Luxury Gorilla Safaris in Africa

Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda has an array of luxury lodges that offer the ultimate gorilla trekking experience. With the likes of Wilderness Safaris, Singita, and One & Only owning properties here, standards are set exceptionally high, while combinations with safari in Akagera National Park and in Tanzania’s Serengeti or Kenya’s Maasai Mara are common. The gorilla trekking here can be remarkably easy, with some families located close to farmland and even the lodges themselves. Other groups can be much further away, but treks can be designed to the closest groups for people worried about longer walks.

There are 12 gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park. Each family group varies in number from six or seven to as high as over 30 individuals. The most well-known – the Susa group – was made famous by Dian Fossey; however, treks to see this incredible family can take 5 hours, as they nestle into the upper reaches of Mount Visoke. It is an incredibly rewarding experience to trek this far and meet the ‘Susa’… but by no means an easy task! Unfortunately, we can’t actually choose the group you visit, but we can help choose where you stay. For the vast majority of our clients, we choose between these properties:

For Uganda, the sheer size of the country and other major attractions such as Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, and Queen Elizabeth National Park see longer trips recommended within Uganda itself. It’s also possible, however, to fly in for a short, excellent-value gorilla safari. Uganda’s gorilla regions are a good distance away from the capital Kampala. A flight is needed, and the gorilla walks set off from five different locations. This means access is much more difficult than in Rwanda.

It is also worth mentioning that steeper trekking areas of Uganda (an area called Nkuringo especially) can raise the difficulty level significantly, while a number of Rwanda’s gorilla groups are found on flat ground, within easy walking distances of the park headquarters. So, technically it is correct to say that Rwanda is the easier location to trek, but if you avoid Nkuringo in Uganda, for example, and focus on the flatter Rushaga sector then Uganda evens out at the same level of technical difficulty.

Uganda offers gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The trekking permits are $800 per person, and the accommodation options range from good value to luxury. For real gorilla enthusiasts in Uganda, you can book a Gorilla Habituation experience, which allows you to spend 4 hours in the forest with a gorilla group that the researchers and park rangers are in the process of habituating. This really is the ultimate gorilla experience!

Located in the south-west of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a 9.5-hour drive or a 1.5-hour flight from Entebbe and is home to the only remaining population of gorillas outside the Virunga Massif. Not only does the park have a fantastic name, it is also unique because it is the only place where you can do both gorilla trekking and the gorilla habituation experience.

There are four trekking routes Inside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park: Buhoma (great for your first trek), Ruhija (closer to the budget lodges), Nkuringo (more off the beaten track and more physically challenging), and Rushaga (for the gorilla habituation). Each area has its own trekking meeting point. If you are considering doing two treks, which many people believe gives you the best experience, we would suggest trying to get a permit for two different areas. However, the locations may well be decided by permit availability – permits often sell out over a year in advance in peak season!

There are a range of accommodation options for Uganda gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi:

To the south of Bwindi is Mgahinga National Park. Mgahinga is the smallest of the three areas we trek for mountain gorillas. It’s a little gem of a park where three extinct volcanoes dominate the landscape. This is a very pretty off-the-beaten-track place that hosts a range of wildlife, while the Batwa pygmies still live in the area to this day, bringing a special cultural element to the trip. We’ll often only ever design trips to Mgahinga for clients who are looking to do two gorilla safaris and who don’t want both walks in Bwindi.

The lodges here are not of the same quality as those in Bwindi, which is the main reason we often suggest it as a second option. Mount Gahinga Lodge is our recommendation in this area. Most of our clients who visit this area are doing their second gorilla trek and looking for the most diverse and contrasting trekking experience.

One thing it is worth knowing is that the treks in this area start at around 2,200m, so you do feel the altitude a little more than in Bwindi. However, the vegetation tends not to be as dense, and the local Nyakagezi gorilla family is very well habituated, which offers excellent photographic opportunities. This area of forest is part of the Virunga Massif, linking with Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Finally, we must mention it is also possible to see western lowland gorillas in the Republic of the Congo.

In a remote location in the Congo Basin, Odzala can only be accessed via charter flights from Brazzaville twice per week. The key difference between this experience and those in Uganda and Rwanda is your location right in the heart of the gorillas’ habitat – you are quite literally entering their world for the duration of your stay. You will enjoy walking safaris into the forest, kayaking, boat safaris on the river, game drives in the savannah areas and also on your gorilla trek. Having your guide with you throughout the safari makes this a very personal experience. You need to do your homework if you are thinking of heading to the Congo and speak to a safari specialist who has been there to properly understand this amazing place.