This 12 Days safari takes you to both Uganda and Rwanda to see the endangered mountain gorillas and wildlife. The trip starts in Kampala (Uganda) and ends in Kigali (Rwanda). It can also as well start in Kigali and ends Kampala. Visit Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi forest, Volcanoes National Park and Lake Kivu. Go for gorilla tracking twice, see the endangered chimpanzees, tree climbing lions and a variety of other wildlife.
Trip Highlights
- Game Viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge & Nyungwe Forest
- See the tree climbing lions of the Ishasha Sector
- Gorilla Tracking in both Bwindi Forest and PNV
- Lake Kivu
Brief Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Kampala – Kibale Forest, the best place to see chimpanzees
Day 2: Chimp trekking in Kibale Forest National Park. Optional nature walk in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.
Day 3: Travel from Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4: Game drive and launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel
Day 5: Visit the Ishasha Sector – look out for the tree climbing lions
Day 6: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 8: Transfer to Rwanda
Day 9: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Day 10: Golden monkey tracking / dian fossey trek
Day 11: Have optional relaxed activities in Lake Kivu
Day 12: Departure
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Kampala – Kibale Forest
After breakfast and you will drive to Kibale which is about 300km with a tarmac road going to Fort Portal and also a distance of 36km on murram to Kanyanchu. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge
Day 2: Chimp trekking in Kibale Forest National Park
Have breakfast and then go for chimpanzee trekking. This is place to a number of forest wildlife, most especially 13 species of primate coupled with chimpanzees. After trekking you will go for lunch and then visit Bigodi wetland well known for various bird species. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 3: Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have breakfast and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park , enroute you may visit the Toro Kingdom. On arrival you will have lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 4: Game drive and launch cruise
Breakfast and then go for an early morning game drive and in the afternoon go for a launch cruise along the kazinga channel where you may spot various water birds and animals. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 5: Ishasha sector
After breakfast you will drive to Ishasha sector, on arrival you will go for a game drive, where you might spot tree climbing lions, and other animals like elephants among others. Return to the lodge for lunch and relax the rest of the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 6: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable forest
After breakfast you will drive to Bwindi, you will have lunch enroute. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Have breakfast and then go for a briefing and after go for trekking, this could take 4-8 hours depending on the movements of these gorillas. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Rwanda
After breakfast you will transfer to Rwanda. Arrive in time for lunch, then proceed to Parc Nationale des volcanoes. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 9: Gorilla Trekking
After breakfast, you will drive to the park headquarters where you will meet the ranger guides. After the briefing you will begin the search of mountain Gorillas. The trek can be quite tough that it takes a lot of time approximately 2-8 hours. After the trekking, have lunch. You can take a local community tour. Dinner and Overnight at the lodge
Day 10: Golden Monkey Tracking / Dian Fossey Trek
After breakfast go for golden monkey trekking within Volcanoes National Park. During the trek, you may spot other primates plus viewing other inhabitants of the forest like birds and butterflies, return to the lodge for late lunch. If you don’t want to go gorilla trekking, take a hike to Dian Fossey’s Grave. This is a full day hike to a place where Dian Fossey premiered in the popular Gorillas in the Mist movie, spent most of her time looking after the injured mountain gorillas. After the trek, relax at the lodge. Dinner and overnight at the Lodge
Day 11: Have optional relaxed activities in Kivu
Have breakfast, drive to Gisenyi and spend a full day of relaxation at the shores of this beautiful inland lake. You can participate in optional relaxed activities like a swimming, boat ride and sun bathing that will refresh you from the tiresome activities. Dinner and overnight at the lodge
Day 12: Travel to Kigali
Have breakfast and transfer back to Kigali, you may do a city tour with a visit to the cultural museum in Butare enroute, visit the genocide memorial site. Then transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
End of the Safari
Trip Information – Things to Know
- This trip is available all year round and can depart anytime of the year.
- The trip is a fully inclusive tour package.
- Gorilla trekking is an adventure activity that demands a considerable degree of fitness. If you have fitness problems always talk to our tour consultants so that you can get helped.
- Always check out Gorilla Trek Planner for information on planning a gorilla trekking trip in Rwanda.