3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour from Entebbe
3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour from Entebbe
Overview
The 3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour from Entebbe is a magical journey. It takes you to the jungles of Uganda where you should expect an experience like no other. You have a chance to be close to a family of wild mountain gorillas. You find them in the deep misty jungle of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The experience is utterly magical; nothing can ever prepare you for such an experience. Consequently, their sheer beauty, brawn, soulful brown eyes, their astonishingly human-like expressions, and their extraordinarily gentle demeanor end up astonishing you. One hour with these gentle creatures – 60 minutes, is all it takes to change your whole life’s experience.
This 3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour is a budget safari that we designed to allow every traveler to have a chance to spend time with the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. If you’re a luxury traveler, don’t be bounced off yet. We can change this 3-day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour to suit your style too. Enquire with the Safari Vacations and Travel Services team of experts to make sure you get your desired safari package. This will include the right accommodation, transportation, meals, and gorilla permits.
Detailed Itinerary3 Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour from Entebbe
Day 1: Transfer from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Depart Entebbe/ Kampala for your first day of the 3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour. The drive time from Entebbe/Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is between 8-9 hours. Although it may seem quite a long drive, it is worth it. This is because you get to enjoy the countryside scenery with some of the most beautiful landscapes. These range from plantations, and hills, all the way to the Virunga massive. Just keep your cameras near you and your driver will stop if you need him to. This will allow you to capture that beautiful moment.
You will have an en-route stopover at the Equator crossing at Kayabwe for the photography and a simple experiment. You’ll then continue to Mbarara town for Lunch. After lunch, you will embark on your scenic drive to Bwindi NP or Kabale for overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After your early morning breakfast, your guide will drive you to the Park Headquarters for briefing. You’ll join others before heading into the forest for your gorilla trek. This trek can last for between 30 minutes to 7 hours. The time it takes to locate a mountain gorilla family on that particular day. Once you find the gorillas, you will spend one hour with them. Use this time to observe their behavior, taking photographs before you return to the Park Headquarters. At the park headquarters, you will get your gorilla trekking certificate. This certificate confirms that you have successfully tracked gorillas in Uganda.
Day 4: Transfer back to Entebbe to end the Tour
After your breakfast, you will drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. Your driver-guide will drop you off for your post-tour accommodation or flight out of Uganda on the last day of your tour. Since you will use the same route back, you will have another stop at the Equator crossing. You can choose to have photo moments, buy souvenirs, or just relax before continuing to Kampala/Entebbe.
Rules and Regulations of Gorilla Trekking
Only Tourists of 15 years and above trek the gorillas. The minimum age limit exists because it is much easier to control those 15 and above. This is unlikely for those who are below who can easily run off when gorillas approach them. It is also hard for them to follow all the rules and regulations.
You should not eat or drink when with the gorillas. This is because food crumbs could easily fall on the ground. This risks infections from humans in cases where the gorillas get to the crumbs.
Flash photography is Illegal. So, make sure that you turn off the camera flash before taking photos of the gorillas.
You should also not Wear sunglasses when with the gorillas. The reason for this is that they show the gorillas’ reflection. Yet, the gorillas might think that another gorilla is challenging them.
Groups of 8 trek a gorilla family per day and 4 habituate a gorilla family per day. This is to ensure that large crowds do not disturb the gorillas’ daily behavioral patterns.
Volunteer to stay behind if you have a viral infection, like flu, or cough, as gorillas are highly susceptible to diseases.
Everyone should keep a 7-meter distance between them and the gorillas.
Avoid unnecessary movement and making noise, and turn off your phones or keep them on flight mode to avoid disrupting the peace of the gorillas.
You must keep the park clean at all times. This means that you must take all your rubbish with you as you leave the park.
Since there are no toilets, request a machete from the guide, dig a hole 30 cm deep away from the crowd, and cover it up after doing your business.
What to pack for a gorilla safari
3-day Uganda gorilla trekking Tour- what to pack. To have a successful gorilla safari in Uganda, you need to pack right. Below is a list of things you can pack for the gorilla trek.
Gadgets
When we talk about gadgets, we mean a camera and binoculars. Any type of camera can work. However, we always advise our clients to get a point-and-shoot camera which is easy to handle. You will also need to carry camera equipment. This includes, for example, a tripod, extra lens, extra batteries, lens cleaner, extra memory, an extra camera if possible, and a camera bag to carry all your camera equipment. Binoculars can help you see the gorillas at a distance and other wildlife species within the national park. These include bird species, golden monkeys, and other primates.
Clothes
Packing clothes is not an easy fit because you might have a lot to carry. Yet, you do not want to exceed the limit. You need to pack right for you to enjoy your gorilla trek in Uganda. This starts with the color and type of clothes. Blue is not a good color to pack because it is said to attract tsetse flies. Camouflage, on the other hand, is linked to the army, and black absorbs heat. The shirts should have long sleeves to avoid insect bites and tree scratches and keep you warm. The trousers are the best as long as they are not jeans. You can carry some undershirts with you as well.
Also, you need thick socks to keep you warm and prevent insects from getting up your legs. You do this by tucking the trousers into the socks before the start of the trek.
Garden gloves help protect your hands from scratches during the hike.
A warm sweater and rain jacket should be part of the clothes you pack. This works for both seasons because the weather in Uganda is unpredictable.
Shoes
We recommend Strong hike ankle-length boots for the trek within Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks. The shoes should fit you well enough to avoid blisters on your feet; they don’t necessarily need to be new. Just make sure that they are sturdy enough to keep you on your feet during the trek. If possible, get the waterproof ones.
You can also pack some sandals and sneakers that you will use after the trek when you get back to your hotel/lodge. Remember to bring adjustable gaiters, mainly to use when it rains.
A refillable water bottle: Uganda’s tap water is unsafe to drink, but bottled water is provided throughout your safari. You will still need a refillable water bottle of at least a liter. You’ll need to pack your water because you will need it during the trek.
Insect repellent
This is to protect your skin from the different bug bites.
Sunscreen and a sunhat: You can apply Sunscreen before the start of the trek. Also, you can bring the brand that works for you best. The sunhat and sunscreen protect you from the sun. You get to carry them in the backpack if you wish to reapply.
