11 Days Ultimate Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Safari

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Safari Overview

Enjoy 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari in Volcanoes, Bwindi Impenetrable, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Murchison Falls national parks.

11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari takes you to Rwanda and Uganda, arguably two best destinations for soul-stirring gorilla trekking experiences. They offer the best opportunities to see mountain gorillas in the wild and seeing them at close range is an experience that transforms you forever.

Therefore, in this 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari, you will visit Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for double gorilla trekking and visiting the Batwa people. From Bwindi, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park to sight some of Africa’s big games on the Kazinga channel on boat cruises, and thrilling game drives in its wildlife-rich wilderness before driving to Kibale National Park to track chimpanzees.

The exciting 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari will also have you embarking on exhilarating game drives and boat cruises to the bottom of the magnificent Murchison Falls or hiking to the top of the falls to have breath-taking views of the vigorous waterfall passing through a narrow gorge.

Kibale Forest Chimpanzee Tracking
Kibale Forest Chimpanzee Tracking
Excellent view of Murchison Falls
Excellent view of Murchison Falls

Quick Safari Details

Countries: Rwanda and Uganda

Departure/End City: Kigali/Entebbe

Destinations: Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park and Murchison Falls National Park

Group Type: Private

Number of People: Tailored

Availability: Year-Round.

Dates: Open

Duration: 11 Days

Cancellation Policy: Up to 90 days

Activities: Gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, Bigodi wetland walk, game drives, and boat cruise

Price: Request a quote

Safari Highlights

  • Gorilla trekking adventures through the lush forest jungles of Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Spend an uninterrupted hour in the presence of these awe-inspiring gentle creatures and awaken a profound connection with the apes.
  • Brace yourself for impressive wildlife viewing opportunities in the wilderness of Queen Elizabeth National Park, a symphony of nature’s grandeur. Thrill your senses with exciting game drives before embracing the magic of the Kazinga Channel on a boat cruise excursion, where majestic hippos and crocodiles grace the waters, joined by a symphony of vibrant birdlife.
  • Traverse the realms of Rwanda as you cross borders to Uganda, where magnificent landscape vistas paint the backdrop of your odyssey.

Know Before You Go

  • The 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari will have you hiking moderately steep slopes to search for the mountain gorillas at high altitudes between 2400 and 4507 meters. Fitness is therefore required! There are strict rules for visiting these places and meeting gorillas, and you’ll be escorted by armed rangers, and a guide with a group of other seven trekking travelers.
  • Please note that wildlife viewing, quantity, and species of animals seen are dependent upon local conditions, including weather, wind, and seasonal migration patterns.

11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari Detailed Itinerary

On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by your driver guide, who will pick you up and transfer you to your lodge. Kigali, Rwanda’s heartbeat and bustling capital city, spreads out over four scenic ridges and the valleys in between. The government and administrative quarter are located on one hill and the city centre on another.

After settling in your lodge, you will take a city excursion to explore this vibrant city. It boasts a selection of up market hotels, restaurants, shopping centres, and city markets. After the city excursion, you will proceed to Volcanoes National Park, north of Ruhengeri. You will drive through undulating and beautiful terraced hills with tea plantations, revealing a picturesque landscape of Rwanda.

Check into Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (or similar) on arrival, where you will spend two nights. The lodge is in a prime location with breath-taking views of the Sabyinyo Volcano and the chain of Virunga Mountains. The standard property is approximately 2.5 hours from Kigali International Airport and only 10 minutes’ drive from the park headquarters.

After a sumptuous breakfast at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, you will take a short scenic drive to Rwanda’s premier park – Volcanoes National Park for your gorilla trekking excursion. You will arrive at the park headquarters for registration and briefing. After, you will be led by experienced guides as you set out in search of a family of habituated mountain gorillas, navigating the bamboo forest.

It may take between 2 and 6 hours to find a family of habituated gorillas. But after finding them, you’ll be allowed a maximum of an hour in their presence observing their gentle nature yet powerful existence, drawing you to the real side of natural beauty. Enjoy every bit of time as you watch them feeding, playing, foraging, teasing each other, or slumbering. The cherished moments of your face-to-face encounter with these gentle giants become a part of your essence, transforming you forever.

If you don’t like to trek gorillas in Rwanda, then you may hike to Diane Fossey’s grave and her former Karisoke Research Center. You will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of the incredible life of Diane Fossey and her unwavering passion for gorillas. You will also enjoy breath-taking views of Volcanoes National Park.

After a hefty breakfast, you will take a 3 hour scenic road trip to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda, as you’ll be crossing the border from Rwanda through Cyanika. It is a hassle-free border crossing, and then you will drive to Buhoma Community Rest Camp or Nkuringo Gorilla Camp depending on which section of the park you go to.

The Nkuringo Gorilla Camp is set on the Nteko ridge at 2161m above sea level, overlooking a beautiful swath of Bwindi. The spectacular ridge presents a superb vantage point across the Kashasha river valley to the breath-taking, conical peaks of the Virunga Volcanoes and the surrounding canopy of the Bwindi Forest.

After a sumptuous breakfast at your lodge, you have the opportunity to venture into Bwindi Forest in search of the magnificent mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is a captivating and life-transforming experience. Spending time on an African rainforest floor with these gentle giants and watching them interact is an unforgettable encounter.

You will transfer to the park headquarters for registration and briefing. After, you will be led by expert ranger guides into the forest jungles through thick creepers and undergrowth to find a family of habituated mountain gorillas. We recommend packing your lunch because the trek can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours before finding a family of gorillas playing, feeding, and foraging.

After spending the one hour allotted to you in the presence of these gentle apes, you will return to the lodge and relax for the rest of the day or embark on a late afternoon Batwa pygmy experience (you pay for it). You will interact with these local people also referred to as the keepers of the forest – understand their culture and way of life.

After early breakfast, you will embark on a 5-hour road trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda’s premier wildlife destination. With 95 mammal species, over 600 bird species claiming the region as home, it delivers incredible wildlife viewing throughout the year.

Morning and afternoon game drives will be conducted in the park’s Kasenyi plains to reveal the park’s regular sightings, including lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and spotted hyenas, among others. The famous tree-climbing lions will be seen in the Ishasha sector and a host of other plains game and predators.

On arrival, you will check into Enganzi Lodge or Bush Lodge where you will spend the night in the middle of an African jungle. Enganzi Game Lodge is a standard accommodation perched on the rift valley, offering breath-taking views over Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is well appointed with lovely grounds and the views of the park from the restaurant are unmatched.

After a sumptuous early breakfast, a symphony of sights and sounds unfolds before you on a thrilling early morning game drive as the sun rises. This is a perfect opportunity to explore resident game in this popular national park.

The afternoon escapade unveils a waterborne spectacle as you embark on an exciting boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. You will see a host of waterborne giants, including one of the world’s largest concentrations of hippos year-round and crocodiles. A dazzling array of bird species will add to your marvel at this incredible park.

You will relish the night at Elephant Hab or Buffalo Lodge after the day’s activities. Buffalo Lodge is a newly refurbished lodge, transformed from a four-room budget facility to an exceptional 19-room luxury lodge (we take standard). The property sits on 33 acres of wilderness overlooking the famous Kazinga Channel.

After a sumptuous breakfast, you will drive to the northern bank of the park (Kasenyi) for a morning game drive to crown your Queen Elizabeth National Park adventure. After lunch, your private transfer vehicle takes you on a scenic drive across the equator to your next destination – Kibale National Park. You will arrive at Kibale Forest Camp in the evening for your next two nights.

Kibale Forest Camp offers a varied range of comfortable accommodations to guests. The elegant, tented camp is set in a patch of evergreen forest just outside the southern section of the park, bordering the Magombe swamp – popular for the Bigodi Wetland Walk. It is a 10-minute drive to Kanyanchu Visitor Center, the starting point of chimpanzee tracking.

After breakfast, you will transfer to the park headquarters for registration and briefing and then join a group of other trackers for a thrilling chimpanzee tracking activity. After the briefing, you will be led into the forest jungle by armed ranger guides to find a troop of habituated chimpanzees.

The chances of seeing them are about 90% so expect to encounter these mesmerizing apes at close range. After finding these playful primates, you will be allowed to spend an exciting hour in their presence, learning about their behaviour and lifestyle. Once your chimpanzee tracking activity is complete, you will return to your lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will embark on a community-based guided walk of the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. During this walk, you’ll learn more about this community-run initiative that aims at conserving the unique biodiversity and environmental values of the wetland. Your day ends back at Kibale Forest Camp in time for a delectable dinner.

After an early breakfast, you will embark on a 7 to 8-hour, 400-kilometer road trip northward to Murchison Falls National Park as you enjoy great views of the escarpment. The park sits in the remote northwestern region of Uganda and is bisected by the Victoria Nile River.

The dramatic waterfall that squeezes through a 7-metre gouge and then plunges down 45 metres, transforming into a broad, placid stream flowing quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert, is the centerpiece of the park. This stretch of river presents one of Uganda’s most picturesque wildlife spectacles and landscapes.

On arrival at the park, you’ll check in at Murchison River Lodge and be served dinner. The lodge is set directly on the southern bank of the Nile River, overlooking the magnificent park. The rooms are generously spread out within 30 acres of natural bush. It offers spectacular views from the main bar and restaurant across the river and over the expansive savannah plains, from which guests can relish the panoramic views of the park.

After an early morning cup of tea, you will transfer to the northern section known as Paraa for your morning game drive. You will have the opportunity to spot an abundance of plains game, including giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, hippos, and, if lucky, predators such as lions and leopards.

Return to the lodge for lunch before proceeding for your two-hour boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. Witnessing the turbulent water squeezing itself through a narrow gorge before exploding out into a placid stream is a remarkable sight to behold. Return to the lodge at the end of the day.

Your journey through Rwanda and Uganda ends here. Savour your final breakfast in Africa before being transferred to Entebbe International Airport to catch your departure flight home.

Optional: You may choose to visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for incredible rhino tracking, which also completes the big five pack in this African odyssey.

Safari Includes

  • Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
  • All road transfers in 4WD
  • Two gorilla permits Rwanda-($1500 & Uganda-$800) per person to be paid for in advance
  • One chimpanzee permit (Uganda-$200) per person to be paid for in advance
  • Bottled drinking water
  • English speaking guide/driver
  • All activities in the travel plan except the optional ones.

Safari Excludes

  • Visa & Travel insurance
  • Emergency medical bills
  • Trip cancellation insurance
  • International flights
  • Airport taxes
  • Porter fee while trekking
  • All meals and drinks not specified
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature

Start planning an extraordinary safari with us. You can book this tour itinerary, create one from scratch with the help of an African safari expert, or customize one of our suggested tours to suit your travel preferences.

Important Notes for the 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari

  • The 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari is limited to a maximum of six travelers per vehicle, and a 30% deposit is due upon confirmation.
  • Travelers with special needs may be required to pay an extra fee for trekking facilitations.
  • The minimum age for gorilla and chimp trekking is 15 years old.
  • Porters are available for hire at a cost of about $20. The porters can be got during the briefing or at the starting point of the trek. Some of these porters are former poachers who have now been given a chance to earn a living by helping tourists trek gorillas.
  • Dinner and accommodation before and after the trip are not included in the overall tour cost.
  • This 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari is tailor-made and can be customized to your own style of travel. You can set your own dates (subject to availability) and choose your accommodation facilities with our guidance. The accommodations selected here are what we think will suit this kind of trip and are where we have the best rates for you.
  • Due to the uncertainty of travel during these times, you can postpone your trip up to 12 months ahead (considering accommodation availability) and have a minimum of 30 days to cancel.

Tips for the 11 Days Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari.

Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking are amazing activities, but for the best experience, you will need:

  • Do not forget your closed or waterproof hiking shoes or closed shoes.
  • Poncho, or raincoat, during the rainy season
  • Camera with an additional battery and charger.
  • Binoculars for birders
  • Sun hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Insect repellent

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