6 Days Gorilla Tracking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda
Overview
The tiniest sunbirds were iridescent in the morning light, the massive lumbering yet silent elephant disappearing like a vapor behind the trees, the chimpanzees crashing about the forest canopy, and the lugubrious gorilla chewing thoughtfully in the bamboo thicket. Snow-capped peaks, tropical, sandy, freshwater beaches, and smiling faces everywhere. It is all in this safari, a feast for all the senses. See Uganda and Rwanda which are known and loved by their people.
Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport (EBB)
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport where you will be transferred by your driver-guide to your hotel. You will stay overnight at Cassia Lodge on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
Day 2: Depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In the morning, you will depart with your safari guide. You will leave for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to the endangered mountain gorillas. Bird and primate life in Bwindi is exquisite, with an abundant collection of flora. Bwindi is now an ecological island, surrounded by cultivation on rich volcanic soils. You will stay overnight at Nkuringo Gorilla Camp on a full-board basis.
Day 3: Full-day gorilla tracking
You will first have your early morning breakfast, and later, you will head to the park headquarters for a briefing from the Uganda wildlife authority before setting off to the forest to see the mountain gorillas. The ranger guides will take you through the forest tracking gorillas, which can take from half an hour to five hours.
A reasonable degree of fitness is required, as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes. If you have the afternoon free, you will take a guided village walk to see how the Ugandans live. You will stay overnight at Nkuringo Gorilla Camp on a full-board basis.
Day 4: Depart for Volcanoes National Park
On this day, you will drive to Kisoro and cross the Uganda and Rwanda border to Ruhengeri in Rwanda. Ruhengeri is a city in northern Rwanda's Musanze District and serves as the base for gorilla trekking. The drive is scenic, and you will arrive in the late afternoon or early evening. You can stroll around the lodge, or relax and take in the panoramic sunset over the volcanoes. You will stay overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge on a full-board basis.
Day 5: Full-day activities and golden monkeys tracking
Early in the morning, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary of Volcanoes National Park. Trekking is a demanding but rewarding experience. The time spent in the forest depends on the location of the gorillas and can take from as little as half an hour up to five hours. If you have the afternoon free, you can choose to drive around. You will stay overnight at Mountain Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge on a full-board basis.
Included
- 5 nights accommodation
- Activities in Volcanoes National Park
- All applicable taxes, and administration and banking fees
- All ground transportation and transfers, including fuel
- All meals as specified in the itinerary
- Drinks as stipulated in itinerary
- Game drives in a shared 4WD vehicle where indicated
- Gorilla permits per person
- Gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Kigali city tour
- Park, conservation, and community bed night fees
- Ranger guide fees
- Water in the vehicle for overland sectors
Excluded
- Any extras and additional activities
- Applicable airport departure taxes
- Drinks where not stipulated in itinerary
- Gratuities for driver, guide, and hotel staff
- International flights
- Items of a personal nature, like fax and telephone
- Travel and medical insurance
