Fly-in Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour- 4 Days

Day 1: Start Fly-in Uganda Gorilla Trek Safari with Flight From Entebbe to Bwindi

Depending on the flight availability at the time of your booking, your departure time to Bwindi can be 07.00 am, 10:15 Am, or 12:00 pm (check-in 2 hours before your flight departs).

It is advisable that you spend the night before this day in or near Entebbe so that you won't have to panic about catching your flight to Bwindi. Most hotels in Entebbe offer complimentary shuttles to Entebbe Airport. If you can't get this, we are happy to arrange the transfer for you.

By the time you get to Entebbe Airport, our team should have already got in contact with you to give you the e-tickets for your flight as well as the gorilla permits (in case they might not have been sent to the park office in Bwindi already).

At Entebbe Airport, the terminal staff will be requiring you to present your passport to check in for your flight to Bwindi. Aerolink staff shall also be waiting to receive and show you to the aircraft.

Your flight to Kisoro/Bwindi is about 1 hour and goes mostly at lower altitudes so you can have fabulous views of the remote villages of Uganda, rivers, and mountains.

When you arrive and disembark at Kihihi/Kisoro airstrip, you will be picked up by our representative who will be transferring you to your lodge for the night. The drive from either airstrip should normally be 1 hour through great sceneries.

If you have more time during the day, guided walking tours can be arranged. You could go for the Batwa pygmies community walk in Bwindi, or just a guided Bwindi community walk. Also, if you happen to arrive in the morning, guided walks in the Bwindi National Park forest are possible.

Our proposed accommodation options for the flying in to gorillas trek safari in Bwindi:

Up-market: Mahogany Springs Lodge | Buhoma Lodge | Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge Bwindi

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge| Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge | Mutanda Lake Resort  

Low Budget: Gorilla Haven Lodge Rushaga  |  Gorilla Conservation Camp

Meals included today: Lunch and dinner only.

Meal plan: Lunch and dinner

See other Accommodation & Lodging options in or near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 2: Your first Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi

Early this morning (at about 7 am), your driver will be meeting you at your Bwindi lodge/ camp to ensure you are all well prepared for your first gorilla tracking exercise. This is normally after you have had your breakfast. You are then driven to the park office for the pre-gorilla trekking briefing. Here, more information about the conservation and ecology of mountain gorillas is shared and short video clips about the gorilla might also be played. Sometimes, a piece of local cultural music and dance performance from the communities is performed by the local women's group.

You will then be allocated to the gorilla group. The group comprises not more than 8 persons and visits one gorilla group/ gorilla family. Each group is allocated a team of ranger escorts and assisting trackers. We recommend that you consider hiring a porter to assist you to carry your backpack as these can be so tiring as you trek through the jungles of the thick forest undergrowth. The cost of hiring a porter for the gorilla trek is USD15 but you could give more if you prefer. For most gorilla families, there should be a 20-30-minute drive to the trailhead for the gorilla trek but for some, it is just a walk away from the park office.

The gorilla trekking shall mostly be going through thick forest undergrowth with paths being made that day using machetes. The trekking can be physically challenging but there are several breaks along the way to allow you to catch your breath, and also for the rangers to give more information about the forest and the other wildlife species you shall be meeting as you hike to the gorillas in Bwindi.

We could as well take 2-4 hours to reach the location of the gorillas. When you finally encounter the mountain gorillas, you are allowed 1 hour with them. These gorillas, giant as they look have been habituated to human presence. So they will still be wild in a way but won't be running to hide from you or trying to attack you when you visit them. As you go about enjoying the mountain gorillas the rangers shall be giving you more information about them. They shall also be making clear of the shrubs and bushes so that you have better views and angles for taking photographs.

After your one hour with the gorillas, you will be setting off for your descent back. Along the way, the rangers will find a comfortable place in the jungle for you to enjoy your boxed lunch.

The rest of the day can be spent relaxing at your accommodation or taking more guided walks in the communities near Bwindi.

Proposed accommodation options in Bwindi:

Up-market: Mahogany Springs Lodge | Buhoma Lodge | Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge Bwindi

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge| Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge | Mutanda Lake Resort  

Low Budget: Gorilla Haven Lodge Rushaga  |  Gorilla Conservation Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, boxed lunch, and dinner

See other Accommodation & Lodging options in or near to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 3: Second Gorilla Trek in Bwindi

Today we shall be enjoying the second gorilla trek in Bwindi. Tracking mountain gorillas multiple times has several benefits that could be underestimated if one only focuses on the cost of the second gorilla tracking permit. First, you have a chance to view a totally different gorilla family behaving uniquely different from the first one. Just like humans, mountain gorillas' families have different behaviors, more so when visitors are around. Also, the composition of every gorilla family is very different from the other with some having as many as 30 gorillas while others only have 5 mountain gorillas. Bwindi being a tropical rainforest,  the chances of having it rain on your gorilla trek day are very high. If on the first day you have it rain on you when you are viewing the gorillas in Bwindi, having a second gorilla trek helps remedy your experience so that you can have better photos as well.

Our team will ensure that you are allocated a different gorilla family on your second gorilla trek, it could be located in the same sector of Bwindi but will definitely have a different composition from the gorillas you would have seen on the first trekking experience.

Proposed Bwindi gorilla trek tour accommodation options in Bwindi:

Up-market: Mahogany Springs Lodge | Buhoma Lodge | Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge Bwindi

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge| Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge | Mutanda Lake Resort  

Low Budget: Gorilla Haven Lodge Rushaga  |  Gorilla Conservation Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, boxed lunch, and dinner

Day 4: Fly from Bwindi-Kihihi/Kisoro-Entebbe

After your memorable experience collections, the 4 days Uganda fly-in gorilla trek tour comes to an end sadly! Depending on the departure flight you are booked on,  our representative will take care of your transfer to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip at the most appropriate time.

Please let us know if you wish us to include one (or more) nights in Kampala /Entebbe or arrange your transport to and from Entebbe Airport with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris.

Meal plan: Breakfast only.

Morning flight options from Bwindi to Entebbe:

Departure time from Kihihi: 09.45 AM

Departure time from Kisoro: 09.10 AM

Arrival time in Entebbe: 11.25 AM

Afternoon flight options from Bwindi to Entebbe

Departure time from Kihihi: 14.05 PM or 15.05 PM

Arrival time in Entebbe: 15.55 PM or 16.15 PM

* Timings may vary depending on aircraft routing.

Buhoma Lodge

Buhoma Lodge is situated in Uganda in the idyllic Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, well known for being home to the rare and elusive mountain gorilla. From the private veranda of each cottage guests can enjoy views overlooking the forest whilst relaxing and taking in the stunning natural surrounds. Buhoma is an ideal accommodation for guests interested in gorilla trekking, being closely located to the meeting point for the treks.

There are ten comfortable cottages at Buhoma Lodge, each complete with a private veranda offering superb views of the forest. Cottages are traditionally decorated with wooden furnishings, but each is comfortable and spacious. Each cottage has en-suite facilities, and some provide bathtubs.

Meals are taken in the main, elevated lounge area, and are prepared using local ingredients to create an international cuisine. Located in the lounge, the bar is the perfect place to relax after the day's activities or enjoy a drink around the fireplace.

Mahogany Springs

Mahogany Springs offers privacy and serenity blended with optimal comfort in a spectacular setting.

At Mahogany Springs it is the little touches that make the big difference, from the tiny details in the design of the lodge through to the unrivalled service levels provided by the highly trained staff.

Spend the day tracking for Gorillas through the forest, sitting on the terrace of your room or even down by the Munyanga River listening to the flowing waters as time slowly passes by.

The Rooms

All the rooms at Mahogany Springs are suites. The Superior Suites can be Twin, Double or Triple. These suites are spacious with large double doors and

beautiful windows. Each suite has its own private exquisitely designed terrace with panoramic views of the surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest area.

All suites have large en-suite bathrooms with a gorgeously designed open terracotta shower. For added comfort and peace of mind all the suites have an advanced mosquito net system that wraps around the entire area of the beds.

There are power points in the living room and bedrooms as well as 2 desks/dressing tables.

Included in the 4 Days Uganda Fly-in gorilla trekking tour/safari

• 2 gorilla tracking permits per person
• All airport and airstrips transfers  
• Flight to and from Kihihi/Kisoro Airstrip  
• All accommodations while on tour  
• Meals as specified in the itinerary

Excluded

• International flight (can be arranged if required)
• Visa and personal insurance
• Drinks, tips and gratuities
• Personal expenses (laundry, souvenirs, etc.)
• Any item or activity not mentioned in the tour package