5 Days Gorilla Tracking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda

Day 1: Transfer to Akagera, Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Safari

1. Akagera National Park
   6h
   You will start your 2-day trip to Akagera at 7:00 am prompt. The tour driver shall pick you up from your hotel in Kigali and depart for Akagera National Park in the east of Rwanda. The travel time from Kigali to Akagera is about 2.5 hours. Prior to checking into your lodge, you shall do a short game drive to spot some animals and enjoy the amazing scenery. The southern part of Akagera National Park is mostly covered by acacia thickets and woodlands which is not a favorable habitat for most grazing animals. Expect to see some impalas, zebras, reedbucks, giraffes, baboons, and black-faced vervet monkeys among others. However, the most exciting prospect in the south of Akagera National Park is the rhino. After lunch, you shall go out for the boat safari on Lake Ihema at 3:00 pm. Lake Ihema is the largest lake in the park and the second-largest in Rwanda. The boat safari will provide among other sightings: hippos, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and plenty of water birds.

Day 2: Full Safari in Akagera National Park and Transfer Back to Kigali

1. Akagera National Park
   6h
   After early breakfast, check out of the lodge by 6.30 am and set off for the full-day safari in Akagera taking about 6 hours. Drive along the main game track, from the south of the park to the north and exit. You shall go through a range of habitats from acacia thickets, woodland, bushes, and savanna grassland, providing a variety of animals, wildlife and varied scenery. The most notable stop is the “hippo beach” where schools of hippos and groups of crocodiles can be found basking in the shallows of the swamps. Continuing on the main track, you will finally get to the Kilala plains in the north of the park. The Kilala plains have a high concentration of animals and are the main game-watching area of the park. Predators such as the lions are often found taking shelter from the afternoon heat under trees, satisfied from the successful morning hunt in the Kilala plains! After the game drive, have a picnic lunch, exit the park, and travel back to Kigali

Day 3: Pick Up from Kigali and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

1. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
   Pass by
   On this day, the driver guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kigali and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park located in southwestern Uganda. Drive via undulating and beautiful terraced hills showing a clear picture of the general landscape and altitude of Rwanda and Uganda. You will have a relaxed evening at the lodge as you get prepared for the next day’s adventure.

Day 4: Do Golden Monkey Tracking and Transfer to Bwindi

1. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
   6h
   After the briefing, embark on the golden monkey tracking. The encounter starts at 7:00 am at the park headquarters where you'll head to the forest in unlimited numbers in search of these endangered species. You will take about 4 hours on the Golden monkey tracking experience, inclusive of one hour encounter with them. You will see them roll themselves on the Bamboo stems and present themselves with not much shyness as it has been reduced through habituation, and enjoy the sights of their silver patch. You will then transfer to the gorilla land of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The drive takes you through different features including tropical rain forests and the undulating terraced hills of Kigezi, famously known as the Switzerland of East Africa. Drive to the lodge for relaxation as you wait for the next day’s adventure.

Day 5: Gorilla Tracking and Transfer to Kigali Airport

1. Kigali Province
   6h
   Have an early morning breakfast and proceed to the briefing point. Enjoy the highlight of your trip, gorilla trekking, which may last from 2 to 6 hours depending on the group you are visiting. We will trek through the rainforest and bamboo-covered slopes, accompanied by Uganda Wildlife Authority guide and other trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. Due to the nature of the activity, you will have a packed lunch. After gorilla trekking, you will drive through the terraced hills to Kigali city. Then you will be dropped off at your point of call either at the hotel or the airport for your flight back home.

Pickup details

The pickup point at Entebbe international airport is the arrival hall just outside customs

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels