A Short 3-Day Gorilla Habituation Experience Itinerary Starting and Ending in Kigali-Rwanda
Have you ever imagined what it feels like to stand just a few metres away from a wild mountain gorilla in the heart of an African rainforest? This short 3 days gorilla habituation experience road tour to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers an unforgettable 4-hour primate experience and something quite different from a traditional 1 hour gorilla trekking experience.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Rushaga sector) allows tourists to spend 4 hours with semi-habituated mountain gorillas alongside researchers and it can take up to five years for a group of gorillas to become habituated involving constant dedication and monitoring by the park’s rangers and trackers. Gorilla habituation process is important for the ongoing conservation, care and protection of the endangered creatures.
The 3 Days Habituation Experience in Bwindi starts and ends in Kigali-Rwanda though it is still possible to start and end this tour from Entebbe International Airport by flight to Kisoro Airstrip or by road if you are comfortable with long hours of driving ( 9-10Hours ).
Travelers should note that Gorilla habituation experience begins earlier than usual on the trekking day because tourists need to follow the Gorillas throughout the day and on meeting the gorilla family they have 4 hours to observe the gorilla group and get to know the different individuals as they take photos and videos.
A Short Gorilla Habituation Itinerary To Inspire You!
Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today you will be picked up by your Driver from either your hotel in Kigali City or from the Kigali International Airport and he or she will transfer you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through Katuna Border crossing arriving in time for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation Option: Ultra-Luxury ( Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge), Luxury ( Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge), Mid-range( Four Gorillas Lodge), Budget ( Bweza gorilla Lodge )
Day 2: Gorilla Habituation Experience
Today after a very early breakfast you will be transferred to the Rushaga sector park headquarters for briefing about the rules and regulations of Gorilla Trekking before you embark on the trekking led by a team of researchers and Park Rangers in the dense jungle of Bwindi. On finding the gorillas, you will interact with them for Four hours and you will be required to keep a longer distance with the gorillas because they are not yet certified as suitable for closer encounters. Later in the evening you will retreat back to the lodge with enormous knowledge about gorilla’s conservation, enjoy your dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation Option: Ultra-Luxury ( Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge), Luxury ( Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge), Mid-range( Four Gorillas Lodge), Budget ( Bweza gorilla Lodge )
Day 3: Transfer to Kigali International Airport For departure Flight
Today after breakfast you will be transferred back to Kigali arriving in time for check in for your flight back home or to your next destination.
End of Tour
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Who Can Join This Trip?
This trip Itinerary is crafted for travelers with a short time in Africa but are interested in trekking with the gorillas and would love to immerse themselves in the world of these gentle giants with a 4 hours experience. Due to the steep terrain, dense vegetation and high altitudes, a reasonable level of fitness is required for visitors on foot and the minimum age requirement for the gorilla habituation experience is 15 years.
What is the Cost of the 3 Days Gorilla Habituation Experience Package?
This 3-days package cost is tailored based on ones choice in-terms of accommodation type, road or flight transfers and the number of people one is travelling with. All these costs are an addition to the mandatory fixed cost of the permit at USD1800 Per Person.
Kindly let us know the number of people you are traveling with, your preferred type of accommodation, whether you want to do flight especially when arriving from Entebbe International Airport and your dates of travel so that our team can prepare for you the customized itinerary and best quote.
What Happens on the Day of Enjoying The Gorilla Habituation Experience ?
On the day of gorilla habituation experience, visitors booked for the habituation experience will gather at park headquarters of Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by 6:30am for briefing by park officials and later the research team at 7:30 am before commencing the activity at 8:00am. The activity involves hiking through steep and dense parts of the forest hence we recommend that you carry drinking water and put on hiking shoes for a better encounter.
When the trekkers finally find the gorilla family under habituation, they will be allowed to spend a maximum of 4 hours interacting with the family members and taking pictures
Please note that the minimum age for the gorilla habituation experience in Uganda is 15 years of age.
How to book This 3 Days Gorilla Habituation Package with Engabi Tours and Travel:
To book this tour package with Engabi Tours and Travel, please contact us on WhatsApp at +256-757341593 Or send us an email at info@gorillasafaridiscovery.com
Our payments are preferred in US Dollars and currency exchange rates vary daily based on the current international banking data available.
We accept wire transfers and credit card payments and Payment by credit card are subject to a surcharge of 3.5%.
Please Note that this tour should be booked at-least 1 year in advance to avoid missing out on the permits since habituation permits are limited to 4 people per family per day.
What to pack for the 4 Days gorilla Habituation Experience Tour
It’s important to come well prepared for the incredible experience of trekking on this 4 Days tour and below is our recommended packing list:
- Waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support
- Waterproof jackets and trousers
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Lightweight woolen socks
- Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses for sun protection
- Toiletries such as sun cream, insect repellent, after-sun, bite relief cream and lip balm
- Garden gloves
- A small backpack to carry your water, lunch, extra clothes, binoculars and camera
- Camera with extra lenses and batteries
- Binoculars
- Snacks for extra energy
- A reusable water bottle to limit waste
- Multi-way travel adaptor.
Why Do we recommend that You start and end This trip from Kigali and Not Entebbe?
We highly recommend recommend that you start and end this trip from Kigali International Airport in Rwanda becuase Kigali is more closer to Bwindi at approximately 5 hours compared to Entebbe International Airport which is located almost 10 hours from Bwindi.
However, you may start and end this trip from Entebbe International Airport if you are willing to use a mixture of short road transfers and small Air craft domestic flights to bwindi and back. You may also start and end the trip in Entebbe if you are comfortable with long road drives of approximately 10 hours to Bwindi and back.
Note that we help to book your domestic flights when required.
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Frequently Asked Questions about 3 Day Gorilla habituation Experience
What is the difference between normal gorilla trekking and Gorilla habituation Experience?
The major difference is that while normal gorilla trekking involves a group of 8 tourists hiking the forest in search of the already habituated gorilla families in their natural habitat and spend one hour with them, gorilla habituation experience involves a group of 4 tourists familiarizing with wild gorillas so as to make them accommodate human interaction and presence for a maximum of 4 Hours.
How much is a gorilla habituation Experience permit in Uganda?
According to Uganda Wildlife Authority, a Gorilla Habituation Experience permit in Uganda costs $1800 per person per trek for foreigners and USD1600 for foreign residents. A Gorilla habituation permit includes park entrance fee, ranger guides who take you to visit the gorillas and conservation fees.
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