9-Day Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Safari with Golden Monkeys

We hope your flight is scheduled to land before 14:00 hrs. You will arrive at Kigali Airport, complete the routine clearance process, and then step out to meet your waiting tour driver-guide. After a warm welcome, you will hit the road to Volcanoes National Park.

Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. On arrival at your booked accommodation, you can take some rest while awaiting the next day's activity.

Optional (extra cost): If you arrive early, you may consider a visit to the Iby'Iwachu Cultural Village or an excursion to the Twin Lakes. Otherwise, take your rest.

Golden monkey trekking takes place in Volcanoes National Park. These rare monkey species are also listed as endangered, and Volcanoes National Park has habituated groups that are available for trekking by visitors.

The exercise starts with a short briefing from the park ranger at the RDB Office. Thereafter, you will proceed to trek the golden monkeys through the rainforest of Volcanoes National Park.

Return to the accommodation for a short rest and lunch. After lunch, drive off to Cyanika Border Post. From Cyanika, you will be received by our Uganda-based professional tour driver-guide, who will take over from his Rwanda-based counterpart.

You will cross the border into Uganda and overnight at a property close to Bwindi National Park, where you will undertake gorilla trekking the following day.

Have breakfast and move to the rangers' post. You will receive a briefing on the dos and don'ts during the gorilla trek. Thereafter, you will enter the forest for your adventure and encounter.

The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular. The area offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but it is crisscrossed by numerous animal trails that allow access to tourists.

The time taken (4-8 hours) and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The time with these gentle but endangered giants is unforgettable.

Return to the accommodation and take some rest after a strenuous trek.

Optional (extra cost): If you finish early and still feel up to going out again, you can ask your guide to arrange, depending on your interests, a community visit or a short nature walk.

Be up early, have breakfast, and embark on a transfer to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famously known for its tree-climbing lion population. Once there, undertake a game drive in search of this rare species of lions.

Should you get the chance to spot the lions up in the trees, the sight is picturesque and unforgettable. From Ishasha in the south, exit and head to your booked accommodation in the north sector.

Check in and take some rest.

Optional: If interested, you may consider a late afternoon-to-evening game drive or safari in the Kasenyi Plains.

We shall have breakfast and proceed for chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge. The gorge is home to habituated chimpanzees, plus other primates including baboons, monkeys, and also bird species.

Today, you will spend the first half of the day tracking chimpanzees here. Thereafter, return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch.

After lunch, you will go for a 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. During the trip, the sight of wildlife including giant hippos, elephants, and crocodiles, among others, will fascinate you. You will also see many varieties of birds along the water shores.

After the boat trip, you can proceed for a brief late afternoon game drive and thereafter return to the lodge.

Be up early and have your breakfast. Proceed for a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains and be on the lookout for Cape buffaloes, herds of elephants, plus lions, leopards, though hard to spot, among others.

After the sightings on this game drive, we shall embark right away on a transfer that will see us check in at an accommodation at the edge of Kibale Forest National Park. We hope to have lunch at this property and also rest a bit before going out to Bigodi.

The Bigodi Wetland boasts an extensive array of biodiversity, among which are several primate species like the black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L'Hoest's monkey, and baboons. Bigodi is also a paradise for bird watchers.

After the beautiful time in Bigodi, we shall return to the lodge, where we will enjoy dinner and then overnight.

Have breakfast, check out, and embark on the journey to Murchison Falls National Park. The highlights of this park include the roaring rapids of the Murchison and the rolling plains of Uganda's largest national park, where you will have the chance of viewing lions, leopard, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants, among others.

For birders, Murchison Falls boasts about 450 bird species, including the grey parrot, dwarf kingfisher, and the Goliath heron, among others. Expect lunch en route.

The drive is quite long but incredibly scenic. The beautiful scenery will amaze you all the way, with very little or no room to be bored.

You can decide to do a game drive first and then finally proceed to the booked accommodation. Otherwise, we can go straight to the accommodation, check in, and stay at leisure.

Have your breakfast, then depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda's largest national park and be on the lookout for wildlife including lions and leopards, though hard to spot, among others. For any birder, there are also quite a number of birds to sight during the drive.

Return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. After lunch, you will head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls. Common sightings along the banks are hippos and a few bird species.

Optional (extra cost: $15): If interested, continue with a hike to the top of the falls. The hike may be strenuous, but the thrill of reaching the top is unforgettable.

Return to your accommodation and relax.

Note: It is possible to adjust this day in such a way that you do a morning game drive, an 11:00 am boat trip, and then another game drive. In that case, take packed lunch with you.

You will have your breakfast and then drive off to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a successful conservation effort that was set up to save the near-extinct rhino population in Uganda. Today, visitors to Uganda have a chance to encounter rhinos thanks to this effort.

Once in Ziwa, we will proceed for an hour of on-foot rhino tracking. From the rhino tracking, we will drive off to Entebbe for a drop-off at the airport or hotel of your booking.

Optional (extra cost): If you have time and are interested, you can consider an excursion to some touristic sites in and around Kampala City before being dropped off at the airport or hotel of your booking.

Thank you for choosing and travelling with us.