Gorilla trekking takes you to the heart of Uganda, a wildlife lovers’ paradise. Be at one with nature – trek the dense African jungle with gorillas, enjoy river cruises in beautiful national parks and cycle through the magnificent scenery. There’s a wealth of adventure to be had in Uganda. The memories will last a lifetime.
Only a handful of people get to spend time with wild mountain gorillas in their natural habit. Gorilla trekking is therefore both a fascinating and truly unique experience. There are roughly only 720 mountain gorillas left on the planet, and half of them are found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Learn more about mountain gorilla trekking and Follow Alice to the pearl of Africa to get a serious tick on that bucket list.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UGANDA
Trip Mix: 20% History & Culture | 30% Activity & Sport | 50% Wildlife & Nature
Focus Themes: Wildlife
Physical Rating: Moderate
Accommodation: Authentic, boutique style lodges and cottages, mid to upper scale
✓ Get up close and personal the worlds last population of Mountain Gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
✓ Mountain bike safari in Lake Mburo National Park
✓ Enjoy unparalleled views over Lake Bunyonyi
✓ Explore hidden islands on traditional Ugandan wooden boats
✓ Safari through Queen Elizabeth National Park
✓ Stopover at the equator and explore the city of Kampala
Explore Uganda with friends
Uganda map
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One of the most important things about any trip is having the right local knowledge. Our local guide, Dan, or more commonly known as ‘UganDan’, is an absolute superstar! Every person that goes on an adventure with Dan tells us how how much value he added to their experience. One of our clients commented that it was like “with a good friend who has invited you to his home country”.
Dan, our local Ugandan guide, makes all Follow Alice trips unforgettable
“Our guide Dan was very reliable, super committed to showing us as much wildlife as possible and above all, a ton of fun! We all wished we could extend for a few days and some of us already booked our next ‘UganDan’ experience with Follow Alice” Eva Maria Stolz
Arrival at Entebbe Int. Airport where Dan, our local Ugandan leader, picks you up and drives you to our guest houses. Check in and relax from the journey. In the evening, join us for an optional dinner with your fellow adventurers in Entebbe and possibly a drink in one of the local bars after. Or just enjoy the view on beautiful Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria – Uganda
We start early in the morning for a transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Refresh yourself with a swim in the pool upon arrival and enjoy lunch on Rwakobo Rock with scenic fews on the Ugandan grassland. If you are not too tired and prefer to relax at the pool we recommend to join us for a bike ride through Lake Mburo national park when the sun starts setting. We’ll see zebras, antelopes, baboons, long-horn cattle.. all from a very close range!
The zebras enjoy the sunset too..
We leave early again and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda near the Rwandan border with a stopover in Kabale. Kabale is located higher up the hills at almost 2,000m above sea level and hence enjoys more moderate temperatures year round.
We continue to our lodges – expect astonishing views from the terrace on the picturesque Lake Bunyonyi. Believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa, Lake Bunyonyi is one of the country’s top natural treasures. It’s framed by lush, green-terraced hills, but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical. After lunch, you can either relax, explore the neighbourhood on a quad bike or go bird watching. The word “Bunyonyi” in local language means “birds” and yes, you guessed right – because the lake is home to a extremely broad range of bird species!
Enjoy the stunning views over Lake Bunyonyi
After a hearty breakfast, we get on traditional Ugandan wooden boats and paddle to one of the islands where we enjoy lunch. The island features a small adventure park including a Ziplining facility across the lake. We invite everyone to give it a go or just swim in the lake and sunbathe. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit!
After a refreshing day at the lake, we transfer later in the afternoon to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where we check into our cottages in the Gorilla Camp to get ready for the big day to follow.
Exploring hidden islands via boat on Lake Bunyonyi
After an early breakfast, we get a briefing by the park rangers. We then begin our gorilla trek in the densely forested landscape of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. There are 3 different choices for gorilla trekking; short, medium and long. The long trek is roughly up to 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas in the jungle. For anyone physically in good shape we recommend the long one. Learn more about gorilla trekking here.
Gorillas are an endangered species – unfortunately, and there are only ~720 gorillas left in the wilderness. Only very few people get the chance every year to connect with them in their natural habit. It’s a truly unique experience to see these magnificent animals just a few meters away! We have packed lunch on the jungle trek and return to our lodge to relax late afternoon.
Mountain Gorillas can be found in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, we embark on a scenic journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive down the hills from Rushaga is packed with impressions and breathtakingly beautiful scenery. Drive by local farmers, picturesque African villages and pass through postcard-like valleys nestled in the hilly landscape. Refresh yourself in the pool after checking in the lodge and enjoy the views over Queen Elizabeth National Park. Later in the afternoon, go for a walk through the communities and get an impression of the Ugandan life. Or for the ones that are not too tired from the journey and the day before, there is an option to go on a Chimpanzee Trek in Kyambura Forest.
Beautiful sunset view from the lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today’s program is discovering Queen Elizabeth National Park – both from boat and by jeep. We expect to see lions, buffaloes, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles, elephants and many more at a close range. After the boat cruise ends around 4pm, we will visit the local salt lakes and get an introduction to another piece of Ugandan day to day life.
Spotting lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, we will take you to Kampala with a stopover at the equator for lunch. You can find here plenty of shops to buy souvenirs and gifts to take home for friends and family. We check into our guest house in Kampala late afternoon. Kampala is Uganda’s national and commercial capital and offers a lot of culture and nightlife. If you are not too tired from the journey, we would love to invite you for a farewell dinner at Ndere cultural centre with cultural shows and a buffet full of authentic local food. Kampala has also a bustling nightlife and our local friend will be happy to give you recommendations on how to end the trip with a bang!
Gorilla trekking safari car in Uganda
After a final local Ugandan breakfast, board your plane back home equipped with plenty of great memories and lots of new friends!
LEARN MORE ABOUT UGANDAWe look forward to exploring Uganda and going Gorilla trekking with you!
I trekked the jungle in Uganda with Follow Alice, it was a wonderful experience! Everyone was super friendly, the guides are like your mates and the program is very well planned – just the right mix of action, new adventures, time to relax and time to socialize. Really recommend going on a trip with these guys!
Went on the Uganda Gorilla Trekk adventure.
It was absolutely incredible! I wasn’t sure what to expect and the the itinerary completely surpassed my expectations. From doing a cycle Safari to beautiful boat rides – it was simple amazing.
Of course the main feature, Gorilla Trekking is a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget.
Added to this the landscape of Uganda has to be one of the most beautiful and breaking taking views I’ve ever seen.
Follow Alice was fantastic and I would highly recommend this trip to anyone interested in going to Uganda!
We did the Gorilla Trekking / Uganda trip in June 2017. We were the first group to do this trip. Still, pre-trip planning and communication was very good and then the two local guides Dan and Fred were simply excellent and taking best care of us, we always felt welcome and like at home.
Uganda is an incredibly beautiful country and the guides showed us some of its most stunning spots – it’s much “greener and mountaineous” then what we expected… The itinerary is diverse, authentic and interesting and there’s so much more to see than only the Gorillas. However, visiting the Bwindi Gorillas was a very special and impressive experience, it’s tremendously fascinating to see these peaceful giants in their natural habitat.
Overall, we fully recommend the trip to anyone looking for a truly special and unique experience…and a nice decelerating dose of authentic Africa!
We had a great trip to Murchisson Falls! Everything was perfectly organized and our guide Dan was very reliable, super committed to showing us as much wildlife as possible and above all, a ton of fun! We all wished we could extend for a few days and some of us already booked our next UganDan experience with Follow Alice. Well done!
Great experience!
1) Preperations were on point
2) Very-well organized and planned, just the way we wanted it
3) Our main man “Dan” was such an amazing guide
Bravo! Would definitely keep on following Alice �
Memorable and fun filled trip to Murchison Falls!
Our trip to Murchison Falls exceeded expectation and had lots of really memorable moments thanks to our super guide UganDan! Dan’s knowledge and commitment to making the trip really special for us was evident from the start and maintained throughout. The organisation and payment side of things was also great; super smooth and fast.
Great experience from the initial planning with Reto and his efforts to accomodate our demanding wishes all the way through to the pitch perfect execution of Dan who made the Safari and the trip around it unforgettable. It didn’t feel like travelling with a tourguide but more with a good friend who has invited you to his home country. Thanks FollowAlice!!
Well, Follow-ing Alice definetily took us to wonderland. My friends and I were very pleased with the service and particularly with our guide and travel companion, Dan, who contributed to making this experience unforgetable.
Thank you!
Amazing service through and through. As magical as our trip was, the guide and everything Follow Alice had to offer only made it better. From planning up until our return home, all of our needs/queries were dealt with efficiently and professionaly.
Thank you Alice 🙂
Followed Alice to Uganda in August 2018
My boyfriend and I contacted Follow Alice to organize a trip to Uganda with two friends of ours, and we really had a great experience. Reto and Dan were very responsive and developed a tailored itinerary based on our interests. We had several calls and a whatsapp group which made communication really easy and quick. The organization of the trip was perfect and enjoying the fantastic scenery was all we had to worry about. Dan is an excellent guide, extremely competent, professional and knowledgeable. We wouldn’t have enjoyed our experience as much and learned as much about Uganda without his insights. It truly was like travelling with a friend! I would definitely recommend following Alice (and Dan) to Uganda!
Our friends organised a trip to Uganda and Rwanda with FollowAlice in August 2018. FollowAlice really adapted the itinerary to each of our requests without problems. Communication was easy and we highly appreciated the efforts of FollowAlice to get us in touch with our local guide before travelling there, so that we were already familiar with him! Dan was an amazing guide and we really enjoyed travelling Uganda with him. 100% recommended (both FollowAlice and Dan!).
I just came back from an amazing 14 days trip to Uganda with Follow Alice, and I strongly recommend them. This was my second experience with Follow Alice, and just like the first trip, everything was flawless. Uganda is by itself a beautiful and fascinating country, and Follow Alice’s team helped us on adjusting the itinerary to meet exactly what we wanted: the right mix of culture, wildilife and adventure. It was EPIC. Dan, Follow Alice’s local ambassador and our guide, was incredible: he knows all the right places to go, and has a profound knowledge and love for Uganda. From the history and curiosities about each site, to the behavior of each animal and sound of each bird, no question went unanswered. And he never stops smiling 🙂 Our group was great: we were all on the same “vibe” and quickly got a good dynamic going. Accomodation and transport through the way was very good: we were always at good lodges, and the jeep was very comfortable and reliable. I’m really looking forward to my next adventure with Follow Alice.
We had a 2 week trip to Uganda with FollowAlice. It was incredible from the start, the pre holiday advice,tips and once in Uganda the experience with out local guide Dan. He was very personable and his local knowledge was great. He was attentive to details and understood what it takes to make a great experience for his “friends“. Uganda is a beautiful country, the difference in landscapes from one region to another was a unexpected surprise. The people are very friendly and there are many activities to do. Uganda is a wonderful destination and with Follow Alice, I was able to fulfil a dream of mine to see the gorillas. And I now look forward to planning my next Follow Alice adventure.
We booked a fairly last minute, two week tour of Uganda in December. Reto and Dan’s quick responses and Skype chat sold us on booking via Follow Alice. Dan exudes positivity, confidence, and really was the reason we fell for this colorful, emerging location. Dan made us feel safe, has a passion for animals, loves his country and has interesting insight on its current affairs. He gave up his Christmas (and our trainee guide JoJo’s) and New Year to provide us the trip of a lifetime. Dancing to sunset on a hill overlooking QENP on Christmas Eve, followed by a 5* buffet on Christmas Day overlooking elephants on the Kazinga Channel with our amazing guides was very special to us.
Things to note: We quickly found out some lodges separate the guides from the tourists (meals and lodging) which we were horrified by. These were unfortunately places we chose through reading reviews and not recommendations from Dan and Reto. Dan quickly sorted new, good places for us when this happened. Lesson learned, trust the experts! Meals can sometimes take awhile dependent upon lodge however almost all food is farm to table (fresh!) best tomatoes and avocados I’ve ever had. Do a community visit and buy gifts/clothes cheaply in Uganda. An unforgettable experience! I would give one word of caution: bring your own UNO playing cards. Uganda UNO seems rigged in Dan’s favor 😉
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16 Reviews
Great trip to Rwanda/Uganda!
The team were great at answering any of my concerns so all the planning went smoothly. On ground, Dan the local guide was truly amazing and supported us at every turn. He made sure we were comfortable and gave us recommendations for places to stay and eat.
I look forward to my next trip with Follow Alice.
A true “once in a lifetime” thing and the Follow Alice team made it an exceptional and outstanding experience.
Pre-trip communication was straight-forward and all questions were answered in a timely manner.
On ground the local guides were helpful and welcoming. We actually travelled with friends, not with guides.
Long story short – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.