Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest vs Virunga Mountains

Most tour operators and blog posts talk about which country to visit for gorilla trekking. We do the same in Gorilla trekking in Rwanda vs Uganda. But here we want to tackle the issue from a different angle: should you go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (which is in Uganda) or the Virunga Mountains (which is in both Uganda and Rwanda)?

Bwindi and the Virungas are two quite different ecosystems and so a gorilla trek looks a little different depending upon which one you choose to visit.

Bwindi Forest is a dense montane jungle

In Rwanda, you can only do a mountain gorilla trek in the Virunga Mountains (at Volcanoes National Park). But in Uganda you can visit the mountain gorillas of the Virunga Mountains (at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park) or those of Bwindi Forest (at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park).

One of the mountain gorillas living in the Virungas ecosystem

So let's look at two important differences between gorilla trekking in the Virungas and Bwindi:

The gorilla trekking trails of Bwindi Forest are generally more forested, while those of the Virungas are usually a bit more in the open. The trails you hike in Bwindi are also usually a but steeper and more slippery than those in the Virungas.

One of our clients in Bwindi Forest

That said, the Virunga Mountains are at a much higher altitude than Bwindi Forest, which can make trekking them a little more taxing on the body. The table below shows the elevation range of each ecosystem ...

The high altitude of a trek to find a gorilla troop in the Virungas of Mgahinga NP or Volcanoes NP can be taxing on the body if you've only just arrived in the region from a lower elevation. This is one of the reasons why we suggest doing a golden monkey trek before your mountain gorilla trek in the Virungas, as the monkey trek happens at a lower altitude and so helps your body to better acclimatise (acclimate) before it must trek even higher to find gorillas.

Golden monkeys also live in the Virungas

The Virunga Mountains naturally offer a different sort of scenery to Bwindi Forest.

The Virungas are a collection of volcanic mountain peaks and you can do challenging hikes that take you up above the tree line and into gorgeous subalpine moorland. You can also climb to the tops of the peaks if you'd like. From this high up, you can enjoy incredible views of the landscape below on clear days.

The start of the moorland zone on a hike up Mt Gahinga in Mgahinga NP

You can also do a variety of incredible forest hikes in Bwindi, but they're nature walks and not summit hikes. Bwindi Forest is characterised by smaller, more rounded mountains, which are often shrouded in mist. Most of Bwindi NP is covered in very thick forest, hence the ecosystem's official name of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

The wildlife and birds that you can spot in both the Virungas and Bwindi are absolutely sublime. So animal-lovers will have a fantastic time no matter which ecosystem they choose to visit for their mountain gorilla trek.

Coarse chameleons can be found in both Bwindi and the Virungas

Both the Virunga Mountains and Bwindi Forest offer a very similar gorilla trekking experience. That is to say, you're only allowed to spend an hour with your gorilla troop once it's been found. (If you want to spend longer with a troop, then you need to go to Bwindi and pay more for a gorilla habituation experience.)

So please know that a gorilla trek in either ecosystem is a truly special adventure, and you can't go wrong no matter which one you choose! As mentioned, we discuss other possible considerations like the cost and what other activities you want to do in the region in Gorilla trekking Uganda vs Rwanda.

A one-month-old infant with its mother

If you'd like to visit mountain gorillas, please check out our incredible Uganda gorilla trekking options or our equally fantastic Rwanda gorilla trekking options. We'd love to help make this dream of yours a reality!