7-Day Rwanda, Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Wildlife Safari

Welcome to Rwanda.

On arrival at Kigali International Airport, meet your safari representative and receive a briefing about the journey ahead.

Leave Kigali and travel northwest towards Volcanoes National Park. The journey takes you through Rwanda’s hilly countryside and agricultural landscapes before reaching the Musanze region.

Arrive at your lodge later in the day, check in and spend the remainder of the evening relaxing ahead of the following morning’s activity.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the designated briefing point for golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park.

Meet the ranger team and receive instructions for the activity before entering the forest.

Follow your guides through the bamboo rich habitat in search of a habituated golden monkey group. Once located, observe the monkeys during the permitted viewing period while following the instructions of your ranger guides.

After completing the trek, return for lunch.

Later, begin the journey towards the Rwanda, Uganda border. Complete the necessary immigration formalities before continuing through the highlands of southwestern Uganda towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Arrive later in the day and check in at your lodge.

Today is dedicated to mountain gorilla trekking.

After an early breakfast, transfer to your designated gorilla trekking briefing point, where Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers will explain the trekking procedures, safety guidelines and appropriate behaviour around the gorillas.

Enter the forest with ranger guides and trackers in search of your assigned habituated mountain gorilla family.

The duration and difficulty of the trek vary according to the gorillas’ location, weather and trail conditions. Visitors should be prepared for hills, dense vegetation, uneven ground and potentially muddy conditions.

Once the gorillas are located, observe the family for the regulated viewing period while following your ranger’s instructions.

After completing the trek, return to your lodge and spend the remainder of the day resting.

After breakfast, leave Bwindi and travel towards Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The exact route and game viewing programme should be coordinated with the location of your Bwindi accommodation and the following day’s Ishasha programme.

After arriving in the Queen Elizabeth region and checking in, head out for an afternoon game drive where time permits.

Explore the park with your driver guide, looking for elephants, buffaloes, antelopes and other savannah wildlife.

Return to your lodge later in the day for dinner and overnight.

Begin early with a game drive in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The area is particularly known for lions that are sometimes seen resting in large trees. Your guide will search suitable areas while also looking for elephants, buffaloes, topis and other wildlife.

Tree-climbing lion sightings cannot be guaranteed.

After the game drive, continue towards the central Queen Elizabeth region and stop for lunch.

In the afternoon, board a boat for a safari along the Kazinga Channel.

Scan the shoreline and surrounding waters for hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and numerous waterbirds. Wildlife sightings vary, but the channel provides excellent opportunities to observe animals around the water.

Return to your lodge after the boat safari.

After breakfast, transfer to Kyambura Gorge for chimpanzee tracking.

Meet your ranger guide for a briefing before descending into the forested gorge in search of chimpanzees.

Tracking duration and sightings vary, and chimpanzees should not be presented as guaranteed. The forest also supports other primates, birds and smaller wildlife that may be encountered during the activity.

After completing the trek, continue towards Lake Mburo National Park.

Arrive later in the day, check in and spend the evening at your lodge.

Begin the final morning with a guided horseback safari in the Lake Mburo area.

After a safety briefing and horse allocation, ride through suitable wildlife areas with your guide. The experience offers a different perspective from a conventional vehicle safari, with opportunities to see species such as zebras, impalas, elands, warthogs and other plains wildlife.

The route and duration should be selected according to the rider’s experience and the operator’s current programme.

After the ride, return for breakfast before beginning the journey towards Entebbe.

Lunch will be arranged along the route.

Continue to Entebbe International Airport or another agreed drop off point.