Uganda is the bigger, wilder half of the gorilla story. Bwindi holds roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, and beyond the forest the country gives you chimpanzees, tree climbing lions, the Nile at full force, and savannah that runs to the horizon. It takes longer to cover than Rwanda, and it rewards the extra days.
Where our Uganda trips go
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The main gorilla trekking destination, in the southwest. More habituated families than any other park, which means more permits and better availability at short notice. The forest is steep and dense, and the trek can take anywhere from an hour to most of a day.
Kibale Forest. The best chimpanzee tracking in East Africa, with a habituation experience for anyone who wants a full day with them rather than an hour.
Queen Elizabeth National Park. Savannah, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel boat trip. The Ishasha sector in the south is where the tree climbing lions are.
Murchison Falls National Park. The Nile squeezes through a seven metre gap and drops into the gorge below. The launch trip to the base of the falls is the highlight, with elephant, buffalo and enormous numbers of hippo along the banks.
Lake Bunyonyi and the Rwenzoris. Bunyonyi is where people unwind after trekking. The Rwenzori Mountains are for travellers who want a serious multi-day climb.
Getting there and getting around
Most trips start at Entebbe. Bwindi is a nine to ten hour drive, usually broken with a night on the way, or about ninety minutes by scheduled flight to Kihihi or Kisoro. On a short itinerary the flight is usually worth it. Uganda also pairs naturally with Rwanda, and several of our itineraries cross the border by road.
When to go
June to September and December to February are the drier months, and the easiest for forest trekking and game drives. Uganda sits on the equator, so it stays warm all year. The wetter months bring lower rates and far fewer people in the parks.
Both put you in front of habituated mountain gorillas. Uganda permits cost less and Bwindi holds more gorilla families, but the drive from the airport is long. Rwanda is quicker to reach from Kigali and better suited to a short trip. We run both and will tell you honestly which suits your dates and budget.
Around nine to ten hours by road, usually broken with a night on the way. There are also scheduled flights to Kihihi and Kisoro that cut it to about an hour and a half, which is worth considering on a shorter itinerary.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, the launch trip below Murchison Falls, and the tree climbing lions of the Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Most of our Uganda itineraries combine two or three of these with the gorillas.
June to September and December to February are the drier months and the easiest for forest trekking and game drives. Uganda sits on the equator so it is warm all year, and the wetter months bring lower rates and thinner crowds.
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