Uganda Safari Holidays Uganda Holidays Gorillas Chimpanzees Tours

Gorilla Safari: Uganda + Volcanoes Park, Rwanda
UYE12E

12 NIGHTS
FROM $6,941
International flights quoted separately
This luxury gorilla safari gives you two opportunities to track mountain gorilla - one in Bwindi Impenertrable Forest in Uganda and again in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Also enjoy a thrilling safari in Queen Elizabeth Park, chimp tracking in Kyamburu Gorge and a game viewing boat ride on the Kazinga Channel. You must be over 15-years to track gorillas.
HIGHLIGHTS
Gorilla Safaris Volcanoes National Park Rwanda Bwindi Uganda Mountain Gorillas Chimp Tracking
• Kampala • Queen Elizabeth Park • Chimp Tracking • Kyambura Gorge
• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest • Mountain Gorillas • Mount Gahinga • Volcanoes National Park
• Kigali
Day 1
You will be met at Entebbe Airport and transferred to your hotel in Kampala.
 
Check in and relax under warm blue African skies.
Day 2
Today you will be collected from your Kampala hotel for your small group tour to view on foot the amazing primates of Uganda & Rwanda.
 
On the 5-hour journey you will be able to stop at the royal drum makers and stand astride the Equator.
 
Continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park, an enormous wildlife sanctuary that extends from Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest - with the Kazinga Channel connecting these two huge lakes. This vast game reserve is also famous for its volcanic features, including volcanic cones and deep crater lakes such as Lake Katwe from which salt is extracted.
Days 3 To 5
Rise early, when game viewing conditions are at their best, for a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park - the most visited national park in Uganda that boasts 95 different species of mammal, including lions, hippo, elephants, leopards and chimpanzees - as well as over 500 different species of birds.
 
We head to the mating ground of the Uganda Kobs, where we search for lion, elephant, buffalo and other wild animals in their natural habitat, before returning to our lodge for lunch and to relax in the heat of the day.
 
In the afternoon visit the Kyambura Womens Coffee Cooperative and its coffee processing station, or spend time in the Wetland Reserve spotting birds.
Day 6
Rise early today to travel to Bwindi National Park, where rangers will allocate you to a small group to track a troop of endangered Mountain Gorillas, accompanied by a guide.
 
You will be allocated according to your age and level of fitness, and could be required to walk 2- to 4-hours each way, tracking a family of these gigantic animals on foot and observing their behavior up close - a rare privilege indeed!
 
You must be over 15 years to track gorillas and sufficiently fit to walk for the period indicated. Ensure you arrange a packed lunch with the lodge and carry sufficient water (at least 2-3 bottles of 500ml). Warm weatherproof clothing is advised for the wet cool climate high in the mountains, including a rain poncho. You should wear long trousers, long sleeved tops, long socks (to tuck into your trousers), suitable walking boots and thick gloves to protect your hands from nettles and undergrowth. Also hat, sunscreen & mosquito repellant.
 
You can not be sick or have any infectious disease and no eating or drinking is permitted in the vicinity of the gorillas. Only one hour is allowed with the gorillas and you have to keep a distance of at least 5 metres. No touching the gorillas is allowed (although they may decide to touch you)! The maximum number of visitors allowed per day is 6-12 people per group and no flash photography is allowed.
Day 7
At leisure to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
 
Many optional excursions are available today including a guided walk in the rainforest, home to several endemic bird species, clouds of butterflies and rare plant life, offering excellent photographic opportunities. You can discover the traditions of the Batwa Pygmies, and learn about the indigenous people of Bwindi, or walk through the local village and learn about community projects, such as the Amagara project that assists local farmers and Bwindi Community Hospital, which started as a health clinic under a tree and now provides vital medical and educational services to over 60,000 people.
 
There is also the option to go gorilla tracking again (additional permit required & subject to availability).
Day 8
This morning we leave Bwindi and travel 5-hours to Mount Gahinga along a route that winds through bamboo forests and mountain roads to the Kanaba Gap, with its spectacular views of the Virunga Volcanoes.
 
Surrounded by terraced hill, the road then drops dramatically to the frontier town of Kisoro before climbing again to 2,300m to Mount Gahinga National Park. Check into your lodge and enjoy pre-dinner drinks on the terrace with stunning views of the Volcanoes, or warm yourself inside by the roaring fire.
 
Day 9
Today relax and enjoy the many activities from your lodge at Mount Gahinga.
 
You can take a guided nature walk through Mount Gahinga National Park to track rare golden monkeys. The path will take you from the bamboo forests and gorge on the lower levels to the elevated heath and moorland higher up. The forest is also home to a great diversity of bird and animal life.
 
You can also experience the lives of the Batwa Pygmies, and walk the Batwa Trail. Accompanied by Batwa Elders, this is an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the unique cultural heritage of the forest’s indigenous people. Whilst you walk through the forest, the Batwa will demonstrate their traditional hunting techniques and knowledge of medicinal plants. You will also visit the sacred Ngarama cave and enjoy the traditional music and dance of this rich and fading culture.
 
It is also possible to track gorillas in Nkuringo, located in the southern sector of Bwindi National Park, but tracking here can be challenging due to steep and muddy paths. Or you can hike the Muhavura or Gahinga Volcanoes. Gahinga offers a gentler hike through the bamboo forest on the lower slopes to marshy craters at the peak. The lower slopes are rich with forest birds and the marshes near the summit are home to bushbuck and elusive duiker. Muhavura is the most challenging peak in the park. The hike will take most of the day, but the adventurous will be rewarded with great sense of accomplishment and on a good day spectacular views.
 
 
Day 10
After a morning at leisure, today we leave Mount Gahinga and travel 4-hours to Volcanoes National Park.
 
After completing border formalties, we enter Rwanda and check into our lodge near the entrance to the park. From the terrace you can take in the panoramic sunset over the lakes and, weather permitting, enjoy a performance from the Intore Dance troupe.
 
Day 11
Rise early today to travel to Volcanoes National Park where rangers will allocate you to a small group to track a troop of endangered Mountain Gorillas, accompanied by a guide.
 
You will be allocated according to your age and level of fitness, with one group being required to walk up to 2-hours each way and another up to 4-hours each way, tracking a family of these gigantic animals on foot and observing their behavior up close - a rare privilege indeed!
 
You must be over 15 years to track gorillas and sufficiently fit to walk for the period indicated. Ensure you arrange a packed lunch with the lodge and carry sufficient water (at least 2-3 bottles of 500ml). Warm weatherproof clothing is advised for the wet cool climate high in the mountains, including a rain poncho. You should wear long trousers, long sleeved tops, long socks (to tuck into your trousers), suitable walking boots and thick gloves to protect your hands from nettles and undergrowth. Also hat, sunscreen & mosquito repellant.
 
You can not be sick or have any infectious disease and no eating or drinking is permitted in the vicinity of the gorillas. Only one hour is allowed with the gorillas and you have to keep a distance of at least 5 metres. No touching the gorillas is allowed (although they may decide to touch you)! The maximum number of visitors allowed per day is 6-12 people per group and no flash photography is allowed.
Day 12
At leisure to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Volcanoes National Park.
 
Many optional excursions are available today, including tracking endangered Golden Monkeys or trekking to Dian Fossey’s grave and the gorilla cemetery, the final resting place of her favourite gorilla, Digit. Other popular excursions include visiting the local school and community projects such as the Roz Carr Imbabazi orphanage, where you can meet some of the hundreds of children helped by this uplifting project.
 
Alternatively simply relax on the shores of Lake Kivu, home to some of the finest inland beaches in Africa, or take a guided walk to Lake Bulera and experience local village life. There is also the option to go gorilla tracking again (additional permit required & subject to availability).
Day 13
Transfer 2-hours to Kigali Airport for your flight home.