A fly-in gorilla safari swaps the long road journey to Uganda’s gorilla parks for a short, scenic flight. By road, the trip from Kampala or Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can take eight hours or more. By light aircraft, however, you land near the forest in about an hour. As a result, you arrive rested, with more energy for the trek.
Winston Churchill called Uganda the Pearl of Africa, and from the air you quickly see why. Below this, you find our tours that work well with flights, followed by a guide to airstrips, parks, luggage and booking.
Our 3 day Bwindi gorilla trekking safari is the quickest way to meet mountain gorillas from Kampala or Entebbe. Your trip to Uganda is not really complete without the full gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. If you are looking for a challenge, you have found it. The
This 4 day gorilla trekking and volcano hike takes you to Kisoro, in the far southwest corner of Uganda. First, you track mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Then, you spend a full day exploring the sleeping volcanoes, forests and cultural trails of the area. You need to be
Uganda is the Pearl of Africa, and our 10 days best of Uganda safari shows you why. This feature trip links six top wildlife areas in one smooth loop from Kampala. You walk with white rhinos at Ziwa, cruise to the foot of Murchison Falls, track chimps in Kibale, take
Scheduled domestic flights leave from Entebbe International Airport and from Kajjansi airfield, just outside Kampala. Small aircraft then fly south-west to the airstrips that serve the gorilla parks. After that, a driver meets you when you land and takes you to your lodge. On trekking day, you join the morning park briefing just like travellers who came by road.
You can also mix flying and driving. For example, many travellers drive one way to see the countryside and fly back to save time at the end of the trip. Others, meanwhile, fly between parks to fit more into a short holiday. Either way, we plan the route around your dates, budget and energy levels.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to roughly half of the world’s mountain gorillas. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes, protects the Nyakagezi family. Two airstrips serve these parks, and the right one depends on the sector printed on your permit. Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and each gorilla family can receive only eight visitors a day.
First, the flight to Kihihi takes roughly one hour. From the airstrip, you then transfer by road to the Buhoma and Ruhija sectors in the north of Bwindi. Because you skip the long drive, you reach your lodge with time to rest before the trek. That matters, since gorilla trekking needs fitness and fresh legs.
Similarly, flights to Kisoro take around 45 minutes to an hour. Kisoro is the gateway to Mgahinga and to the Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors of southern Bwindi. Besides gorilla trekking, you can hike the Virunga volcanoes, track golden monkeys and meet the Batwa, the forest’s original inhabitants.
Flying makes it easy to add Uganda’s other highlights to your gorilla trek. Instead of spending a full day on the road between parks, you spend that time on game drives, boat trips and nature walks.
The flight from Entebbe or Kajjansi to Mweya airstrip takes about 45 minutes. Queen Elizabeth National Park is famous for its tree-climbing lions. You can also see elephants, buffaloes and a long list of birds. Meanwhile, on the Kazinga Channel, hippos crowd the banks. Since the park lies on the way to Bwindi, it fits naturally into a gorilla itinerary.
Kidepo is one of Uganda’s most remote parks, so flying is by far the easiest way in. Flights land at Apoka airstrip, inside the park. In the park, you also find lions, elephants, hyenas and wide, empty savannah. You can also meet the Ik people, who live in the mountains near the park.
Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest national park. It offers game drives, boat cruises on the Nile, birding and a hike to the top of the falls, where the Nile squeezes through a narrow gorge. In addition, ask us about hot air balloon flights, which give photographers a rare view of wildlife from above. Flying in saves you the long drive north, so you get more time in the park.
If you start in Rwanda, you fly into Kigali International Airport. From there, Volcanoes National Park is about two to three hours by road. Alternatively, you can cross into Uganda and trek in southern Bwindi, which many travellers combine with Lake Bunyonyi. Our two-day Bwindi gorilla trek from Kigali is a good example of this short route.
Flying suits many kinds of travellers. In particular, it is a good fit for:
Light aircraft have strict weight limits. The allowance is usually around 15 kilograms per person in a soft-sided bag, and hard suitcases are often not accepted. For this reason, check the limit for your flight before you pack. Our gorilla trekking packing list helps you travel light without forgetting the essentials.
Flights run all year, but seats are limited, so book well in advance. You also need a permit for a specific date and sector, and your flight must match it. Therefore, it is best to book flights, gorilla permits and trekking dates and lodges together. You can book a seat directly with a domestic airline. However, a tour operator makes the planning much easier, because everything has to line up on the same days.
Tell us your travel dates, group size and the parks you want to see. We will check permit availability, match it to flight days and send you a free tailor-made itinerary. Whether you want a quick gorilla trip or a longer journey around Uganda by air, we help you make the most of every day. Finally, for a full overview of the trek itself, read our guide to trekking with mountain gorillas in Uganda.
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