This fly-in safari takes you deep into Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for an intense, hands-on gorilla habituation experience. Unlike standard gorilla trekking, this journey gives you up to four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla family. You’ll be part of the process that helps these endangered apes get used to human presence closer, longer, and more immersive. Flights in and out mean less time on the road and more time in the wild. This trip may start in Entebbe or Kigali International airport depending on your choice.

Gorilla habituation is the process of gradually getting wild gorillas used to the presence of humans without altering their natural behavior. It’s mainly done for research, conservation, and eco-tourism. Unlike a standard gorilla trek, where tourists observe fully habituated gorillas for one hour, habituation experiences allow visitors to spend up to four hours with gorillas still getting used to people.

This is mainly done in Uganda, in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where both gorilla trekking and habituation experiences are offered. The fee for gorilla habituation in Uganda is $1,500 USD per person. It’s more expensive than the regular trekking permit $800 because it offers more time with the gorillas and is limited to fewer participants. Only a few habituation permits are issued daily, making it a rare and more immersive experience.

Day 1; Fly to Bwindi and afternoon Batwa cultural visits.

Day 2; Gorilla habituation

Day 3; Depart back to Kampala/Kigali.

Day 1: Fly to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Arrival & Forest Welcome

Start the day with a scheduled domestic flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip. The flight takes just over an hour, offering scenic aerial views of Uganda’s lush countryside and lakes. Upon landing, your guide will meet you and transfer you to your lodge with a 4×4 vehicle in the southern sector of Bwindi, near Rushaga or Nkuringo, prime zones for gorilla habituation. Expect a warm welcome, refreshing drinks, and time to settle in.

In the Afternoon, you will visit a local Batwa Community (Pygmy Tribe) and learn about the Batwa people, the original forest dwellers who once lived as hunter-gatherers inside Bwindi. This cultural visit offers a glimpse into their traditional forest lifestyle, how they hunted, collected honey, made fire, and lived in harmony with nature. You’ll hear their songs, watch traditional dances, and gain a deeper understanding of how conservation efforts changed their way of life. It’s eye-opening and respectful cultural tourism.

You will then return back to the lodge for dinner and rest as you prepare for the next day.

Meal plan: lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla lodge (luxury), Ichumbi lodge (mid-range), chameleon Hill lodge (budget)

Day 2: Gorilla Habituation Experience (Full Day in the Wild)

After an early hearty breakfast, you will head to the park headquarters for registration and a safety briefing. The gorilla habituation experience is more demanding than regular trekking expect to be out for 6–8 hours total. You’ll be trekking through dense forest with a team of rangers, trackers, and researchers. Once you find the gorilla group, you’ll spend up to four hours in their presence, watching, photographing, and observing behaviors up close. These gorillas aren’t fully used to humans yet, so it’s raw, unpredictable, and thrilling.

This is not a tourist show. Its field work. You’ll witness everything from feeding to family interactions to mock charges. It’s deeper, slower-paced, and more intimate than the standard 1-hour visits before returning to the lodge tired but buzzing with adrenaline. Enjoy a late lunch or snack and rest.

Sundowners with a view. Reflect on the once-in-a-lifetime encounter. Optional massage (some lodges offer this). Dinner and overnight.

Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla lodge (luxury), Ichumbi lodge (mid-range), chameleon Hill lodge (budget)

Day 3: Birdwatching Walk in Bwindi and Departure

Before leaving Bwindi, a birdwatching walk is a rewarding way to spend your final hours in the park. Bwindi is considered one of the best birding destinations in Africa, home to over 350 bird species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics species found nowhere else in the world. With the help of a skilled local birding guide, you can explore the forest trails or edges near the park and spot birds like African green broadbill, Rwenzori turaco, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, and dusky crimson wing, colorful sunbirds, hornbills, warblers, and turacos

The early morning hours are ideal, as birds are most active then. You don’t need to be an expert just a pair of binoculars, a guide, and a bit of patience can turn this into a highlight of your trip. This peaceful activity offers one last immersive moment with the rainforest and a chance to appreciate Bwindi’s rich biodiversity.

You will head back to the lodge for your lunch before you transfer back to Kisoro Airstrip for your flight to Entebbe/Kigali. Upon arrival, connect to your international flight or continue to your next destination.

Meal plan: breakfast, lunch.

Safari includes

4*4 vehicle Transportation

Domestic flights

Entry fees

Activities

Meals

Accommodation for 2 nights.

Packed drinking water

An English speaking guide.

Pick-ups and drop offs.

Airport pickup and drop offs.

Package excludes

International Air tickets

Visa.

Alcoholic drinks

Personal shopping and needs.