4 Days Double Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Rwanda

Rwanda, Uganda

This 4 Days Double Gorilla Trekking Safari in Uganda and Rwanda Package is designed for visitors who are interested in encountering mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Volcanoes National Park.

Watching two separate gorilla families allows visitors to observe and compare each group’s behaviors and dynamics, no gorilla groups are the same in composition. Some have more silverbacks, females and overall number of individuals. One group may have a mother with twins while another has only young juveniles.

Also the terrain in Rwanda is more mountainous and gorillas feed mostly on bamboo forest, Bwindi on the other hand consists of mostly tropical rainforests. In addition to encountering two different gorilla families, expect to see the difference in the terrain, vegetation, visit the Batwa Villages and the Gorilla Guardian’s village.

Major Activities

Touring Kigali city and visiting Genocide memorial site

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda

Gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes National Park – Rwanda

Visiting the Batwa Pygmy community

Visit the Gorilla Guardians Village

Full Itinerary

Day 1: Pick up from Kigali, city tour and transfer to Bwindi National park

To start off your safari, our guide will pick you up from your hotel or at the airport in Kigali and head to Kigali City for a city tour visiting a souvenir shop, the former presidential palace, the genocide memorial center and the main city market. After the city, you will start a 4 hour journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through Rwanda’s amazing countryside. After clearing with the immigration at Cyanika Border, you will cross over to Uganda and finally to your lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Rest and prepare for the adventurous gorilla tracking the following day.

Overnight and Dinner at Chameleon Hill Lodge (luxury) and Rushaga Camp (Mid-range and Budget).

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Mountain Gorilla trekking in Uganda – Visit the Batwa Pygmies

Wake up very early for breakfast and head for briefing at the park headquarters, the briefing is conducted by the head guide at 07:00 am and is basically about how to conduct yourself while with the gorillas, what to carry and all the dos and don’ts. You will be assigned a gorilla group and given an opportunity to hire porters , in groups of 8 people you will head to the starting point and enter into the forests looking for gorillas. The trek takes approximately 2 to 6 hours or more depending on the movement of the gorillas and where they spent their previous day, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the mountain gorillas interacting with them and taking pictures.

After one hour, you should head back to the starting point where you will meet our guide to take you back to the lodge for lunch and rest.

In the late afternoon, you will be head to the Batwa Village for a community encounter. The Batwa communities are situated near the park, the Batwa were the original inhabitants of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park but they were relocated outside the park when the forest was designated as a protected area. You will be entertained by local dances and drama, visit the medicine man, learn about their culture and get to taste some local meals and see how they are prepared. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Overnight and Dinner at Chameleon Hill Lodge (luxury), and Rushaga Camp (Mid-range and Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda – Visit the Gorilla Guardians Village

Wake up for breakfast, meet your guide and embark on a journey to Volcanoes National Park – Rwanda with border crossing. When you arrive in the park, you will check in at your lodge for lunch and short rest.

In the afternoon you will head to the Gorilla Guardians Village formerly known as the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village. This village was started as a place where former poachers would sell souvenirs to tourists, the government revamped the site and turned it into one of the best cultural centers in East Africa. You will spend the afternoon watching traditional dance performances or dress up in the traditional robes for photos.

Overnight and Dinner at The 5 Volcanos Lodge (Luxury), Da Vinci Lodge (Mid-range) and The Garden Place Hotel (Budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 4: Gorilla tracking in the Volcanoes National Park – Departure

Just like gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi, you will wake up early, have breakfast as you wait for your driver and head to the park headquarters for briefing about the dos and don’ts. In groups of 8 people you will head deep into the jungle searching for a gorilla family assigned to you, the trek takes approximately 2 – 6 hours or more depending on movement of the gorillas. When you locate the family with help of a ranger, you will spend one hour with the gorillas watching them play on tree branches and grooming each other.

After one hour, you will head back to the starting point for lunch, then drive back to Kigali for a drop-off at your hotel or Airport for departure.

End of Tour

Inclusions and Exclusions

The cost of this 4 days Uganda and Rwanda gorilla trekking tour will include: –