8 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla safari

8 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Safari: Fly to eastern Africa for a chance to visit 2 of the national parks that are a home to the mountain gorillas. Visit the Volcanoes national park and the Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park for a double gorilla trekking along with a wildlife twist in Queen Elizabeth national park. Volcanoes national park is found in the north west of Rwanda while Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Queen Elizabeth national park is found in the south western part of Uganda. This tour can be booked any day and starts in Kigali Rwanda and ends in Entebbe Uganda.

What is a Gorilla Trekking Permit?

Trip highlights

  • Mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda
  • Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest
  • Kigali city tour
  • Dian Fossey Fund museum
  • Cultural and community tours
  • Game drive
  • Boat trip
  • Lake Katwe visit

Trip description

Day 1: Leave Kigali for Volcanoes national park

A driver guide from our office will get in touch at the time of arrival to pick you up to start your gorilla trekking safari. You will exchange pleasantries and head out to Musanze for your first stopover at the Dian Fossey fund museum for a visit. Spend some quality time at the site and head out to your hotel in Musanze before it gets dark in time for check in and dinner. 

Hotel options in Musanze

  • 5 Volcanoes gorilla boutique hotel for luxury
  • Le Bambou gorilla lodge for midrange
  • Hotel Muhabura for budget

Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park.

The first mountain gorilla trek will be in the Volcanoes national park. After an early breakfast, you will connect to the park headquarters with your driver guide for the morning brief before the gorilla trekking. The ranger guides will give you guidelines on what to expect and the code of conduct while in the forest, hire your porters and connect into the forest.

The search for the mountain gorillas will take about 2 to 8 hours depending on how far into the forest the mountain gorillas maybe that day. Once you come across the gorilla family of the day, you will be allowed a magical one hour with the mountain gorillas as they go about their daily routine. After this experience, you will drive back to your hotel for a late lunch and relax as you wait for the day to cool off.

In the evening, you will connect to the iby’iwachu cultural center for the cultural tour of the Rwandan people’s culture. Enjoy the village and drive back to the hotel as the night before for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park

Wake up at leisure and pack your bags to leave the Volcanoes national park after having breakfast at your hotel. Your driver guide will be waiting to transfer you to cross into Uganda from Rwanda via the Cyanika border. You will have a 3 hour transfer arriving at your hotel in Bwindi in time for lunch. You may have an enroute twin lake; Burera and Ruhondo visit if you are interested. 

Spend the evening in the cold Bwindi forest relaxing as you await for dinner to be served.

Hotel options in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

  • Buhoma community rest camp for budget
  • Buhoma haven lodge for midrange
  • Buhoma lodge for luxury

Day 4: Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest

Wake up for your second chance with the mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas you will be visiting will be the Bwindi forest mountain gorillas. Grab an early breakfast and head out to the park headquarters in time for the pre-trekking brief. The ranger guides will give you guidelines on what to expect and the code of conduct while in the forest, hire your porters and connect into the forest.

The search for the mountain gorillas will take about 2 to 8 hours depending on how far into the forest the mountain gorillas maybe that day. Once you come across the gorilla family of the day, you will be allowed a magical one hour with the mountain gorillas as they go about their daily routine. After this experience, you will drive back to your hotel for a late lunch and relax as you wait for the day to cool off.

In the evening, you will connect to the Batwa cultural center for the cultural tour of the local people who stay around the park’s culture. Enjoy the village and drive back to the hotel as the night before for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Drive back to Queen Elizabeth national park.

Wake up in the cold Bwindi forest as you enjoy your last minutes in the region shortly before you set out to the Queen Elizabeth national park. Have breakfast and set out on this 3 hour transfer via Ishaka headed to the hotel in Queen Elizabeth national park. 

You will arrive at your hotel in time to check in. You will stretch and relax as you wait for lunch to be served. After lunch, you may take on the launch trip on Kazinga channel to see the water animals of Queen Elizabeth national park. You will get to see the crocodiles, the hippos wallowing at the shores and in the water. Spot a number of birdlife too while on this 1 hour launch trip. Drive back to your hotel for dinner and the first night in the park.

Hotel options in Queen Elizabeth national park

  • Pumba safari cottages for budget
  • Park view safari cottages for midrange
  • Mweya safari lodge for luxury

Day 6: Game drive, Lake Katwe crater visit and community visit

Wake up early enough to connect for the morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park. Grab a simple breakfast and drive into the park with your knowledgeable driver guide in search of the game of the park. Drive in these savannah plains as you encounter the antelopes, elephants, tree climbing lions, buffaloes, rhinos and also spot some birdlife on the game drive.

8 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla safari

After the game drive, you will connect to the Lake Katwe crater where the locals carry out salt mining and later drive to your hotel for lunch. You will go for the community tour after lunch giving you a chance to interact with the local people who stay around the park.  

Day 7: Drive to Entebbe for drop off

Right after breakfast at your hotel, you will check out of the hotel that has been a home for the past days and connect with your diver guide to set out to Entebbe. You will have a stopover at the Equator for a photo moment and experiential moment. Head out further on you transfer with an enroute lunch. You will reach Entebbe in the late evening hours and you will advise on your preferred drop off.

End of safari

Trip quote to include

  • Fully fueled safari vehicle
  • English speaking and knowledgeable driver guide
  • Accommodation as in the itinerary 
  • Activities as indicated
  • Park entrance fees
  • Kigali city tour
  • Transfers 
  • Airport pick up and drop off
  • Meals all trip (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • Drinking water

Trip quote to exclude

  • International flights
  • Country visa fees
  • Personal needs like airtime, laundry, tips, alcoholic beverages.
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