Gorilla trekking
community | Guided adventures
At Silverback, the forest is not a boundary — it is an invitation.
Beyond your room, your deck, your plate — a world of living stories unfolds. Here, Bwindi’s mountain gorillas are the undisputed stars, but the forest’s people, birds, plants, and rhythms offer endless ways to experience more.
We invite you to deepen your journey, through guided experiences curated for Silverback.
For most Silverback guests, this is the moment that calls them here — and it is like nothing else on Earth.
Early morning light filters through the mist. You set out with expert trackers, moving through the primal green. A rustle. A snap. And then — eyes meet eyes.
Bwindi is home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Silverback is positioned at the forest edge, just minutes from the Buhoma trailhead. Your trekking experience is supported with guidance, preparation, and warm hospitality before and after your adventure.
BEFORE YOU GO
Silverback provides a pre-trek briefing and can arrange porter services, walking sticks, and packed lunches. See our Gorilla Trekking Checklist below to help you prepare.
AFTER YOU TREK
Celebrate back on the Lodge’s viewing deck with a cold drink or freshly brewed Ugandan coffee.
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
First aid kit
Face mask (mandatory)
Gorilla trekking permit (required)
Passport and identification
Cash (small denominations)
MEET THE FOREST PEOPLE
The Batwa, known as the forest’s original inhabitants, once lived as hunter-gatherers in harmony with Bwindi’s rhythms. Today, many have transitioned to life outside the park, yet they continue to share their profound knowledge of the forest’s plants, wildlife, and traditions.
Our Batwa experience — guided by members of the Batwa community — offers respectful insight into their way of life, songs, dances, and survival skills. It is both a cultural exchange and a contribution, helping to support community preservation efforts.
FROM BEAN TO BREW, THE UGANDAN WAY
Uganda produces some of the world’s finest Arabica coffee — and nowhere is that more true than the highlands around Bwindi. Join local coffee farmers on a hands-on journey: picking, drying, roasting, grinding, and brewing coffee the traditional way. The experience ends, of course, with a steaming cup of your own forest coffee.
It is a chance to engage directly with the land’s bounty — and take home more than a souvenir.
STORIES UNDERFOOT AND ALL AROUND YOU
Just beyond Silverback, the Buhoma community invites you to walk its living paths. On this guided trail walk, you’ll visit craft cooperatives, traditional homesteads, herbal medicine gardens, schools, and everyday corners of village life.
Meet the people who call this edge-of-the-forest home. Your visit supports local livelihoods and deepens your understanding of the delicate balance between conservation and community.
A BIRDER’S PARADISE ON YOUR DOORSTEP
Over 350 bird species inhabit Bwindi, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. Whether you’re an avid birder or a curious beginner, the Silverback forest edge offers extraordinary opportunities.
Join one of our expert local guides for a morning or afternoon bird walk. Possible highlights include:
African Green Broadbill | Grauer’s Rush Warbler | Handsome Francolin | Black Bee-eater | Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher | Regal Sunbird
There’s no one way to arrive — only your own.
Whether you fly into the nearby Kihihi Airstrip, take the scenic route through Uganda’s lush highlands, or arrive by helicopter directly at the lodge, our team will help you plan every step. From transfers to special requests, we make sure the journey flows as quietly as the forest that waits.
There’s no one way to arrive — only your own. Whether you fly into the nearby Kihihi Airstrip or take the scenic route through Uganda’s lush highlands, our team will help you plan every step. From transfers to special requests, we make sure the journey flows as quietly as the forest that waits.
