Bwindi or Mgahinga: where to trek to gorillas in Uganda
Uganda has two parks where you can trek to mountain gorillas. Bwindi is a large rainforest with many habituated families, and Mgahinga is a small park on volcano slopes with usually one. Which one you visit mostly follows from the tour you book, so this guide pairs each park with its tours.
Two parks in one corner of Uganda
Both parks lie in the far southwest of Uganda, close to Rwanda and DR Congo. Of the roughly 1,000 wild mountain gorillas, about half are in Bwindi, while Mgahinga is the Ugandan slice of the Virunga volcanoes.
Uganda is one of three countries where you can trek to them. The other gorillas of the Virunga range live across the borders, in Rwanda and DR Congo, which is why some trips cross a border.
They are not far apart. Kisoro, the town near Mgahinga, and Bwindi's southern sectors are both about 4–5 hours by road from Kigali, while the drive from Entebbe to Bwindi takes a long day.
Bwindi, the big rainforest
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is dense, steep rainforest at roughly 1,160–2,600 meters (3,800–8,500 feet). It has four trekking sectors, Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo, and the most habituated families in Uganda.
More families means more permits per day across the park. In the busy drier months that gives Bwindi a better chance of a date that fits, although each family still takes at most eight visitors.
The sector on your permit decides where you start walking, and the lodge usually sits near it. Our pick's lodge is in the Rushaga area in the south, so for the other Bwindi trips, ask the operator which sector your permit is for.
Bwindi is also the only place in Uganda for the four-hour habituation experience, spent with a family still getting used to people. None of our five tours includes it, but operators can arrange it.
Mgahinga, the volcano park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is small and sits on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes near Kisoro. It is higher and more open than Bwindi, with bamboo on the slopes, and it usually has one habituated family.
The park offers more than gorillas. Golden monkeys live in the bamboo, and the Batwa trail tells the story of the Batwa, the forest people of this region, in their own words.
With one family, there is less room for choice. If the permits for that family are gone on your date, Mgahinga has no other group to offer, and you would need to look at Bwindi instead.
The higher, more open ground can give wider views across the volcanoes when the cloud lifts. It can also mean cold mornings and strong sun once you climb, so dress in layers whichever park you choose.
Which tour goes where
The park mostly follows from the trip you book, not the other way round. Four of our five tours trek in Bwindi, and only the day trip from Kigali goes to Mgahinga.
| Tour | From | Park | Also on the route | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dav Safaris, 3 days (our pick) | ~$2,600 | Bwindi, lodge near Rushaga | Batwa trail, Lake Bunyonyi | 5.0 from 200+ (Viator) |
| Eco Adventure Safaris, 3 days | ~$1,860 | Bwindi | Batwa experience | 5.0 from 74 (Viator) |
| Kawira Safaris, 1 day | ~$400 + $800 permit | Mgahinga | Border crossing from Kigali | 4.9 from 26 (GetYourGuide) |
| Adventure In The Wild Safari, 5 days | ~$2,350 | Bwindi | Chimpanzees in Kibale | 5.0 from 26 (Viator) |
| Home To Africa Tours and Travel, 8 days | ~$3,429 | Bwindi | Kibale, Murchison Falls, Ziwa rhinos | 5.0 from 84 (Viator) |
Bwindi trips, from three days to eight
Dav Safaris at ~$2,600 drives from Entebbe or Kampala to a lodge in the Rushaga area, with the Batwa trail on day one. After the trek it moves on to Lake Bunyonyi for a canoe ride, a calm stop before the long drive back.
Eco Adventure Safaris at ~$1,860 keeps the three-day shape and adds a Batwa experience. Adventure In The Wild Safari at ~$2,350 pairs Bwindi with chimpanzees in Kibale, as our gorillas and chimps guide describes.
Home To Africa at ~$3,429 ends its eight days in Bwindi, after rhinos at Ziwa and chimps in Kibale, with a boat trip at Murchison Falls along the way. The listing counts the gorilla permit among its inclusions.
Mgahinga in a day from Kigali
Kawira Safaris at ~$400 is the one Mgahinga trip here. The $800 permit and the Uganda visa are extra, while the fare covers a private 4x4 from your Kigali hotel and a hot lunch.
It suits travelers based in Rwanda who want gorillas without paying Rwanda's own permit, which costs more than Uganda's. The downside is the length of the day, as our Kigali day trip guide explains.
Mgahinga without a night away
Kawira Safaris runs the day from Kigali with a UWA ranger and help at the border included. The gorilla permit is booked separately, at $800.
How to choose
Pick Bwindi if you fly into Entebbe or want to add chimps, since every longer trip here goes there. Pick Mgahinga if you start in Kigali and can manage a long day, or if the volcano slopes and golden monkeys appeal more than rainforest.
Either way the trek can be steep, and our page on how hard it is compares the walking in both parks. For dates and weather, see when to trek before you book.
If you cannot decide, let the calendar decide for you. Ask an operator which families still have permits on your days, then pick the park that has one, rather than fixing the park first and hunting for a date.