Best Time for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda | Month by Month Guide

Best Time for gorilla trekking in Uganda  : Gorilla trekking is one of the major safari activities to do in Uganda, gorilla trekking is adventurous safari activity offering visitors an opportunity to meet mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda is offered in two different destinations that is Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga Gorilla national park.

Bwindi impenetrable national park

Bwindi Impenetrable national park is the most popular safari destination in Ugandalocated in South Western Uganda on the edge of the rift valley, the park is a home to world’s biggest population of mountain gorillas recorded to over 400 individuals which is close to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.

In Bwindi impenetrable national park, gorilla trekking is done in different areas of the forests (gorilla trekking sectors) that is Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Ruhija sector and Rushaga sector.

Bwindi impenetrable national park hosts over 21 gorilla families which are habituated, these include Mubare, Habinyaja, Rushegura, Katwe, Muyambi, Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguliro, Mukiza, Nkuringo, Bushaho, Nshongi, Bikingi, Mishaya, Kahungye, Bweza, Busingye, Kutu, Mucunguzi and Rwigi.

Mgahinga Gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is the second destination to do gorilla trekking in Uganda, the park is the smallest national park in Uganda located in South western Uganda and is found in the Great Virunga Conservation Area together with other 2 gorilla destinations that is Virunga national park in Democratic republic of Congo and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

Mgahinga gorilla national park has one habituated gorilla family that is Nyakagezi gorilla family with 9 members including 1 silverback “Mark” who is the leader of the group.

The Best Time To Go Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

The best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda depends on the weather conditions and climate, Uganda experiences two dry wet months in a year however gorilla trekking can be done any months of the year depending on the client’s choice.

The best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda is in the drier months of June to September and December to February when the environment is favorable, this period also coincides with the peak season of tourism in Uganda. The bad side of going gorilla trekking during the dry season / peak season is that the competition for accommodation is quite high due to huge population of visitors visiting the gorilla destinations for gorilla trekking.

Gorilla trekking can also be done in the wet season that is from March to May and October to November, in this period the parks are less crowded and accommodation facilities are at a lower cost due to the few visitors. The low season / wet season is the best time to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking for budget visitors.

Gorilla trekking is one of the highly recommended activities in Uganda as it is the best gorilla trekking destination in the world, Uganda hosts over half of the world’s highest concentration of the mountain gorillas living in the dense tropical forests of Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park which are all found in South western Uganda, other populations of mountain gorillas are found in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gorilla trekking experience offers a life time experience with unforgettable memories when you encounter the endangered mountain gorillas in their nature habitat. The most and essential part about mountain gorilla trekking experience is knowing the best time to trek the gorillas regardless of the destination either Uganda, Rwanda or DR.Congo.

Note: all of these 3 countries (Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo) offer mountain gorilla trekking throughout the year.

Knowing the appropriate time and the season to go gorilla trekking would be of an advantage since it may help you cut the costs of the safari, for example during the higher and lower seasons where by some discount is offered to travelers during the lower seasons.

Uganda as a country has a more conducive climate due to its location along the equator and surrounded by the great water bodies like the Might River Nile and Lake Victoria among others. Uganda also experiences 2 seasons that is the dry and the wet season in a year, the rainy season start from March to May and from October to November.

During the day, temperatures seem to rise in Uganda from 21.5c to 71 degrees Fahrenheit and they drop at night to 54 degrees Fahrenheit, these results to variation in altitude. The rainfall received in Uganda ranges from 1000 – 2000 mm and it is received throughout the year which causes changes in the climate and weather in the country, this makes it difficult to predict the best times of the year to carry out the gorilla trekking exercise in Uganda.

Although Uganda can be visited throughout the year, the most appropriate time to visit mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga Gorilla national park is from June, July, August and September. It is also possible to do gorilla trekking from January and February which still offer great gorilla safari experience and other safari experiences in Uganda’s national parks such as wildlife safaris.

Note:

• Bwindi impenetrable national park is a tropical rain forest and rainfall can be received at any time of the day, this makes it difficult to trek in trek in the forest trails since it becomes slippery and makes it difficult to trek in search for the gorillas.
• Put in mind that mountain gorillas move a lot from one place to another, so looking for the gorillas becomes difficult.
• Because of the rain, visitors are advised to carry warm jackets and strong hiking boots and many more just to keep you warm in case of the chances in weather during the trekking.