This 7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari is a one-week primate and wildlife safari package set for you to trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It also involves golden monkey tracking, chimpanzee tracking in Volcanoes National Park, game drives, boat cruise and chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This safari will start from Kigali and end in Kampala.
What you should expect on your 7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari
- Kigali tour
- Double gorilla trek.
- Magical encounter with chimpanzees at Kyambura Gorge.
- Game drives along Kasenyi plains.
- Launch/boat cruise along Kazinga channel.
- Border crossing through Katuna or Chanika to Bwindi National Park
- Ground transportation a 4×4 drive safari car.
- Service of an English-speaking driver guide.
Safari highlights for 7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari
Day 1: Travel from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park
Day 2: First gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Day 3: Golden monkey tracking/Dian Fossey hike and drive to Bwindi National Park
Day 4: Second gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 5: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Game drive along Kasenyi plains and chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge
Day 7: Transfer to Kampala
Detailed itinerary of your 7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari
Day 1: Travel from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park
Get the best taste of Rwanda’s tea or coffee at your hotel in Kigali and later, you will be warmly welcomed by our driver guide who then will take you through what your 7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari covers. After, you have Kigali city tour with a chance to visit Kigali genocide tour in Gisozi, local markets, craft shops, cultural and historical sites among others. Later, drive northwestwards to Volcanoes National Park about 2 to 3 hours in a good 4×4 drive safari car.
Travel time: 2-3 hours
Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation choices at Volcanoes National Park
Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge
Midrange: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse/Muhabura Hotel
Day 2: First gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Today, you are expected to get up early in the morning to prepare, take your tea or coffee at the lodge. After, have your packed lunch and bottled water ready and then join other visitors at Kinigi park offices for briefing on guidelines for gorilla trekking at 7:00am. You will be assigned to one habituated family to track in a group of 8 visitors. The actual trek starts at 8:00am and you will be accompanied by an experienced park ranger guide and also be joined by trackers and porters.
Gorilla trek may take you about 2-6 hours although this may depend on your speed of hiking, nature of habitat and location of mountain gorillas. On finding these creatures, you have only an hour to strike your imaginations with them, take photos and learn in depth about their behaviors and body gestures. The gorilla family to track in Volcanoes National Park include Kwitonda, Susa A, Agashya, Bwenge, Ugenda, Amahoro, Umubano, Sabyinyo, Karisimbi and Hirwa.
After spending one hour with mountain gorillas, return to the lodge to have some rest. In the afternoon or evening, you will pay a visit to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Center for you to get the best of thrilling dances, music performances, learn some cultural and traditions of Rwandese.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation choices at Volcanoes National Park
Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge
Midrange: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge/Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Budget: Kinigi Guesthouse/Muhabura Hotel
Day 3: Golden monkey tracking or Dian Fossey hike in Volcanoes National Park
After an early morning breakfast, you will assemble at Kinigi park headquarters for briefing but today about guidelines for golden monkey tracking. You can embark on golden monkey tracking for you to strike your imaginations with golden monkeys or hike to Dian Fossey tomb site at Karisoke Research Center for you to learn more about Dian Fossey and conservation legacy. Later, you will return and drive via Katuna or Chanika border to Bwindi National Park which is in southwestern Uganda.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation choices at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Luxury: Mahogany Springs Lodge/Gorilla Forest Camp/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Midrange: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/Silverback Lodge/Gorilla Mist Camp
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp/Nshongi Gorilla Resort
Day 4: Second gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park
Enjoy your cup of tea or coffee at the lodge and later, assemble at your respective gorilla sector in Bwindi National Park for briefing on guidelines of gorilla trekking. Gorilla treks in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park start from Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga region. This park consists of 20 gorilla families and each sector has its habituated families but only one will be assigned to you. They include Mukiza, Oruzongo, Kyaguriro and Bitukura in Ruhija area; Rwingi, Bweza, Mishaya, Mucunguzi, Bikingi, Nshongi, Kahungye, Busingye and Kutu in Rushaga region; Mubare, Habinyanja, Katwe and Rushegura in Buhoma area; Nkuringo, Christmas and Bushaho in Nkuringo region.
At 8:00am, you will begin searching for mountain gorillas and you will be accompanied by park ranger guide. This will take you 2-6 hours including an hour of magical encounter once you come across a gorilla family. After, you will get back to the lodge to relax and in the afternoon/evening, you have Batwa community walk. This is for you to experience the unique cultures, traditions, dances and dances of Batwa pygmies.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation choices at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Luxury: Mahogany Springs Lodge/Gorilla Forest Camp/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Midrange: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/Silverback Lodge/Gorilla Mist Camp
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp/Nshongi Gorilla Resort
Day 5: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, check out from your lodge and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park through Ishasha sector which gets you a chance to catch a glimpse at the tree climbing lions and several bird species. You will have lunch and some rest then you have afternoon boat or launch cruise via Kazinga Channel. This is for you to spot out huge concentration of hippos, crocodiles, water birds as well as elephants, buffaloes among others.
Travel time: 3 hours
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation choices at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge.
Midrange: Twin Lakes Lodge/Enganzi Game Lodge.
Budget: Bush Lodge/Kazinga Channel View Resort/Mweya Hostel.
Day 6: Game drives along Kasenyi Plains and Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge
Have breakfast early in the morning and later, embark on an early morning game drive via Kasenyi Plains in the northern side of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This will reward you with astonishing sights at variety of savanna dwellers especially African bush elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, antelopes, bird species to mention but a few. You need a good 4×4 drive safari car with pop up for clear view and you will spend about 3-4 hours. After, you will return to the lodge to enjoy your lunch and some rest. In the afternoon, you will embark on chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge for you to catch a glimpse at chimpanzees plus several primate species including vervet monkeys, olive baboons, colobus monkeys and many others.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation choices at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge.
Midrange: Twin Lakes Lodge/Enganzi Game Lodge.
Budget: Bush Lodge/Kazinga Channel View Resort/Mweya Hostel.
Day 7: Return to Kampala
After an early morning breakfast, you will check out from your lodge ready to make a return journey to Kampala or Kigali. In case you drive to Kampala/Entebbe, you will have a stopover at Igongo Cultural Center for lunch and at Equator for photo shoot and relaxation.
End of your 7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari
7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari includes
- Gorilla permit ($600 but from 1st July, 2020 gorilla permits in Uganda will be sold at $700). In Rwanda, gorilla permits cost $1500 per person.
- Chimpanzee permits in Kyambura Gorge ($50 per person)
- Ground transportation in a 4×4 drive safari car
- Services of an English-speaking driver guide
- Border crossing
- Bottled water
- Park entry fees
- Boat cruise
- Relevant government taxes
7 days Rwanda Uganda gorilla safari excludes
- Tips to driver guide, staff, porters
- Person/medical insurance
- Other expenses like hotel fees in Kampala or Kigali outside the travel plan, laundry services, airfares, telephone calls, cigarettes and many more.
What you should pack on your gorilla trek
- Waterproof hiking boots.
- Water proof daypack.
- Gardening gloves.
- Energy giving snacks
- Camera without flashlight
- Long sleeved shirt/t-shirt
- Trousers which you can tuck into the socks
- Bottled water
- Walking stick which you can get at the park headquarters
Some of the safety measures to observe on gorilla trek
- Flashlight cameras shouldn’t be used when taking pictures of gorillas or chimpanzees.
- Do not go to trek gorillas or chimpanzees if you are sick and if want to sneeze, please cover your nose and mouth in case you need to cough.
- Always keep your voices low but do not shy from asking your guide as many questions as you can.
- A distance of 7 meters should be maintained at all times away from mountain gorillas.
- Only 8 visitors are permitted to track one habituated gorilla family.
- You have only 1 hour of magical encounter with gorillas.