Gorilla trekking has become one of the most exciting tourist activities in Africa. People travel from all over the world to have an encounter with their close relatives, who share 95% of their DNA with humans. Gorillas also have unique nose prints, just like humans have unique thumbprints. Book a Uganda trek to plan your own encounter.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, located in the southwestern part of Uganda, is one of the places where you can trek the endangered mountain gorillas in Africa. The park is not only home to half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas but is also known as the primate capital of the world, with 13 species of primates.
Bwindi is the most popular park for gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali.
Bikingi Gorilla Family
The Bikingi Gorilla Family can be trekked in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The habituation of this family began in 2012, after some members of the Mishaya gorilla family went missing. Some of the missing members were later found with non-habituated gorillas in this group, leading to the decision to habituate the group in order to monitor the former Mishaya members.
The Bikingi Gorilla Family is named after the Bikingi area in Bwindi, where the group was first spotted. The family consists of 15 members: 1 silverback, 5 infants, 2 juveniles, 2 sub-adults, and 5 adult females. The dominant silverback in the group is called Bikingi, after whom the group is named.
Gorilla Habituation in Rushaga
Tourists visiting the Rushaga sector of Bwindi National Park have a unique opportunity to join the gorilla habituation process and spend four hours with mountain gorillas.
Gorilla Permits
Uganda gorilla trekking permits cost $800 per person, while gorilla habituation permits cost $1,500 per person. Permits should always be booked in advance due to high demand, especially during the dry season.
What to Pack
Mountain gorilla trekking requires physical fitness and proper hiking gear, since gorillas live at higher elevations that require hiking.
Essential items include waterproof hiking boots, garden gloves, sunscreen, plenty of drinking water, energy snacks, insect repellent, warm and long-sleeved clothes, and more.
Best Time to Visit
The Rushaga sector of Bwindi National Park can be visited all year round, but the best time is during the dry season, from June to September and December to February, when the weather is most favorable for hiking.
A Family Born From Mishaya’s Legacy
The Bikingi family’s origin story ties it directly to the Mishaya gorilla family, whose ambitious silverback was known for fighting other groups to absorb their members. Trekking Bikingi today offers a chance to see the long-term result of that history firsthand, as the group’s membership traces back to gorillas who were once part of, or drawn in around, Mishaya’s original family before being brought under formal habituation for closer monitoring.
