Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be perfectly done during the dry season. Visitors from all over the world come to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park situated in the southwest of Uganda to track gorillas. During the dry seasons of each year, gorilla treks are among the highlights for visitors to Bwindi. This is because they love their adventures at a time when rainfall is much lower. This causes the low humidity experienced during the day thus enhancing the visitor’s overall comfort while trekking in the forest.

When is the dry season in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, dry seasons typically run from June to August, also from December to February. These months are considered the best times for visitors to trek mountain gorillas. It is the main reason why the period also coincides with the high season. If you are planning a gorilla trek during the dry season, book your gorilla permit at least 3 months in advance. This is due to the fact that gorilla permits for peak season gorilla trekking tours are on high demand. Also, accommodation should be reserved in advance to avoid inconveniences.

Why gorilla trekking in the dry season is better?

Most visitors to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park say that it is much easier to trek mountain gorillas in the dry season. The forest, during the dry season, remains firm and much easier to navigate compared to the wet season. This is as a result of the less muddy or slippery trails in the forest. The rains are lower and less frequent compared to the wet season. Accessing and navigating the forest becomes less challenging during this period. The gorilla trekking experience is also continuous because sudden downpours are not common during this time.

Views of the gorillas once encountered are also much clear in the dry season. With lower rainfall during this time, undergrowth is not as dense as compared to the wet months of the year. Also, the atmosphere is clearer due to the blue skies over the canopy. This is quite different to the cloudy conditions in the skies experienced during wet seasons.

How much is gorilla trekking in the dry season?

In Uganda, the cost of gorilla trekking does not vary between the dry and wet seasons. Variations are however based on visitor categories, i.e. foreign non-residents, foreign residents, Rest of Africa and East African Community citizens. These are the rates as per visitor categories,

• Foreign non-residents: US$ 800 per person
• Foreign residents: US$ 700 per person
• Rest of Africa citizens: US$ 500 per person
• East African Community citizens: UGX 300,000 per person

Payments to acquire a gorilla permit are done to Uganda Wildlife Authority. Mosty, reputable tour operators including us are meant to make these payments on your behalf. Sometimes the Uganda Wildlife Authority offers discounts on gorilla permits. However, this is not guaranteed each year. If this is announced, we shall keep you posted. Like mentioned earlier book a gorilla permit in advance to avoid disappointments. This is because the competition to buy any gorilla permit for the activity in the dry season is stiff.

How is gorilla trekking done in the dry season?

Uganda gorilla treks are done the same way in both the dry and wet seasons. Arrival at the park is always right before 8:00 a.m. This is followed by meeting the park personnel who will crosscheck your gorilla permit to ensure it is legitimate. There will be a short briefing where a park ranger will offer insight on how to do gorilla treks safely. There will be a seasoned tracker who will lead you, along with armed rangers into the forest. The search will be for a habituated gorilla family.

After finding this family, you will stay close to them for an hour, watching and taking photos. When this generous time is up, you will return to the place where you were earlier briefed. This time you will be debriefed. Most of the time, the gorilla trek takes 2 to 6 hours. This is from the start of the trek until you return for debriefing. The reason for this is that gorillas are mobile and never sleep in the same place everyday. You will have to locate them based on where they spent the previous night. Also, some parts of the terrain are steeper than others, thus affecting your pace.

How to travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the dry season?

Choose between road or air transport to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a gorilla trekking tour in the dry season. Transfer by road transport is done from various points of departure including Kampala/Entebbe, Rwanda, Queen Elizabeth National Park and others. A transfer from Kampala covers a distance of 475 kilometers, with a travel time of 9-10 hours. In our 4X4 safari Toyota Landcruiser, the transfer will be comfortable and adventurous, allowing you to enjoy scenic views along the way.

If you wish to save hours traveling to Bwindi much faster, you have to opt for air transport. Domestic flights from Entebbe International Airport connect to airstrips—Kihihi and Kisoro—close to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Flights reduce the duration of travel from 9-10 hours to 1 hour and only 15 minutes. Besides saving time, aerial views during the flight add to the adventure. Flights are safe and under the operation of AeroLink Uganda. Regarding your flight ticket as well as pick ups and drop offs we shall handle the arrangements with professionalism and reliability.