How long should I stay in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?

We recommend staying for 2 or 3 nights in Bwindi and doing 2 gorilla treks. The success rate is high on your first trek, but the weather may not be ideal or you may want to put your camera down on your second trek and truly soak up your time with these gentle creatures.

How does gorilla trekking work?

Gorilla permits need to be secured in advance (currently $700 per person per trek – subject to change) and can quickly sell out during peak months between June and September. When you arrive to park headquarters, you will be assigned a gorilla family and although you can express preferences based on your fitness abilities, re-assignments cannot be guaranteed. You will then head out in small groups with armed rangers and the help of a hired porter. Trekking can take anywhere from one hour to most of the day, but your time with the gorillas (one hour from the time you find them) is a once in a life-time experience and worth it for active, healthy travelers.

How do I get to Bwindi?

Bwindi is accessible by road, but it is an 8 to 10 hour drive from Entebbe, so we recommend breaking up that drive with a stop at Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls and/or Queen Elizabeth National Park. If you’re on a time crunch, then it is also possible to take a small bush flight from Entebbe to a local airstrip and then about a one hour road transfer to Bwindi, depending on where you’re staying. Flights from the Maasai Mara to Buhoma and Nkuringo are offered daily to combine the two destinations.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Bespoke Uganda Safari Trips

The dense rain forest of Bwindi in southwestern Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population, including multiple groups that are habituated to humans.

This is the most popular place to go gorilla trekking in Uganda (also available in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park). Buhoma, on the northern side of Bwindi is one of the most popular places to stay. There are a wide range of accommodation options and the small town is within easy distance of the park headquarters where you depart for the gorilla trekking. You can also walk right into Buhoma village to visit a local craft shop or school. Nkuringo, on the southern side of Bwindi, offers the most luxurious accommodation option (Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge) and different gorilla families to track. You can even hike through the forest between the two areas, if you’re looking for a truly active adventure and want to track gorillas in different locations.

Layers of mist-covered forested hills stretch across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in western Uganda.

A male northern double-collared sunbird with vivid blue and red plumage perches on a branch.

A young mountain gorilla looks directly at the camera from amid the foliage of Bwindi Forest.

Why visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?

Bwindi is home to more than half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, and trekking through the dense jungle to spend an hour in their presence is one of the most profound and unforgettable wildlife experiences on the planet.

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Bwindi is home to more than half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, and trekking through the dense jungle to spend an hour in their presence is one of the most profound and unforgettable wildlife experiences on the planet.
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The ancient, mist-shrouded forest lives up to its name: a tangled, primeval landscape of towering trees, steep ridges, and rushing streams that has remained largely unchanged for over 25,000 years.
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In addition to gorilla trekking, you can enjoy various forest walks ranging from 30 minutes to 8 hours in duration, guided community/cultural walks and a visit to a Batwa educational village.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest trip itineraries

Use these itineraries as a starting point, or as inspiration to create your own journey.

A gorilla clings to tree branches in dense rainforest foliage, framed by sunlit leaves and tangled vines.

Itinerary

Family Uganda trip

Safari, whitewater adventure, chimpanzee and gorilla trekking in Uganda

Lioness peers through tall golden grass, her face framed by seed heads as the hazy savanna blurs behind her.

Itinerary

Unforgettable Kenya and Uganda tour

A gorilla trekking, Maasai Mara safari, and beach trifecta

Itinerary

Family Uganda trip

Safari, whitewater adventure, chimpanzee and gorilla trekking in Uganda

Itinerary

Unforgettable Kenya and Uganda tour

A gorilla trekking, Maasai Mara safari, and beach trifecta

Explore more itineraries

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest travel FAQs

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Other areas to explore

A visit to Bwindi puts you within easy reach of many other beautiful and fascinating parts of Africa.

Elephants graze on the misty Mara as hot air balloons drift overhead, silhouettes fading into sunrise haze.

Maasai Mara

The Maasai Mara is Kenya’s most famous nature reserve. If you are dreaming about a safari, what you are seeing in your minds-eye is the Maasai Mara. It is classic savannah – grasslands where animals are plentiful and the vistas are spectacular.

Victoria Falls

You don't just see Victoria Falls, you feel it. The roar, the spray, the hum underfoot. Extraordinary Journeys tailors your stay around your mood, contemplative or adrenaline-seeking.

Elephant swims in calm river water beside a small boat, trunk lifted above the surface in the evening light.

Chobe National Park

Botswana‘s Chobe National Park and the Savute area are renowned for great herds of elephant that come to drink and play along the sandy riverbanks of the Chobe River.

Nairobi

In Nairobi, you will find a city that is lively, cosmopolitan, and full of contrasts.

Why book with Extraordinary Journeys?

We go deep

We value depth over breadth. While we have broadened our map, our intimate expertise runs deep—from understanding each locale's hidden rhythms to cultivating relationships with exceptional guides.

Sketch of a flashlight held in a person's hand.

We keep it honest

Seasoned travelers know that places change, authentic experiences migrate. We'll listen to your hopes and passions, but push back when we know something will better resonate with you.

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We’ve got it covered

Traveling to wild places asks something of us— a quality of attention and presence. From behind-the-scenes logistics to bespoke culinary experiences, our team has thought of everything.

Sketch of a telescope pointed at the stars.

We know it’s personal

There will undoubtedly be extraordinary unscripted moments: hippos emerging at sunset, the impossible blue of Arctic ice. We know that meaningful memories often live in personalized details.

We go deep

We value depth over breadth. While we have broadened our map, our intimate expertise runs deep—from understanding each locale's hidden rhythms to cultivating relationships with exceptional guides.

We keep it honest

Seasoned travelers know that places change, authentic experiences migrate. We'll listen to your hopes and passions, but push back when we know something will better resonate with you.

We’ve got it covered

Traveling to wild places asks something of us— a quality of attention and presence. From behind-the-scenes logistics to bespoke culinary experiences, our team has thought of everything.

We know it’s personal

There will undoubtedly be extraordinary unscripted moments: hippos emerging at sunset, the impossible blue of Arctic ice. We know that meaningful memories often live in personalized details.

Learn more