There’s nothing quite like sharing a few long moments with a mountain gorilla family: the first glimpse of black as a juvenile jumps off a nearby branch, a toddler clings to its mother’s back and a giant silverback rises to size you up. To make the most of this life-changing experience, planning ahead is essential.
Any time you can. The experience will be incredible no matter when you go, but there are advantages to going at different times of the year.
It’s generally easier to track gorillas in the rainy seasons (March to May and September to November) because they hang out at lower altitudes. You may also get better photos in the rainy season, assuming it isn’t raining at the time you’re with the gorillas, because they love to sunbathe after getting wet. Then again, you’ll need to be wearing some serious wet-weather gear.
The busiest times on the mountains are December to February and July to August. Scoring permits takes more effort during these months, but that won’t matter if a tour company is handling things for you.
Permits are required to visit the gorillas and booking ahead is always a good idea, particularly if you’re planning to visit Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park from December to February or July to August. If you aren’t travelling in these months and you only have a very small window of opportunity, you should still make a reservation as far in advance as possible to be safe.
To make a phone booking for Rwanda, you need to pay a deposit by bank transfer, while in Uganda you’ll need to provide all the money up front. If you can’t get a gorilla permit on your own, you’ll need to go through a tour operator, which is often a good idea anyway. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), you can book online.
Klaus Middeldorf2024-10-06 Extrem schöne Safaritour, super organisiert. Wir haben uns immer perfekt betreut gefühlt. Preis-Leistungsverhältnis war sehr gut. Gerald war super Guide und Fahrer Tour im Oktober 2024 Erika Jones2024-09-23 Our 4 day excursion with Big apes was nothing short of incredible. Seeing chimps and gorillas was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Peter met with us the night before we left to welcome us and our safari guide/driver, Ezra, was very informative and receptive to our wants during the tour. All of the lodges we stayed at were clean with great food offerings, which were included. Would not hesitate to recommend using Big Apes Africa! Rohit2024-09-11 This is a great tour operator! From start to finish everything was perfect. My guide Brian was extremely knowledegable and friendly. Not a single thing to complain about, loved every single experience on our trip. Kevin Manning2024-08-03 We had a truly incredible experience trekking with the gorillas in Bwindi with Big Apes. The company very kindly accommodated both a change of date and a last minute change of drop off for us which we really appreciated. The accommodation arranged for us was exceptional and of course the experience trekking with the mountain gorillas was absolutely unforgettable. Patricia Carvalho Whyte Gailey2024-07-26 Big Apes Africa Made our Dream Come True! Wow, what an unforgettable experience with Big Apes Safari! This trip was everything we dreamed of and more. From the moment we set foot in Uganda, it was pure magic. We saw an incredible array of animals, including chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, and a mesmerizing variety of birds. Watching the sunset and sunrise over the savannah was breathtaking, and it felt like we were in a movie. Our guide, Gerald, was exceptional! He was so knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make sure my mom and I had the best time possible. His passion for the wildlife, the country's culture and his caring nature made our trip truly special. A huge shoutout to Peter, the agency owner, who meticulously organized every detail of our adventure. Seeing the gorillas in the wild was a lifelong dream for both me and my mom, and Peter made it all happen seamlessly. This trip was everything we hoped for and more, packed with adventure and wonder. We absolutely loved Uganda and can't thank Peter, Gerald, and the whole Big Apes Safari team enough for making our dreams come true. We highly recommend it! BARIGYE DAVIS2024-05-14 It is good alice iavarone2024-04-08 We had a very nice 5-days trip over the Easter break with Peter, travelling across Rwanda and Uganda and seeing Chimps, Gorillas and Golden Monkeys. Before the trip Peter was very responsive and flexible to accomodate our requests and make the trip as customized as needed, we really appreciated this as it felt the trip was perfect for us!! Once we arrived, everything was very smooth and all the experiences truly enjoyable, with a mix of nature, culture and society. Peter is a very knowledgeable guide and shared with us a lot of insights as we were travelling together. Bonus points for the 2 lodges we stayed at in Uganda: really beautiful and with a great service level. Will definitely recommend Peter and the Big Apes Safari team to friends and family planning to visit Uganda or Rwanda! Aurélie Busselot2024-03-15 We had an amazing time with Big apes. Before the trip I could easily communicatie with Peter through Whatsapp. He replied to our messages in a Timely manner and Made a programm that suited our wants and needs. Our driver Sam was super patient and well organised, he did his best to make the journey safe and unforgettable. Thanks to his cautions, we stayed far from danger. And we appreciate his care and respect towards animals. The lodges we had were all exotic, and most of times the food was pretty okay. The trips covered different places, which provided us a chance to seek different parts of the beautiful country. We saw a lot of wild animals (only pity is we missed leopards) and impressive nature. Over all, we had a amazing experience. I highly recommend Uganda as well as big apes!! Greetings from Belgium! Johannes Kettelhodt | Clearlight Saunas2024-02-23 We had an amazing time in Uganda. Our only regret was not staying longer. We had some small organisational issues which were promptly rectified. Special thanks goes to our guide Gerald, who was attentive, caring and shared lots of great details. He made the trip even more special. Thanks to Gerald, Peter and the entire team. Esmeralda Sierra2024-02-15 We did the 4-day monkey and gorilla tour from Rwanda to Uganda and it was amazing! Our tour guide was Kenneth and he was a pleasure to have as both a tour guide and as company. The experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was the highlight of the trip, from the accommodation to the gorilla trek. An added bonus was being able to see zebras on our 3 night, was not expecting it and it was a real treat. If you’re thinking of doing it, definitely go for it!
Devin Cain2024-12-02 AMAZING EXPERIENCE Amazing trip!!! I had Andrew and it was such a great time. The gorillas were THE COOLEST EVER. Andrew was a great safe driver and let me Connect and play allll my favorite music! Plus I added on the golden monkeys and the tour group made it so easy!! Erika M2024-09-23 Amazing 4 days seeing primates in Uganda! Our 4 day excursion with Big apes was nothing short of incredible. Seeing chimps and gorillas was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Peter met with us the night before we left to welcome us and our safari guide/driver, Ezra, was very informative and receptive to our wants during the tour. All of the lodges we stayed at were clean with great food offerings, which were included. Would not hesitate to recommend using Big Apes Africa! Augusto2024-08-16 Uganda 2024 thanks for the beautiful safari and the wonderful guide Gerald. Gerald was fantastic, kind and very helpful. we will recommend him in Italy together with your agency: Big Apes Africa. Greetings. Kevin M2024-08-03 Gorilla trekking We had a truly incredible experience trekking with the gorillas in Bwindi with Big Apes. The company very kindly accommodated both a change of date and a last minute change of drop off for us which we really appreciated. The accommodation arranged for us was exceptional and of course the experience trekking with the mountain gorillas was absolutely unforgettable. Stephen M2024-07-08 Bucket list experience I was planning a last minute trip and had all but given up on being able to see mountain gorillas while I was working in Kigali, but Peter and Big Apes Africa came through and made my dream a reality. My trip included golden monkeys in Volcanoes NP, mountain gorillas in Bwindi NP, and relaxing at Lake Bunyonyi. Peter handled everything very professionally and I was happy to have the logistics in his hands. The hotels that were chosen were all excellent, much better than I had been expecting. As a solo traveler, I also felt the trip was great value for money. Peter had great conversation on the car rides and I learned a lot from him. Overall, I would highly recommend Big Apes Africa. Pete E2024-06-07 Made My Dream Come True! Gorillas, chimps, golden monkeys and more! I spent much time researching for this safari as it's been a dream since childhood to see chimps and gorillas in the wild. I had such high expectations that I thought would never be matched. But they were! Completely! Peter, my driver and guide, was wonderful. In fact, I wince at calling him a driver or guide as he actually became a friend. We saw so much more than just the big apes. A fascinating cultural village, the golden monkeys, the safari drives, the canoeing on the lake, boat trip etc. The accommodation arranged by Big Apes Africa were fantastic. I seem to remember them being called 'budget', when I booked up, but they were far superior to anything I would call budget. Upper mid-range would be more fitting. Always clean rooms, incredible customer service and very generous servings of food. Peter went above and beyond, giving great advice on how to enjoy each of the tours and always providing extra services such as making sure my shoes were clean, lol! He's an intelligent man with many interesting stories, who remains very calm and collected in all situations. We also had some great lunches in various local restaurants which are also all included in the price. If any of my friends or relatives were travelling to Uganda/Rwanda, I would 100% recommend Big Apes Africa. It was without doubt, worth every single penny, and then some! Namandi A2024-06-03 A memorable weekend at Murchison Park Uganda. Murchison National Park is indeed a treasure to Uganda. The views were amazing and relaxing at the same time. We took many photos to remember our weekend.The customer service was excellent. Fionah F2024-06-03 A trip to Murchision falls National Park The trip was very memorable. We saw several animals in the Savanna including some cats. We look lovely pics especially the spectacular falls, sunset and several animals that sites. Enjoyed the boat cruise, the game drive the food and the entire trip as a whole. Lovely it was. Peace A2024-06-03 An exquisite trip with unparalleled service Our booking was for a 3 day trip to Murchison falls Np with Big apes Africa. Their service was impeccable. Our lodges were carefully chosen with warm and inviting staff, and our food was so tasty! Our guide peter was mindful and thoughtful. He guided us through the activities tirelessly responding to our inquiries of which were many. The sheer force of the water at the top of the falls was magical, an awesome sight to behold and the trip to the bottom of the falls by boat where we saw hippos, crocodiles and all the beautiful birds patched on the little islands can only be described as phenomenon. All in all, nothing beats the graceful walk of the giraffes as they look for their tree top delicacies, or the buffalos waddling in the mud and a herd of elephant with their young spotted in the game drives. A truly unparalleled experience. zucci172024-04-29 Gorillas, golden monkeys & chimpanzees I have been on many safaris in different countries in Africa and this one in Rwanda and Uganda did not disappoint, instead it left me with a feeling of - there is more to discover in these countries.Peter, our tour operator and guide was extremely helpful in tailoring a trip to fit our time frame and still include all our must sees - Gorilla, Chimps, golden monkeys and Shoebill. He was responsive, flexible, good company and knowledgeable on the ground whilst touring.it was an active trip and the accommodation was much appreciated after arduous trekking, especially at my favourite, Bweza Gorilla Lodge in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.I would recommend this company, their service and expertise to anyone looking to travel in this part of the world