8 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Safari

Once you have touched down in Entebbe International Airport (EBB), your driver guide will be waiting to pick you up and transfer you to your pre-booked hotel. Arrive early to check in, and if time permits, proceed with city tour in Entebbe or just spend the afternoon with our experts as we take you through your itinerary.

Accommodation/Lodges

• The Boma Hotel Entebbe (Midrange/Standard)
• Protea Hotel Entebbe or Hotel No.5 (Luxury)

Meal plan –B&B

Today’s morning will involve pick up from your hotel and transfer to Kibale, the renowned primate capital of the world. Kibale is found in Western Uganda and today, you will drive along the Mityana-Mubende-Fort Portal City approximately 5-6 hours. On arrival at Fort Portal, you will be offered lunch from one of the best restaurants and later, you connect to Kibale National Park.

Accommodation/Lodges

• Rwenzori View Guesthouse/Isunga Lodge/Chimpanzee Guesthouse (Budget)
• Kibale Forest Guesthouse/Chimpundu Lodge/Primate Lodge (Midrange)
• Kyaninga Lodge/Ndali Lodge/Crater Safari Lodge (Luxury)

Meal plan –Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner.

Get up early, enjoy a delicious breakfast and your driver will transfer you to Kanyanchu Tourist Center located in the heart of Kibale National Park. Meet the official for you to get registered and later join others for briefing about chimpanzee tracking guidelines. The park ranger guides will be present and you will be led by one. Each group of visitors will comprise of 6pax and you embark on a trek to see chimpanzees. By estimate, a normal chimpanzee trek takes about 2-4 hours which covers one hour for photo taking and observing how these primates behave. Up to 1500 chimps live in Kibale alone with 4 communities fully habituated thus presenting you a higher chance to witness a huge concentration of these incredible primates.

After chimpanzee tracking, you will escorted to the lodge and the staff will serve you lunch. Later, you will be heading to the Bigodi Wetland and expect to go on a guided nature walk. Bigodi holds diverse primates, other mammals, and over 138 bird species including the Great blue turacos.

Accommodation/Lodges

• Rwenzori View Guesthouse/Isunga Lodge/Chimpanzee Guesthouse (Budget)
• Kibale Forest Guesthouse/Chimpundu Lodge/Primate Lodge (Midrange)
• Kyaninga Lodge/Ndali Lodge/Crater Safari Lodge (Luxury)

Meal plan –Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner.

After an early morning breakfast, head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to over 120 mammals. Bwindi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is largely dominated by the unspoiled rainforest where half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population survives. Bwindi will be accessed through Kasese-Queen Elizabeth National Park, and en route, expect to stopover at the Kikorongo Equator monument and at Ishasha sector –an ideal location to see tree climbing lions. From the Ishasha sector, you can easily connect to the Buhoma region, which lies in the Northern tip of Bwindi.

Accommodation/Lodges

• Ride 4 A Woman (Basic/Budget)
• Engagi Lodge/Mahogany Springs/Haven Lodge (Midrange/Standard).
• Silverback Lodge/Bwindi Lodge/Buhoma Lodge (Luxury).

Meal plan –Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Head to Buhoma to get briefed on your extraordinary gorilla trekking adventure and regulations. A specialist from Uganda Wildlife Authority will be accompanying you on the actual search for mountain gorillas, and this is expected to start from 8:00 am. It will take you about 2-6 hours or less to find a family of mountain gorillas. The moment you find a group of these apes, have everything packed aside and concentrate on the camera. You have no limit on how many pictures you can take during the one hour of observing gorillas. It will be your camera to limit then after, return to be provided a gorilla trekking certificate, and later continue to the lodge for relaxation.

The Batwa community visit will be the perfect way to end your day, and you have a lot to learn from the Batwa pygmies. Meet the Batwa –the original forest hunters and fruit gatherers who occupied Bwindi Forest for decades.

Accommodation/Lodges

• Ride 4 A Woman (Basic/Budget)
• Engagi Lodge/Mahogany Springs/Haven Lodge (Midrange/Standard).
• Silverback Lodge/Bwindi Lodge/Buhoma Lodge (Luxury).

Meal plan –Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Bid farewell to Uganda and head to the Rwanda border, where you will connect to Volcanoes National Park. The Rwanda Volcanoes is set in Ruhengeri and holds 13 habituated gorilla groups regardless of its compact size. Check in the lodge in or around Volcanoes National Park for easy connection to Kinigi for the briefing the next day.

Accommodation

• Kinigi Guesthouse/Muhabura Hotel (Basic/Budget)
• Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel/Le Bambou/Da Vinci (Standard)
• Bisate Lodge/Kwitonda/One&Only Gorillas Nest (Luxury/Upmarket)

Meal plan –Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Embark on a trek to spot mountain gorillas. Explore some of the 13 habituated gorilla groups that live in the scenic forest in Volcanoes National Park. A specialist from Volcanoes will be available to lead you on a search for gorillas, and upon finding these large apes, you have an hour for up close and personal encounter. You will have an afternoon tour, inclusive of mainly the Iby’Iwacu Village, for you to learn more about the Rwandan cultures.

Accommodation

• Kinigi Guesthouse/Muhabura Hotel (Basic/Budget)
• Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel/Le Bambou/Da Vinci (Standard)
• Bisate Lodge/Kwitonda/One&Only Gorillas Nest (Luxury/Upmarket)

Meal plan –Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner.

Today brings to an end your adventure journey that combined Uganda and Rwanda. But first, you will have a short golden monkey tracking experience in the lush forest of Volcanoes National Park. After tracking golden monkeys, you will get back to meet the driver guide, who then takes you to Kigali.

End of 8 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Safari