Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda

The wettest areas are concentrated along the shores of Lake Victoria and the western mountain districts. Although rains are normally more frequent during the two rainy seasons (April-May and October-November), wet spells can occur during the dry season, so please come prepared. Uganda can be visited at any time, the weather is pleasant for much of the year over most of the country and temperatures are never excessively high.

The temperatures are usually cooler at night and this depends more on the altitude than on the actual area of the country.

This trip is graded Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate) with a Wildlife Rating of Four. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page or our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife Ratings. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Moderate grade applies specifically to the gorilla and chimp treks, the rest of the itinerary is graded Easy. Reasonable fitness is required for chimpanzee and gorilla tracking.

Gorilla trek: Owing to the terrain and the need to explore to find gorillas, the trek doesn’t follow a path in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; instead, the guides cut a route through the undergrowth. Expect a minimum of three hours of walking on rough terrain, with the possibility of climbing up to 8,553ft (2,607m); steep ascents and descents over muddy slopes are the norm. Strong footwear is essential and we recommend hiring a local porter to help you carry your bag/camera equipment and provide a steady, supportive hand (porters are arranged and paid for locally on the day).

This is a busy and active trip with some early starts as we explore as much as we can of this wonderful country. There are some long drives, sometimes on bad roads, but we use comfortable safari vehicles and the fantastic scenery does make time on the drives go by.

Booking conditions: At the time of booking, a £900 (or equivalent in booking currency) non-refundable deposit is required to cover the cost of the gorilla permit and a £260 (or equivalent in booking currency) non-refundable deposit is required to cover the cost of the chimp permit. If for any reason we are unable to secure the permits and must cancel the trip, you receive a full refund.

If you would like a second gorilla or chimp trek, please request this at time of booking, an extra deposit is required. However, we only request the extra permits once the trip has been guaranteed as, otherwise, they must be paid in full even if the trip doesn’t run. Once the extra gorilla or chimp permits have been requested, the deposits are non-refundable.