How To Get To Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park Uganda For Gorilla Trekking

Bwindi impenetrable national park is the most visited safari destination in Uganda famously known for mountain gorillas, the park is situated in South western region of Uganda lying at the altitude of 1447 meters. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a verdant swathe across the steep ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley, this ancient rainforest is a ancient rainforests and one of the few in Africa.

The park is a home to the world’s largest population of Mountain gorillas recorded to be over 1000 individuals, on top of mountain gorillas the park is also a home to 310 species of butterfly, 88 species of moths, 51 reptiles, 350 bird species and 120 species of mammals including 10 primates species including red tailed, chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon.

The is a very thrilling Uganda safari destination offers memorable safari activities such as Mountain gorilla trekking, bird watching, forest walks and Batwa trail experience.

Getting to get to Bwindi impenetrable national park is as detailed below

By Air

Scheduled domestic flights are available for travelers who prefer air transport to road means of transport when getting to the park, these flights are offered from Kajjansi airfield or Entebbe international airport to the 3 airstrips serving the park.

Airstrips serving Bwindi impenetrable national park include

Kihihi airstrip connecting to Buhoma sector (northern region of the park)
Kisoro airstrip connecting to the southern area of the park
Kayonza airstrip also connecting to the northern area of the park

By Road

Bwindi impenetrable national park is situated in the south western part of Uganda, most safaris to this amazing mountain gorilla destination start from Kampala the capital of Uganda. From Kampala it is a drive of approximately 7-8 hours (463.7 km) using Kampala via Masaka route, other routes used to get to the park include Kampala – Kabale – Ruhija, Kampala – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi – Buhoma/Nyondo and Kampala – Kabale – Kisoro – Rushaga/Nkuringo.

The park can be accessed from Queen Elizabeth national park to the northern which is about 2-3 hours drive, from Kampala through Mbarara it is a drive of about 6 to 8 hours or from Kabale to the southern it is a drive of about 1-2 hours. These roads converge at Butogota just 17 kilometers from Buhoma entrance gate, using public means of transport. There is a daily bus service from Kampala to Butogota Via Rukungiri and Kihihi, for travelers who prefer to travel privately Focus East Africa Tours is a recognized Tour Operator offering amazing mountain gorilla packages with a private vehicle.

ROUTES TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK

Queen Elizabeth National Park (Mweya)- Kihihi-Buhoma

From Queen Elizabeth national park to Bwindi impenetrable national park you will pass through the Ishasha sector which is the southern region of Queen Elizabeth national park, while during through this are you will enjoy watching tree climbing lions at acacia tree branches. From Mweya it is about 160 kilometers and from Ishasha it is approximately 64 kilometers.

This route has a tarmac highway to Kabala covering about 414 kilometers which is a drive about 5-6 hours, the next route is murram and is about 120 kilometers going through Kanungu and Kanyantorogo taking about 4-5 hours of drive. A 4WD vehicle is the most appropriate vehicle to use.

Kampala- Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi-Buhoma.

This is the easiest and most convenient route to use to connect to the park directly from Kampala, this route is a tarmac road of about 390 kilometers to Rukungiri and to Buhoma it is murram.

Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija-Buhoma.

This route is about 95 kilometers of murram and takes about 4 hours drive, the Ruhija part of route is kind of slippery and the only vehicle which can pass Ruhija is a 4WD.

Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo.

Kampala – Kabale-Nkuringo route is 105 kilometers route from Kampala and it takes about 4 hours to get to the mountainous murram route, while using this route most travelers spend the overnight in Kisoro town. From Kisoro town, it is a drive of about 80 kilometers to Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park.

How To Get To Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park Uganda For Gorilla Trekking — Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

Kisoro road is a meandering 35 kilometers taking about 1-2 hours of drive.

By public means of transport, there is a daily bus setting from Kampala to Butogota , from Botogota you take a taxi to Buhoma on a journey of 17 kilometers . In Nkuringo there is no public means transport and the best option to do is to hire a private vehicle from Kisoro Town.

Getting Around Bwindi impenetrable national park

In the park there is diverse trailheads which can be accessed by vehicle, the park is dominated by impenetrable forest and because of this, there are no roads inside the park. The paths used to get around the park pass through thick vegetation, the trails are steep which requires you to use walking trails which are got from the park’s headquarters at the beginning of the walk.

Climate and best time to visit Bwindi impenetrable national park

Bwindi impenetrable national park experiences coldness in the mornings and in the night the temperatures are moderate about ⁰C and 20⁰C, the coldest period of Bwindi are experienced from June to July. Bwindi impenetrable national park experiences a total annual rainfall of 2390mm with two wet seasons period that is March to May and from September to November. In March to May the rains are short, the heaviest rainfall is received from September to November.

Bwindi impenetrable national park is a year round destination, however the best time to visit for a mountain gorilla trekking experience is during the dry season from January to February and June to September.

Accommodation in Bwindi impenetrable national park

There is a variety of accommodation in the park ranging from safari lodges, camps and hotels, accommodation in Bwindi impenetrable national park is got depending on sector of the park (Rushaga, Buhoma, Ruhija and Nkuringo). Accommodations in Bwindi include

Buhoma Area

Buhoma Lodge
Bwindi Lodge
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge
Mahogany Springs
Buhoma Haven Lodge
Silverback Lodge
Buhoma Community Rest Camp

Rushaga Area

Chameleon Hill
Bwindi Jungle Lodge
Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Rushaga Gorilla Camp
Gorilla Valley Lodge

Ruhija Area

Bakiga Lodge
Broadbill Forest Camp
Agandi Lodge

Nkuringo Area

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Nkuringo Safari Lodge