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1 Day Gorilla Tour in Bwindi from Kigali
1 day · starts in Kigali
The cheapest full price, with 18 reviews
Bwindi guide · 7 sections
Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Uganda by Sector, with Access and Tours
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park holds 459 mountain gorillas (2018 census) — over 40% of the world’s 1,063 — in 25 families open to visitors across four sectors. Buhoma in the north is the easiest walk and the closest to the Kihihi airstrip; Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south are 4–5 hours from Kigali; Ruhija in the east is the highest, at about 2,350 m. Your permit is for one sector, so the sector is the first thing to decide.
Updated Oct 2026 · Prices checked Oct 2026
459gorillas in Bwindi, 2018 census
25families open to visitors
4sectors — and your permit is for one
1,160–2,607 maltitude range
≈ 1 h 10flight from Entebbe to Kihihi or Kisoro
$800gorilla permit
Which Sector for Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Uganda?
Bwindi is one forest with four entry points. They sit hours apart by road, so a permit for Buhoma is no use in Rushaga — the sector decides your drive, your lodge and how hard the walk is likely to be.
Where you come from → which sector
From Kigaliby road
Cyanika borderRushagaNkuringo4–5 h
Katuna borderBuhomaRuhija4–6 h
From Entebbeby air
Kihihi airstrip · ≈ 1 h 10 flight, then by roadBuhoma ≈ 1 hRuhija 2+ h
Kisoro airstrip · ≈ 1 h 10 flight, then by roadRushaga ≈ 1 hNkuringo 1–1.5 h
From Kampala or Entebbeby road
Road from KampalaBuhoma≈ 8 h
- Map of Bwindi — OpenStreetMap, loads as you scroll.
- Buhoma (north) · 6 gorilla families
- Ruhija (east) · 6 gorilla families
- Rushaga (south) · 9 gorilla families
- Nkuringo (south) · 4 gorilla families
- Kihihi airstrip
- Kisoro airstrip
- Cyanika border
- Katuna / Gatuna border
- Mgahinga (Ntebeko gate)
- Kigali — south-east of the map, 4–6 h by road
Places on the map, as a list
- Buhoma (north) — sector headquarters, 6 habituated families
- Ruhija (east) — sector headquarters, 6 habituated families
- Rushaga (south) — sector headquarters, 9 habituated families
- Nkuringo (south) — sector headquarters, 4 habituated families
- Kihihi airstrip — airstrip, about 1 h 10 by air from Entebbe
- Kisoro airstrip — airstrip, about 1 h 10 by air from Entebbe
- Cyanika border — Uganda–Rwanda border crossing
- Katuna / Gatuna border — Uganda–Rwanda border crossing
- Mgahinga (Ntebeko gate) — Mgahinga Gorilla National Park gate
- Kigali — off the map to the south-east, 4–6 h by road
BuhomaNorth
6 families
DifficultyEasiest
HQ at about 1,500 m
Access
Kihihi airstrip ≈ 1 h · Kampala ≈ 8 h · Kigali 4–6 h via Katuna
Best for First-timers, older travellers, fly-in trips
Stay The most lodges, from budget to $1,300+
Kihihi airstrip ≈ 1 h · Kampala ≈ 8 h · Kigali 4–6 h via Katuna
RuhijaEast
6 families
DifficultyModerate–hard
About 2,350 m — the highest
Access
Kigali 4–5 h · Kihihi 2+ h · Buhoma via Ruhija from Kabale 95 km
Best for Birders, quiet trails
Stay Few lodges; nights are cold
Kigali 4–5 h · Kihihi 2+ h · Buhoma via Ruhija from Kabale 95 km
RushagaSouth
9 families
DifficultyVaries by family
Most families, plus the habituation experience
Access
Kisoro airstrip ≈ 1 h · Kigali 4–5 h via Cyanika
Best for Trips from Kigali, the 4-hour habituation experience
Stay Mid-range lodges; Lake Mutanda nearby
Kisoro airstrip ≈ 1 h · Kigali 4–5 h via Cyanika
NkuringoSouth
4 families
DifficultyHardest
Steep descent to the forest
Access
Kisoro 35 km, 1–1.5 h · Kigali 4–5 h
Best for Fit hikers who want it quiet
Stay Clouds, one of Bwindi’s top lodges
Kisoro 35 km, 1–1.5 h · Kigali 4–5 h
Difficulty on a 1–5 scale, from operator guides; the family’s location on the day matters more than the sector.How difficult is gorilla trekking? →
Sources: Uganda Wildlife Authority · IGCP census · ATC News · operator guides · GetYourGuide listings
Choose by need
Flying in from Entebbe→ Buhoma — 1 h from Kihihi
Coming from Kigali→ Rushaga or Nkuringo — 4–5 h via Cyanika
Easiest walk→ Buhoma
The habituation experience→ Rushaga
Quiet trails and birds→ Ruhija
A top-end lodge→ Nkuringo (Clouds) or Buhoma
Compare Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Uganda Tours
46 GetYourGuide tours trek in Bwindi. Most listings don’t name the sector — trips from Kigali usually go south, trips from Entebbe or Kampala north — so ask before you book.
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From Kigali: 2-Day Gorilla Trek in Bwindi
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PERMIT INCLUDED
3 Days Uganda Gorilla Trek in Bwindi Forest and Shoebill
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Adds a shoebill search on the way
Permit ✓ includedTour price includes the gorilla permit
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2-Day Gorilla Trekking in Uganda (Bwindi N.P)
2 days · starts in Kigali
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One price, nothing to add
Permit ✓ includedTour price includes the gorilla permit
Full price per person$1,980
★ 5.0 (2)Sources: Uganda Wildlife Authority · IGCP census · ATC News · operator guides · GetYourGuide listings
Getting to Bwindi for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
There are three ways in: by road from Kigali, by road from Entebbe or Kampala, or by a short flight to one of two airstrips.
KigaliRushaga / NkuringoRoad via Cyanika
KigaliBuhoma / RuhijaRoad via Katuna
KampalaBuhomaRoad
EntebbeKihihi (north) or Kisoro (south)Scheduled flight
✈Flying in
Aerolink flies Entebbe 07:00 → Kisoro 08:15, with an extra daily flight June–October
Kihihi has about 16 flights a week
Last published one-way fares: $283 to Kihihi, $353 to Kisoro (2022 — check)
From the airstrip it is about 1 h to Buhoma or Rushaga, 1–1.5 h to Nkuringo.
Sources: Uganda Wildlife Authority · ATC News · operator guides
Gorilla Trekking Uganda Bwindi: Where to Stay
Book a lodge in your permit’s sector: treks start at about 08:00, and the next sector can be hours away.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla LodgeNkuringofrom $1,600
Volcanoes Bwindi LodgeBuhomafrom $1,350
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest CampBuhomafrom $1,300
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla LodgeNkuringofrom $650
Buhoma LodgeBuhomafrom $550
Chameleon HillLake Mutanda, near Rushagafrom $440
Mahogany SpringsBuhomafrom $400
Bakiga LodgeRuhijafrom $90
“From” per person per night, as listed by operators in 2026. Prices only — we don’t take bookings for lodges. Bars to scale, $0–1,600 per person per night.
Also in Bwindi
Batwa experience$40
A visit with the Batwa, the forest’s former inhabitantsNature walks$40
Waterfall and birding trails from the sector HQsBuhoma–Nkuringo walk$60
A full-day hike across the forest between two sectorsSource: Uganda Wildlife Authority tariff 2024–2026 · foreign non-resident prices
077 answers
Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Uganda FAQ
Which Bwindi sector is best?
It depends on your trip: Buhoma for an easier walk and fly-in trips, Rushaga or Nkuringo when you come from Kigali, Rushaga for the habituation experience, Ruhija for quiet trails.
Which sector is easiest?
Buhoma, in the north, is usually the gentlest. Nkuringo is the steepest.
How many gorilla families are habituated?
25 open to visitors: 9 in Rushaga, 6 in Buhoma, 6 in Ruhija and 4 in Nkuringo.
How do I get to Bwindi?
By road from Kigali (4–6 h), from Kampala (about 8 h), or by a 70-minute flight from Entebbe to Kihihi or Kisoro.
Can I choose my sector?
Yes, when the permit is booked — but not afterwards. Moving a permit to another location costs 50% of its price.
Where is the habituation experience?
In Rushaga, in the south. It allows up to 4 hours with a family still getting used to people.
How many gorillas live in Bwindi?
459 in the 2018 census, in 36 groups. A 2025 census has been carried out; gorilla numbers haven’t been published yet.
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Check Dates for Gorilla Trekking Uganda Bwindi
Prices and dates come straight from GetYourGuide.
Four sectors, one forest, one hour
46 Bwindi tours on GetYourGuide — compare full prices with the permit.