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June 6, 2023

Visiting the Mountain Gorillas of Uganda

Africa Community & Conservation Traveler Stories Wildlife & Natural History

One of our groups followed our expert tracker into Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest and Kibale Forest for amazing wildlife encounters.

One of the most thrilling wildlife experiences on the planet is being in the presence of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Our groups join expert trackers to visit different gorilla clans deep in Uganda‘s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and we’re always happy to see and share photos from their adventures.

A Mountain Gorilla is lying on its back in a forested area, surrounded by green plants and foliage. If you're visiting Uganda, you might be lucky enough to witness such serene moments amidst nature.

We went to Uganda to see the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, but came home with so much more.  The Ugandan people are warm, friendly, and excited to share their culture with others.  There is a lot of wonderful non-profit work being done there including tracking the health of the mountain gorillas, working with the local communities to live in harmony with nature and the wildlife, and empowering women to develop their own businesses.

A gorilla's hands resting on its head with dense green foliage in the background evokes the serene beauty of visiting Uganda to see Mountain Gorillas.

Our first day in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest took us to the top of the mountain and then down into the forest. The hiking was challenging but also exhilarating, and made much easier with the help of our amazing porters! 

A group of people are gathered in a dense forest in Uganda, listening to a guide. Some carry backpacks and walking sticks, surrounded by lush greenery and trees, possibly on the lookout for the magnificent Mountain Gorillas.

Final Instructions before seeing the gorillas

  • Discover a vibrant coral reef scene, perfect for your 2025 travel bucket list, with two striped fish weaving through vivid corals and a lively school of fish in clear blue waters.

During our two days of gorilla trekking, we were able to spend time with two different gorilla families.  Truly a once in a lifetime experience!

  • In 2025, a caravan of camels journeys along a sandy desert dune under dramatic cloudy skies, with sun rays breaking through in one of the top ten travel destinations.

A true Dian Fossey / Gorillas in the Midst Moment

We also spent two days in the Kibale Forest trekking Chimpanzees, colobus, red-tailed, and vervet monkeys.  We felt like kids running through the forest, ducking branches, “oohing and ahhing” over these remarkable primates.

Cultural adventures included a very local coffee roaster, beautiful basket weavers, the banana beer man, and singing children greeting us wherever we went.

Several days in Queen Elizabeth National Park where we observed leopards in trees, lions, elephants, hippos and more rounded out the trip.   Food and accommodations were everything you expect from WT – in other words, top notch!

—Text and photos by 4-time WT adventurer Nancy Moser-Sears, Mountain Gorilla Safari.

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