DESTINATION GUIDE // UGANDA
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Almost half the world remaining mountain gorillas live in this forest. Tracking them is the single most requested experience in East Africa.
331 km2
FOREST AREA
~460
MOUNTAIN GORILLAS
1994
UNESCO SITE
$800
GORILLA PERMIT
25,000 yrs
FOREST AGE
Quick answer: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest covers 331 square kilometres in southwestern Uganda and holds roughly 460 mountain gorillas, close to half the global population. Gorilla tracking permits cost around 800 US dollars per person and must be booked months in advance.
OVERVIEW AND LOCATION
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest At A Glance
Bwindi is ancient, dense and steep. The forest has stood for around 25,000 years and the terrain is genuinely demanding: tracking can involve several hours of climbing through thick vegetation at altitude. What you get in return is an hour with a habituated gorilla family at close range, which almost everyone describes afterwards as the highlight of their trip.
| Detail | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Location | Southwestern Uganda, on the edge of the Albertine Rift |
| Nearest town | Kabale, with sectors at Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo |
| Size | 331 km2 |
| Established | 1991, UNESCO World Heritage Site 1994 |
| Permit cost | Around 800 US dollars per person per trek |
| Fitness | Moderate to high, treks last 2 to 8 hours |
WILDLIFE AND ACTIVITIES
What You Will See and Do
Gorilla Tracking
One hour with a habituated family after a trek of anywhere from two to eight hours. Permits are limited daily and sell out months ahead.
Gorilla Habituation
In the Rushaga sector, a longer four hour experience with a family still being habituated, limited to a handful of visitors per day.
Albertine Rift Endemics
Over 350 bird species including 23 Albertine Rift endemics, making Bwindi one of the top birding forests on the continent.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
When To Go
| Months | What to expect | Crowds |
|---|---|---|
| Jun to Aug | Driest, firmest trails, peak permit demand | High |
| Dec to Feb | Second dry season, good trekking conditions | High |
| Mar to May | Long rains, very muddy, permits easier to get | Low |
| Sep to Nov | Short rains, green, fewer trekkers | Medium |
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