ON FOOT · GORILLA & CHIMP TREKKING
The 11 best gorilla & chimp trekking you can book today, with what each costs, how far it walks and how much of it is uphill. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
This private 3-day Uganda safari pairs a full gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with a Batwa community visit and canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi. A private English-speaking guide, 4x4 transport, accommodation, meals, drinking water, and the gorilla permit are included. Guides named in guest feedback include Hudson, Joyous, Benjamin, Richard, and Adams.
You’ll travel privately from Entebbe through Zziwa, Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Lake Bunyonyi. Expect rhino tracking, chimpanzee and gorilla treks, game drives, and two boat trips with a full-time English-speaking guide. Gorilla and chimp permits cost extra.
Travel by 4x4 from Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park for Kyambura chimp trekking and a Kazinga Channel cruise, then continue through Ishasha to Bwindi for gorilla trekking. Finish beside Lake Bunyonyi. English-speaking guides may include Danny, Derrick, William, Karim, Daniel, or Eli, depending on availability.
Travel from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in a private 4WD, spend up to an hour with mountain gorillas, then rest beside Lake Bunyonyi. The three-day trip includes meals, accommodation, airport pickup, Kayabwe Equator stops, and a skilled driver, but the $700 gorilla permit is extra.
“Amazing experience. You have a lot of time with the Gorillas and it honestly is something special. Lake bunyoni afterwards was a nice change of pace coming from Kampala. Everything was well arranged and the driver was very skilled.”
Start in Kigali and cross into Uganda for a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bamboo Ecotours handles permits, transport, meals, accommodation, and guiding. Guides such as Fred, Herbert, Jackson, John, and Godfrey have led past trips. Golden monkey trekking at Mgahinga is an optional extra.
You leave Kigali at 4:30 am with a private driver-guide for Volcanoes National Park, home to endangered mountain gorillas and five volcanoes. Expect a long but scenic drive, ranger briefing, a 2 to 5 hour trek, one hour with a gorilla family, and return transport. The permit is not included.
“I had the privilege of going on a Gorilla Trek today with John as my guide, and it was an absolutely flawless experience from start to finish!”
Travel from Kigali to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Bamboo Ecotours, crossing at Cyanika and trekking mountain gorillas with a national park guide. Drivers such as Jackson, Godfrey, Herbert, and Fred have led past trips. The package includes permits, ground transfers, and meals, while tented park accommodation costs extra.
Leave Kigali at 3:00 AM for Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park, cross the border with help from your driver, and trek with a ranger through Virunga forest. You get up to one hour with a gorilla family. Robert, Vincent, Hassan, Jefferson, and other staff have handled recent trips, with private 4x4 transport, breakfast, lunch, water, and a walking stick included. The $800 gorilla permit is extra.
“Everything was perfectly organized. The team arranged all the permits in advance, so we could relax and enjoy the experience. On the day of the trek, we were picked up in Kigali and driven smoothly to the destination in Uganda. Border crossing was easy, and all guides and staff were incredibly friendly and professional. Seeing the gorillas up close was absolutely breathtaking. A once-in-a-lifetime moment we’ll never forget!”
This three-day safari takes you from Kigali through the Cyangugu border to Bukavu and Kahuzi-Biega National Park, home of the endangered Grauer’s gorilla. You’ll trek with park guides, visit Lwiro Sanctuary, meet local people, and travel with support from Ubuntu Voyages. Groups are limited to five, with transport, lodging, permits, and a driver-guide included.
Leave Kigali at 4:30 a.m. with driver-guide John for the 2.5-hour trip to Musanze and Kinigi. After a park briefing, trek 2 to 8 hours with rangers and trackers to find a gorilla family. The $299 base price includes transport, water, and Kigali transfers, but the $1,500 international permit may be extra.
“I had the tremendous experience with Unique Africa Venture and John, my driver guide. Even though it was peak season and permit was sold out at the official website, they somehow engaged with the authority and find a spot for me. And tour itself was very special. I was able to see many gorillas very clearly even though it was in the mountain. I’d recommend anyone considering and suffering to find a spot for gorilla tracking to go with this company”
Travel from Kigali to Uganda’s Mgahinga or Bwindi gorilla area, based on permit allocation, with a private English-speaking guide. Jeff, Hassan, and Zidane have led past departures. The trip includes one lodge night, border help, transport, and a one-hour gorilla encounter, but the $800 permit is extra.
“Amazing experience and very well-planned tour! Hassan, our driver, was wonderful and explained many things along the way. The accommodation in Uganda was super lovely and provided delicious meals. Hanging out with the gorillas up close was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 10/10 would recommend!”
Other ways to spend the day on foot
Rock, ice, forest or crater rim.
