Mountain gorillas can be visited in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are several groups that have been habituated for visitors to see the mountain gorillas in the wild. You’re likely to glimpse mountain gorillas on extended trips in these regions. Though there are several locations to see mountain gorillas, here are the best locations where mountain gorillas have become habituated to human presence, and / or where viewing facilities allow you to watch gorillas at close range. This page provides basic information about some of the best gorilla viewing locations in Africa, along with photos, video and longer descriptions of sites I’ve personally visited. When planning also a gorilla safari in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Uganda
In Uganda, there are two national parks where travelers go gorilla trekking; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, there are ten habituated mountain gorilla groups that are open to tourists while in Mgahinga National Park there is only 1 gorilla group available.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The popular Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is the most visited national park in Uganda and if you are to travel independently to this park, you will need to be in position in knowing the region in which you should track gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable national park has four regions in which gorilla tracking can take place and you should know that by choosing certain regions it will influence the cost of transport and accommodation choice.
The first and most visited region is the Buhoma where even the Uganda wildlife authority headquarters are located. It is a drive of about 8-9 hours drive from the capital Kampala. This region has three gorilla families that can be trekked from this side to mention include Mubare Gorilla, Habinyanja gorilla group and Rushegura gorilla family.
Ruhija Section is located in the eastern part of Bwindi Forest, and can be accessed through Kabale town or Buhoma region this section has three gorilla families they include Oruzogo gorilla family, Bitukura and Kyaguriro gorilla groups. If it happens to use the Buhoma route, then from Buhoma to ruhija is approximately two hours drive.
You can also choose to stay in Buhoma and track in Ruhija but an early wake up is also required as there is a two hours drive from Buhoma to Ruhija. The other section is the Rushaga and Nkuringo sections which are located in kisoro just about 9-10 hours drive from Kampala via Mbarara and kabala. This region has gorilla groups such as Nshongi, Mishaya, Kahungye, Busingye, Bweza while in Nkuringo, we do have Nkuringo Gorilla group.
Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park
The Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda is the second most popular spot for gorilla trekking. Located within a distance of just 3 hours drive from Kigali, this is the most accessible of all national parks.
