Lying at the green heart of Africa, Uganda is one of the most naturally diverse countries on the continent and offers rewarding, great-value gorilla trekking. The success rate of encountering these gentle giants in the magical Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is 90% and the Uganda gorilla trekking permit is considerably cheaper than the Rwandan equivalent.
It is one of the world’s most memorable wildlife experiences – sitting for an hour with a habituated gorilla family while they go about their daily business. Mothers fuss over their babies and teenagers wrestle and chase each other while the male silverback keeps a regal eye over proceedings. It is also a two-way relationship: such is the positive impact of trekking that the local mountain gorilla population is actually increasing after decades of decline. Uganda’s gorilla trekking is a good example of sustainable eco-tourism at work.
While gorilla trekking is Uganda’s biggest draw card, this is also a country of open grasslands, tropical forests and thundering waterfalls. Uganda offers not just gorilla treks but also big game safaris and chimpanzee trekking too. Its national parks are home to classic animals such as elephant, buffalo and lion while its forests are filled with primates and butterflies. You’ll enjoy game drives and river cruises plus nature walks and some of the best bird watching in the world.
A hilly and green country with a warm climate and rain at any time of year, Uganda is a country of sometimes limited but improving infrastructure. Itineraries usually fly you between destinations to reduce the amount of travel time and maximise your experience. Our recommended accommodation in Uganda offers a good range of options and you’ll have a private bathroom and a room with a view throughout.
Browse our Accommodation and Itinerary ideas pages for inspiration or simply contact us with your requirements and we’ll tailor-make a Uganda tour for you.
Home to gorillas, elephants, lions, chimpanzees and half of Africa’s bird species, the scale of Uganda’s natural diversity is such that this country can be enjoyed as a stand-alone destination. Our Uganda gorilla safaris include short ‘single-purpose’ gorilla treks in Bwindi Forest or Mgahinga as well as extensive itineraries that combine gorilla trekking with other prime wildlife destinations in Uganda and further afield.
And what destinations they are: the Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most famous big game destination and is home to elephants, hippos and tree-climbing lions. There is chimpanzee trekking and – with over 600 bird species recorded – fantastic bird watching. You can track chimpanzees at Murchison Falls National Park too, along with game viewing – but the best chimpanzee tracking is reputed to be at Kibale Forest, a pristine swathe of forest complete with an aerial walkway.
Moreover, thanks to the network of air connections with Entebbe International Airport, Uganda is a country that combines well with other African destinations such as Tanzania, Kenya and even South Africa. This enables us to create multi-layered, multi-experience itineraries across the continent. Accommodation is matched to the same standard all the way and you always enjoy en-suite comfort and expert guiding at friendly lodges.
Go on a Uganda gorilla safari and you can also watch the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti or the Masai Mara – the best time for gorilla trekking coincides with some of the most exciting chapters of the migration: the birthing season and the river crossings. Add on a few days to relax on the island of Zanzibar or fly south and sample the delights of Cape Town and the Winelands.
Browse our recommended tours below for inspiration but if you’d like us to tailor-make an itinerary based on your needs and budget, then simply contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
The question of when to go to Uganda usually goes hand in hand with when to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest. It’s also important to know how the best time for gorilla trekking coincides with other destinations in Africa if you are thinking of combining Uganda with – for example – the Serengeti or Kruger National Park.
Uganda has a predictably warm and wet equatorial climate although the gorilla trekking destinations are often cold as they lie at higher altitudes. Happily for the gorilla trekker, the year has two distinct dry seasons. These periods are certainly when to go to Uganda for gorilla trekking if you want the most comfortable and rewarding experience.
The first dry season is from mid-December to early February and the second from early June to late September. It is at these times that you’ll enjoy the easiest conditions for hiking in the rainforest as well as the best gorilla sightings and the lowest malaria risk.
The best time to visit Uganda’s other destinations coincide nicely with the best gorilla trekking seasons. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest is better during the dry seasons for example – the chimps are easier to see and the jungle trails less challenging to hike on.
Game viewing in Uganda’s big game destinations – Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks – is best during the dry seasons and especially towards the end of them (February and March and September/early October) when animals such as elephants and buffalo concentrate at water sources. Bird watching in Uganda is fantastic all year round but at its peak between November and April when migratory birds arrive.
The best time to visit Uganda also coincides with some of the continent’s best holiday destinations at their peak. Uganda’s December to February dry season coincides with Cape Town’s sunniest and driest months as well as the Serengeti wildebeest migration during the exciting birthing season. Then during Uganda’s June to September dry season, the wildebeest migration moves to the crocodile-filled rivers that lie between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara for game viewing at its most dramatic.
Meanwhile, the Southern African destinations – the Kruger Park, Botswana, Victoria Falls and Namibia – are their most welcoming for safaris: the weather is at its driest and mildest, the malaria risk is lowest and game viewing is at its best.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
Uganda has such bio-diversity that it can be experienced as a single travel destination but thanks to a well-established network of air connections and on-the-ground logistics, Uganda gorilla trekking easily combines with classic destinations across Africa.
Add on a big game safari in Kenya and Tanzania – the gorilla trekking seasons coincide perfectly with the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and Masai Mara – or head for the heavyweight safari destinations of Southern Africa: Botswana, the Kruger Park and Victoria Falls for excellent Big 5 game viewing.
It’s also easy to change the mood completely with a beach holiday add-on. Choose from our best East Africa destinations – the island of Zanzibar or Kenya’s beaches on the Indian Ocean coast – or try the water further south in South Africa. Cape Town’s ocean temperatures might not be as warm as in East Africa but the backdrop to the beach is Table Mountain.
We have a wide range of tours that combine Uganda with Africa’s best travel destinations and appeal to all types of visitor from honeymooners and privacy-seeking groups to families and those on a budget. Browse our most popular destination combinations below and visit our Itinerary Ideas page for inspiration or simply contact us with the destinations of your choice and we will tailor-make an itinerary for you.
