Take 11 days Uganda and Rwanda gorilla trekking safari one of the best combined gorilla tours designed for you to enjoy magical encounter with mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park.
This tour also includes Kigali city tour, golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park and game viewing in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park. Your gorilla trekking safari trip begins from Kigali and ends in Kampala or Entebbe Uganda.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Kigali city expedition, drive to Volcanoes National Park
Pick up by your gorilla trekking safari leader after breakfast and begin your Kigali city trip. Your exploration in Kigali includes visit to Kigali genocide memorial centre, local markets and have lunch stop in a hotel in Kigali capital city. Drive to Ruhengeri 2-3 hours to check in at your lodge in Volcanoes National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking & cultural trip in Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
Enjoy your hefty breakfast and move to Kinigi to be briefed on gorilla trekking guidelines but ensure you have some packed snacks plus bottled drinking water. The length of trekking to see mountain gorillas varies depending on where they are, nature of the habitat but it ranges from 2-6 hours inclusive of magical 1 hour. Get back to have lunch, relax, share memories and complement your gorilla experience with authentic cultural experience in Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.
Day 3: Go track golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park
Have breakfast and early in the morning, report to Kinigi offices for briefing on golden monkey tracking rules beginning at 7:00am. From 8:00am, hit the forest to look for golden monkeys which share the same habitat with mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. The hike to see these beautiful apes varies from 2-4 hours inclusive of one hour of close encounter and photo taking.
Day 4: Volcanoes National Park-Lake Bunyonyi through border crossing
Drive to Lake Bunyonyi after a leisurely breakfast in Volcanoes National Park. This is one of the deepest lakes in Africa and it is nestled in Southwestern Uganda. You will take a boat ride to any of its 29 islands, enjoy amazing sight of birds, surrounding areas then get back for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Lake Bunyonyi-Bwindi
After breakfast, chill in your lodge as you enjoy magnificent views of Lake Bunyonyi and leave in the afternoon for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park a home to 459 mountain gorillas. Check in at your best lodge of choice to have a relaxed evening, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Today marks your second gorilla trekking experience. You will have breakfast and assemble at Bwindi offices for briefing on guidelines for gorilla trekking then begin a trek at 8:00am with park guide.
A maximum of 1 hour will be allowed for you to take photos and have an in-depth exploration about mountain gorillas. Return thereafter to relax at the lodge and have evening cultural tour in Batwa community.
Day 7: Leave Bwindi for Queen Elizabeth National Park
After you have had a cup of tea or coffee, check out of the lodge ready take 3-4 hours’ drive from Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Expect to capture sight of the tree climbing lions at Ishasha area plus many other mammals, birds then check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Game drive & boat cruise on Kazinga Channel Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have a hefty breakfast and your next activity will be a game drive via Kasenyi Plains which exposes you to Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diversity of wildlife. These range from African bush elephants, birds, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes, leopards, lions and others. Return to the lodge after 2-3 hours of magical game viewing. Chill and have exciting boat cruise on Kazinga Channel which offers you a chance to see hippos, crocodiles, water birds and others.
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park drive to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, check out ready to connect to Kibale Forest your next top destination on this 11 days Uganda & Rwanda gorilla trekking safari. Enjoy excellent views of buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, birds en-route. Check in at the lodge in Queen for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Chimp trekking & guided nature walk in Bigodi
Have breakfast and report thereafter to Kanyanchu Tourist Centre for briefing on chimp trekking rules. Start a trek to view chimps in Kibale Forest at 8:00am with park guide and this may take 2-4 hours inclusive of a maximum of 1 hour you will have with chimpanzees. Other primates you most likely to come across include blue monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys. Return to have lunch in a lodge then go nature walk in Bigodi Wetland to look out for more primates, birds, mammals, flora and others.
Day 11: Kibale-Kampala/Entebbe
Enjoy your delicious breakfast and after, leave Kibale Forest National Park for Kampala the capital city of Uganda or drive to Entebbe.
