3-Day Fly-In Gorilla Safari From Entebbe

This 3-day fly-in gorilla safari is the fastest way to experience Bwindi's mountain gorillas, flying directly from Entebbe to Kihihi Airstrip and skipping the long road transfer entirely.

Your 3-Day Fly-In Gorilla Safari at a Glance

Day 1: Entebbe to Bwindi

In the morning, check in at Entebbe Airport by 6:00 AM for your scheduled 7:00 AM flight to Kihihi Airstrip, the first leg of your 3-day fly-in gorilla safari. On arrival at approximately 8:45 AM, you'll be met by a representative from Mahogany Springs for your transfer to the lodge. Lunch and dinner included.

Opened in 2011, Mahogany Springs offers some of the finest accommodation in Bwindi. Each of the eight cottages is spacious, with running hot and cold water, flushing toilets, and a private veranda overlooking Bwindi forest. The lodge's attentive staff add real warmth to the experience, the kind of place that feels personal rather than corporate.

Day 2: Gorilla Trekking

Enter the forest at dawn and take in the beauty and freshness of Bwindi, home to more than half of the world's mountain gorillas. After a short briefing from your guides, you'll trek through dense bush in search of a habituated gorilla family, following the trail from where they nested the previous night. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. Overnight at Mahogany Springs, full board.

Gorilla trekking is the centerpiece of this 3-day fly-in gorilla safari, with multiple habituated gorilla families available across the park's four sectors, managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Group sizes, silverback counts, and family dynamics shift over time as the population continues to grow, your guide will brief you on the specific family you're tracking on the day.

We recommend booking your gorilla trekking permit at least six months in advance, and up to two years ahead for peak season dates, to secure availability.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi can be physically demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is recommended. The trek begins at 8:30 AM local time and can last anywhere from a few hours to most of the day, depending on the gorillas' location. Registration at the park gate starts at 7:45 AM.

What to bring:

• Sturdy jungle boots suitable for steep, muddy slopes
• A rain jacket, the forest is frequently wet
• Earplugs, if you're sensitive to jungle sounds
• Sunscreen, a hat, and insect repellent
• A packed lunch

Park rules to know before your trek:

• No one with a communicable illness (flu, diarrhea, etc.) may enter the park
• Stay together as a group, don't surround the gorillas
• Keep a minimum distance of 7 metres (21 feet) from the gorillas
• No eating or smoking within 200 metres of the gorillas
• Turn away and cover your mouth if you need to cough or sneeze
• Bury human waste at least one foot deep and cover it properly
• Carry out all litter, nothing is left behind in the park
• Minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15 years
• Groups are limited to 8 visitors per gorilla family, all aged 15 or older

Day 3: Bwindi to Entebbe

After breakfast, transfer to Kihihi Airstrip for your return flight, departing at 9:45 AM and arriving at Entebbe International Airport at approximately 11:25 AM.

End of safari.

Continue Planning Your Trip

Have a little more time? Our 4-day fly-in gorilla safari adds a night in Entebbe and a Lake Victoria sunset cruise before flying into Bwindi. Prefer to understand how fly-in safaris work first? Read our complete guide to Uganda fly-in safaris, or our complete guide to Uganda gorilla safaris for permit and season details.

Explore more sample safari itineraries, use our Build My Safari tool to customize this trip, or contact us to check flight availability and pricing for your travel dates.

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