What is the best time to see gorillas?

What is the best time to see gorillas? Do you need to know the time to see gorillas in Uganda?, the best time to see gorillas is the time when you can go for gorilla trekking in Uganda without much difficulty caused by different factors.

Uganda features magnificent landscapes ranging from wonderful water resources, giant primates, culture, and several wildlife species that attract tourists to this country dubbed the pearl of Africa. The most popular activity in Uganda is gorilla trekking which is conducted in Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Mgahinga National parks both located in the western part of Uganda.

The best time  for gorilla trekking / see and explore these endangered gorillas who share 98% DNA with the human beings is explained below; Remember that the minimum age limit for the gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15 years and children below this age are not supposed to trek gorillas as per gorilla trekking rules.

Peak season /high season: This is termed as the dry season of the year that happens from June to September and December to February. These months especially from June to September presents the longest dry season in Uganda and therefore is the best time to see mountain gorillas in Uganda’s parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga.

During this dry season, hiking and trekking become easy as trails are dry and passable without mud and being slippery. Accessing Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks become easy during this dry season as chances of rains are very low. As the trekker, you should book your gorilla trekking permit in advance since the demand for gorilla trekking permits during this period is always, and if you delay you must find when they have been sold out.  You can confirm your booking for a gorillas trekking permit with 30 percent of the payment.

The short dry season happens in December up to February and this is considered also as the best time to see gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga parks in Uganda. During this period the parks are spacious as compared to June to September when visitors are too many in the park. Still, you can have the best access to the park trails during this time and having a glance at Migratory bird species since they are present during this best time.

Low season: this presents the best months or season of the year when rains are very much in Uganda gorilla parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga. It is also known as the wet season.  This starts from the months of mid-march to May. This period has the highest chances of long rainfall which might spoil your gorilla trekking experience. During this period, the gorilla’s area easily trekked become they move from high altitude and to lower slopes of mountains, and thus they can easily be seen when trekked.

Further, in October and November, there are short rain spells in Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks where you can see gorillas or go for gorilla trekking. The short rainy spells here provides you with opportunities for seeing gorillas. During this period, the vegetation is so green which facilitates photography. Bird watching safaris are also best done at this time due to the availability of very many species of birds.

Please don’t endeavor to visit Uganda parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga and see the endangered mountain gorillas in their wild habitats. Apart from gorillas, there are also other primates such as chimpanzees and baboons which you can encounter while you’re on gorilla trekking safaris.