Our 19 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda has proved to be the most popular and frequently asked gorilla trekking safari in Uganda and Rwanda by adventurous tourists this 2017 that wish to explore and discover Uganda’s best sites. Inquire NowTaking you to Kidepo ranked by CNN as the Top leading natural parks in Africa with sprawling Savannah and soaring mountains, Kidepo National Park might be the most Africa’s finest wilderness area you have ever been to filled with herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, Ostriches and then the hot springs at kanangorok, Come and encounter not only Uganda’s best but Africa’s rarest wildlife experience with 2 days of Gorilla trekking both in Uganda and Rwanda not forgetting the unmatched Chimpanzee trekking life time memories in the great topical forest of Kibale.
Note: Flights to Kidepo fly every Wednesday, Friday & Sundays.
19 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda
Day 1: Arrive at Entebbe International Airport (Travel Time 10 mins)
You will be personally met by our company representative upon arrival at Entebbe airport, and transfer to The Boma Hotel in Entebbe (Mid Facility) depending on your arrival time for overnight and Dinner Meal plan: Dinner
Day 2: Fly to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Our guide/driver picks you at The Boma Hotel transfer to Entebbe International Airports to catch up with a scheduled flight to Kidepo valley National Park. Flight time at 1230 arriving at 1445. The Park is a completely different world of vast plains, in spring view from every vantage point, with a lot of wildlife as you drive into the park. Kidepo offers breathtaking open Savannah which is surrounded by spectacular mountain landscape nowhere to be seen in Africa! Kidepo Valley National Park is Uganda’s second biggest National Park one of Africa’s finest wilderness areas, This evening you will take a sunset game drive in the Narus valley in search for the lions, Jackson hartebeests, buffaloes, giraffes, leopard and cheetah. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge at Apoka Safari Lodge Meal plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 3: Game Drive to Kanangorok Hot Springs & Cultural Experience
Early morning for breakfast, catch the sun rise behind the mountain before flooding the valley then off for the game drive to the ostrich farm it not any man made occurrence, but given the massive number of the birds one would compare it to this along the we shall be able to view, herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, giraffes, lions and then the hot springs at kanangorok, lunch at Apoka safari lodge. In the afternoon have a cultural experience that will bring into contact with Karamojong peoples at Karenga and Kapedo. Meet the local elders and have an opportunity to interact with them. They will show you the kraals, the grinding stones and many more interesting items. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge at Apoka Safari Lodge Meal plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 4: Kidepo Valley National Park – Guided Nature Walk.
After an early breakfast, you will be joined by an expert ranger guide for a nature walk to explore the park on foot away from the steel clad of safari car sharing his knowledge of the eco-system and also bring you closure to the animals and for birders, look out for Fox Kestrel, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Grasshopper Buzzard, Montague’s Harrier, Fan Tailed Raven and the very rare Stone Partridge. The afternoon is spent on relaxation and sightseeing around the lodge OR choose to have an evening game drive for more wildlife and game. Overnight stay at Apoka safari lodge Meal plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Kidepo Whole Day Relaxation.
Today is dedicated for relaxation at your lodge. Take time to swim in the wildness, chill as you watch the blue skies. Reflect on memories, memories and your next day’s safari encounters. Overnight stay at Apoka safari lodge Meal plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Kidepo – Entebbe. Flight leaves at 1500hrs and arrives Entebbe at 1630.
On this day we have early breakfast through the park, giving chance to see elephants, buffaloes, different kinds of antelopes towards Katarum gate making a stop at katarum kopje a site of the derelict lodge built in the rock but currently under renovation to have a bird eye view of the park. After prepare your selves to catch up the return flight back to Entebbe. On arrival you will be transferred to Cassia Lodge for your overnight and dinner Meal Plan B-L-D
Day 7: Kampala – Murchison Falls (Travel Time 5hrs).
Begin the panoramic drive north-west through the famous Luwero Triangle and, travel to Masindi via Ziwa Rhino Project. A visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino trekking is a must. After lunch, drive to Murchison Falls with a visit to the Bomu women group for a community experience. Overnight and dinner at Murchison River Lodge (Mid facility) Meal Plan B-L-D
Day 8: Murchison Falls National Park Safari
After your cup of coffee, cross the Nile by ferry to the northern bank of the park. Your guide will help you spot Elephant, Lion, Cape buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffe, hartebeest, Waterbuck, Oribi, Bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard. Return to the hotel for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, go for a boat safari upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron”. En-route, marvel at the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over this 17 km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob crocodile. This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. There you leave the boat and start your quite heavy hike to the Top of the Falls (approx. 1 hour). See where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Your driver/guide will be waiting for you to bring you back to the lodge. Murchison River Lodge (Mid facility) Meal Plan B-L-D
Day 9: Murchison Falls – Kibale (Travel Time 8hrs)
All day drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms along Albertine Rift escarpments. Fort-Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. Meals and overnight at Primate Lodge cottages (Mid Lodge facility). Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 10: Kibale Chimpanzee & Monkey Trekking & Bigodi Walk
After early breakfast, report at Kanyanchu Tourist Centre where tourist activities begin and set out to track chimpanzee in the forest. Chances of viewing the chimps are over 90% but not a guarantee. Kibale National Park is one of the beautiful and stunning forests in Uganda. It is home to our closest living relatives the endangered Chimpanzee, the threatened Red colobus monkey and the rare L’Hoest’s monkey. The forest also boasts of having one of the highest diversity and density of primates in Africa totaling 13 species including the Black and white Columbus, Blue monkey, Grey-cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey and Bush babies and Pottos.
After lunch visit take on a cultural community walk and a visit to Bigodi museum, share learn the community lifestyle. Thereafter check on Wetland Sanctuary from where you will take on a guided walk around the Swamp which will provide you with the opportunity to see a wide range of flora and fauna. View a variety of butterflies, birds and other insects. Have a tour of the crater region around Ndali lodge. You may also stop over at any tea plantation along the road if you wish. Have an evening tour of the crater region, visit “top of the world”, the natural bridge. On a clear day you will be able to have a view of the snow cap on the Rwenzori. Meals and overnight at Primate Lodge cottages (Mid Lodge facility). Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Kibale – Queen Elizabeth National Park (Travel Time +2hrs)
After breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park viewing the mystical Rwenzori Mountain range for much of the journey. Check in at your accommodation facility as you wait for your lunch. After lunch, take on an afternoon Launch cruise along Kazinga Channel one that joins Lakes Edward and George. The cruise is a wonderful way to see hippo, buffalo, kob and the occasional Nile crocodile (which up until recently did not inhabit this area) and a spectacular bird watching on the water bank. Many who experience the launch cruise consider it the high light of their entire African safari. Dinner and overnight stay at Enganzi Lodge (Mid Lodge facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 12: Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari
Rise very early with your packed lunch take on a morning game drive to catch-up with the early risers and predators returning to their hideouts. You will most likely meet grazing Hippos, Elephants, and Lions, spotted Hyenas, bush buck, water buck, stripped jackal, comical warthogs and the elusive leopard. Proceed to Maramagambo forest. Many surprises await you here for example pythons are often observed in the crevices of the bat cave floor using the bats as a source of food. The cave is near a picturesque formerly Blue lake and Hunters cave. You may also see forest birds such as bat hawks, brown eared woodpecker and other primates. Dinner and overnight stay Enganzi Lodge (Mid Lodge facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha (Travel Time 2hrs)
With previous day’s memories proceed to Ishasha. Drive along the deep and wide dry craters that are occupied by savannah grasses and acacia. The drive takes you through the unique western rift valley escarpment and the (southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park) Ishasha sector where you will take on yet another game drive in search of tree climbing lions in the afternoon and evening. Overnight stay and dinner at Ishasha Jungle Lodge (Mid facility) Meal plan: (B, L, and D).
Day 14: Ishasha – Bwindi (Travel Time 1 hrs)
Early morning guided bush walk for a closer interaction with nature. The mid morning will be spent on a game drive for the tree climbing lions, thereafter proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The journey takes about 2 hours but driving through interesting features. Arrive Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the evening. This park is home of the rare mountain gorillas. Apart from gorillas, there are a wide variety of primates to see including the blue and red tailed monkeys. The forest itself is lush and green and there are streams running through it. Dinner and overnight stay at Sliver back Lodge (Mid facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 15: Bwindi Gorilla Tracking Tour
After breakfast set off early with guides to track mountain gorillas in Bwindi. The thrill of your encounter will erase the difficulties of the potentially strenuous trek. Bring jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet. Spend time in awe watching the gorillas go about their activities. Each gorilla safari encounter is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a magnificent green swathe of dense rain forest, so ancient that survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage site, it’s one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth and its unique, precious flora sustains roughly half of the world population of mountain gorillas believed to number just 720. There’s also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa in which these two apes live together.
Time permitting, spend the afternoon on a community foot safari to explore the life style of the people living and surrounding the park. Learn their culture, way of life and storytelling. Return to camp exhilarated to relieve the encounter with friends over a drink. Dinner and overnight stay at Sliver back Lodge (Mid facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 16: Bwindi – Rwanda (Travel Time 5 hrs)
After breakfast, drive to Rwanda as you enjoy the rolling hills for which Rwanda is well known to Ruhengere via Musanze with a community or village walk. Thereafter drive by the lakes (Ruhondo and Mutera) arriving at Parc Volcanoes in the afternoon. The evening is spent on sightseeing and relaxing around the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 17: Rwanda Gorilla Trekking
After a briefing from your guide set off to track mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Spend an hour in awe watching the Gorillas go about their activities. You are likely to enjoy close views of adults feeding, grooming and resting as youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display. Dinner and overnight stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 18: Rwanda Golden Monkey Trekking
In Parc National des Volcano go track the golden monkeys and the afternoon simply relax at Camp. Dinner and overnight stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Mid facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 19: Parc Volcano – Kigali out (Travel Time 2.5 hrs)
After breakfast, The Kigali Memorial Centre is a site of burial for around 250,000 victims of the genocide, which comprises of a main historical exhibition, a Children’s Memorial exhibition and an exhibition on comparative genocide, called Wasted Lives. It also has over four acres of memorial gardens containing ten mass graves, as well as the National Genocide Documentation Center then after Continue to Nyamata Church – Genocide memorial site, this is the church where about 2500 people were killed. It reflects how women were brutalized during the genocide. The way they were raped, and given all kind of treatment. People from different areas had gathered in this Catholic Church and locked themselves inside to protect themselves from the ruthless people, but unfortunately, luck was not on their side as they were found and slaughtered. The place shows the brutality that happened in the 100 days genocide, then after drive back to Kigali International Airport Meal plan B & L
End of the 19 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda. Inquire Now
This 19 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda includes:-
- Airport Transfers.
- Return Flight fares to Kidepo.
- Karamajong Visit in Kidepo.
- Guided Nature walk Kidepo.
- 2 Gorilla Permits 1 in Uganda and 1 in Rwanda.
- All Meals and accommodation as per the itinerary. (3 nights at Apoka Safari Lodge in Kidepo).
- All ground transportation in a comfortable 4×4 Land Cruiser.
- Park entrance fees.
- Services of a full time English speaking driver/guide.
- Water, coffee or Tea while on safari.
- All boat trips.
- All game drives.
- All activities at stipulated in the itinerary.
- Chimpanzee trekking Kibale.
- All government taxes/levies.
- Community walk Bwindi & Kibale.
- Hike to the top of the falls.
- Ferry crossing fees.
- Crater walk.
- En route Lunches.
- Bush walk Ishasha.
- Bigodi walk.
- Border Crossing fees.
- Kigali City Tour including the genocide center and Nyamata Church.
- AMREF Emergency Medical Insurance.
However, the 19 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda package excludes: expenses of personal nature like: Visa to Uganda and Rwanda, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, personal insurance, tobacco and any other program not mentioned herein the safari program.