The Ultimate Mountain Gorilla Safari
Mountain Gorilla Photographic Safari
Join Tom Way on a photographic safari deep into the heart of the Ugandan forests in search of the Mountain Gorilla. The experience of watching and photographing these magnificent creatures in their natural environment is breath taking whether you are photographing family bonding and group dynamics or the powerful silverback. With 4 treks built into the itinerary, it gives you the best possible opportunity to photograph these great apes in a variety of settings and increasing the chances of coming away with a beautiful portfolio.
Over the last decade, Tom has completed 65+ treks into the mountains to photograph Mountain Gorillas and therefore has a wealth of knowledge and photographic experience to guide and share with you throughout your treks. During this time, copious amounts of research and thought has been put into planning safaris to Uganda. From what time of year is best to trek, to which Mountain Gorilla group in Uganda will give the optimum photographic opportunities. Together with the team on the ground, Tom can make sure you are in the perfect position to capture the best possible images of these animals in their environment.
We tend not to share all of our tour details online and therefore full information about this safari is available via PDF on request. If you have any questions or would like to register your interest please email info@tomway.co.uk or call 07876 333787.
Workshop Highlights
Limited To Four Guests
A small group size is incredibly important. It not only gives you more flexibility to choose your perfect photographic spot but it also gives us plenty of time to spend with you both in the mountains and back at the lodge for a more personalised and enhanced learning experience.
Mountain Gorilla Treks x 4
Trekking to see Mountain Gorillas is a once in a lifetime experience. However, having the opportunity to trek 4 times gives you a far greater opportunity to capture a wider range of beautiful gorilla photographs.
Optional Chimpanzee Extension
Many guests now choose to extend their stay by a few days to photograph chimpanzees. With the location only a short flight from our gorilla lodge, we can leave the accommodation and start photographing chimpanzees the same day.
In Camp Image Reviews
To maximise our time at our lodge, Tom will be available on a daily basis to give informative image reviews and detailed guidance on how to process your Mountain Gorilla photographs.
Travel With An Expert
By 2028, Tom will have completed 100+ treks into the mountains to photograph Mountain Gorillas and therefore has a wealth of knowledge and photographic experience to guide and share with you throughout your treks.
Extra Weight Allowance
We have built in extra weight allowance for all guests on this safari. With both camera and trekking gear, we have found over the years that an increased weight allowance is very useful.
Itinerary
Day 1: Depart country of origin or (flights and timings will be recommended on booking).
Day 2: After landing at Entebbe airport, we will make the short transfer to our hotel where we will be able to relax, acclimatise and enjoy a leisurely dinner before the flight into the mountains the next day.
Day 3: On this morning we will return to the airport for an early flight. We will be met on arrival at the airstrip by our private driver who will transfer us to the lodge (a journey of around 45 mins) where we will be based to photograph the gorillas. You will have time to unpack your bags and relax before enjoying lunch with a view in front of the mountains where you will be trekking the next day. You will have the afternoon free to explore and rest at the lodge. I will run a briefing before dinner to outline the details for the coming days and also discuss what to be looking for photographically with the optimum settings for your time with the gorillas.
Day 4 - 7: After breakfast we embark on our gorilla treks. The length of the treks are dependent on the gorilla movements and therefore it is very difficult to estimate exactly how long we will be away from the lodge. A team of trackers will leave ahead of us to locate the group and then we can begin our walk in the right direction. Typically over the last few years, treks have been between 20 minutes – 3 hours but it is important to note that this is certainly no guarantee. Once we are with the group, settled and begin taking our photographs we will have exactly 1 hour. This is standard gorilla viewing procedure to minimise the impact on the gorillas and also to reduce the risk of transmitting any human viruses across to the animals. Once our 1 hour is finished we make our way slowly away from the group and back down the side of the mountain typically in time for a late lunch. Depending on what time we finish each day, the afternoon is a chance to rest and review the images from the trek. I will be on hand throughout the afternoon to give processing sessions and 1-1 time critiquing your images. It is important to carefully review, taking note of which photographs are working well and the areas to improve on for the next trek. For those with a little energy left, there is the option for a scenic walk in other areas of the forest and also the chance to visit the local Batwa villages. We gather again in the evening for drinks around the campfire before a well earned dinner.
Day 8: This morning, after a slightly more leisurely breakfast we say our goodbyes and transfer back to the airstrip. From here you will fly directly back into Entebbe and are able to be transferred back to the hotel where a day room has been arranged for you to relax and rest before your evening international flight home.
Day 13: Arrive home in the morning after our overnight flights.
Guidance, Tuition & Expertise
The main purpose and objective of this photographic safari is that you are given the opportunity to experience the Mountain Gorillas in their natural environment whilst being in the right position to take fantastic photographs. Tom will be guiding you throughout your treks to give plenty of advice regarding composition, settings, angles and how to handle the challenging lighting conditions. Tom has been trekking to photograph gorillas since 2011 and has completed over 65 treks in the mountains. With this level of knowledge, experience and copious amounts of meticulous planning which goes into each gorilla workshop, you are best placed to take a series of beautiful photographs. Once we are back at our lodge he will run various processing sessions and be on hand to critique your images from each shoot, inviting you to ask questions to ensure you are ready to make improvements on the following day. Limited to a group of 4 this safari guarantees that each individual can benefit from plenty of photographic guidance and tuition.
Meet Your Guide
Tom Way is recognised for his both powerful and engaging portraiture of Africa's large mammals. Favouring a fine art black and white style of photography, his images are widely exhibited in galleries and exhibitions to then decorate the walls of peoples homes. His work has been awarded in the worlds leading photographic competitions including Wildlife Photographer Of The Year and GDT European Wildlife Photographer Of The Year.
By 2028, Tom will have completed 100+ treks into the mountains to photograph Mountain Gorillas & Chimpanzees and therefore has a wealth of knowledge and photographic experience to guide and share with you throughout your treks. During this time, copious amounts of research and thought has been put into planning safaris to Uganda. From what time of year is best to trek, to which Mountain Gorilla group in Uganda will give the optimum photographic opportunities. Together with the team on the ground, Tom can make sure you are in the perfect position to capture the best possible images of these animals in their environment.
Mountain Gorilla Safari
2028 Workshop Price: $14,195/£10,610
*Trip priced in USD. GBP rate will vary
Price Includes
All Transfers
4 Gorilla Permits
Internal Flights
Extra weight allowance on internal flights
All Meals and Accommodation
Single Occupancy On All Accommodation
Cultural Visits
Laundry
House Brand Drinks (soft and alcoholic)
1 Complimentary 30-minute massage
Price Excludes
International Flights
Visa
Food and Drink In Entebbe
Personal Travel Insurance
Tips/Gratuities For Camp Staff + Tracking Team
Additional Spa Treatments
Modify This Safari - Chimpanzee Extension
Over the years it has become increasingly popular for us to combine photographing both the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in one tour. There is the opportunity to modify this safari if you wish and extend the trip to include photographing another of our closet relatives - the chimpanzee. If you would like to see and photograph the chimpanzee’s in Kibale we can provide a separate quote for this section of the tour. You would finish the gorilla part of the safari on day 8 and instead of flying back to Entebbe, fly directly with Tom into the neighbouring forests and begin trekking to see the chimpanzees the very same day.
2026
14th April - 22nd April 2026 - FULLY BOOKED
20th April - 28th April 2026 - FULLY BOOKED
15th April - 23rd April 2026 - FULLY BOOKED
2027
10th April - 18th April 2027 - FULLY BOOKED
19th April - 27th April 2027 - FULLY BOOKED
2028
10th April - 18th April 2028 - FULLY BOOKED
Coming Soon: An extra trip for is being added for 2028. Please email info@tomway.co.uk to register your interest.
2026 - 2028
To be the first to know about our 2029 dates, subscribe to the quarterly newsletter and register your interest by emailing info@tomway.co.uk. Subscribers receive notification of new dates before we officially begin to advertise. Due to the high demand for these photographic safaris, with trips selling out years in advance, we do maintain a waitlist in case of cancellations. If the safari you are interested in is already fully booked, please email info@tomway.co.uk to be added to the reserve list.
Private Safari Option
If the timing of the group trip does not suit your diary or you would simply prefer to experience the safari on a 1-1 or private group basis, then a bespoke tour maybe for you. Tom's private safari options allow you to tailor the trip to perhaps travelling at a different time of year or extending the safari and adding in extra locations along the way. You are able to register your interest for a private safari via email info@tomway.co.uk.
