Summer gorilla safaris to Bwindi

Summer gorilla safaris to Bwindi: Bwindi is one of the few national parks to have gorilla safaris at any time of the year. The national park which is located in the southwestern part of the country has 19 mountain gorilla families for trekking and 2 mountain gorilla families for habituation. Habituation safaris can be done Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors both located in the southern sector of the park and for gorilla trekking safaris, they can be done in all park regions.

Most countries especially those in the northern hemisphere have their summer gorilla safaris every year in June, July, August, and September. A lot of schools, and institutions close to take the advantage of the prolonged warm weather. While most of these people prefer to go to the beaches, we are to let you know that you can visit Uganda and encounter mountain gorillas that are said to be sharing 98% DNA with human beings.

Are you planning to have summer gorilla holidays in Bwindi? Well, Africa Adventure Vacations is here to help you organize short and long safaris in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park home to the highest population of mountain gorillas.

Book summer gorilla safaris to Bwindi

Book summer gorilla safaris to Bwindi with a trusted local tour operator licensed to carry out tourism activities by Uganda Tourism Board. There are a lot of local tour operators online by you need to be careful so that they don’t scam your money. Africa Adventure Vacations is one of the local tour companies that can help you have a wonderful safari in Bwindi in summer. We do help in booking gorilla permits, drivers, and accommodation.

To book with us a summer gorilla holidays to Bwindi, it’s better you do it 3-4 months in advance so that we find the gorilla permits still available at the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Booking early also enables one to prepare well for their safari to be successful. You will have to contact us via email with the number of people to be on the safari, travel dates, activities you would want, and your travel budget. We shall use this information to total how much it can cost you and we shall send it to you. If you are okay with the price, you will be asked to send a deposit of the safari which shall be used to book gorilla permits.

book Uganda Gorilla Permits

Best time to book gorilla permits for summer gorilla safaris to Bwindi

Summer gorilla holidays to Bwindi happen from June to September which is a high season meaning a lot of travelers are visiting the national park. Travelers that are intending to book gorilla safaris in the summer season should know that there are a lot of travelers that are intending to visit Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and therefore should consider booking their gorilla permits early in advance.

Gorilla permits for Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in the summer sell out quickly at Uganda Wildlife Authority. A lot of people book gorilla permits 3-4 months in advance to avoid being left out since these gorilla permits are sold on a first come first serve basis. The best time to book gorilla permits if you are intending to visit Bwindi in the summer is 3-4 months in advance to avoid last-minute booking disappointments.

How much are Bwindi gorilla permits in summer?

The price of Bwindi gorilla permits don’t change no matter the season of the year. Travelers intending to visit the gorilla park in the summer safaris will still buy each gorilla trekking permit at $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa. Gorilla trekking permits work in all the trekking regions and allow a traveler to be around mountain gorillas for 1 hour.

Travelers visiting Bwindi in summer will get gorilla habituation permits from Uganda Wildlife Authority at a fee of $1500 for foreign non-residents, $1000 foreign residents, and UGX750,000 citizens of East Africa. Gorilla habituation permits are bought by those that want to encounter and habituate mountain gorillas for 4 hours in their natural habitats.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi during summer

Sumner safaris to Bwindi happen to be in the dry season which happens to be characterized by little or no rainfall. Summer occurs from June to September and in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, there is a bit of sunshine, the trekking trails are dry and passable, vegetation is short and thin and then food is not as much as it is in the rainy season so mountain gorillas tend to move to high altitudes.

The search for mountain gorillas starts in the morning at different sector offices, unlike gorilla habituation which only occurs in Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors. The activity starts with a briefing at the sector offices where trekkers are taught about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity. Trekkers are grouped based on age and physical fitness and they are allocated gorilla families to trek.

It’s the armed ranger guides that lead trekkers in the jungle by taking them through different trails till they meet the mountain gorillas. The search for mountain gorillas comes with an opportunity of encountering different park mammals, primates, and birds. The moment mountain gorillas are spotted, armed ranger guides are given 1 hour to be around these mountain gorillas, watch them do daily activities, take photos and learn about their habits.

Packing list for summer gorilla safaris

What to pack for summer gorilla safaris to Bwindi?

Travelers visiting Bwindi for summer gorilla safaris should include the following on their packing list – waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, gardening gloves, long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, a light backpack, a rain jacket, a sweater, camera, a pair of binoculars, insect repellents, facemask, sanitizer, energy giving snacks, and drinking water bottle.

Accessing Bwindi for summer gorilla safaris

Travelers can access Bwindi for summer gorilla safaris using road transport or road transport depending on their choice and budget. Travelers that hate traveling long distances can access Bwindi for summer gorilla safaris by using air transport. Different airline companies such as Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda organize daily flights to Bwindi which take 1 hour and 45 minutes. Flights start from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport to Kihihi airstrip for those visiting Buhoma and Kisoro airstrip for those visiting Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhija.

Travelers can access Bwindi for their summer holiday safaris using road transport from Kigali or Kampala. From Kigali to Bwindi takes 4-5 hours via Katuna border in Kabale and Cyanika birder in Kisoro. Travelers from Kampala/Entebbe will go via Masaka, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro to access any of the sectors of Bwindi they want o trek.