Gorilla enthusiasts can do double gorilla trekking in Uganda within one safari in Bwindi impenetrable national park. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is also done in Mgahinga national park in the south western part of the country.
Tourists can visit the gorillas in Uganda on two different days and enjoy a double gorilla trekking experience during which they can interact with two gorilla families or visit two different destinations for a chance to interact with the gorillas.
Uganda is home to half of the population of mountain gorillas in Uganda and other places where the gorillas can be seen include Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Double gorilla trekking in Uganda
For the double gorilla trekking experience in Uganda, tourists will have to purchase two different gorilla permits for each gorilla trek that they go for. This experience allows tourists to observe different gorilla groups and also to spend more time with the gorillas in Uganda.
Each gorilla group has its unique behavior which makes the double gorilla trekking experience worth trying out during a safari in Uganda. It also offers a chance to explore more of a national park or to visit two different national parks in search of the gorillas.
The difference in the double gorilla trekking experience can be in the number of individual gorillas that the visitors interact and spend time with or a difference in the behavior of the gorillas which can be silverbacks, infants or adult males and females.
The gorilla family that an individual spends time with during the double gorilla trek can be determined by the level of fitness of the tourist during the distribution of the gorilla groups. Some of the gorilla groups are known to live further into the forests while others can be seen after searching the forest for a few hours.
The gorilla groups which can be visited during a double gorilla trek in Uganda include Rushegura, Oruzogo, Bitukura, Kyaguliro, Mukiza, Katwe, Habiyanja, Mubare, Nkuringo group, Mishaya, Nshongi, Kahugye, Bweza, Busingye in Bwindi national park and the Nyakagezi gorilla group which is the only group in Mgahinga national park.
During a double gorilla trekking experience in Uganda, when visiting Bwindi national park tourists can also choose to visit gorillas in 2 different sectors. The sectors of Bwindi national park where gorillas can be visited include Rushaga sector and Nkuringo sector in the southern part of Bwindi, Buhoma sector in the northern part of Bwindi and Ruhija sector in the eastern part of the park.
Because of the limited time that gorilla trekking allows tourists to spend with the gorillas, during a double gorilla trek, tourists have another opportunity to spend another 1 hour with the gorillas. The experience of a double gorilla trek is similar with engaging in a single gorilla trek and involves briefing, division into groups of 8, allocation of ranger guides and the actual trek after which certificates are handed out.
However, rules and regulations are put in place to be followed before taking part in gorilla trekking and these include that individuals below the age of 15 years are not allowed to visit the gorillas, keeping a distance of about 7 meters from the gorillas, not feeding the gorillas, avoiding noise, not littering in the forest, not using flash photography when recording the gorillas among other rules which are put in place by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
It is recommended that the gorilla permits for the double gorilla trek are booked in advance through the licensed tour operators due to the limited number of permits issued daily. Two permits will be needed for the double gorilla trek and each permit costs 700 USD.
A typical gorilla trekking experience in Uganda takes about 3 days with the first day being for driving to Bwindi national park or Mgahinga national park. The second day is spent gorilla trekking and the third day is for departure.
However, for a double gorilla trek in Uganda, after the second day, tourists have another day to engage in gorilla trekking making the days of the safari longer and the fourth day is for departure. Gorilla trekking can also be combined with a Batwa tour, hiking experience, guided nature walk or bird watching.
Gorilla habituation can also be done after the gorilla trekking experiences and in Mgahinga national park, tourists can also engage in golden monkey trekking and habituation as well as volcano hiking.
An itinerary for a safari in Uganda including double gorilla trekking can also be combined with wildlife safaris in other national parks of Uganda or crossing to Rwanda for a tour in destinations like Volcanoes national park, Nyungwe national park or Akagera national park.
Cost of double gorilla trekking in Uganda
The cost of gorilla permits for the double gorilla trekking experience in Uganda is 1400 USD and these permits are booked separately for each individual.
Other costs incurred during the double gorilla trekking experience in Uganda include accommodation costs, meal costs and transport costs.
A 4 day double gorilla trekking tour in Uganda can cost about 2,400 USD per person including the gorilla permits, accommodation, transport and guide fees .the cost of this tour can vary depending on the type of accommodation, number of people going for the safari, transport used (road or flight). The price of the gorilla safari also varies from one tour operator to another.
How to get there
The destinations for gorilla trekking in Uganda including Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park can be accessed by road and also by flight.
Driving to Bwindi national park or Mgahinga national park by road can be done from Entebbe or Kigali in Rwanda. The drive from Entebbe takes about 8 hours to Bwindi national park and the drive to Mgahinga national park takes about 9 hours.
From Kigali to Bwindi national park takes about 4 hours via the Cyanika border or the Katuna border. The drive from Kigali to Mgahinga national park takes about 4 hours.
Flying to Bwindi national park for the double gorilla trek can be via the Kihihi airstrip or Kisoro airstrip.
