A high-profile visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has once again placed Uganda's mountain gorillas in the international spotlight.

In August 2026, Tomio Okamura, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, joined Uganda's Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, for a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The visit was more than a diplomatic excursion. It highlighted something travellers from around the world continue to discover: Uganda offers one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters anywhere in Africa—the opportunity to walk through an ancient tropical forest and meet wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

For us at Buutu Safaris, the attention is welcome. We have been organising safaris in Uganda since 1995, and over those three decades we have watched gorilla trekking develop from a relatively little-known adventure into one of Africa's most sought-after wildlife experiences.

Czech Speaker Goes Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

During his visit to Uganda, Czech Speaker Tomio Okamura travelled to southwestern Uganda with Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Their trek reportedly brought them to the Bitukura mountain gorilla family, one of Bwindi's habituated gorilla families.

The experience also included a symbolic moment when Okamura named a young gorilla Thomas, linking the name to both his Czech heritage and his Ugandan host, Thomas Tayebwa.

The Czech Speaker subsequently expressed his appreciation for Uganda's wildlife and conservation efforts, while Tayebwa described the visit as an important endorsement of Uganda as an international tourism destination.

But behind the headlines lies a much bigger story.

Why Is Gorilla Trekking in Uganda So Special?

Gorilla trekking in Uganda gives visitors the opportunity to encounter endangered mountain gorillas on foot in their natural rainforest habitat. Uganda's principal gorilla trekking destinations are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda.

Unlike a conventional game drive, there is no vehicle separating you from the experience.

You enter the forest with trained guides and trackers, following trails through thick vegetation and mountainous terrain until the gorilla family is located.

Then everything changes.

After hours of listening to forest sounds and watching for signs left by the gorillas, suddenly there may be a silverback sitting only metres away. Nearby, females feed quietly while juveniles climb, play and investigate their surroundings.

For many of the travellers we have guided over the years, this becomes the defining experience of their African safari.

Where Did the Czech Speaker Trek Gorillas?

The Czech Speaker's trek took place in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern Uganda.

Bwindi is not a single gorilla trekking location. The forest is divided into four main trekking sectors:

Buhoma in northern Bwindi, Ruhija in eastern Bwindi, and Rushaga and Nkuringo in southern Bwindi.

This distinction matters when planning a gorilla safari.

Your gorilla trekking permit, accommodation and transport should ideally be planned around the same sector. Booking a beautiful lodge without considering where your gorilla permit is allocated can result in unnecessarily long early-morning transfers.

This is one of those details that experienced local safari planning can help avoid.

What Is the Bitukura Gorilla Family?

The Bitukura gorilla family is associated with the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Like other gorilla families available for tourism, the group has undergone a careful habituation process that gradually familiarises wild gorillas with the controlled presence of humans.

Habituation does not make them domestic animals. They remain wild mountain gorillas living freely within the forest.

This distinction is fundamental to understanding the gorilla trekking experience.

Visitors enter the gorillas' environment—not the other way around—and must follow strict guidelines designed to protect both the gorillas and the people visiting them.

How Does Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Work?

A typical gorilla trekking day begins early in the morning at the designated park briefing point.

Uganda Wildlife Authority personnel explain trekking procedures and gorilla conservation rules before visitors are allocated to gorilla families and accompanied into the forest by trained guides and trackers.

The length and difficulty of the trek varies.

Sometimes gorillas are located relatively quickly. On another day, the same family may have travelled deeper into the forest, requiring several hours of trekking across steep or densely vegetated terrain.

That unpredictability is part of what makes the experience genuine.

This is not a zoo or wildlife park where an animal waits at a predetermined location.

You are tracking wild mountain gorillas through one of Africa's great forests.

How Difficult Is Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?

Gorilla trekking can range from relatively manageable to physically demanding depending on the location of the gorilla family, weather, terrain and trekking sector.

Bwindi deserves the word "Impenetrable."

The forest covers steep ridges and valleys where trails can become muddy and vegetation thick. We therefore recommend good walking shoes or hiking boots, long trousers, suitable rain protection, drinking water and a reasonable level of fitness.

But travellers should not automatically assume that gorilla trekking is only for extremely fit hikers.

We've helped organise gorilla safaris for travellers of very different ages and fitness levels. The important thing is to discuss mobility and fitness honestly when planning the safari so that appropriate arrangements can be made where possible.

Porters are also highly recommended.

Apart from carrying your daypack, a porter can provide invaluable assistance on steep and slippery sections of the trail. Hiring porters also creates direct economic benefits for communities living around the forest.

When Is the Best Time for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda?

Gorilla trekking is possible throughout the year in Uganda.

The drier periods are often preferred because forest trails may be easier to negotiate. However, Bwindi is a tropical rainforest, and rain can occur at virtually any time of year.

The wetter months should not automatically be dismissed.

The forest can be extraordinarily beautiful after rain, visitor numbers may be lower at certain times, and gorilla trekking remains possible.

Rather than looking only for the theoretical "best month," we recommend considering the complete safari—gorilla permit availability, accommodation, weather, other wildlife destinations and your overall budget.

Can You Fly to Bwindi for Gorilla Trekking?

Yes.

One of the biggest changes we have witnessed during our decades organising Uganda safaris has been the improvement in access to Bwindi.

When we travelled between Entebbe and Bwindi in the late 1990s, the journey could consume almost an entire day. Today, visitors can take scheduled or private charter flights from Entebbe to airstrips serving southwestern Uganda.

Kihihi Airstrip is commonly used for northern Bwindi, particularly Buhoma, while Kisoro Airstrip provides convenient access to southern Bwindi, including Rushaga and Nkuringo, as well as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Private charter aircraft and helicopter transfers provide additional possibilities for travellers seeking a luxury fly-in gorilla safari.

The important consideration is not simply booking a flight. Your flight, airstrip, gorilla permit, trekking sector and lodge should all work together.

Can Gorilla Trekking Be Combined With a Traditional African Safari?

Absolutely—and this is something we believe Uganda should promote much more strongly.

Deputy Speaker Tayebwa made an interesting observation following the Czech delegation's visit: Uganda needs to market itself beyond gorilla trekking.

We agree.

The mountain gorillas may bring you to Uganda, but they don't have to be the entire safari.

A well-designed Uganda itinerary can combine gorilla trekking in Bwindi with chimpanzee trekking, lions, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, boat safaris, birdwatching and some of East Africa's most beautiful landscapes.

Queen Elizabeth National Park can be particularly convenient to combine with Bwindi. Longer itineraries can incorporate Kibale Forest for chimpanzee trekking and Murchison Falls National Park for a classic big-game safari.

Uganda's great advantage is its diversity.

Within one journey, you can move from tropical rainforest and great apes to savannah wildlife, wetlands, lakes and the River Nile.

Does Gorilla Trekking Help Protect Mountain Gorillas?

Gorilla tourism has become an important part of the conservation economy surrounding Uganda's mountain gorillas.

Every visitor should understand that gorilla trekking is not simply another tourist attraction. The experience depends upon maintaining healthy gorilla populations and protecting the forests in which they live.

Tourism generates revenue associated with conservation while also creating employment and economic opportunities around gorilla destinations—from guides and porters to lodge employees, drivers, farmers, craftspeople and other local businesses.

This is why responsible gorilla tourism matters.

If communities surrounding protected areas can see tangible value from conserving wildlife and forests, tourism can become part of the long-term argument for keeping those landscapes intact.

Why Plan Your Gorilla Safari With a Local Specialist?

Gorilla trekking can look deceptively simple online:

Buy a permit. Book a lodge. Go trekking.

In reality, there are numerous decisions behind a successful gorilla safari.

Which country should you trek in? Which Bwindi sector? Which lodge? Should you fly or drive? How many nights should you spend in Bwindi? Should you trek once or twice? Should you combine gorillas with chimpanzees or a big-game safari? And how should the itinerary change according to your age, interests, fitness and available time?

These are precisely the questions where experience matters.

Buutu Safaris has been organising safaris in Uganda since 1995.

We knew Bwindi when reaching the forest could involve extraordinarily long journeys over difficult roads. We have watched lodges develop, air connections improve and gorilla trekking become one of Uganda's signature international tourism experiences.

That history gives us a perspective that cannot be gained simply by reading accommodation descriptions online.

Our job is not merely to sell you a gorilla permit.

It is to design the journey around it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Where can I see mountain gorillas in Uganda?

Mountain gorilla trekking takes place in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda.

Is Bwindi the best place for gorilla trekking?

Bwindi is one of the world's leading mountain gorilla trekking destinations and offers several trekking sectors, numerous habituated gorilla families and a wide selection of accommodation.

How long do you spend with the gorillas?

Standard gorilla trekking allows visitors a regulated period with the gorilla family once it has been located, subject to the applicable Uganda Wildlife Authority rules.

Can I fly from Entebbe to Bwindi?

Yes. Domestic flights and private charters can connect Entebbe with Kihihi or Kisoro, followed by a road transfer to your lodge.

Which airport should I use for Bwindi?

Generally, Kihihi is most convenient for Buhoma and northern Bwindi, while Kisoro is convenient for Rushaga and Nkuringo in southern Bwindi and for Mgahinga. Your exact routing should be planned around your lodge and trekking sector.

How many days do I need for a Uganda gorilla safari?

A short fly-in itinerary can focus primarily on gorilla trekking, while longer itineraries allow Bwindi to be combined with chimpanzee trekking and traditional wildlife safaris. For international visitors, we generally recommend designing the number of days around what else you want to experience in Uganda rather than treating the gorilla trek in isolation.

Should I book my gorilla permit before my lodge?

Ideally, the permit, trekking sector, accommodation and transport should be coordinated together. Gorilla permit availability can influence where you trek and therefore where you should stay.

From World Leaders to First-Time Visitors, the Experience Is the Same

The visit of Czech Speaker Tomio Okamura and Uganda's Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa brought international attention to Bwindi, but status disappears remarkably quickly when you enter the forest.

Whether you are a parliamentary speaker, photographer, honeymooner, family traveller or someone visiting Africa for the first time, you eventually find yourself walking quietly through the same rainforest, listening for movement in the vegetation.

And then you see them.

For a few extraordinary moments, you are standing in the forest with one of our closest living relatives.

After more than 30 years of organising safaris in Uganda, we still believe few wildlife experiences compare with meeting a mountain gorilla in the forests of southwestern Uganda.

Plan Your Gorilla Trekking Safari With Buutu Safaris

Ready to experience Bwindi for yourself?

Buutu Safaris can arrange your gorilla trekking permits, hand-picked Bwindi accommodation, private safari vehicle, experienced local guide, scheduled flights or private charter flights, as well as extensions to Uganda's other national parks.

Whether you want a 3-day fly-in gorilla safari, luxury Bwindi experience, gorilla and chimpanzee safari, or a complete Uganda wildlife journey, our local safari specialists will design the trip around you.

Experience Uganda through local eyes—with a team that has been exploring and organising safaris here since 1995.

→ Start Planning Your Uganda Gorilla Safari