Best time to visit Uganda

Best time to visit Uganda – Gorilla trekking is one of most essential activities, mountain gorilla trekking is a life changing experience when you have an encounter with these huge Apes in their natural habitats. But the most important is knowing when is it the time of the year to trek the gorillas.

Best time to visit Uganda for a Safari

Uganda and Rwanda have no specific time for visiting since the country is open to visitors all your round. But the temperatures keep changing from season to season. The best recommended season of the year to visit the parks is the dry season between de ember and February and from June and August these seasons are registered to be having no rain fall at all but there is any, it is a little amount. During these seasons, mountain gorilla trekking is at is peak when all the trails and the ground is dry from mud making enabling travelers to hike through the forest. Game viewing in all national parks is also best during the dry season as well as from February and march. And from September through out October when large herds are seen surrounded on waterholes in the park making it easy to spot a variety of animal species. Uganda is also a birding destination with variety of bird species spotted in all national parks in Uganda. Birding activities are possible all year round in Uganda all together with other activities in all national parks.

Best time for Gorilla Trekking

Uganda and Rwanda have two seasons in the year that is the dry season known as the ‘peak season’ and the wet season when there is much rain fall received. The rainy seasons are experience from October to November and the longer rains are received from march to may when the national parks have few tourists visiting the park. The other months are the dry seasons but since Bwindi is a tropical rain forest, the weather sometimes is unpredictable so you will expect rain at nay point of the day.

Gorillas in Uganda, are trekked in the thick tropical forest of Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga national park both situated in south western Uganda. In Rwanda, gorillas are spotted in the volcanoes national park situated in the northern region of the country. Gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda is possible all year round. But knowing the best time to visit the gorillas is best since all seasons come with its own different advantages and disadvantages depending on which country you are trekking gorillas from.

Best time to visit Uganda and Rwanda – High season

The high season is registered with little or no rainfall receive at all. From the month of January, February, June, July, August, September and December these are known to peak seasons in Uganda when most travelers like to visit Uganda and Rwanda, For gorilla trekking. By this time, gorilla permits are on high demand since there many tourists visiting the country. Therefore, travelers taking part in gorilla trekking, are always advised to book their permits in advance by paying 30% of the total cost of the permit so that the permits are booked and reserved for you earlier before they are out of stock.

The dry season is the perfect time to visit Uganda and Rwanda for mountain gorilla viewing, the mountain gorillas live in the temperate weathered regions with raised landscapes, this means that, the climate remains cool and favorable all year round which is the perfect weather for gorilla trekking activity.

Although gorilla trekking is best during the dry season, both seasons (wet and dry) are not expensive since Uganda does not offer discounts on gorilla permits the prices remain the same all year round for all the trekkers. The only difference is the price of the permit in different countries and the level of accommodation depending on where you choose to track the gorillas from. Uganda gorilla permits are a bit cheaper compared to Rwanda gorilla permits. Tracking gorillas in Uganda, allows travelers to meet his/ her budget especially for the case of traveler’s who would wish to go for a longer safari combining gorilla trekking with other attractions like wildlife safaris, bird watching safaris primate safaris and many others.

Best time to visit Uganda and Rwanda -low season

The low season is when the countries receive a lot of rainfall, but never the less, activities in the park do not stop. the parks can still be visited regardless of the season. The low season comes in a lot of advantages for example game viewing is at its best since the animals are within the park and are easily spotted. The park during the wet season is green and animals do not have to move longer distances in search for food.

Lodges offer discounts to travelers on the low season this means that you can book the lodge of your choice and enjoy all the discounts. This is best for the budget travelers. And also, the parks are less flooded with people trekking the gorillas, availability of permits, and the travelers have an opportunity to track the gorilla families of their choice.

Despite all the advantages of trekking gorillas during the wets season, there are other challenges most specially when there is a lot of rainfall received, the trails become slippery and the ground turns muddy causing difficulty in trekking through the forest. But still the activity continues since it may not rain throughout the day. there will be some little sun shine after rain enabling trekkers to continue with the gorilla trekking. Despite all these, travelers are advised to carry the right equipment in case of the rain that’s hiking boots, long pair of trousers and shirts. Water proof jacket, garden gloves. Pair of socks and many more to protect and keep you warm in case it rains over you.

Both Uganda and Rwanda gorilla trekking last for one hour with the gorillas, but the normal exercise of trekking can last for 30 min to half hours of the day depending on the location of the gorilla family you are trekking. The gorilla permits in Uganda cost $600 per permit and Rwanda permits go for $1500 per permit and the permits are issued per person trekking.