Experiences
Guided treks to habituated mountain gorilla families in the forests of Uganda and Rwanda.
Uganda3 daysUganda's smallest park, pressed into the corner where Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC meet, beneath three extinct Virunga volcanoes. It offers gorilla trekking with a fraction of Bwindi's traffic, plus the golden monkey — a bright, endangered primate restricted to these bamboo slopes. The Batwa Trail is led by the forest's original inhabitants and is among the most honest cultural experiences in the region.
Rated 4.7 out of 5 from 3 reviews
Rwanda3 daysThe Rwandan flank of the Virungas, where Dian Fossey did her work and where mountain gorilla tourism was effectively invented. Treks are shorter and better organised than Bwindi's, on bamboo slopes beneath a chain of volcanoes, and the park is a two-hour drive from Kigali. Permits are the most expensive in the region by design — the price is the conservation model, and it has worked.
Rated 4.7 out of 5 from 3 reviews
Uganda3 daysHalf of the world's remaining mountain gorillas live in this ancient rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site draped across the Albertine Rift. Trekking begins at dawn with a briefing from your guide, then follows the trackers into dense, mist-hung undergrowth. The moment you find a habituated family — a silverback at rest, juveniles wheeling through the vines — you are granted one hour in their company. The forest is 25,000 years old and holds over 350 bird species alongside the gorillas.
Rated 4.7 out of 5 from 3 reviewsWant this woven into a longer route? Plan a trip with us.
