Uganda is one of the few countries in the world where you can trek mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Uganda can be done at the famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, which are located in the Virunga Range volcanoes. To plan your own trek, browse Uganda tours.
Uganda has 18 habituated mountain gorilla families in Bwindi, and each family can be visited by up to 8 tourists per day. Want to compare options across the country first? Browse all itineraries covering these gorilla families.
These families are distributed across the four sectors of Bwindi National Park: Ruhija sector, Rushaga sector, Buhoma sector, and Nkuringo sector.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park currently has only one habituated gorilla family.
Popular Mountain Gorilla Groups in Uganda
The popular Ugandan mountain gorilla families and groups include the following.
Nshongi Gorilla Family
The Nshongi gorilla family is found in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The family is named after the Nshongi River, where rangers first spotted them. At the time of habituation, the family had 35 members, but the number later reduced to 25 after Mishaya broke off with 10 members to form his own family. The group split again when Bweza left to form another family. The current dominant silverback is Nshongi.
Rushegura Gorilla Family
The Rushegura gorilla family is led by the silverback Kabukojo. This group was formed after splitting from the Habinyanja gorilla family following the death of the dominant silverback, Mugurisi. This group is easy to trek in Bwindi and is often seen near the park headquarters, Batwa villages, and Buhoma camp.
Nkuringo Gorilla Family
The Nkuringo gorilla family is in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi National Park. The group was initially led by the silverback Nkuringo and later by his son Safari after Nkuringo’s death. This is one of the gorilla families in Bwindi that has twins.
Habinyanja Gorilla Family
The Habinyanja gorilla family is one of the oldest in Bwindi National Park. The group was habituated in 1997 and opened for tourism in 1999. The family is named after the swampy area, Nyanja, where rangers first spotted them. The group was initially led by the silverback Mugurisi, meaning “old man.” Mugurisi’s son, Mwirima, later broke off to form the Rushegura family.
Mubare Gorilla Family
The Mubare gorilla family is the oldest habituated gorilla family in Uganda. The group was first habituated in 1991 and opened for tourism in 1993. This family can be trekked in the Buhoma region of Bwindi National Park. The family is named after the Mubare hills, where rangers first spotted them.
Oruzogo Gorilla Family
The Oruzogo gorilla family was opened for tourism on June 20, 2011. It can be trekked in the Ruhija region of Bwindi and is led by the silverback Tibirikwata. The family has 23 members and includes twins born in 2012 to the female Kabobe.
Bitukura Gorilla Family
The Bitukura gorilla family is found in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi National Park. This group is led by a young silverback named Ndahura, which is uncommon, as older silverbacks usually dominate gorilla groups.
Mishaya Gorilla Family
The Mishaya gorilla family was formed when the silverback Mishaya broke away from the Nshongi family with some females to form his own group. Mishaya is known for fighting other groups to expand his family.
Busingye Gorilla Family
The Busingye gorilla family was formed when the silverback Busingye left the Kahungye family to start his own group. The group was opened for tourism in 2011 and is found in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi National Park. The name “Busingye” means “peace” in the local language.
Kahungye Gorilla Family
The Kahungye gorilla family was opened for tourism in 2011 and can be trekked in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi National Park. The family is named after the Kahungye hills, where they were first spotted. The group initially had 27 members but later reduced when Kahungye broke away to form his own family. The group is now led by the silverback Gwigi.
Nyakagezi Gorilla Family
The Nyakagezi gorilla family is the only habituated group in Mgahinga National Park. The group was initially dominated by Bujingo but is now led by Mark, assisted by Mafia. The group currently has 10 members.
Other Ugandan Gorilla Groups
Other mountain gorilla groups include the Katwe, Christmas, Mukiza, Muyambi, Mucunguzi, Posho, Binyindo, Kutu, Bikingi, Bushaho, Bweza, and Hirwa gorilla families.
