Gorilla tracking is the defining experience of Bwindi. You set out with a small group — a maximum of eight people per habituated family — and a team of Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers and trackers. The hike to locate the gorillas can take anywhere from twenty minutes to four hours depending on where the family has moved overnight. The forest can be steep, muddy, and dense, and the reward at the end makes every step worthwhile.
When you find them, you have one hour. You must keep a minimum distance of seven metres, though gorillas don't always observe this rule themselves. Infants are curious and sometimes venture right up to the group. The silverback may ignore you entirely or may stage a brief display to remind you who owns the forest. Either way, the encounter is one of those experiences that stays with you for decades.
Bwindi has four gorilla tracking sectors — Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo — each with different habituated families. Permits must be booked in advance through Uganda Wildlife Authority; demand far exceeds supply during peak season (June–September and December–February).