Bwindi Backpackers Lodge is a travelers' paradise situated on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, home to endangered mountain gorillas. Bwindi Backpackers offers budget and mid-range accommodation facilities ranging from self-camping to rooms with shared bathrooms, self-contained rooms, and cottages. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris.

Bwindi Backpackers has four handcrafted rooms that are not self-contained but rather share bathrooms and have great views of the surrounding communities and Nombe Forest. Other handcrafted, self-contained rooms overlooking Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are also available to Bwindi backpackers. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour.

Bwindi backpackers’ lucky clients watch mountain gorillas from these self-contained rooms because sometimes the Nkuringo mountain gorilla group comes to feed within the lodge premises. 

Every day, Bwindi backpackers implement specific measures to ensure the safety of their clients and employees, such as cleaning and hygiene guidelines.

Mountain gorilla tracking

The major tourist attraction in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi National Park is mountain gorilla tracking. Each gorilla group is tracked by a maximum of 8 travelers per day. A mountain gorilla trekking permit costs $800 per trek for non-foreign residents, $700 for a foreign resident in Uganda, $500 for the rest of Africa's citizens, and 300,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.

Hiking Top of Heaven Hill

Tourists can participate in the hike to the top of Heaven Hill from the lodge because it is the highest spot with rewarding, beautiful scenery. The Heaven Hill is situated at a high altitude such that, in clear weather, you see many of the Virunga volcanoes, such as Mount Muhabura, Mount Mgahinga, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Nyiragongo, and Mount Nyamuragira.

Horned Chameleon Tracking

Take part in tracking the unique three-horned Jackson’s chameleon experience. This type of chameleon can only survive at an altitude starting from 1600 meters above sea level. Horned chameleon tracking is normally done near Bwindi Backpacker’s Lodge between 1800 meters above sea level and 2022 meters above sea level, and this is where this lodge is located. 

Nkuringo Batwa Experience

The Batwa used to survive on wild game meat from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, but when it was established as a protected area in 1991, it was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO because of the endangered great apes. The Batwa community, who used to stay in the forest, was evicted from the forest and resettled near the forest.

Bakiga Community Tour

The Bakiga community tour takes tourists through the journey of sustainable tourism in remote areas of Uganda, showcasing the lifestyle and culture of the Bakiga people. Interpreted by one of the trained community guides, who will take you to the Nombe community, where you will witness the sites of brewing masters.

Birding Tour

The Nkuringo sector is one of the best bird-watching destinations in southwestern Uganda. Nkuringo sector bird species include grey-crowned cranes, pink-footed puffbacks, Ameson's antpeckers, Waller's starlings, Klaas's cuckoos, African cuckoos, barred long-tailed cuckoos, white-throated greenbuls, common bulbuls, African blue flycatchers, and red-headed bluebills, among others.

The greatest time of year to see the gorillas in Bwindi Forest is in the dry season, which runs from December to February and June to September; it’s considered the busiest time for gorilla trekking. However, tourists can trek to mountain gorillas at any time of the year.