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African Safaris and Tours
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Lodges
Bwindi Lodges by Sector: Where to Stay for Your Gorilla Trek
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in south-western Uganda, and its gorilla treks set out on foot from four sectors: Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south. Each sector has its own trailhead and its own lodges, so the right Bwindi lodge is the one in the sector named on your gorilla permit.
The lodges and tented camp below sit in three of those sectors:
- Buhoma: Buhoma Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Trackers Safari Lodge and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, on the forest edge around Buhoma village and the park headquarters
- Rushaga: Gorilla Safari Lodge and Gorilla Valley Lodge, on the park boundary in the south
- Nkuringo: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, high on Nteko Ridge with views to the Virunga volcanoes
None of these lodges is in Ruhija. If your permit is for the Ruhija sector, ask us and we will plan where you stay around it.
Beyond the gorillas, the forest holds around 350 bird species and 120 mammal species, and the lodges arrange guided forest walks, birding and visits to neighbouring communities, including the Batwa.
Permit rules, minimum age and how sectors are allocated are on our Uganda safaris page. For the drier trekking months, see when to visit Uganda. Malaria risk is high throughout Uganda, Bwindi included: read our Uganda malaria guide and malaria in Africa. UK FCDO advice notes that security staff routinely accompany gorilla treks in Bwindi; check the current FCDO travel advice for Uganda before you travel.
We quote Bwindi lodges as part of a tailor-made safari, not as standalone room-only bookings. Tell us your dates and we will match a lodge to your permit.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Lodges by Trekking Sector
Buhoma Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Inside the park in the Buhoma sector, Buhoma Lodge is a short walk from where the northern gorilla treks begin. Cottages with private verandas look over the forest canopy, and solar power and gravity-fed water keep this Bwindi lodge's footprint light.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
High on Nteko Ridge in the Nkuringo sector, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge looks across to the Virunga volcanoes. Stone cottages have fireplaces and private verandas, butlers look after each one, and the lodge was built with the Nkuringo community, who share in it.
Engagi Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
On the forest edge beside Buhoma village, Engagi Lodge is a simple, rustic Bwindi base for gorilla treks in the northern sector. En-suite cottages with verandas sit among the trees, and the thatched main lodge, built from local stone and eucalyptus, opens onto the forest.
Gorilla Safari Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Gorilla Safari Lodge stands on the forest boundary in the Rushaga sector of southern Bwindi, close to where Rushaga treks are briefed. Its wooden chalets each have a fireplace for cold forest nights, with solar power and hot showers waiting after the trek.
Gorilla Valley Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Near the Rushaga ranger station, Gorilla Valley Lodge steps down a steep slope on Bwindi's southern edge, so the forest is right below the rooms. Each has a private terrace, and the restaurant and bar sit at the top of the hill above the valley.
Mahogany Springs Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Mahogany Springs Lodge sits above the Munyanga River in the Buhoma sector, close to where northern gorilla treks set off. Suites open onto private terraces facing the forest, a two-bedroom family suite suits groups, and there is a spa for after the trek.
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Set on Nteko Ridge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge looks across the Kashasha valley to Nkuringo hill and the Virunga volcanoes. It began as a campsite and sits a short walk from the Nkuringo visitor centre, with stone cottages and a family villa facing the view.
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
The only tented camp on our Bwindi list, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp stands just inside the park in the Buhoma sector, close to the trek briefing point. Tents on raised wooden decks have bathtubs facing the rainforest; expect plenty of steep steps between them.
Trackers Safari Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Trackers Safari Lodge brings thatched log chalets with fireplaces to the Buhoma sector, a short drive from the park headquarters where northern gorilla treks are briefed. After the trek there is a pool, a sauna and a forest-facing restaurant to come back to.
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
In Buhoma village, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge faces the forest across a stream, with its own footpath into the park for northern-sector treks. Stone-and-thatch bandas have private terraces, every guest has a personal butler, and massages at the lodge's forest spa are included.
Bwindi Lodges: Your Questions Answered (FAQ)
Which sector is each Bwindi lodge in?
The lodges here sit in three of Bwindi's trekking sectors. Buhoma, in the north: Buhoma Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Trackers Safari Lodge and Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge. Rushaga, in the south: Gorilla Safari Lodge and Gorilla Valley Lodge. Nkuringo, on Nteko Ridge: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge.
Why should my lodge be in the same sector as my gorilla permit?
Your trek begins at the briefing point of the sector named on your gorilla permit, and each sector has its own trailhead, with transfers between sectors taking time on mountain roads. A lodge in the same sector keeps the trekking morning short, so we plan lodge and permit availability together and match your stay to the sector you trek from.
Which Bwindi lodges are inside the national park?
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp and Buhoma Lodge are inside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, both just within the boundary in the Buhoma sector, close to the trek briefing point. The other lodges on this page sit on or near the park boundary, in the villages and on the ridges that border the forest.
How do the Buhoma lodges differ from the Nkuringo ridge lodges?
The Buhoma lodges sit lower, on the northern forest edge, looking straight into the canopy; Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, for example, is at 1,475 m. Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge stand above 2,000 m on Nteko Ridge in the south, with views across to the Virunga volcanoes and fireplaces in the cottages.
Is there a tented camp in Bwindi?
Yes: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp is the tented option on this page. Its tents stand on raised wooden decks just inside the park in the Buhoma sector, each with an en-suite stone bathroom and a bathtub facing the rainforest. The camp is built into a steep hillside, so expect plenty of steps.
Which Bwindi lodges have family rooms?
Mahogany Springs Lodge has a two-bedroom family suite, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge has family cottages with two en-suite bedrooms, and Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge has a family cottage. Gorilla trekking has a minimum age, so check the rules on our Uganda safaris page before planning a family trip around the gorillas.
Which Bwindi lodges have a spa?
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge has a forest spa with two massage rooms and a sauna, and its massages are included in the stay. Mahogany Springs Lodge and Trackers Safari Lodge also offer spa treatments, Trackers adding a pool and sauna, while Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp offer massages after the trek.
Map of Lodges in and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
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