Org.s18Contact the Muzungu