Information Centres

Uganda Wildlife Authority has well established four gorilla trekking trailheads of Buhoma (headquarters), Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. Visitors can choose a gorilla trekking center of their choice at the time of booking a gorilla permit. With 14 habituated groups of gorillas in the park, chances are 99% guaranteed to see gorillas in their natural habitat on a guided trek.

Gorilla trekking centers being located in different sections of Bwindi forest, a gorilla trek is much more an excellent way to experience the beauty of forested mountain terrain as well as its diversity of flora and fauna.

So you can be hiking over the soaring mist covered tropical forests one day in search for the gorillas and birding or dancing with BaTwa pygmies the next while on a village walk. In addition, there are camps and lodges as well as craft shops, restaurants some which are locally owned offering wide range of accommodation and options for shopping and dining.

Even though Buhoma area in the north currently with 3 habituated gorillas was the first area for gorilla trekking, it’s likely to be overtaken by other sectors in south such as Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga itself has 5 habituated groups of gorillas.

One good reason is that the sectors can be easily accessed by visitors on a combined Rwanda-Uganda gorilla safari. To do this however, you need an east African single tourist visa which gives entry access minus paying additional visa fees to Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

From Kigali city or volcanoes national park in northern Rwanda it takes only 3 hours drive to Bwindi forest than it is to drive for 12 hours from Entebbe airport or Kampala city.

There’s a possibility many gorilla permits are therefore booked for Rushaga. In addition, Ruhija trekking center is the only center for gorilla habituation experience. This new activity is based on two groups of gorillas that are still under habituation which are Bushaho and Bikingi. The experience is more exclusive and is available only in Uganda where visitors spend up to 4 hours with those semi-habituated gorillas than it is to spend 1 hour during gorilla trekking.