Road trips are some of the best ways to explore any destination. You always get enough time at your disposal to include detours without losing your initial plan. Though many travel itineraries around East Africa often focus on including places like Serengeti national park, and Masai Mara national reserve among several other savannah national parks.  In this article, we attempt to suggest one of the best yet often under-recognized road trips.

While many people attempt to draw a distinction between gorilla trekking in Uganda vs Rwanda. Or gorilla trekking in Congo vs Uganda vs Rwanda. Instead of trying to make a choice on where to go, how about you visit all the popular five gorilla national parks in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Uganda is gifted with two mountain gorilla national parks. That is Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. For purposes of East African road trip planning, the parks are around 3 hours apart.

Gorilla trekking is the main tourism activity in these national parks. A gorilla trekking permit is required to participate in gorilla trekking but in case that is way above your budget, you can opt for hiking in the forests of Bwindi or track golden monkeys in Mgahinga gorilla national park.

Gorilla habituation experience is also another package to include on your Bwindi impenetrable national park bucket list. Unlike gorilla trekking, the gorilla habituation experience gives you four solid hours with the gorillas, unlike gorilla trekking which only gives you one hour with the gorillas.

For the best gorilla trekking in Uganda; a 14 days safari is recommended. This will give you some days off to rest, two days of gorilla trekking, and several days of forest hikes and community tours.

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

There is only one gorilla national park in Rwanda. That is Volcanoes national park. Unlike the gorilla parks in Uganda that might cost you a full day to transfer from Uganda’s capital Kampala; Volcanoes national park is located within three hour drive from Rwanda’s capital Kigali.

The gorilla trekking East African road trip is exceptionally unique given the fact that it takes you on an exploration of the only three countries in the whole world where you can find endangered mountain gorillas.

If you start your trip from Kigali, you can include a detour to Nyungwe forest national park for a canopy walk and chimpanzee tracking. There are also other detour options to consider in Rwanda including the genocide memorial museum.

Gorilla Trekking in the Democratic Republic Of Congo

The democratic republic of Congo is gifted with three gorilla subspecies; mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, and western lowland gorillas. However, gorilla trekking is most popular in Virunga national park; the home to mountain gorillas, and Kahuzi Biega; the home to the Eastern lowland gorillas.

Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park has suffered a number of setbacks. The same applies to Kahuzi Biega. It is only these two national parks that might make you wait until the opportune time to embark on this East African gorilla trekking road trip.

East Africa Gorilla Trekking Road Trip

With the above five park options, you can execute a 4500km road trip connecting Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. You will need a monster offroad car more so for Congo. Though it is quite easy to execute a self drive gorilla trekking road trip in Uganda and Rwanda; it is highly recommended to hire a car with a driver given the fact that most self-drive car rental agencies do not offer self-drive safaris in the Democratic Republic of Congo.