Gorilla Trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda
What to expect, photography tips, and helpful insights.
In November 2024, I had the privilege of checking off a major travel bucket list item: Gorilla Trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda and at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. I had a phenomenal time during both treks and cannot recommend the experience enough. I typically watch a lot of videos before I visit a place and do a ton of research, but for the treks, I chose to keep the research to a minimum and just enjoy the experience as it unfolded.
Member of the Habinyanja family having a snack. Photographed with Sony A7R3 & 400mm f2.8 lens
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Quick Info
Permit is $800
There are two locations to gorilla trek in Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (most popular) and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Minimum age required to track is 15
Trekking can take as long as five hours, but can also be as quickly as one hour
The terrain is in a rainforest and can be very slippery and steep in areas
Time spent with the gorillas, one hour
Mask required during time with gorillas (not for the hike in)
Dry season (high demand for the limited permits) is June to September & December to February
Groups of up to 8 people
Good hiking boots are a must, walking sticks are provided
Groups are assigned by permit number
Photographed with Sony A7R3 & 400mm f2.8 lens
The day had finally arrived; it was time to trek and see these magnificent creatures that we share 98.4% of our DNA with in the wild. When you arrive, your guide will get you checked in and will find out what gorilla group you will be assigned to. While that happens, guests are treated to entertainment from a local women’s group, and then the head ranger discusses the rules for trekking, one rule being if they happen to charge towards you, don’t run, get down on their level. Because there are groups that track the gorillas’s movements the night before based on their nests, they will generally have an idea of in the morning how long your trek will take depending on what gorilla group you are assigned to. After you are placed into your groups, you drive to your point of entry into the park, which could be nearby, or take over an hour off-roading while you enjoy your “African massage.”
The group will consist of a ranger, trackers, and others armed for protection. Additionally, porters are for hire to carry your bags. In this case, hiring a porter for $20 is providing a family with much-needed income and is not about your fitness levels; many of these porters are former poachers, and by becoming porters, they are offered a chance to support their families in a way that protects the forest and its inhabitants. They not only carry your belongings (including a packed lunch and water) but also assist you in the forest when the steep terrain gets tricky to navigate.
Trekking team at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Photographed with the Sony A1 + 24-70mm f2.8
Though it was considered the light rainy season, the day brought sunshine and fantastic weather for trekking. The 9-member gorilla group, Habinyanja, that we were assigned ended up being just a quick thirty-minute trek into the woods, with an hour's drive to get to the start. Our walk to the forest began among lush, rolling tea fields with stunning views overlooking the valley below. The scenery was not what I had conjured up in my mind when I had thought about trekking in Uganda and was reminiscent of the rich greenery in Vietnam and northern Thailand I had seen. Once we arrived at the edge of the forest, it was a quick fifteen-minute hike down in. As we approached the gorillas, the excitement grew. ‘They are right there through the trees”, our guide told us.
The group was sunbathing in a large open field, which was the best conditions for viewing them unobstructed. Before we entered the field where they were relaxing, we left our belongings with our porters and masked up. From that point, we had an hour with the gorillas.
Photographed with Sony A7R3 & 400mm f2.8 lens
Photography Information
Since you have to leave all of your bags and belongings with the porters while approaching the gorillas, I could only use whatever I had on me. For cameras, I wore the Sony A1 and Sony A7R3 bodies, paired with the 135mm f1.8 lens and the 400mm f2.8 lens. You are required to keep at least ten meters away from the gorillas at all times, which honestly is very close. I was unsure how close it would end up being, so I wanted to be prepared with longer lenses. In retrospect, I could have used the 24-70mm f2.8, but I had no issues making both longer lenses work with the location that we lucked out with.
Gorillas are pretty slow-moving creatures (most of the time), which makes documenting them easier. The challenge in the field became trying to get an angle on them while they were sitting in the sun where their faces weren’t entirely in shadow and then trying to create something interesting in a field of all green. I found myself lying on my stomach to get lower angles to frame the green leaves around the gorillas (pictured above). After a bit, they moved to the woods line into the partial shade, but that allowed me to get a bit closer and use my longer lenses to document their hands, noses, and eyelashes out of the direct morning sunlight.
Close up details of a gorilla’s hands. Photographed with the Sony A7R3 + 400mm f2.8
Close-up of a sleeping gorilla’s face. Photographed with the Sony A1 + 135mm f1.8
My gorilla trekking experience in Uganda was quite different from my trek in Rwanda. Different scenery, weather, and gorilla families. If you are fortunate to trek to a gorilla group in an open area and have room to maneuver, here are some tips:
Photograph the gorillas from as many angles as you can
Use foliage as a frame
Consider your light source—the sun's direction (if it’s out)—and choose your angle accordingly.
Be patient. If the gorilla subject you are trying to photograph isn’t in the best spot or light, move on to another and wait until they move. Unlike with people, we don’t have the luxury of asking them to turn their face into the light or change their pose :) You have to work with what is in front of you.
If you can only bring one camera and lens on your adventure, I recommend a versatile longer zoom like the Sony 70-200 f2.8 II. This will give you more variety in your images and allow you to get wide and close-up photos.
Back to basic photography 101, but remember, when you meter for 0 on a dark subject, the reading will give you a slightly overexposed image to render 18% grey. Keep this in mind if you are finding your images to be overexposed, and purposely underexpose the reading to correct it. If you are shooting in live view mode, you should be able to see this in real time and make adjustments.
Silverback of the Habinyanja family. Photographed with Sony A7R3 & 400mm f2.8 lens
Final Thoughts
Gorilla trekking in Uganda is an incredible experience, and I would gladly do it again if I had the chance. If seeing gorillas is on your wildlife bucket list, be prepared for treks that can range from short and manageable to long and physically demanding. To make the most of it, prepare ahead of time with regular hikes and exercise. The trek is a significant investment, so good hiking boots are essential. If capturing stunning images is also a priority, invest in quality camera gear (you can also rent; save $25 with this link). If you find the journey challenging, don’t hesitate to lean on your porter—they’re there to help. With the proper preparation, you’ll be ready to fully enjoy this unforgettable adventure.
Trip Booked with: Flyga Twiga
Accomodations: Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge
*This post contains affiliate links, which means should you book or purchase something, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting my blog!
Find this post helpful?
Pin it for later!
