Why trek Uganda gorillas from Kigali

Why trek Uganda gorillas from Kigali : Gorilla trekking is an adventurous activity on which you meet fully habituated mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, on this adventure you are allowed to stay in their presence for one hour watching the gorillas go on about there day today life grooming the infants, feeding, reproduction and so much more.

In Uganda, gorilla trekking is done two destinations that is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park both situated in southwestern Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most popular gorilla trekking destination in the world partly because it hosts half of the world’s remaining gorilla population and also the highest number of habituated gorilla families.  The park is divided into 4 gorilla trekking sectors that is Buhoma Sector, Ruhija Sector, Ruhija Sector and Nkuringo Sectors hosting 19 habituated gorilla families which are open for gorilla trekking.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the second gorilla trekking destination in Uganda also located in the southwestern region of Uganda, the park is home to only one habituated gorilla family that is Nyakagezi. This gorilla family is popularly known for its ever moving tendencies to DR.Congo’s Virunga National Park.

It is very possible to trek mountain gorillas in Uganda from Kigali, this kind of setting is preferred by many tourists for various reasons such as short driving time, affordable gorilla safari among others.

Tourists have to fly into Kigali International Airport in Rwanda and then travel by road to Uganda on a drive of approximately 4 hours to Bwindi or Mgahinga for a gorilla trekking experience.

Here are the reasons to why you choose to trek gorilla in Uganda from Kigali

Proximity of Uganda’s Gorilla Destinations – the main reason why travelers choose the gorilla trekking safari in Uganda starting from Kigali is the closeness of the city of Kigali to the Uganda’s gorilla destinations that is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. this makes the Uganda gorilla safaris less hectic.

From Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park the distance is longer compared to Kigali. It is a drive of approximately 8 to 9 hours from Entebbe and from Kigali City it is a drive of 4 to 5 hours. The short distance will allow you spend more time exploring the misty forests with an encounter with mountain gorillas and less time on the road.

The journey is approximately 176.8 kilometers, almost thrice shorter the distance from Entebbe to Bwindi.

Note: Rushaga and Nkuringo Sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are located just a few kilometers from the border of Rwanda and Uganda.

Note: The borders do not close, you can arrive at 6 Pm and transfer to Bwindi on the same day.

Save Money – Uganda gorilla tours from Kigali is way much cheaper than starting from Entebbe or Kampala City, it is possible to arrive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on the same day just like you can trek gorillas in Bwindi and transfer to Kigali City for departure on same day.

If you choose to start your gorilla trek from Kampala, you will have to spend money on accommodation for the first and last night of your safari. The Uganda gorilla trek cost is also friendly, instead of spending $ 1500 on Uganda permits, you will spend $ 800 on each Uganda permit.

Shorter Trips – the short distance makes it easy to carry out shorter trips, you can even visit Bwindi in two days and you arrive in Kigali and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on day one then track gorillas and transfer back to Kigali for departure on the second day.

However, we recommend staying for at least two nights in Bwindi, three to four day Bwindi tours are perfect.

 Multiple Gorilla Trekking Options – unlike Rwanda, Uganda offers a lot of options for gorilla trekking since it has two destinations for the gorilla tracking that is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Therefore, there are lots of families you can track here as well.

These options make tracking in Uganda flexible, you can have a higher chance of seeing the gorillas, several fitness levels are also catered for as the elderly can take shorter routes.

 Scenic Drive – there is a lot of beautiful scenery on your way from Kigali City to the Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks. This is another adventure before the gorilla adventure.

Along the way, you will see rolling hills, beautiful village settlements and amazing landscapes. The drive will also allow you to explore the beautiful beauties of both Rwanda and Uganda.

Crossing to Uganda through the Cyanika Border 

The Cyanika border is a linking point between Uganda and Rwanda, the border is found in the Southwestern part of Uganda and the Northeastern part of Rwanda. From Cyanika border, it is a 30 minutes’ drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and is only 10 kilometers from Kisoro town.

The Cyanika/ Kyanika Border can be reached within a 3-hour drive from Kigali – the capital of Rwanda.

Crossing to Uganda through the Katuna Border (Gatuna Border)

Katuna border also known as Gatuna in Kinyarwanda is a border crossing between Uganda and Rwanda, the border town on the Rwandan side is called Gatuna while on the Ugandan side is known as Katuna.

This border is primarily used for imports and exports between Uganda and Rwanda making it the busiest border in Rwanda.

The border is about a 15-minute drive from Kabale and town near both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.