Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Forest

Address: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Western Region, Uganda

Website: https://www.ugandawildlife.org/

Hours: Park open year-round; gorilla tracking starts early (permits specify tracking times)

Admission: Gorilla-tracking permit: US$700 for non-resident foreign nationals (subject to change); park entry and community fees may apply

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is an ancient montane forest in southwestern Uganda, preserved as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its biodiversity and importance to mountain gorillas.

The area was formally gazetted as a national park in 1991 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 in recognition of its unique biodiversity and the presence of critically endangered mountain gorillas. Conservation and community-based tourism programs have expanded since formal protection.

Bwindi lies in southwestern Uganda adjacent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo border, with the park accessed from regional towns such as Kisoro and Kabale and spread across steep, heavily forested ridges and valleys.

• Size and elevation: Covers about 331 square kilometres with elevations roughly from 1,160 to 2,600 metres and contains high biodiversity including many endemic plants and birds.
• Mountain gorillas and permits: Home to roughly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, with regulated gorilla-trekking permits required and limits on group sizes to protect the animals.

What to See#

• Buhoma: Buhoma sector contains the park headquarters and long-established habituated gorilla groups used for the majority of northern-track gorilla treks.
• Ruhija: Ruhija sector occupies higher-elevation forest to the east and offers trails through montane habitat and access to habituated groups used for trekking.
• Nkuringo and Rushaga: Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors in the south contain multiple habituated gorilla groups and are the focus of many southern-sector gorilla treks and community tourism initiatives.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is accessed from Kisoro and Kanungu districts. From Kampala, domestic flights land at Kisoro or via airstrips near Kihihi; road transfers from Kigali (Rwanda) and Kabale are also common. Park headquarters are in Buhoma (north), Ruhija (east), Nkuringo and Nteko (south) - transfers and lodges coordinate pick-ups. Book gorilla permits through Uganda Wildlife Authority well in advance.

• Book gorilla-tracking permits well in advance through Uganda Wildlife Authority - permits sell out, especially for the Buhoma and Nkuringo sectors.
• Hire an experienced local guide and porter: guides interpret gorilla behavior and porters help carry equipment up steep trails.
• Early morning starts increase chances of finding groups before they move long distances; dress in long sleeves for nettles and waterproof boots for muddy trails.