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South-west Uganda

Bwindi gorilla trekking

A forest that earned its name. Bwindi holds about half of the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, and an hour with one family is the reason most people come.

See the 17 trips that go here Ask us about it

Sun at Bwindi today Sunrise 06:41 Sunset 18:50

A mountain gorilla looking at the camera through leaves in Bwindi

Bwindi at a glance

17
Trips that visit here
06:41
Sunrise at Bwindi today
18:50
Sunset at Bwindi today
12.2hours
Of daylight today
  • Status UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Size 321 square kilometres of old rainforest
  • Height 1,160 to 2,607 metres above sea level
  • Gorilla sectors Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo
  • Group size Up to eight people visit each gorilla family a day
  • Time with gorillas Up to one hour once the family is found
  • Birds More than 350 species, including many Albertine Rift endemics
Mist drifting through forested hills in Bwindi at dusk

What you do there

What to do in Bwindi

From first light to last, with today’s real sunrise and sunset at Bwindi to mark the day.

  1. Sunrise at Bwindi today

    06:41

  2. Trek to a gorilla family

    A briefing at park headquarters, then a guided walk into the forest to find a habituated family. The walk can take under an hour or most of the day, depending on where the gorillas slept. Once you reach them you have up to an hour.

  3. Walk with the Batwa

    Our Bwindi days can include a Batwa community walk, a chance to learn about the forest people’s ancestral connection to Bwindi.

  4. Watch birds

    Bwindi is one of Africa’s best birding forests. Ruhija is the sector known for its variety of birds, including the African green broadbill and Shelley’s crimsonwing.

  5. Pair it with chimpanzees

    Most of our gorilla trips start in Kibale for chimpanzees, cross Queen Elizabeth for lions and the Kazinga Channel, and reach Bwindi on day four or five.

  6. Sunset at Bwindi today

    18:50

A mountain gorilla looking up, close, in Bwindi Hands lighting a fire with sticks in a Batwa demonstration

Best time

When to go to Bwindi

The drier months, June to September and December to February, are the easiest for gorilla trekking: trails are less slick. Bwindi can be trekked all year, and rain can come in any month.

June to September is the busiest stretch, so permits go early. March to May, October and November are the wettest months, when some lodges and camps close and the forest paths are hard going. Birdwatchers sometimes prefer the wet months, when some species are more active.

In pictures

Bwindi as our guests see it

  • A young gorilla hugging a tree trunk and glancing at the camera in Bwindi
  • A young gorilla chewing a leaf and looking at the camera in Bwindi
  • A mother gorilla in Bwindi with her baby tucked in against her, its face peeking out below through the leaves
  • A gorilla with amber eyes looking out of bright leaves in Bwindi
  • A clear stream tumbling through green forest in Bwindi

Request a trip

Trips that visit Bwindi

Every trip is request-to-book: choose one, send your dates, and we confirm.

From the journal

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Photos: Uganda Wildlife Authority and Uganda Tourism Board.