Best places to go for gorilla trekking in 2026

Uganda is one of the most exciting safari destinations in Africa, known for its incredible primates, especially the mountain gorillas & the Chimpanzees. When planning an African Safari tour, Uganda is surely one of the best destinations to include in your bucket list – especially for those in love with scenic beauty and primates. For those planning to visit Uganda in 2026 or 2027, here are some of the best places to go for gorilla trekking in 2026 and other top safari activities like Wildlife Viewing, white water rafting, chimpanzee trekking, and cultural experiences. Mountain gorilla trekking in one of the best African tropical jungles is one of the activities that you should not miss out on your 2026 bucket list. Uganda is blessed with some of the most spectacular attractions and safari destinations, each almost distinct from each other and offering unique and exciting experiences in Africa.

It is almost impossible to talk about Uganda safaris or mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda without mentioning the iconic Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the Best places to go for gorilla trekking in 2026 and Uganda safaris in General. The other popular gorilla trekking destination in the country is the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, located in the Virunga Area that stretches across Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mountain Gorilla trekking is one of the most exciting safari activities in Africa, ranked in the top 3 by most travelers, a must include when planning a Safari to Uganda and Rwanda. The activity involves delving deep in the impenetrable jungles to search for the endangered primates, guided by experienced ranger guides and trackers. Mountain gorillas are an endangered primate species with about 1,063 individuals left in the wild – more than half of which are living in the impenetrable Forest of Bwindi.

Where to go gorilla trekking in Uganda – Best places to go for gorilla trekking in 2026

Unlike all Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo that only have one National Park each that host the endangered mountain gorillas, Uganda has two (2) national parks or conservation areas; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Mgahinga Gorilla National Park all located within the south western Part of the country. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most popular gorilla trekking destination in Uganda, hosting about 20 different habituated mountain gorilla familes unlike the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park that only hosts one large mountain gorilla family.

There are about 21 total habituated gorilla families in Uganda and each day aroud, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) offers up to 152 gorilla permits to eligible visitors interests in gorilla trekking in Uganda. The cost of the gorilla permit in Uganda goes for about US$ 800 for foreign visitors, US$ 700 for foreign residents, US$ 500 for visitors coming from the rest of African and UGX 300,000 for East African Citizens. When purchasing the gorilla permit, you will book according to the destination (Bwindi or Mgahinga). For those planning to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi, it is further important to know that Bwindi has Four Sectors (Rushaga, Ruhija, Buhoma, and Nkurungo). There are gorilla permits on offer for each of these sectors every day. Let us help you book your gorilla permit today!

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is located in southwestern Uganda. The park is part of the Impenetrable Bwindi Forest. It is located along the Congo border next to Virunga National Park, on the edge of the western Rift Valley. The jungle forests cover 331 square kilometers and contain both montane and lowland forest,s and are accessible only on foot.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to almost 550 mountain gorilla,s which is almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.

About 19 gorilla families are fully habituated and can be trekked on Uganda gorilla tours. A minimum age of 15 is allowed to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi, and 8 people trek a single gorilla family.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park and home to mountain gorillas with 1 habituated gorilla family known as the Nyakagezi gorilla group.

The park is located in Southwestern Uganda. Tracking the Nyakagezi gorilla group is amazing with the fact that this group is big and social compared to many other habituated gorilla groups.

Volcanoes National Park – Best places to go for gorilla trekking in 2024

Volcanoes National Park, well known as Parc National des Volcans is located in the north-western province of Rwanda in a small town known as Musanze.

The park harbors the endangered Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda that are always available for tourists who would love to carry out Rwanda gorilla tours. Volcanoes National Park borders Congo’s Virunga National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in south-western Uganda.

Volcanoes National Park has several habituated mountain gorillas and is known to be easier to trek than the Bwindi gorilla population.

Mountain gorillas of Rwanda are known to move for shorter distances and therefore this makes them easier to trek than those of Bwindi who move for longer distances and make trekking difficult.

To see the elusive mountain gorillas in these natural habitats, tourists have to go gorilla trekking/walking or hiking in the dense tropical rainforests.