The best time for for any East African safari, including gorilla trekking in Uganda is highly dependent on majorly two factors. These range from the type of climate experienced within the region to the number of tourists present in the country at the time (peak and low season) The best time for gorilla trekking is potentially the best time for an experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla Park, Uganda.
Best time for gorilla trekking depending on the climate and weather.
East Africa has beautiful weather and her citizens are very proud of it. The climate is rather atypical of equatorial regions. Because of a combination of the region’s generally high altitude and the rain shadow of the westerly monsoon winds created by the Rwenzori Mountains and Ethiopian Highlands, East Africa is surprisingly cool and dry for its latitude. There are no winters to freeze our limbs, no autumns to dry our lips, only perennial sunshine and alternate rain. Located in the great Lakes region, the countries’ weather and climate is regulated by its abundant water bodies, forest cover, altitude and the Equator. The climate varies by country and location, from mostly cool every day, to always warm/hot.
In Uganda, there are generally two rainy seasons; March to May, and mid-September to November. There are also two dry seasons. December to February (the main dry season) & June to mid-September (the mini-dry season). But the temperatures are always high regardless of the seasons. Here, the climate is pleasantly warm, with average temperatures ranging between 20 °C and 25 °C (68 °F and 77 °F), and annual rainfall ranging between 900 and 1,500 millimeters (35 and 60 inches.) All these factors make Uganda a travel destination that can be visited throughout the year.
However, even though this is possible, the best time to visit Uganda and do gorilla trekking in Uganda is during the dry seasons. Therefore, the best time to do gorilla trekking in Uganda is in the months of June, July, August and September as well as December, January and February. In rainy seasons, the trails and roads are usually slippery which presents some difficulties to trekkers. Furthermore, some rivers flood and this makes access to certain areas and places very hard. For game viewing in Uganda’s savannah parks, the best time is towards the end of the dry seasons. This is ideal because around that period of time, wildlife is usually concentrated around water sources, making viewing and photographing idyllic.
When to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking depending on the peak and low seasons.
Peak and low seasons also influence the best time for one to make a trip to Uganda for gorilla trekking. Many tourists visit the destination in the dry months which makes things quite expensive and the areas crowded. However, others choose to travel during the rainy seasons. During this period, the costs for gorilla trekking as well as accommodation are usually reduced. The experience you get is almost the same with the dry season because Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is part of a rain forest, where it almost rains on a daily. Some of the conditions however are not so favorable, although it is surely possible to finish your safari with great memories.