Uganda is a premier travel destination for primate tracking enthusiasts. The availability of vast primate species including the rare mountain gorillas is partly why multitudes of tourists travel from far and wide, all year round to visit Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. A typical Uganda Primate Tracking Safari Experience includes the following tour activities;

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Uganda is home to more than half of the remaining mountain gorillas on Earth and many of these live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Bwindi is known for many tour activities although Gorilla Trekking is the most notable. Up to 8 people can track a particular gorilla group per day.

In Uganda, each gorilla permit goes for USD 600 during high seasons. Tourists who track mountain gorillas in Bwindi in the low seasons benefit from discounted gorilla tracking permits. Tracking gorillas in Bwindi can be done all year round but most tourists prefer visiting from June to September and from December to February.

Gorilla Tracking in Mgahinga National Park.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park and is well known for Gorilla trekking among other tour activities. There is one gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park and it is habituated for tracking. Tourist groups of up to six people in company of a ranger guide can track this habituated gorilla family in a particular session.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest

Kibale Forest is quite popular for Chimpanzee tracking and has got many chimpanzees that visitors get to encounter in their natural habitat. There are about 12 other species of primates in Kibale National Park in addition to chimpanzees which are the main attraction. Some of these primate species include; red-tailed monkeys, the black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkey, olive baboons among others.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park is one of the most exciting and most popular things that tourists like to do while on safari in Uganda and it can be done all year round.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Budongo Forest

Budongo Forest is located Northwest of Uganda’s Capital, Kampala and at 825 square kilometers, it  is the largest mahogany forest in East Africa. There are about 600 chimpanzees in Budongo forest and about 100 of those are habituated for tracking.

Tracking the chimpanzees in Budongo forest can be done both in the morning and afternoon. Morning tracking sessions begin at 7:00am with briefing at the information center before heading out with a ranger guide to track the chimpanzees.  Chimpanzees in Budongo forest can be tracked any time of the year though the best time to visit would be from May to August.

Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga

Golden Monkeys are also habituated in Mgahinga National Park and tourists track and stay with them for a period of up to four hours. In order to track the Golden Monkeys, tourists can book through a tour operator in Uganda or at the park headquarters.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge

Kyambura Gorge is located in the far eastern corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park in south western Uganda. It is home to a variety of wildlife, including the only primates in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Besides chimpanzee tracking, other tour activities in Kyambura Gorge include; bird watching, guided nature walks among others.

Book with African Pearl Safaris for the best Uganda Primate Tracking Safari Experience.

Gorilla Trekking Experience in Uganda is one of the most popular tour activities in Uganda. More than half of all the mountain gorillas in existence live in Uganda in Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is found in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley. Most Uganda safari tours include tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi.

Best time to track mountain gorillas in Bwindi.

Tracking gorillas in Bwindi can be done anytime of the year but most tourists prefer visiting from June to September and from December to February. Tourists who track mountain gorillas in the low seasons benefit from discounted Uganda gorilla tracking permits. In Uganda, each gorilla permit goes for USD 600 during high seasons and they can go for USD 450 during low seasons. Gorilla permits are a requirement for one to be able to track mountain gorillas and acquiring these permits is best done through your tour operator in Uganda or through Uganda Wildlife Authority.

The major tour activity in Bwindi is Gorilla tracking and a maximum of 8 people can track a particular gorilla group per day. Other tour activities include; bird watching, guided forest walks, Batwa cultural experience among others.

What to wear when tracking mountain gorillas.

Tourists are advised to come with walking boots good for hiking, extra layers of cloth for when it gets cold, A Rain Coat, Gloves. Thick trousers and a long-sleeved top are also ideal for tracking.

Where to stay in Bwindi.

State-of-the-art safari lodges have over the years been set up in Bwindi to provide comfortable accommodation to tourists who visit Bwindi for Gorilla tracking. These lodges range from budget to high-end luxury facilities which means the lodges tourists stay at will depend on their ability to afford them or their preference. Safari lodges in Bwindi include; Buhoma Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany Springs, Clouds Mountain Gorilla lodge, Silverback Lodge among others.

Getting there.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park can be accessed either by road from Kampala, Uganda’s capital or by air from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip. Scheduled flights from Entebbe to either Kihihi or Kisoro take about 2 hours to get there whereas traveling by road takes up to 9 hours to reach Bwindi.