luxury
Gorilla Trekking, Planned by People Who Track Them
10 years arranging private gorilla treks in Bwindi and Volcanoes National Park. A Kampala-based team that knows the rangers by name
Why Book Luxury Gorilla Trekking Safaris Through Us
Permits for Bwindi and Volcanoes National Park are capped: 8 permits per gorilla family, per day, across the whole country so the trek you get depends entirely on which family you’re assigned and how far into the forest they’ve moved that morning. We have had guests reach a family in 25 minutes and others hike 4 hours through Ruhija’s steep ridges so we plan around your fitness level.
We are Engabi Tours & Travel, based on Parliament Avenue in Kampala. Our team lead, Christopher, has tracked gorilla families in Bwindi for 10 years and personally knows which sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo suit which travelers.
Luxury Gorilla Trekking Safaris
in Uganda to Inspire You
These popular gorilla trekking Safaris and Wildlife Packages can be customized to match your budget and the number of people you are planning to travel with.
5 days gorilla trek & wildlife
This safari offers the best of Uganda’s gorilla trekking in Bwindi and wildlife experience at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Luxury Gorilla Trekking in Uganda: What Actually Differs by Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four trekking sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo and they’re not interchangeable. Buhoma has the gentlest terrain and the most predictable habituated families, while Rushaga has the most families assigned per day and is also where the 4-hour Gorilla Habituation experience happens. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the quieter alternative with one habituated family and fewer daily permits but offers a chance to track golden monkeys as an add-on. Uganda’s normal gorilla permits cost USD 800 for foreigners, as well as USD 600 for the low season months April, May and November, while the gorilla habituation permits cost USD 1,800.
Beyond gorillas, Murchison Falls for the Big Five and the Nile Boat cruises, Kibale for Chimpanzees, Lake Mburo for walking safaris and Queen Elizabeth for tree-climbing lions, each with a different story worth experiencing rather than just reading.
8 Days Luxury Gorilla Trekking & Nile River
Embark on an extraordinary 8 day tour combining the thrill of gorilla trekking exploration of the Nile River.
7 Days Luxury Gorilla Habituation & Chimp
This exclusive safari combines top primate adventures—Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking—with luxury stays.
Luxury Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda: Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park sits inside the Virunga Massif, shared with Uganda and DR Congo, and Rwanda’s permits are priced differently from Uganda’s. They cost USD 1,500 for a non-foreign resident which is almost double the price for Uganda’s permits.
 Rwanda gorilla trekking experience vs Uganda’s: shorter average hike times from Kinigi, closer proximity to Kigali (about 2-3 hours by road) and more opulent lodges.
Nyungwe National Park in the south handles chimp tracking along canopy walkways and Akagera in the east is Rwanda’s Big Five park.Â
Rwanda has successfully used football sponsorships with top English clubs to showcase the country to millions of fans worldwide, positioning itself as a leading destination for luxury tourism, gorilla trekking and investment.
Combining Gorilla Trekking With a Second Country
The most common combinations we book is Uganda’s gorillas and Serengeti Great Migration and Uganda and Rwanda’s Primates. Here’s why the combinations works: You can have a full primates experience by arriving in Kigali and continuing Northwards to Volcanoes and then Bwindi in short drives. Drive back to Kigali and catch your next flight to Tanzania for the Great Migration experience.
EXPLORE OUR COMBINED TOURS
What an Hour With a Gorilla Family Actually Involves
You get 60 minutes with the gorilla family once rangers locate them, no more, regardless of how far you hiked to get there. During our most recent trek, our head guide, Roland, tried to photograph a mother gorilla with her baby resting peacefully on her back when a silverback suddenly approached him. The rangers calmly advised him to stay still, and within moments the silverback simply walked past and continued on its way. It’s more “sit still and let a wild animal decide you’re not interesting” which is, for most guests, the actual highlight.
step to Book a vacation With Us
Let us create exclusive,
tailor-made itineraries for your luxury safari or vacation.
Contact us with your travel preferences, and our experts will tailor a luxury itinerary to suit your needs.
