Best time to go Gorilla Trekking on your 4×4 Self drive Uganda 2023 (Bwindi Forest & Mgahinga)

Gorilla trekking is the most highly participated activity for every tourist who visits Uganda (the pearl of Africa). With 1000+ mountain gorillas left in the world, Uganda holds over 700 Mountain Gorillas more than half of the remaining gorillas. Mountain gorillas rank number one as the best tourist attraction in Uganda. Gorilla tracking is the top leading attraction in Uganda, and many tourists have questioned what is the best time to go gorilla trekking.

Below is the best time to visit for gorilla trekking.

There is no specific time for trekking mountain gorillas, as it is an all-year-round adventure experience. However, the dry season is examined as the best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda experiences 2 dry seasons; short and long seasons. The short dry season occurs in the months of December and February, whereas the long dry season starts in June, July, August, and September.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done only in the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park, given the kind of temperatures in these habitats where these creatures live. Temperatures range from 21.5-27 which are the maximum and minimum temperatures. The rainfall amount received per year is over 2390 mm, and the fact that it lies near the equator and its kind of habitat, expect it to rain at any time.

Mgahinga National Park stands between altitudes 2227 and 4127 meters and comes with a cool equatorial climate thus creating very pleasant and ideal weather conditions.

The advantages of the dry season are that it comes with minimal rainfall amount and the ground remains relatively dry, making it unchallenging to hike through the dense vegetation and steep slopes while tracking gorillas. December is one of the busiest months of the year in both Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks and across all the national parks in Uganda. Therefore, you’re advised to reserve your gorilla permits early.

It is possible to trek gorillas during the rainy or low season. This season is in March, April, May, October, and November. The advantages of this season are that most gorilla safari lodges lower the costs of accommodation to have visitors. Besides the accommodation costs, there is plenty of provisions for gorillas to feed and don’t usually look for more provisions keeping them in one place and making them easy to find.

The nature of the gorilla habitat, whether trekking during the dry season or wet season, trekkers need to fully pack properly with essentials items like waterproof hiking boots, water, energy drinks and snacks, long-sleeved shirts or t-shirts, a camera with no flashlight, a hat, rain jacket, sunscreen, waterproof backpack, trousers, and insect repellent. For a walking stick, you will be provided one at the park headquarters or a lodge.

In conclusion, when planning for a gorilla trekking trip, it is important that you identify the best season with the easiest trekking conditions regardless of the low rates.