What is the Favourite Season for Trekking Mountain Gorillas?
What is the favourite season for trekking mountain gorillas? There has been much discussion over the best time of year for tourists to go gorilla trekking. Gorillas can be found in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. As a result, many opinions about the best time to go gorilla trekking have been shared on various platforms, including blogs on various websites and social media, plus word of mouth from the clients Journeys Uganda and other tour operators have taken out for the gorilla adventure.
As most tourists prefer the wet season when they go for the gorilla trekking experience, the dry season is the best time to trek mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Mgahinga Gorilla plus Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks in Uganda.
Tourists often want to maximise their safari experience; thus, they are often interested in the best time to hike the gorillas when they visit a certain site. Gorilla trekking is a year-round activity for visitors, despite the fact that gorillas can be walked at any time of the year. Trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best done during the dry season.
What is considered to be the favourite season for trekking mountain gorillas?
Numerous authors have determined that the dry season, which is currently classified as June, July, August, and September, then December, January through February, is the optimum time of year to trek mountain gorillas. Since these months experience less precipitation than the wettest months—April, May, and November—they are preferred.
For this reason, the majority of our guests choose to schedule their gorilla treks in the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda while it is dry outside. Booking your permits during these months is advised since we can state with assurance that these are the best months to go gorilla trekking.
Due to the nature of the gorillas and the fact that the terrain becomes considerably more difficult during the wet season, travellers prefer to hike during the dry season, which is the best time to see mountain gorillas. Therefore, it is advised that you visit Africa during the months with the most rainfall while planning your vacation to see the gorillas.
During the rainy season, it is not very advised to visit gorilla places like the Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga Gorillas National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park because of the existing tropical rain forests. Avoid it as much as possible. But that does not mean you have to stop gorilla trekking during the rainy season; rather, we are looking at when it is best to go gorilla trekking.
It is also crucial to keep in mind that during the drier months, gorilla permits frequently sell out. If you wish to view the gorillas in July, August, June, or September, it is therefore always preferable to try to reserve your gorilla trekking permits as far in advance as possible. If you don’t, you will be informed as soon as permits become unavailable, and you will be unable to visit the incredible gorillas. The main drawback of the dry season is that gorilla trekking permits are usually difficult to obtain, so you must exercise caution.
Top destinations to see mountain gorillas
The main attraction and highlight of any safari in Uganda is gorilla trekking. Gorillas can be found in two designated locations: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is conducted in these locations. Regarding the ideal seasons for gorilla trekking in Uganda, visitors can travel there at any time of year to see the mountain gorillas.
Arguably, half of the endangered mountain gorillas are found in Uganda, which has the largest gorilla population. In Uganda, there are two different seasons for tourists: the rainy season, sometimes called the low season, and the dry season, usually called the high season. The dry season is the most costly because more tourists like to travel during these times. The lowest cost occurs during the off-peak period.
January through February and June through October are Uganda’s two distinct dry seasons. Travelling to Uganda and other national parks in the country is ideal right now. The busiest months for gorilla trekking are June and July.
Like the majority of East African countries, Uganda experiences two distinct rainy seasons: the long rainy season and the short rainy season. Late February marks the beginning of the long rainy season, which provides heavy rainfall until the end of May. From the end of October to about the middle of December, there is a brief wet season.
Most hikers choose to skip the frequent, albeit brief, downpours and seek gorilla permits during the dry seasons because they always leave the trekking trails muddy and hazardous. Working with gorillas is therefore best done in dry conditions with clear skies.