Local Experts Crafting Extraordinary Safaris

Gorilla Trekking and Big Game Safaris since 1995

On Mountain Gorillas

Reference: https://alchetron.com/Hanno-the-Navigator

In 5BC, Hanno the Navigator encountered apes on his African expedition. The Carthaginian described the apes as “gorillaie” meaning hairy and savage. Millennia later, Hanno’s description was the basis of gross misrepresentation of gorillas in popular culture and contributed to the serious existential threat which saw mountain gorillas numbers plummet to 459 in 1994.

But, efforts to protect gorillas through gorilla trekking averted extinction. Today(2024), there are an estimated 1,096 gorillas and a thriving forest habitat thanks to trekkers who support conservation. Gorilla trekking is a thrilling safari experience, where guests trek into the rainforest to find and observe gorillas in their natural habitat. It’s a bucket list must-do.

Did you know?

Mountain Gorillas left in the Wild

1000

DNA is shared with humans

0 %

Mountain Gorillas are only in Uganda, Rwanda & DRCongo

0 Countries

Destinations

These are our favourite places in Africa. We know where and when to go, and we enjoy nothing more than sharing and exploring these with the world. Safaris are an inextricable part of the progress and green future in Africa.

RWANDA

UGANDA

Tanzania

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Your Safari Memories

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Your Safari Memories

Blog

How much does a gorilla safari cost?

Gorilla trekking is a once in a lifetime activity and remains on top of many bucket lists. Gorilla trekking permits...

March 7, 2023

Uganda or Rwanda for gorilla trekking?

Uganda and Rwanda are two of three countries (DR Congo is the third) in the world where mountain gorilla trekking...

March 8, 2023

Trekking the Kahungye Gorilla Family in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking in Uganda finally resumed in an effort to reopen tourism. This was after the complete shutdown of tourism...

March 8, 2023

How do you differentiate Chimpanzees from Gorillas?

By Daudi Mutalya Balye – Chief Exploring Officer Buutu Safaris Many times people will come visit Uganda and Rwanda to...

June 14, 2024

What You Need To Know When Planning For A Gorilla Trekking Safari?

By Daudi Mutalya Balye – Chief Exploring Officer Buutu Safaris Gorilla Trekking is a thrilling and once-in-a-lifetime experience that allows...

July 14, 2024

A safari in Uganda is 30 percent cheaper compared to one in neighbouring Kenya

By Alice Morrison Our riverboat guide looks at me earnestly. ‘Did you know that hippos are actually really bad swimmers...

August 30, 2024

A Couple of Your Kind Words.....

Very good Safari and food, just a few things could have been more professional - The safari was amazing! Got to see so many animals and our driver Moses was fantastic and really wanted us to see everything. The only reason it’s not a 5/5 was the rooming accommodations weren’t very nice with no electricity and wifi. Also they changed our booking at the last minute ti a worse camp. Regardless of this we had an awesome time with great staff and an even better safari and food experience as well!

Cooper G
July 24, 2023
Murchison Safari with Buutu - Excellent Driver/guide, comfortable van to travel in, game drives and boat ride were excellent including seeing lions and 2 leopards!
We stayed at Nkundwa Lodge which was very comfortable and added to the safari experience. Food was great, staff friendly and helpful, accommodation good. No in room charging for phones, but the staff were helpful in providing for this in the lounge/dining area.
Overall a great trip, highly recommend Buutu.

Ron M
July 2, 2023
Incredible Buutu team and trips! - My experience with Buutu was absolutely amazing. Tony was an exceptional guide and not only did he take me to/from Bwindi to trek with the gorillas, but he taught me so much about Uganda - really an ambassador for the country!
My entire experience with the Buutu team was seamless - from my initial request for info, to booking, to the actual trip itself. I cannot recommend them enough and hope to return to go on more trips with them in the future!

HeatherKennedy
August 23, 2023
Buutu safaris - Absolutely breathtaking! We saw elephant, girafs, lions, Buffalo's hippo's, different bird species and so much more. Great tour guide.
What a life changing adventure and journey. It was an honer being on this trip with buutu safaris, my family and i are forever greatfull

Kim L
July 25, 2023
Bespoke Gorilla Trek for Incredible Value - We were looking to plan a gorilla trek in Uganda and was referred to Buutu by a friend. From planning the trip through to the trek, the team was great. They checked in regularly and was incredibly responsive. The package we designed was reasonably priced and the accommodations were spectacular. Furthermore, our driver/guide Moses was fantastic. All around an incredible trip. Would highly recommend working with Buutu for planning your Uganda visit.

Phillip L
September 6, 2023

Thank you Buutu Safaris for our amazing experience in Uganda!! We couldn't have asked for better services, accommodations, and most importantly-a more awesome guide! Ojok was our guide and his knowledge and hospitality were top notch! We went during the rainy, slow season but we didn't experience much rain. We went on all excursions with no weather interruptions! The lodges were so beautiful and relaxing with breath taking views and nature sounds! Since it was the slow season, it felt as if we had our own personal staff as they had more time to engage with us! We got super lucky with seeing all the animals! Even a leopard waking up from a nap and jumping out of her tree!!! The up close encounters with the gorillas was truly magical! We highly recommend Buutu Safaris to anyone visiting the Pearl of Africa, Uganda!!

I would give this safari a 10/5. Absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. We couldn't have asked for a better trip. We did a 12 day Uganda safari including Chimp/Gorilla tracking. They will gear your itinerary to what you wish for you trip, the price is right and the communication was great. They do everything in their power to make your stay with them as smooth and enjoyable as possible. It was an eye opening experience and I can't wait to do another safari with Buutu. Ojok was an amazing guide, and we called him our Ugandan father. He did everything he could to make sure we seen everything we wanted. Thank you again for the fabulous adventure, I miss the Pearl of Africa already. Please consider Uganda, especially for Gorilla tracking as they have the highest population of Gorilla's and are better able to ensure the Gorillas still get plenty of private time to continue properly mating etc.

My family had an amazing experience at Murchinson Falls with Buutu Safari‘s! They tailored the trip to us, arranging for the excursions we wanted to do, and finding lodging within our specifications budget. But what really set them apart was they knew how to find the animals! We ran into several other groups on Safari at the same time who never saw lions, and we saw them several times thanks to the knowledge/connections of our tour guides! It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and at a very reasonable price!

Thank you Buutu Safaris for the most amazing safari experience. The itinerary was well put together and everything went flawlessly. Our 3-day trip to Murchison falls national park was spectacular with two game drives, a boat cruise and a trip to the top of the falls. The top of the falls is so picturesque and was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The game drives were stunning and we saw so many magical animals including lions, antelopes and lots of giraffes. Our guide Chi Chi was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and plants in the park and always knew where to find the animals during the game drive. We were lucky to see the elusive leopard perched high up in a tree during our evening game drive. The afternoon boat cruise was excellent and brought us up close to hippos, crocodiles, and aquatic birds. Uganda far exceeded all my expectations and I am very grateful for the wonderful experience. I highly recommend Buutu Safaris to anyone visiting Uganda.

10 STARS!!! Our eight-day trip was more than amazing. Aside from the landscape and the animals being absolutely unbelievable, our experience was magnified by our super knowledgeable and always available guide, Ojok (O-Joke). He knew where to find the animals and once we located them, he knew so much about each and every species! Our next trip to Uganda will be with Ojok! Thank you Ojok and Buutu Safaris for a truly once in a lifetime experience!

It was an absolute delight to get to know some of the team at Buutu safaris. They organised our 5 day hike up mount elgon and not only did they drive us safely there, organise all the porters and Ugandan Wildlife Authority guides, they also found good food spots en route to eat, did a ton of negotiating on our behalf for any food allergies/dietary requirements we had and really took the time to get to know our needs. Lincoln even came on the hike with us which was so fun to get to know him and he was excellent at communicating what we needed for the hike and what we could expect. I'm trying to persuade others to do this hike with Buutu safaris because it was a great challenge with a very professional team.

11/10 recommend this tourism company!! They are incredible eco-friendly and focused on conservation of wildlife! The tour guides were genuinely caring, very entertaining, and extremely knowledgeable. The employees at the office were very helpful and great at helping me decide what trip was best for me based on what I was looking for in Uganda. I went on a 3-day safari to Murchison Falls and I could not have made a better selection! The landscape was stunning, the animals were magical, and the adventures were unforgettable! The food provided thought the safari was amazing. They cooked with very organic, local foods. The meals were very flavorful and delicious. Lodging was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!! I got to live in a TREEHOUSE!! I will definitely book with them again when I come back to Uganda! I uploaded some of the best photos I got from the trip!

     EXCELLENT  
     Based on 52 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Claudia Schauer 
 2024-08-27
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Die Safari war wirklich bestens organisiert. Wir hatten einen tollen Driver, das Programm war sehr gut (die Murchison Falls haben wir gleich am 1. Tag gemacht). Wir haben so viele Tiere gesehen. Die Lodge war sehr schön, direkt am Nil gelegen. Die Menschen nett und hilfsbereit. Wir haben uns sehr sicher und willkommen gefühlt.
Sehr empfehlenswert!
  
 
       
   Karissa Zamora 
 2024-07-17
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Book with them! We just got done having the most wonderful time with Buutu. We booked gorilla trekking in Bwindi with them. They took care of everything! Our guide was Moses and he is the most kind person and a joy to be around. I would book again with them and will be recommending Buutu to everyone!
  
 
       
   David Duke 
 2024-07-09
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Amazing guides and experience! They
  
 
       
   christina benton 
 2024-05-25
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was the most fantastic travel experience for my three young kids ages 5-1 and for my husband and I. Coming from Boston I was nervous where to stay, what to eat and if there would be mosquito nets etc. Buutu gave us all the above comforts and more! The food and service was fantastic. Our guides were helpful as we saw ALL the animals in Murchison falls including lions. We learned about our surroundings to feel safe and apart of the culture everywhere we traveled from Entebbe to Jinja, Kampala, Mbale, and Murchison.  I highly recommend Buutu safaris for your Uganda experience!
  
 
       
   James Rushby 
 2023-12-04
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Traveling with Daudi and Buutu Safaris has truly been an experience of a lifetime. Every detail was meticulously worked out, making the trip incredibly effortless and enjoyable. In just one week in Uganda, I had the remarkable opportunity to witness the Big 5 and encounter gorillas in their natural habitat. If anyone is reading this, I highly recommend traveling to Uganda and, without a doubt, choosing Buutu Safaris for an unforgettable adventure.
  
 
       
   nikos kouklakis 
 2023-07-03
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Really nice experience in queen Elisabeth Park
  
 
       
   Ron Matheson 
 2023-07-02
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a wonderful safari organised by Buutu Safaris. Tony, the driver / guide was friendly, helpful and made the trip very good. His passion gor the animals shone through. The van was comfortable and the accommodation and food at Nkundwa Lodge was brilliant.
A most enjoyable experience.
  
 
       
   Stephen Mcdaniel 'student' 
 2023-06-07
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Going on Safari with Buutu was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. The staff and drivers are incredibly personable, knowledgeable, and are flat out experts at what they do. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to experience Safari, you won’t regret it and you’ll leave with lifelong memories.
  
 
       
   Katelyn Hoidal 
 2023-06-06
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Amazing people and Safari!! 10/10 recommend!!!

Safari Partners

Join us on a once in a lifetime gorilla trekking group safari led by one of our travel blogger partners. We work with our partners to showcase gorilla trekking, support conservation efforts and create employment for Ugandans.

These group safaris are a unique experience to enjoy the thrill of trekking of gorillas in the wild and make new connections as you join likeminded travelers.