What to Pack for a Uganda Safari and Gorilla Trek

The gorilla trekking kit that actually matters

Five items decide whether your trekking day is a great one or a miserable one. Everything else is comfort.

• Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, worn in before you fly (not new, not trail runners)
• Gaiters: keeps mud, water and safari ants out of your boots; the single most underrated item
• Gardening gloves: you will grab vines and stinging nettles to stay upright
• A packable, breathable rain jacket; ponchos snag in dense vegetation
• Long trousers and long sleeves in a quick-drying fabric, tucked into socks at the briefing

General safari clothing

Neutral colours: khaki, olive, grey, brown. Avoid bright white, which shows dust immediately, and dark blue and black, which attract tsetse flies in Murchison and Queen Elizabeth. Camouflage patterns are restricted to military use in Uganda and should not be worn by visitors.

Bring layers. Midday on the savannah is hot; early morning game drives and evenings at 2,000 metres in Bwindi are genuinely cold. A fleece and a warm hat are worth their space.

Health, documents and money

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required on entry and is checked at Entebbe. Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended for the whole country. Bring prescription medication in original packaging, plus rehydration salts, blister plasters and a broad-spectrum insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin.

Carry US dollars in notes printed 2009 or later, as older notes are widely refused. Cards work in Kampala and Entebbe and at the better lodges, and not much beyond that. Budget cash for porters, tips and craft stalls.

Camera and optics

Flash photography is prohibited at gorillas and chimpanzees, so low-light capability matters more than reach. A fast lens in the 24–70mm range covers gorillas well (you will be closer than you expect), while a 100–400mm earns its place on the savannah and at the Kazinga Channel.

Bring more batteries and cards than you think you need, plus a dry bag or rain cover. Lodge power is often generator-fed and available only in set hours, and a bank of charged batteries removes the problem entirely. Binoculars, 8x42 or 10x42, transform every game drive and boat cruise.

What you can leave at home

Single-use plastic bags are restricted in Uganda; bring dry bags or packing cubes instead. Drones require advance permits that are rarely granted for national parks, so leave them unless we have arranged clearance in writing. Lodges provide towels, soap and mosquito nets, and every one on our itineraries does same-day or next-day laundry, so five days of clothing covers a ten-day trip.

Frequently asked questions