8 Days Meet the Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Adventure
Take part in one of the most incredible wildlife experience on this 8 Days Meet the Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Adventure combining Uganda—the pearl of Africa and remarkable Rwanda. Coming face to face with endangered mountain gorillas is a truly unforgettable experience.
Additionally, you will explore Queen Elizabeth National Park together with its Ishasha Sector where you will see the rare tree climbing lions. Cross the border into Rwanda. Discover Volcanoes National Park for another trek to the gorillas and visit the genocide memorial in the capital of Kigali. The site gives a haunting insight into the dark past from which Rwanda has risen to become one of the cleanest, safest African countries.
Highlights of 8 Days Meet the Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Adventure
Day 1: Entebbe
Day 2: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 3: Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest
Day 6: Drive to Volcanoes National Park
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Day 8: Departure
Detailed Itinerary of 8 Days Meet the Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Adventure
Day 1: Entebbe
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for an evening of rest. In case you arrive early, explore the markets, hunt for souvenirs or crafts, meander through the Botanical Gardens or relax with a boat cruise on Lake Victoria.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel No.5
Day 2: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for a short domestic flight to Kihihi, from where you will connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This beautiful park is set in the Great Rift Valley and is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including lions, hippos, buffaloes, Uganda kob, baboon and many bird species. During the game drive you will see resident troops of black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes among others.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Day 3: Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today you will enjoy game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, looking out for huge herds of buffaloes, elephants and the famous tree-climbing found in the area. Late in the afternoon, enjoy sundowners beside the Ntungwe River, or from a scenic viewing point along the ridge overlooking Ishasha.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, embark on a 2-3 hour drive through scenic country heading to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. En-route, have a visit to the Community Project. Immerse yourself in Agartha’s Taste of Uganda tour; it is a fun, educational experience for the inquisitive visitor who wonders how a rural Ugandan lady lives. Watch how the local crops are transformed into local staples such as millet porridge and kalo bread.
Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a World Heritage Site. Bwindi Forest is one of the richest ecosystems in East Africa and home to over 120 mammals, 345 species of birds, 200 species of butterflies and 160 species of trees. The park is home to an estimated one half of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorilla, making it an extremely valuale conservation site.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest
Today you will have one of the most humbling and enthralling wildlife experiences imaginable awaiting your discovery. Coming face to face with an endangered mountain gorilla is something out of this world.
Please note that gorilla trekking is strenuous, with treks ranging from 45 minutes up to eight hours, at high altitudes in hot African conditions. The thrill of the hour you spend quietly observing these gentle giants once you find them is well worth the hike to go there.
Although mountain gorillas are wild animals and it should be note that sightings cannot be guaranteed, viewing success rate are well over 95%. Return to the lodge for an evening of rest.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge
Day 6: Drive to Volcanoes National Park
From Bwindi, drive through the Kisoro Hills “The Little Switzerland of Africa” along winding mountain roads, and through rural villages, to the border of Rwanda, Kisoro. On a clear day, the Virungas can be seen, standing sentry along the border – a row of massive, dormant volcanoes watching over the region. It is long day of drive approximately 7-8 hours on the road with an additional hour of border crossing.
Volcanoes National Park is best known as a sanctuary for hosting the rare mountain gorillas, visitors flock here to experience a face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures. The park is set high on the jungle – covered slopes of the volcanic Virunga Mountains.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Today we take part in gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park offering visitors the unique opportunity to trek to one of the 10 habituated gorilla families that live within the park. Visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee before the trek starts and will be separated into groups of 8 depending on their physical abilities.
Each group is guided by a guide and two scouts who are well trained in emergency situations. The amount of time set aside per trek is different depending on where the gorilla family is situated. Some trips may take as little as half an hour and some taking the better part of the day.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge
Day 8: Departure
Today marks the end of your Uganda Rwanda Gorillas Safari. After breakfast, drive to Kigali, the bustling capital of Rwanda with a visit to the haunting Genocide Museum, a grim reminder of the senseless massacre of innocents’ lives in 1994. It is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims for remembrance and learning. Also, the memorial sheds light on other massacres, including Cambodia, the Balkans and the Holocaust.
You will be dropped off at the airport for your late flight back home or to your next destination.
End of 8 Days Meet the Gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda Adventure
