Home to endangered Mountain Gorillas, the widest range of primates in Africa and birds galore. Enjoy big game safaris with gorilla and chimpanzee tracking.
Jan to Feb & June to Aug
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Known as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is one of the continent’s most diverse safari destinations—home to half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas and an astonishing variety of big game, landscapes and cultures.
In the south of Uganda, the focus is on trekking through misty forests in search of gorillas and chimpanzees.
However Uganda has so much more to than just gorilla trekking! In the north, you can explore vast savanna game parks where elephant, lion, giraffe and buffalo roam. Add in iconic sights like the thundering Murchison Falls or the wild water beauty of Jinja on the River Nile and Uganda offers a rare blend of adventure, authenticity and unforgettable encounters.
Of course, virtually all our Uganda Safaris include a day or two of gorilla trekking.
There can be few more moving experiences than meeting the brown-eyed gaze of the hugely endangered mountain gorilla. Gorilla tracking in Uganda can be quite challenging. You may need to trek for up to seven strenuous hours for the reward of an encounter with a 220 kg ‘silverback’ gorilla. (Though 2-4 hours is the norm.) But the anticipation is matched only by the resulting euphoria after the hour-long audience.
As well as being home to the mountain gorillas, the Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks of Uganda support a range of wildlife including chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and other primates.
A short drive away are the plains, lakes and wetlands of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. These support good numbers of elephant, giraffe, zebra, lion, hippo, and crocodiles. You can combine this with chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park.
Further north again is the safari mecca of Murchison Falls. This is Uganda’s largest national park and home to the ‘Big Five’ as well as chimpanzees. Finally you can fly into the semi-arid Kidepo Valley National Park to be rewarded with less common sightings, such as bat-eared fox and spotted hyena, as well as good general game.
We design tailor-made Uganda gorilla and safari combination itineraries to suit your interests.
Uganda boasts one of the widest ranges of bird species in Africa - over 1,000 bird species. This is more than 10% of the world’s total.
You don’t even need to be a 'twitcher' to get excited by the ease with which you can spot “big tick” species. These include the unforgettable Shoebill Stork. Semliki Wildlife Reserve has an almost 100% success rate for such birding sightings. And they can even be found within 50km of Kampala.
The source of the Nile at Jinja is one of Africa’s classic adventure hubs (with rafting, kayaking & bungee jumping).
How long do you spend with the gorillas?
Gorilla trekking is a real adventure, and the treks can be anything from a gentle 2-hour round trip to a strenuous 6-hour hike. The park guides try to match groups to troops according to fitness. But these are wild animals, so they don’t always stay in one spot. Once you reach them, you have a magical 60 minutes in their presence. This is strictly enforced. But – from personal experience – I can say it’s an incredibly intimate encounter where you may see babies tumble and play. Or catch the main silverback’s gaze as he surveys his family. When the hour is up, you return to your starting point.
Yes, you can arrange a Uganda gorilla trekking safari for as little as 3 nights, 4 would be better. Which can be easily added on to a Kenya or Tanzania safari
How fit do you need to be for Uganda gorilla trekking?
You don’t need to be super-fit as they can match your fitness levels to the location of each gorilla troop so that you may not need to hike as far. BUT the reality is that the fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the experience. As you are hiking uphill at altitude. Plus gorilla troops can move so there are no guarantees.
When is the best time to visit Uganda for gorillas and chimpanzees?
Simple answer is in the drier months of December to mid-March and June to September. See our detailed seasonal info on the best time to
Ready for your Uganda adventure? Combine gorilla trekking with a luxury Uganda safari in Murchison Falls or Queen Elizabeth National Park.
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