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Guides from our Kampala team

Plan your Uganda trip

Gorilla permits, Bwindi’s sectors, getting there, how long to go for and when: answered by the people who run the trips.

Planning guides

Quick answers

Straight answers to what travellers ask us once they have chosen Uganda.

  1. Which Bwindi sector should I choose?
  2. How do gorilla permits work?
  3. How do I get to Bwindi?
  4. How many days do I need?
  5. Can children or older travellers trek?

All articles

7 articles

  • Three ways to reach BwindiSchematic map, not to scale. The road from Kampala runs south-west through Masaka and Mbarara to Bwindi, 8 to 9 hours. Light aircraft fly from Entebbe to Kihihi airstrip north of the forest or Kisoro to the south, about two hours plus a road transfer. From Kigali in Rwanda, the road crosses the border near Kabale, roughly 4 to 5 hours.Lake VictoriaRwandaBwindiKampalaEntebbeMasakaLake MburoMbararaKabaleKihihi airstripKisoro airstripKigaliRoad from Kampala: 8-9 hoursFlight from Entebbe: about 2 hoursRoad from Kigali: roughly 4-5 hoursSchematic, not to scale

    Trip planningPlanning guide

    Entebbe to Bwindi: Drive, Fly or Come In Through Kigali

    Bwindi is a long way from Entebbe. The three realistic ways to get there, how long each takes, and which one suits your trip.

    5 min read
  • One possible gorilla trekAn illustrative profile of a trek. It starts at the trailhead after the ranger briefing, where porters and walking sticks are available, then climbs and drops over steep ground to wherever the gorilla family is that day. You spend one hour with the gorillas, then walk back. The whole trek takes two to eight hours. The minimum age is 15.ONE POSSIBLE TREKTrailhead briefingPorters and sticks here1 hourThe family, whereverthey are that day2 to 8 hours15+minimum age

    Families & fitnessPlanning guide

    Gorilla Trekking With Children, Older Travellers and Bad Knees

    The minimum age is 15 and it is enforced. What families with younger children can do instead, and how older or less mobile travellers can still reach the gorillas.

    5 min read
  • What fits into three, seven and ten daysBwindi Gorilla Trekking Safari, 3 days: Kampala to Bwindi (Rushaga); Gorilla Trekking, Rushaga Sector; Bwindi to Entebbe. Mgahinga Gorillas & Golden Monkeys, 3 days: Kampala to Kisoro (Mgahinga); Gorilla Trekking, Nyakagezi Group; Golden Monkey Tracking & Return. Primates & Big Game Safari, 7 days: Kampala to Kibale; Chimp Tracking at Kanyanchu & Bigodi; Kibale to Queen Elizabeth & Kazinga Cruise; Kasenyi Game Drive & Crater Drive; Ishasha to Bwindi; Gorilla Trekking, Rushaga Sector; Bwindi to Entebbe. Uganda Wildlife Highlights, 10 days: Entebbe to Murchison via Ziwa; Buligi Game Drive & Nile Launch; Murchison to Kibale; Chimp Tracking at Kanyanchu & Bigodi; Kibale to Queen Elizabeth & Kazinga Cruise; Kasenyi Game Drive & Crater Drive; Ishasha to Bwindi; Gorilla Trekking, Rushaga Sector; Bwindi to Lake Mburo; Lake Mburo to Entebbe.Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Safari3 days123Mgahinga Gorillas & Golden Monkeys3 days123Primates & Big Game Safari7 days1234567Uganda Wildlife Highlights10 days12345678910Gorilla dayChimps, monkeys, game drivesTravel day

    Trip planningPlanning guide

    How Many Days Do You Need for Gorillas in Uganda?

    Three days is the minimum by road. What each extra day buys you, what does not fit into a short trip, and the itineraries we build at three, seven and ten days.

    5 min read
  • What a gorilla permit coversA permit is for one person, one date and one sector. Each gorilla family receives at most eight visitors a day, for one hour, and the minimum age is 15.GORILLA TRACKING PERMITWHOOne personWHENOne dateWHEREOne sector8visitors per familyeach day1 hrwith the gorillas15+minimum age

    Gorilla trekkingPlanning guide

    How Uganda Gorilla Permits Work, Step by Step

    Who issues gorilla permits, how far ahead to book, what happens if you are ill or your dates change, and how the Habituation Experience differs from a standard trek.

    5 min read
  • Bwindi’s four gorilla trekking sectorsSchematic map, not to scale. Buhoma is on the north edge of the forest near Kihihi airstrip, Ruhija on the east, Rushaga on the south and Nkuringo on the south-west. Kisoro airstrip and Mgahinga lie to the south, Lake Bunyonyi to the east of Rushaga, and Kigali to the south-east across the Rwandan border.DR CongoRwandaBwindiImpenetrable ForestBuhomaRuhijaRushagaNkuringoKihihi airstripKisoroMgahingaLake BunyonyiQueen ElizabethKampalaKigaliSchematic, not to scale

    Gorilla trekkingPlanning guide

    Rushaga, Buhoma, Ruhija or Nkuringo: Choosing Your Bwindi Sector

    Your gorilla permit names one of Bwindi’s four sectors, and that one word decides where you sleep, how far you drive and what the walk is like. How to choose.

    6 min read

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