Can I spend more than one hour with the Mountain Gorillas?

Yes, it is possible to spend more than one hour with the Mountain Gorillas.

During a regular Mountain Gorilla trek you spend one hour with the Mountain Gorillas. This does not include the trek to and from the point where they are. If you wish to spend more time with them there are two routes to take. You can either choose to go for Gorilla Habituation or to trek multiple times.

Mountain Gorilla Habituation

To head for Mountain Gorilla Habituation is a very exclusive experience. During this experience you join the team that is working to get a new group of Mountain Gorillas used to human presence to enable trekking of them. The process of habituating Mountain Gorillas to humans runs over several years and the team visits them daily.

Together with the team you trek into the jungle to the point where the Mountain Gorilla family is. When you have reached them you get to spend four hours in the area of the Mountain Gorillas. During this time you see them go about their day as they feed, rest and play. You are at the same time taking part in an important conservation effort as the incomes generated by gorilla trekking and tourism in the area plays an important part in protecting these gentle giants.

Visitors who chose to spend more than one hour with the Mountain Gorillas by going for Mountain Gorilla habituation do this in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Trek Mountain Gorillas multiple times

The other option spend more than one hour with the Mountain Gorillas is to go for several Mountain Gorilla treks. When we have visitors opting for this option they usually choose to do the treks in different areas. Like trekking ones in Uganda and ones in Rwanda or choosing different gorilla trekking sectors within Uganda.

In Uganda Mountain Gorilla trekking is done primarily in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that has the majority of Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas and four different sectors where trekking is done. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is also home to Mountain Gorillas and here one group can be trekked.

Spend more than one hour with the Mountain Gorillas

As you see above it is possible to spend more than one hour with the Mountain Gorillas. If you have a big primate interest or love photography this is something to consider.