
Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Mombasa Beaches Holiday- 6 Days
Adventurous and relaxing! This 6 days Kenya Uganda has the memorable gorilla trekking in Uganda's Bwindi and then after a flight to Mombasa with three days of relaxing at Mombasa beach resort to take off the tiredness of gorilla trekking. Finally, you can relax and enjoy 3 days in Mombasa with amazing landscapes. Includes gorilla trek permits in Uganda, all accommodation with meals in Bwindi, flights between Uganda and Kenya, transfers. Starting with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where we spend 3 days with on Gorilla trek and then flying to Kenya.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Mombasa Beach Holiday - 6 Days - Tour Summary
(Most Favorable start days: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday).
Day 1: Meet at Entebbe Airport (or your hotel) and transfer to Bwindi for gorilla trekking the next day.
You will be met by our guide at your hotel or airport from where we drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Arise early to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National park., overnight.
Day 3: Flight transfer Bwindi (Kihihi or Kisoro) to Entebbe and onward transfer to Mombasa
We set off from your lodge in Bwindi for Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip where we catch our flight to Entebbe and then to Mombasa in Kenya. Upon arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to the pre-booked Mombasa beach resort for relaxation and indulgence.
Day 4 & 5: Holiday on Beaches in Mombasa
Day 6 Relax in Mombasa, Departure back home.
You can spend the last hours of your journey to relax. After you will have a transfer to Mombasa airport for domestic flight back to Nairobi.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Mombasa Beaches - 6 Days
Day 1: Start your Uganda Gorilla trek tour by driving to Bwindi impenetrable N. Park (the mountain gorillas' home)
Meet and greet with our local guide in Kampala/Entebbe/Kigali at 07:00 hours before starting the gorilla trek tour on your drive heading to southwestern Uganda to the home of the mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
En route, there is a local community popular for making local drums and crafts and a fruit market. Stopover, admire and buy yourself souvenirs. Proceed to the Equator line taken as one beautiful scenery in Africa - the pathway of the sun and take photographs.
Pass by mountains, tropical rainforest and bamboo forest during the nine-hour journey.
The drive to the mountain gorilla sanctuary is over 7 hours from Entebbe or Kampala, most of the time on smooth-surfaced road with about 45 minutes of dusty murram. You could choose to fly to Bwindi if you don't feel like driving. One way flights range from 280$-360$ pp.
Uganda Gorilla Trek Accommodation options (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Springs Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge | Trackers Lodge Buhoma
Moderate: Engagi Lodge | Silverback Lodge Bwindi | Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge (Ensuite cottages)| Gorilla Mist Camp
Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge | Buhoma Community Campground
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today enjoy gorilla tracking in Bwindi.
After breakfast, proceed for the morning briefing before enjoying the highlight of the trip - gorilla trekking, which may last the entire day. We trek the gorillas through the rainforest and bamboo covered slopes, accompanied by a guide and gorilla trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. When the gorillas are sighted, visitors will be guided to within 6 metres from the gorillas, sit around them for a whole hour while gazing into their big round eyes.
Gorilla trekking is unpredictable. It's difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. The gorilla tracking excursion can take from 2 up to 8 hours. Expect to walk along distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. A good physical condition is recommended. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. A ranger will brief you on how to behave with the gorillas.
While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterfly, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 types of mammal including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L'Hoest's, red-tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.
Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.
Uganda Gorilla Trek Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Springs Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge | Trackers Lodge Buhoma
Moderate: Engagi Lodge | Silverback Lodge Bwindi | Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge (Ensuite cottages)| Gorilla Mist Camp
Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge | Buhoma Community Campground
Day 3: Flight Transfer from Bwindi to Entebbe and then to Mombasa Kenya
We set off from your lodge in Bwindi for Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip where we catch our flight to Entebbe and then to Maasai Mara in Kenya. Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to your pre-booked beach resort for relaxation.
Day 4& 5: Holiday on Beaches in Mombasa
Take a deep breath and pamper yourself with a relaxing stay at the beach: a quiet place, of crystalline turquoise water, white sand and huge seashore with only the noise of the sea and the gulls in the background. This place has become popular for its exotic beaches, diverse marine life, world-class hotels and friendly people. Nightlife is always exciting, and the City offers many dance clubs and casinos that cater to a variety of entertainment tastes.
Day 6: Relax in Mombasa, Departure back home.
You can spend the last hours of your journey to relax. After you will have a transfer to Mombasa airport for domestic flight back to Nairobi.
Some Photos from our Uganda Gorilla Trek Tour

Views of Bwindi Forest on this Uganda Gorilla Trek Tour

Uganda Gorilla Trek - Briefing before gorilla tracking in Bwindi
Tour Cost Inclusions for Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Mombasa Beaches - 6 Days
- Accommodation for the 5 nights as indicated on program
- All meals (full board in Bwindi, half board in Mombasa)
- 1 Uganda gorilla trekking permit per person
- All National Park fees
- Ground transportation using a 4WD vehicle with the services of a good English speaking tour guide
- Regional flights between Entebbe and Mombasa with accompanying ground transfers
- Additional guides where appropriate
Excluded
- International Flight tickets and departure taxes
- Travel documentation (visas)
- Travel and medical insurance
- Optional excursions
- Excess baggage charges
- Tips and gratuities for your guides and accommodation staff
- Laundry
- Beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle and at meal times with meals
- Items of a personal nature such as telephone calls, postage fees and so on
Start Planning Your Memorable Uganda Gorilla Trek Kenya Safari tours
Mombasa Beach Holidays:
Mombasa, a melting pot of languages and cultures from all sides of the Indian Ocean, waits like an exotic dessert for travellers who make it to Kenya's coastline. Having more in common with Dakar or Dar es Salaam than Nairobi, Mombasa's blend of India, Arabia and Africa can be intoxicating, and many visitors find themselves seduced by East Africa's biggest and most cosmopolitan port despite its grime and sleaze, which somehow only adds to the place's considerable charm.
There are tuk tuks on every corner of Mombasa Old Town waiting to take you to cardamom and saffron scented spice markets and stalls selling African kikoys and khangas. While the town’s the façade may be worn and crumbling, its fretted balconies, ornate doors and African, Arabian and Indian imprints only add to the character. Among north coast primeval forest filled with butterflies and monkeys lay the mysterious Gede Ruins, an intriguing abandoned Swahili town of palaces, mosques and houses. Back on the beach, where it all begins and ends, are glass-bottomed boat tours, sunset catamaran cruises and dining under the stars in open-roofed atmospheric caves. The crown jewel on Mombasa holidays remains that incredible Kenyan coastline, and in exotic hideaway hotels on stretches of white sand life slows down to a wonderfully unhurried pace.
Mombasa has a long and varied history. Due to its location on the east coast of Africa, it has accommodated varying incursions from the Portuguese, Sultans and the British no to mention the spice traders from the Indian subcontinent and modern day China. This has culminated into a melting pot of cultures and traditions which have taken root and are now visible for all to see.
Today’s Mombasa is Kenya’s second-largest city, after the capital Nairobi, with an international airport, bustling maritime economy and football team in the Kenya Premier League it is also home to world-famous Mombasa beaches such as Bamburi Beach, Nyali Beach and Diani Beach all with crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and the local heritage that keeps people coming back again and again.
THE MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREKKING EXPERIENCE
Mountain gorillas are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, for the last 14 years, no one has trekked the gorillas and failed to see them in Uganda. Certainly, you won't be the one with bad luck! On the trek, once you find the gorillas, you will be allowed an hour with the gorillas and you can only go not more than 6 meters from them. As the gorilla tracking can sometimes take a full day, you will need to go with your packed lunch and lots of drinking water when trekking to the gorillas.
Gorilla trekking timings and conditions vary tremendously as the gorillas move continuously through the rain forest. It is good to be prepared and remember the weather can change with very little warning. The terrain is often steep and through areas where there are no marked paths.
TIPS FOR THE BEST GORILLA TREKKING EXPERIENCE IN UGANDA
Secure Gorilla Trekking permits early
Gorilla Trekking is the most popular foreign tourist activity for Uganda. On every single day, only 128 tourists can trek the gorillas in Bwindi. Uganda has the cheapest gorilla permits prices at USD600 (or USD700 beginning July 2020) for safe gorilla tracking as Rwanda's gorilla permits cost USD1500. This means the competition is quite high for the few gorilla permits in Uganda and it becomes hard to secure gorilla trekking permits a few days to your Uganda gorilla tour (although it is often possible with luck more so in the green season months of October, November, April and May). It is best to have your gorilla trek permit fully confirmed at least 4 months in advance.
Assess your fitness levels
There is a likelihood you could walk for 3-6 hours on a gorilla trek. Gorillas are located deep in Bwindi forest with thick undergrowth over several steep volcanic slopes. Gorilla groups keep roaming this forest looking for their favorite food. They are never stationed in the same place over days. Your gorilla trek will follow this same trend and it is quite unpredictable knowing how long or tough your gorilla trekking shall be. The longer trek is not necessarily a problem, just something to be prepared for. A bit of moderate physical fitness is needed for gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Guides & Porters for the gorilla trek
You will be guided through the forest on your gorilla tracking by a Uganda Wildlife Authority guide whom you will meet at the departure point in the morning of your trek. Your guide can help you book a porter (or two!) so that you can track without having to carry the few essential items listed below in a day pack which you should bring with you. The porters are from the local community and very used to the local conditions and can assist in pushing, pulling and supporting you during your trek to the gorillas. They are usually an additional fee, over and above your safari cost, and you should budget on approximately USD15-20 per porter per day as a fee with additional tipping being optional.
As the porters do not have tracking permits they will be stopped a short distance from the point you will be viewing the mountain Gorillas. Please remember to take whatever you may need from your bag to view the gorillas and rather leave valuables at the lodge/camp.
You will be allowed up to one hour for viewing of the gorillas from when they are sighted by your group. This is to ensure that the wild animals are not overexposed to human presence. Whilst in their presence you will also be required to keep minimum distances from them – generally between 5-7 metres and your guides will ensure this is enforced.
What to pack on gorilla trekking
• Plenty of water – 1-2 litres per person
• High energy snacks in addition to your packed lunch provided by the lodge/camp
• Spare film and batteries for videos and cameras
• Gloves (gardening type are good)
• Waterproof bag to protect photographic equipment
• A hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and band-aids might be useful
• A lightweight waterproof jacket/poncho
• Walking sticks are made available at the start of the trek for some of the steeper and more slippery tracks and may prove to be very handy.
Gorilla Trekking Age Limits
The age limit for gorilla trekking is 15 years and the authorities are very strict on this! With special written permission however, a 14yr old might pass.
Videos & Photography for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
In Uganda, it can be difficult to capture good photos under the dark canopy of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, as the name suggests! If you are very lucky, you may encounter your gorilla family in a clearing.
Here are a few tips for photographing the gorillas in Uganda:
- If you’re taking photos using a standard point-and-shoot camera, then make sure your camera is fully charged.
- Always take extra memory cards.
- Remember that flash photography is not allowed when you are with the gorillas. Make sure you have your camera manual with you so you know how to disable the automatic flash and automatic focus light functions.
- We recommend a good SLR camera. The best lenses are those with a wide aperture such as f2,8 which allow in max light and are best in gloomy conditions. A 24 – 70 mm and a 70 – 200 m is a good combination. If you have space then consider a 300mm and a wide angle but it’s a steep walk so consider hiring a porter. A 50 mm 1.4 lens is also ideal for low light shooting and something to consider as a standard lens.
- Professional filmmakers require permission and need to purchase filming permits in advance from UWA (Uganda) or RDB (Rwanda).
- Keep your camera and/or phone in a waterproof bag (such as a large Ziploc bag). Cue: you’re in the rainforest.
Professional photographers, film makers or media should advise us at the time of booking as special procedures are required as well as costs to be incurred for photographing and filming.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorilla Trekking)
The park is located in southwestern Uganda, covering parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale Districts. It is situated in a hilly country-side that, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary constitutes an important water catchments area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a true equatorial jungle, inhabited by four gorilla groups. Amongst the dense vegetation the columbus monkey jumps from branch to branch, chattering its warning to its fellows hidden by the foliage. Chimpanzees, in families of 20 or 30, make the rounds, searching for fruit and edible plants.
It is situated in a hilly country-side that, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary constitutes an important water catchments area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region.
The best time to visit Uganda is late December to late February, and from June to September, as the weather at this time of year is generally dry, and warm. Temperatures average at around 25 degrees Celsius.