Most Popular Nationalities that Visit Bwindi for Tourism – Bwindi is located in southwestern Uganda, spanning the districts of Kabale, Kisoro, and Kanungu.
The major tourist attraction in the area is the mountain gorillas.
Bwindi is home to about 459 individuals of these endangered primates. This area was established as a national park in 1991 to protect them.
Due to the presence of these mountain gorillas, Bwindi has become a major destination in the world for gorilla trekking and serves as a significant foreign earner for Uganda.
Besides the mountain gorillas, Bwindi is home to other wildlife species, including 120 species of mammals, 350 species of birds, 27 frog species, more than 1,000 flowering plants, over 200 tree species, and around 100 species of ferns.
Bwindi National Park covers an area of approximately 331 square kilometers.
The park experiences a tropical climate, as it is a tropical rainforest. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,400 mm to 1,900 mm, with temperatures ranging from 7°C to 15°C at the minimum and 20°C to 27°C at the maximum.
Bwindi National Park has 20 gorilla families available for trekking by tourists, located in the four sectors of Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo.
The gorilla families include the Munare gorilla family, Bitukura gorilla family, Bweza gorilla family, Busingye gorilla family, Mishaya gorilla family, Nkuringo gorilla family, among others.
Most Popular Nationalities that Visit Bwindi for Tourism
The countries that most frequently visit Bwindi include African countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
Other visitors come from countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, India, China, the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia.
Tourists from these countries visit Bwindi primarily to see the famous endangered mountain gorillas.
They also have the opportunity to observe mammals like elephants, leopards, and antelopes, as well as other primates like monkeys and chimpanzees.
Bird species like the cinnamon-chested bee-eaters, mountain and yellow-streaked greenbuls, red-faced woodland warblers, and white-tailed flycatchers can also be seen, along with butterflies and the Bwindi forest itself.
How to Get to Bwindi
Tourists can travel by car from Entebbe or Kampala, a journey of about 8 to 9 hours to reach Bwindi.
Tourists traveling from Queen Elizabeth National Park can drive for about 3 to 4 hours to Bwindi.
Air transport is another option, with tourists flying from Entebbe or Kajjansi airfields to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips, followed by a 1-hour drive to the park premises.
Best Time to Visit
Tourists can visit Bwindi year-round, but the best season is the dry season, which occurs from June to September and from December to February.
Cost of Some Major Activities
As tourists visit the park, they are required to pay a park entry fee of USD 40 per person.
Gorilla trekking costs about USD 800 per person for a single trek, and only 8 people are allowed to trek a particular gorilla group for 1 hour.
Gorilla habituation costs USD 1,500 per person, and tourists are given about 4 hours with the gorillas.
All nationalities are allowed to visit Bwindi without any restrictions, and each person is allowed to secure a gorilla permit through the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
