Gorilla Habituation & Rwenzori Trekking Tour with Rwenzori Expeditions

Many travelers plan to explore the beauty of the mountain Gorillas for four hours on gorilla habituation experience and Rwenzori trekking on to Mount Stanley within Mountains of the Moon.  Gorilla Habituation experiences is only possible in two National Park within Africa and that is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park the home to half of the world’s Mountain Gorillas in Uganda and kahuzi Biega National Park the home for the Eastern Lowland gorillas within Africa, its the only destination to see Eastern Lowland gorillas in Africa. For eastern Lowland Gorilla habituation consider planning a Primate expeditions that encompasses the visit to democratic republic of Congo with leading Rwenzori Expeditions.

Uganda Rwenzori Hiking & Gorilla Habituation Experiences

Are you planning your visit to Uganda with an aim of combining the Rwenzori hike with the endangered mountain gorillas? This is one of the unforgettable experiences that involves an encounter of the high-altitude adventure and wildlife of Uganda. The safari can start from Rwenzori mountains to Bwindi Impenetrable national park or vice versa. In this article, we bring you a summary of the destinations where the experiences can be done what is required to make them successful.

Rwenzori mountain Trekking & hikes

The Rwenzori Mountains are also known as the “Mountains of the Moon,” the Rwenzoris are Africa’s 3rd highest mountain range, capped with glaciers and offering a diverse array of ecosystems which are explored during climbing adventures sharing the border with Democratic republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park which is the homes too for the Mountain Gorillas in the wild of Africa ( Open Gorilla  watching experience in Virunga).

Rwenzori Mountains  encompasses 6 massifs ( 6 peaks Rwenzori Hike )  at different altitudes and the highest of these is Mount Stanley, the home to the snow capped and glaciated Margherita peak 5,109 meters.

• Mount Stanley at 5109 meters
• Mount Speke at 4,890 meters,
• Mount Baker at 4,843 meters,
• Mount Emin at 4,798 meters,
• Mount Gessi at 4,715 meters
• Mount Luigi di Savoia at 4,627 meters.

The ultimate goal of Rwenzori hikers is the summit the Margherita peak which is the highest point on mount Stanley – either as solo traveler or big group traveler the ultimate goal is to summit the peak ,never miss to visit the Rwenzori Mountains on 7 Days Rwenzori trekking via the central circuit.

Rwenzori Hiking Experiences in Uganda with Rwenzori Expeditions

The main experience done at Rwenzoris is hiking which involves walking through lush montane forests, bamboo zones, moorlands with giant lobelias, and alpine meadows. At higher altitudes, you’ll encounter rocky landscapes, snow, and glaciers. For experienced trekkers, reaching Margherita Peak, at 5,109 meters (16,762 feet), is the ultimate challenge that require about 7 to 9 days depending on the route used.

Due to the rugged terrain, hikers must go with guides from the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services or Rwenzori Trekking services who are the only operators of two trails of Rwenzori Central Circuit and Kilembe Trail respectively- Rwenzori Expeditions do partners with these official operators that were granted rights by Uganda wildlife authority to operator the routes.  The Porters and supporting staff are always hired from the local community who are always trained by respective bodies to enable adventures enjoy their Rwenzori trekking and expect them to assist with navigating the challenging conditions, providing support with gear and local knowledge.

Besides the Rwenzori peaks and massifs, Rwenzoris are home to unique flora and fauna, including rare plant species and birds, making the hike a paradise for nature lovers. You may spot Primates via the Diamond Trail like Chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, as well as duikers and forest elephants.

Gorilla Habituation experience in Africa – Bwindi Gorillas vs Kahuzi Biega Gorillas

In Africa there are only two destinations where gorilla habituation can be done including Bwindi Impenetrable National park in Uganda and Kahuzi Biega National Park in Congo. Rwenzori Expeditions offers gorilla habituation adventure to group and solo travelers with freedom to step in Rwenzori Mountain National Park.

When it comes to gorilla habituation , there is not definition of how the experience can be done but Rwenzori expeditions can take you through the process of Gorilla Habituation and gorilla trekking in the wilderness of Africa.  Gorilla habituation is the process by which the travelers wishes sees the gorillas to get used to humans before the gorilla trekking.

It involves different groups of people like the trackers, conservationists, trackers, researchers and rangers among others who take a period of about 2 to 3 years completing this habituation experience.  Unlike a typical gorilla trek, the habituation experience allows you to spend extended time (up to four hours) with a gorilla family under habituation—meaning they are used to human presence. This experience only takes place in Kahuzi Biega National Park & Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Rushaga). The encounter allows participants to observe gorilla behavior in detail as they enjoy their daily life styles like feeding, playing, how they groom their young ones and many others.

Only four people are allowed to do gorilla habituation activity in Bwindi Forest National Park Uganda and even in Kahuzi Biega National Park, with this you are required to book your gorilla habituation permit in advance to secure your place. The experience starts and takes up to half or a full day depending on the time you take to find them.

What is the cost of gorilla habituation experience

Gorilla Habituation permits in abit expensive compared to the cost of gorilla trekking , in Uganda there gorilla habituation permit costs us$ 1500 and in kahuzi biega it costs US$ 600 where you will watch the gorillas for 4 hours in the wilderness of Africa.  The cost of gorilla habituation experience in Uganda stand to compete with the permit to trek in Rwanda,

Choosing Between Gorilla Trekking And Gorilla Habituation?

Choosing between Gorilla trekking and Gorilla habituation while combining it with Rwenzori is an important decision that can be taken when making the booking with Rwenzori Expeditions so that you can define the duration to spend with the Mountain gorillas as one hour vs 4 hours watching. Rwenzori Expeditions do offer both activities for ultimate Uganda Safari experience  as the reservation team is always available to guide you when booking the best safari package as 12 days Gorilla Trekking & Rwenzori vs 12 Days Rwenzori & Gorilla Habituation or 21 days Primate expedition in Africa to explore all the great apes within East Africa.

Best time for Gorilla Habituation experience in Bwindi & kahuzi Biega

Gorilla habituation takes a toll rise in the months from June, July, August, September, October then again Dec, Jan and Feb. we do advise you to always book your gorilla habituation permits  months a head so that you can secure the habituation permit as they are only limited to 4 pax a day unlike the gorilla trekking permits .

Practical Travel Tips for Rwenzori & Gorilla Habituation

Physical preparation: Both activities require good physical fitness. The Rwenzori trek involves long days, high altitudes, and unpredictable weather, while the gorilla trek can involve several hours of hiking in dense forest depending on the location of the gorilla family.

Permits: Both gorilla habituation and Rwenzori hike require permits. The gorilla habituation permit in Uganda is at USD 1500 per person and this includes park entrance fees and then the Rwenzori hiking permit depends on the number of days.

Best time to visit for the experiences

For gorilla habituation and Rwenzori trekking experiences, one can visit Uganda all year round but best time is during the dry season which is in the months of December to February and June to September, when conditions are more favorable.

In conclusion, the combination of gorilla habituation and mountain hiking offers a truly unique way to explore Uganda’s natural beauty.