The 1 day Uganda Gorilla Tour is an ideal short tour for tourists with just one day within their busy schedule and therefore intending trekkers have to spare a full day to get a chance of meeting face to face with the great apes at their home. This 1 day Uganda Gorilla tour starts from Rwanda’s Kigali City and leads you to the pristine jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Katuna and Cyanika border points.
However, the 1 day Uganda Gorilla Tour is also possible for tourists who are already in Kisoro and Kabale districts and continue to Bwindi to track one of the 20 habituated gorilla groups across the four regions.
Highlights of the 1 day Uganda Gorilla Tour
• Transport by a comfortable and customized 4WD Vehicle.
• One hour with the allocated gorilla group.
• Full-time English speaking guide.
• A chance to encounter other primate species.
• Birds and butterfly species are also expected during the trek.
Detailed itinerary of the 1 day Uganda Gorilla Tour
Bwindi is about 4 hours’ drive away from Kigali and to be able to reach the Park Headquarters by 7:00 am, intending trekkers are supposed to wake up at 2:45 am to prepare and start the journey by 3:00 am.
Drive through the lush hills of Rwanda and cross to Uganda through the Cyanika border to the Rushaga sector or Katuna border to Buhoma/Ruhija sector.
Be at the meeting spot by 7:00 am or 7:30 am latest for a briefing on what is expected of you during the activity and by 8:00 am start the trek through the thick forests of Bwindi in search of the allocated gorilla family. After 1-4 hours of trekking (depending on the pace of trekking and location of the family), you will meet the Mountain gorillas playing, foraging and resting after which your cameras will start rolling. The maximum time spent with these mountain gorillas is one hour but it’s worth it and return to the Park headquarters for your gorilla trekking certificate. Have lunch and return to Kigali for your return flight or to the Hotel for overnight and dinner.
End of your 1 day Uganda Gorilla Tour
This 1 day Bwindi Gorilla safari package includes;
• Lunch.
• Gorilla permit (at $600 but will be $700 from 1st July 2020).
• Border crossing.
• Transport by our customized 4WD Vehicle plus fuel.
• Relevant Government taxes.
• Full-time English speaking guide.
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off.
• Bottled water.
This 1 day Bwindi Gorilla safari package excludes;
• Personal insurance.
• Personal expenses like tips, cigarettes, laundry services, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, telephone bills and souvenirs among others.
• Ugandan visa.
• Accommodation in Kigali.
• Optional activities.
Dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking
• Maintain a distance of 7 meters when watching the Mountain gorillas.
• Don’t visit the mountain gorillas when you have a cold or other contagious disease.
• A maximum of 8 persons care allowed to visit a habituated gorilla family per day.
• Avoid drinking, eating or smoking while in the presence of mountain gorillas.
• Tourists are allowed to spend only one hour per visit per day.
• Avoid making noise while trekking or when in the presence of mountain gorillas.
• Do not litter the Park.
• Make sure to cover your mouth and face away from the mountain gorillas when coughing or sneezing.
What to pack and wear on your 1 day Bwindi Gorilla safari
• Non-flash camera.
• Waterproof safari pants.
• Sturdy waterproof hiking boots.
• Rain jacket.
• Water bottle.
• Long-sleeved shirts.
• Gardening gloves.
• Walking sticks (acquired from at the briefing point).
• Wide-brimmed hat.
• Sunglasses.
• Pair of binoculars.
Related Short Gorilla Tours
1 day gorilla trekking Rwanda
2 days Gorilla Trekking Bwindi
3 days Rwanda gorilla tour