Africa

Latin America

India



01582 766122
Search for your perfect holiday: 
2by2 for holidays that will change your life
2by2 for holidays that will change your life
Call 01582 766122
Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari Holidays and Primate Tours Chimpanzees

Primate Safari Uganda & Rwanda: Gorillas + Chimps + Monkeys + Dian Fossey Grave

Uganda + Rwanda: Grand Primate Safari - 2 countries
Primate Safari Uganda Rwanda Gorillas Chimps Monkeys Dian Fossey Grave
12 NIGHTS FROM:
$7,066
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
UPR12K
• Primate Safari: Uganda & Rwanda
• Entebbe
• Chimps & Monkeys, Kibale
• Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Kazinga Channel Boat Ride
• Gorilla Trekking, Bwindi Forest
• Volcanoes National Park
• Rwanda Gorillas & Chimps
• Golden Monkeys
• Dian Fossey Grave Hike

View over 10 different primate species on this magnificent Primate Safari that travels through Uganda & Rwanda. Trek to see endangered mountain gorillas in both Bwindi & Volcanoes National Park, track chimps in Kibali, view river-based wildlife in Queen Elizabeth Park, search for rare golden monkey & hike to the Dian Fossey grave. All transfers, game viewing & permits included. Min age 15 yrs.

Day 1
You will be met at Entebbe Airport and transferred to your hotel.
 
Check in and relax in your warm East African surroundings.
Day 2
This morning we leave Entebbe and travel 5-hours through central Uganda to the picturesque Crater Lakes region.
 
This is the gateway to Kibale National Park, a protected tropical rainforest that has the highest concentration and variety of primates in all of East Africa. The park is home to the bushpig, duiker, otter, leopard and large herds of elephants that migrate between Kibale and Queen Elizabeth National Park. The bird life is also outstanding.
 
We drive through tea plantations to your lodge and relax in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains (the 'Mountains of the Moon').
Day 3
This morning enjoy the amazing experience of Chimp Tracking, as you walk through the Kibale Rainforest with a guide, searching in the high rainforest canopy for these intelligent primates that are our closest relatives.
 
Kibale is home to 14 different primate species including the chimpanzee, black-and-white colobus, red colobus, red tailed monkey, blue monkey, olive baboon, grey-cheeked mangabey, bush baby, vervet and L’ Hoest’s monkey. Tracking a noisy chimp family is a thrilling experience and is best in the morning, when they come down to the forest floor to forage. The chimps are very mobile, so viewing can be quite unpredictable, but the walk itself is enchanting.
 
The birdlife is also outstanding, although the dense forest canopy does mean patience is needed. You can hope to see the huge crowned eagle, the black-and-white flycatcher, African grey parrot, black-necked and yellow-mantled weavers, the beautiful blue turaco and maybe the secretive black bee-eater.
 
In the afternoon enjoy a 2.5-hour guided nature walk in the Bigodi Wetlands sanctuary, a local community initiative that is home to 8 different primate species, including black-and-white colobus and red colobus, over 200 bird species and numerous other small mammals and reptiles.
 
Note: Chimp tracking is limited to small groups of up to 8 people, with a minimum age of 12 years. Please note the chimpanzees move a lot - sometimes far into the dense forest - so wear good walking shoes and expect to walk a lot today (up to 3 hours). Don’t forget your binoculars, as if the chimps don't come down from the trees you will need these.
Day 4
This morning we travel 3.5-hours through the scenic crater lakes region to Queen Elizabeth National Park - stopping for a photo opportunity as we cross the equator.
 
This enormous 764 square mile (1,978 square km) wildlife sanctuary is the second largest in Uganda with extensive rolling grass-covered hills, wooded valleys and a series of extinct volcanic craters. The park extends from Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest, with the Kazinga Channel connecting these two great lakes.
 
Queen Elizabeth National Park is renowned for its river-based game viewing, but it also has a land-based game viewing area about 45-minutes from the river. Game is not plentiful here, especially during the dry season when most animals migrate to the river, but if you are patient you may be rewarded with good lion and leopard sightings. You can also hope to see buffalo, baboon, vervet monkey, warthog, Ugandan kob, waterbuck and the elusive giant forest hog. On arrival enjoy a game drive in the park.
Day 5
Rise early today for the opportunity to join a community-run research initiative in conjunction with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, joining a Lion Tracking game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park monitoring the movement of radio-collared lions. This activity lasts 1 to 3-hours and gives researchers a better understanding of the lions' habitat and movements.
 
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most visited national park in Uganda. It has 95 different species of mammal including lions, hippo, elephants and leopards, as well as over 660 different bird species.
 
After returning to our lodge for lunch, in the afternoon enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Thanks to the abundant wildlife that gathers along its shores - including huge herds of elephant, buffalo, Nile crocodile & hundreds of hippo - this cruise will be a highlight. The channel is also a magnet for great flocks of waterbirds and pink backed pelican, fish eagle, pied kingfisher, malachite kingfisher, grey-headed kingfisher, African spoonbill, marabou stork, cormorants, yellow bill stork, hamerkop, hadada ibis, sacred ibis, vultures and many other species gather here on the shores of the channel.
 
At some stage during your visit, do try a local Ugandan 'Rolex' - a chiapati rolled with eggs, onions and peppers.
 
Note: Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road in any national park in Uganda. The park opens at 6.30 am and closes at 7 pm.
Day 6
After a morning at leisure in the Crater Lakes region, we drive 3.5-hours towards Kihihi.
 
On arrival relax and enjoy the surrounding scenery.
Day 7
Today we travel 5-hours to our lodge situated near the entrance to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - home to over 50% of the world's population of critically endangered mountain gorillas, and also a sanctuary for colobus monkeys and chimpanzees.
 
This dense equatorial jungle is accessible only on foot and features one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, including 120 species of mammals, 350 bird species including hornbills and turacos, 220 butterfly species, 27 frog species as well as chameleons, geckos and many other endangered species. It also boasts over 1,000 different flowering plants, ferns & trees.
 
Check into your lodge and enjoy the beautiful scenery of your remote forest surroundings.
Day 8
This morning we enter Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park - home to half the world's population of critically endangered mountain gorillas, and also a sanctuary for colobus monkeys and chimpanzees.
 
This dense equatorial rainforest is accessible only on foot and features one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, including 120 species of mammals, 350 bird species including hornbills and turacos, 220 butterfly species, 27 frog species as well as chameleons, geckos and many other endangered species. It also boasts over 1,000 different floral species.
 
After walking (or driving up to 1.5-hours) to your specified gate, rangers will allocate you to a small group of up to 8 people - with each gorilla family graded as a short, medium or long hike, based on their location the previous day. We recommend you ask your guide to request the appropriate category for you, although this cannot be guaranteed as the gorillas may have moved significantly overnight.
 
After a briefing, you will then track a family of endangered Mountain Gorillas, accompanied by two rangers - one at the front and one at the back. The group will walk at the speed of the slowest member, so it is important to proceed at your own pace and enjoy the experience. We strongly recommend hiring a local porter at a cost of around $15 per person, as not only is this an important source of local employment, but they will carry your backpacks and give you a hand up (or a push) where necessary. Expect to walk 1 to 4-hours each way in steep, sometimes muddy and dense tropical jungle conditions to view a family of these enormous primates and observe their behaviour up close - a rare privilege indeed.
 
You must take a copy of your passport with you today, as this will be required to trek. You must be over the age of 15 years to track gorillas and be sufficiently fit to walk for the period indicated. Ensure you arrange a packed lunch with your lodge and carry sufficient water in your backpack (at least 2 litres). You should wear long trousers, long sleeved top, long socks (tucked into your trousers to keep out biting ants), proper walking boots and gardening gloves to protect your hands from nettles and undergrowth. Start off wearing a light fleece, as it is cold in the forest in the morning and pack proper rain gear, including a rain jacket and waterproof trousers, as it can rain at any time. A walking stick to help with the steep ascents will be provided if you don’t have your own.
 
You cannot 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 7 metres. No flash photography is allowed and no touching the gorillas (although they may decide to touch you)!
Day 9
Today we leave Bwindi and travel 3.5-hours across the border to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda - home to most of the remaining population of critically endangered mountain gorillas, and also a sanctuary for colobus monkeys and chimpanzees.
 
This dense equatorial jungle is accessible only on foot and features one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, including 120 species of mammals, 350 bird species including hornbills and turacos, 220 butterfly species, 27 frog species as well as chameleons, geckos and many other endangered species. It also has over 1,000 different flowering plants, ferns & trees.
 
Learn about the gorilla conservation work being done at the Ellen De Generes Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund ($25 pp entry donation has been pre-paid for you), before checking into your hotel. A packed lunch is included today.
Day 10
This morning you have the unique opportunity to track a family of critically endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, which is also a sanctuary for colobus monkeys.
 
This dense equatorial rainforest is accessible only on foot and features one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, including 120 species of mammals, 350 bird species including hornbills and turacos, 220 butterfly species, 27 frog species as well as chameleons, geckos and many other endangered species. It also boasts over 1,000 different floral species.
 
After walking (or driving up to 1.5-hours) to your specified gate, rangers will allocate you to a small group of up to 8 people - with each gorilla family graded as a short, medium or long hike, based on their location the previous day. We recommend you ask your guide to request the appropriate category for you, although this cannot be guaranteed as the gorillas may have moved significantly overnight.
 
After a briefing, you will then track a family of endangered Mountain Gorillas, accompanied by two rangers - one at the front and one at the back. The group will walk at the speed of the slowest member, so it is important to proceed at your own pace and enjoy the experience. We strongly recommend hiring a local porter at a cost of around $15 per person, as not only is this an important source of local employment, but they will carry your backpacks and give you a hand up (or a push) where necessary. Expect to walk up to 4-hours in steep, sometimes muddy and dense tropical jungle conditions to find a family of these enormous primates and observe their behaviour up close - a rare privilege indeed.
 
You must take a copy of your passport with you today, as this will be required to trek. You must be over the age of 15 years to track gorillas and be sufficiently fit to walk for the period indicated. Ensure you arrange a packed lunch with your lodge and carry sufficient water in your backpack (at least 2 litres). You should wear long trousers, long sleeved top, long socks (tucked into your trousers to keep out biting ants), proper walking boots and gardening gloves to protect your hands from nettles and undergrowth. Start off wearing a light fleece, as it is cold in the forest in the morning and pack proper rain gear, including a rain jacket and waterproof trousers, as it can rain at any time. A walking stick to help with the steep ascents will be provided if you don’t have your own.
 
You must wear a mask when you are in close proximity to the gorillas and no eating or drinking is permitted. You also cannot be sick or have any infectious disease. Only one hour is allowed with the gorillas and you have to keep a distance of at least 7 metres. No flash photography is allowed and no touching the gorillas (although they may decide to touch you)!
Day 11
This morning you will be transferred 30-minutes to the start of the Dian Fossey hiking trail.
 
The Karisoke Research Centre was founded by this pioneering primatologist, who studied these endangered mountain gorillas for 18 years. In 1985 she was brutally murdered in her secluded mountain home and her murder remains unsolved.
 
As you hike with a guide and an armed ranger to the site of her research centre, there is the possibility that you may see a gorilla, but this is never guaranteed. So keep a lookout in the trees and listen for the sounds of branches snapping. You will see a variety of birdlife and you may even encounter a forest elephant. On arrival you will visit the ruins of her home and the gorilla graveyard where she is buried. Her tomb is next to her favourite gorilla, Didget, and 20 others. Afterwards we head back down the mountain again.
 
Note: You need to take your passport with you today. Be aware that you need to be reasonably fit to do this hike, as it takes 2-hours each way over muddy, steep and sometimes very challenging terrain. Wear good walking boots, long sleeved shirts & long trousers to protect yourself from stinging nettles. Gardening gloves will protect your hands & gaiters are useful to avoid biting ants. Pack some light snacks and carry plenty of water.
Day 12
Today enjoy a guided nature walk in Volcanoes National Park to observe rare Golden Monkeys and other primates. These rainforests are home to 670 bird species, so superb bird watching is also assured.
 
In the afternoon we drive 2.5-hours to the capital city of Kigali. Here we visit the moving Genocide Memorial to see the inspiring way in which Rwandans have recovered from this horrific chapter in their recent history, before you are dropped off at your hotel.
Day 13
Transfer to Kigali Airport for your flight home.