9 Days Rwanda – Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari

9 Days Rwanda – Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari : This Rwanda and Uganda combined safari is organized to offer you best of two countries and is ideal for travelers seeking for an encounter with primates that is chimpanzees, golden monkeys, mountain gorillas as well as enjoying the scenic views.

Highlights of 9 Days Rwanda -Uganda Trekking Safari

Day 1: Kigali City Tour

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking

Day 4: Lak Kivu

Day 5: Buhanga Forest & Ibyiwacu Cultural Village

Day 6: Golden monkey trekking and visit the Twin Lakes

Day 7: transfer to Bwindi

Day 8: Gorilla trekking

Day 9: transfer back to Kigali

Detailed itinerary of 9 Days Rwanda -Uganda Trekking Safari

Day 1: Kigali City Tour

Upon landing at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by our representative. After a short briefing, you will head to Kigali City for a tour visiting the Kigali Genocide Museum, local market and city sighting.

Head to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Park Inn by Radisson Kigalu (luxury), Hotel Villa Portofino Kigali (Midrange), Silver Hotel Kibagabaga (Budget).

Meal Plan: Half Board

Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park

After breakfast, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park – the home of chimpanzees in Rwanda, along the way you will have stopover at Kamegeri Rock, Nyanza King’s Palace, National Ethnographic Museum and lunch in Huye.

Continue to the park arriving in the evening, check in for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: One&Only Nyungwe House (luxury), Nyungwe Nziza Ecolodge (Midrange), Nyungwe Eco Village (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking

Have breakfast and head to the park’s headquarters where you will join other visitors for briefing about chimpanzee trekking and the proper to behave while in Nyungwe Forest. You will be assigned a chimpanzee group to trek, then enter into the forest in search for chimpanzees. Along the way, you will see other primates living in forests of Nyungwe such as olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys among others.

When you locate the chimpanzees, you are permitted to spend a maximum of 1 hour watching these beautiful primates go on with there life in the forest, watch the babies play on tree branches, groom each other and take beautiful pictures.

After the experience, you will head back to your lodge and spend the rest of the day resting. Have dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: One&Only Nyungwe House (luxury), Nyungwe Nziza Ecolodge (Midrange), Nyungwe Eco Village (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

9 Days Rwanda – Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari — Chimpanzee

Day 4: Lak Kivu

After breakfast, you will head to the beautiful Lake Kivu for a boat trip, as you glid across the cool, fresh waters of the lake you will enjoy the gentle breeze. The cruise lasts for a 2 hour exploration which is ample time to immerse yourself in the beauty of the lake.

After lunch, you will transfer to Musanze through the Kivu Belt Road heading to Volcanoes National Park in Musanze, Kinigi. Check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes (luxury), Le Bamboo Lodge (Midrange), Muhabura Hotel (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5: Buhanga Forest & Ibyiwacu Cultural Village

After breakfast and head to Buhanga Forest for a hike, the forest is a 31 hectors of land surrounding Volcanoes National Park located in the community of Nyakinama approximately 8 kilometers west of Musanze Town.

The hike will lead you to the cave where Rwanda’s kings’ coronation rituals used to take place and is an incredible location that is crucial to the ancient Rwanda Rituals. There is also another cave where the kings would bath before being crowned kings popularly known as Umwani“.

After lunch, you will head to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for an encounter with the local people. In the village, you will learn more about the local people, there culture and traditions. You will be entertained by local dances and drama, taste some local meals, visit the local medicine man and take part in the coronation of the king.

Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes (luxury), Le Bamboo Lodge (Midrange), Muhabura Hotel (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 6: Golden monkey trekking and visit the Twin Lakes

Wake up early and head to Volcanoes National Park for a golden monkey trekking experience, you will join other visitors at the park’s headquarters for briefing then head into the forest in search for golden monkeys with a guide and armed rangers.

The beautiful golden monkeys live in the bamboo trees where you will find them, after spending quality time watching these playful creatures and taking pictures. You will trek back to the lodge for lunch, in the afternoon, you will go for a visit to the Twins Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo for a boat ride and taking in the scenic views. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes (luxury), Le Bamboo Lodge (Midrange), Muhabura Hotel (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 7: transfer to Bwindi

After breakfast, you will checkout of your lodge and embark on a drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda with border crossing at Katuna Border, it is a drive or approximately 3 hours.

You arrive in time for lunch and spend the rest of the day resting at your lodge preparing yourself for a gorilla trekking adventure tomorrow. Have dinner and spend overnight.

Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge (luxury), Buhoma Haven Lodge (Midrange), Buhoma Community Lodge (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 8: Gorilla trekking

Have early breakfast and head to the park’s headquarters where you will join other trekkers for briefing, the guide will share with you all the necessary information you need about gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest.

In groups of 8 people, you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek. Then head into Bwindi Forest looking for gorilla family assigned to you, the trek takes approximately 2 hours or more depending on the feeding range of the gorilla family and where it spent its previous night.

When you find the gorilla family, you will spend only 1 hour in their presence watching them go on with their life in the forest, watch gorilla babies play on tree branches, females taking care of their babies and picking fruits, leaves and roots which they feed on. You are allowed to take pictures as long as your flashlight is off. Return to the park’s quarters to pick your certificates and return to your lodge or head to the Batwa Community for a cultural experience.

Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge (luxury), Buhoma Haven Lodge (Midrange), Buhoma Community Lodge (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 9: transfer back to Kigali

After breakfast, you will checkout of your lodge and embark on a drive back to Kigali with border crossing at Katuna, you will have lunch in Kigali City then be dropped off at the Airport for your departure flight back home.

End of 9 Days Rwanda – Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari

Inclusions

Transport in a Private Vehicle

Full board accommodation

All park entrance and permits fees

Service of an English-speaking professional driver/guide

Game drives

Airport transfers

Bottled water whilst on safari

Exclusions

Tips

International flights and visas