6 Days Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Safari
Come face to face with heartbreaking history and incredible wildlife on this 6 Days Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Safari through Rwanda and Uganda. On this combined Uganda and Rwanda Safari you will see somber reminders of Kigali’s devastating past, watch local life play out on the streets and witness a beautiful country that is continuously striving to move forward.
Enter the world of the rare mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and spend a day tracking and observing these creatures, overlooked by a rare silverback gorilla.
Highlights of 6 Days Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Kigali
Day 2: Kigali
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 6: Kigali
Detailed Itinerary of 6 Days Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Safari
Day 1: Kigali
Welcome to Kigali, Rwanda’s Capital City. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, where you will have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight.
If you arrive in Kigali early, maybe start exploring at your own pace. Head to Nyamirambo, the Muslim quarter, to try some giant grilled tilapia, or stop by a local café and discover why Rwandan coffee is considered some of the world’s best. Tonight, you will join your leader for dinner at an East African restaurant popular with the locals. Enjoy live music, cocktails, great views and an authentic shared dinning experience full of regional flavor.
Accommodation: Des Mille Collines
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Kigali
This morning, head out of the City for a sobering visit to the Ntarama Church. The local guide will explain how this memorial marks the spot where 5000 people were tragically slaughtered during the genocide. Reminders of lives lost remain in the church, including clothes.
Nyamata Genocide Memorial Centre – a former church where an incomprehensible 50,000 people were murdered. Your leader will discuss how the Tutsis sought refuge in churches, only for them to turn into death traps. Then, visit the Genocide Museum – a powerful yet confronting experience and important in understanding the tragedy and the resilience of the Rwandan people. This afternoon, re-energise with a local lunch and try traditional Rwandan and Ugandan dishes before taking a tour of the city and Kimironko Market with your leader. This evening is then free for you to explore at your own pace.
Accommodation: Des Mille Collines
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, depart Kigali and head across the border to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Arrive in the lodge in time for lunch and spend the evening at rest as you prepare for the next day’s adventure.
Accommodation: Gorilla Heights Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Wake up early, enjoy breakfast and head to the park headquarters where you will be briefed on today’s gorilla trek by the Uganda Wildlife Authorities. The trek can be strenuous, wet and uncomfortable at times but the incredible biodiversity of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the chance to see rare mountain gorillas makes it worthwhile.
It is recommended that you invest in the help of local porters who can carry your pack and provide expert, local one-on-one assistance along the trek. Not only does it make for a more comfortable trek, but it also provides valuable employment opportunities to locals.
Gorilla trekking is highly controlled. When you encounter a gorilla group, you will be able to stay with them for one hour, watch them swing from trees, groom each other and play, all under the watchful eyes of a giant silverback. Have a picnic lunch in the wilderness of the rainforest.
Accommodation: Gorilla Heights Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the terrace overlooking the forest. This morning, you are free to do as little or as much as you like. For those seeking another encounter with the mountain gorillas, there is the option for a second day of trekking. Later this afternoon, experience The Buniga Batwa Cultural Trail, the indigenous Batwa tribes, once forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers, were displaced in 1991 when the forests became protected national parks, leaving them conservation refugees.
The Buniga Batwa Cultural Trail offers a glimpse into their traditional way of life. With your local guide and translator, you will walk through the forest as they teach you how they used to forage for food, trap animals with snares made from branches, and make tools and medicines from nature. Watch as they demonstrate their traditional hunting and fire making techniques and learn how they built their huts and nests in trees to protect children from dangerous animals. Afterwards, enjoy dinner in the terraced restaurant surrounded by mountain views.
Accommodation: Gorilla Heights Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Kigali
After breakfast, depart the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and begin your journey back over the border into Kigali. After arriving in Kigali, your adventure will come to an end around 1 pm with drop off at the airport or hotel.
End of 6 Days Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Safari
