5 Day Uganda Gorilla Express Guided Motorcycle Tour

Day 1: Entebbe - Lake Mburo (235 km / 146 mi)

Starting in Entebbe is far more relaxed than starting in Kampala. Just outside Entebbe, you will take the ferry from the peninsula to the mainland. A pleasant start. You stop at the equator point for a good coffee. After lunch in Masaka, there will be a short off-road part into the Lake Mburo National Park. This park surrounds the lake with the same name. It has one of the densest zebra populations in East Africa.

Day 2: Lake Mburo - Ruhija (205 km / 127 mi)

Start the day with a nice off-road route towards Mbarara. After a short tarmac road, you will continue on a long gravel stretch towards Bwindi Forest. This is a hilly area with lots of curves. The condition of the gravel roads depends on the weather. In the afternoon, you will be riding through the edges of the dense forest area, with lots of monkeys on the way. You end the day in the gorilla trekking village called Ruhija.

Day 3: Ruhija - gorilla trekking

You will spend the entire day visiting the gorillas. You will have arranged the necessary permits in advance. Only eight people per day are allowed to visit the three gorilla families. You can stay with the family for a maximum of one hour. A family sleeps in a different place every night. In the early morning, so-called 'trackers' are sent to locate the family. The group of eight visitors, led by a guide and a few rangers, will then be guided through the dense forest to the family via GPS coordinates. How long you have to walk to get to the gorillas is therefore entirely dependent on where the family is. But this unique hour with the gorillas is worth every walk. Alternatively, you can stay relaxing at the nice hotel, walk around the forest village where you stay, or do a guided nature tour.

Day 4: Ruhija - Dave the Cave (185 km / 115 mi)

Today, you ride into the real highlands. The unpaved roads take us across the mountain range to the hilly landscape along Lake Edward. Here begins the Queen Elizabeth National Park. A long, unpaved road runs through this park. You follow this route and almost certainly see wildlife on the way. Uganda is still the only country in Africa where you can ride through some nature parks on a motorbike.You stay at one of the many crater lakes at a local family-run ecolodge and campsite. The owner can share stories about the community and several initiatives they work on to empower the people.

Day 5: Dave the Cave - Entebbe (334 km / 207 mi)

After a short loop around the crater lake area, you use small roads passing small villages to get back to the main roads. It will be a long ride back to Entebbe. End of an intensive flash tour to the south.

Motorbikes

Riders use either the Kibo 250 or the Haojin 200, depending on availability.

Riding gear

Riding gear is not included and must be provided personally. A helmet is mandatory, and proper protective gear is strongly recommended as riding occurs daily.

Clothing

Mandatory items include a helmet, motorcycle jacket with protection, gloves, strong motorcycle trousers with protection or separate knee armour, and sturdy high boots. Sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen, and a helmet with a visor or dust-protective glasses are recommended.

Difficulty and off-road

During this trip, you do not ride at significant heights. The bad slippery roads (particularly after rain) can make travel heavy; however, this will probably only last a few days. About 60% of the route is on asphalt roads, which are often of remarkably good quality. Most gravel roads are also in decent condition. For a small part of the trip, you ride on more challenging unpaved roads. The quality of these roads is very different.