11 Days Rwanda Primates Tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime)
This 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) will wildlife tour Africa give you an experience of some of the prime wildlife encounters in both countries.
The two countries host some of the remaining mountain gorillas found in the wild in the whole world.
This makes it a must-visit destination for any traveler willing to meet the most memorable moments in a lifetime.
Gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking will leave you with a series of multiple amazing experiences as they have different and unique terrains and vegetation covers for each of the two countries.
Lastly, you will have an experience of Queen Elizabeth National Park for some big-game experience and to break the journey to Kibale National Park.
Highlights of this 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour
- Short Kigali city tour
- Chimps trekking in Nyungwe forest and Kibale forest
- Canopy walks
- Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes and Bwindi impenetrable
- Boat cruise on Lake Kivu and Kazinga Channel
- Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Stopover at Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions
Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Detailed 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali for the Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Tour
This is the start of your 11 Days experience for both Uganda and Rwanda adventure of the wildlife and the primates. Our professional driver guide will pick you from the Kigali international airport and transfer you to your hotel.
You will check in, freshen and do short a Kigali city tour. This depends on the time of arrival. Later you can return to your hotel, have dinner and rest for the day. All along, you will be free to capture some moments you find interesting on your camera.
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Kigali Radisson blue
- Hotel villa Portofino
- Quiet haven lodge
- Meal plan: will be defined based on the time of arrival
Day 2 of 11 days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After an early breakfast, our guide driver will be there to pick you up and hit the road for the adventure after a short briefing about the whole trip and days’ events. We start the journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park for the chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk experience.
Depending on your interest, we can have a stopover at Nyanza for the king’s palace experience or ethnographic museum in Huye for an experience as well, here you will be able to have a feel of the history and culture of Rwanda people.
Note that because of the journey ahead, you can only stop at one of them so that we can arrive before darkness. Depending on which site we stop at, we will organize for an en route before proceeding to our lodge at Nyungwe forest for overnight. On arrival, you can check in, freshen up and later have dinner and rest early enough
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Nyungwe forest lodge
- Nyungwe top view lodge
- Gisakura Guest house
- Meal plan: full board
Day 3 of 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest
Chimpanzee trekking will start very early morning. You will be required to come along with packed breakfast and lunch since we shall leave as early as possible; you ought to be at the briefing grounds by 5:00 am. This may require that you leave your lodge room as early as 4:30 am at dawn.
On arrival at the briefing ground, you will assemble and listen to the park ranger guide. After this, you will be assigned a trekking team to start at either Uwinka or Cyamudongo trails heads. You will trek in the forest until you find the chimps.
Once you find the chimps, you will spend with them up close for about an hour and return to the starting point to find your guide to take you back to the lodge. While with the chimps, take as many pictures as possible ensuring extreme caution that the camera flashlight is turned off!
The canopy walk will be right after the chimp trek or in the afternoon in case you prefer to rest before embarking on it depending on location of the lodge
Nyungwe forest is home to 13 primates and they offer colobus monkeys trekking as a separate experience. If you are interested in botany, the flora in Nyungwe comes as an added bonus; you will also have a chance to view other inhabitants of the forest. You will get a lot of information worth noting.
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Nyungwe forest lodge
- Nyungwe top view lodge
- Gisakura Guest house
- Meal plan: full board
Day 4 of the 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After morning breakfast, you will check out from your lodge and we hit the road to the Volcanoes National Park where we prepare for a gorilla trekking for the next day.
While on the trip be observant and anything you spot on the road, do not mind asking your guide driver for clarification and possibly more information pertaining the subject in question. The journey will last for 6 hours!
The journey to the park is through the winding roads of Rwanda which indeed is a country of a thousand hills. Enjoy the scenery of Lake Kivu in the back drop as you drive up to volcanoes national park for a Gorilla experience!
Arrive in your lodge and go straight to your lodge to check in and freshen. Later you’re going to have your dinner and rest early since the day ahead of you will be a tough one yet a lovely day awaits you.
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Mt Gorilla view lodge
- Le Bambou gorilla Lodge
- Grace Place Hotel
- Meal plan: full board
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trekking is the ultimate goal experience for many people that travel to Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range where gorilla tracking happens. After an early breakfast, we shall leave at 6: 30 am for the briefing before the gorilla trek at 7 am
Enjoy the park with different vegetation from evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath. The highlights of your hike will be spending an hour with the remarkably peaceful gorillas as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting, caring for their young ones and generally playing the parental roles one would barely imagine animals do!
Come prepared to get deep in the jungles to experience a life time encounter. This moment will allow you to take as many pictures as possible will interacting with the Gorillas.
In the afternoon, you may opt to have a relaxing and tantalizing boat cruise moments at Lake Kivu. Later you can return to lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Mt Gorilla view lodge
- Le Bambou gorilla Lodge
- Grace Place Hotel
- Meal plan: full board
Day 6 of 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour: Transfer to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Journey time: (3hours, 4hous 6hours)
After breakfast, our driver will be there to take another yet a long drive from Rwanda across the Cyanika border post to Bwindi Impenetrable forest. The drive to the Uganda boarder from Musanze is less than an hour.
Clear with the immigration offices at the boarder then we continue with your trip through the rolling hills of Kigezi to our lodge for an overnight stay in Bwindi. You will arrive in the late afternoon.
You can check in at the lodge and may choose how you will spend the rest of you evening whether relaxing at the lodge or go have some swimming within your accommodation facility. Whatever you decide it’s all covered. Later have a delicious dinner and rest waiting for another primate experience tomorrow
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Nkuringo Gorilla camp
- Gorilla valley lodge
- Rushaga gorilla camp
- Meal plan: full board
You day will start with morning breakfast meal, our professional driver guide will pick you up from the camp and drive to the park offices at 7 am for briefing and then begin gorilla trekking at 8 am.
The head ranger guide will give general briefing and later distribute visitors (travelers) into different groups depending on the gorilla group you will track.
In your group, you might receive further briefing before setting off with your team of guides and porters. Make sure that you have carried lunch and enough water to re-energize you as you trek through the forest. Even if you’re an experienced hiker, you are advised to take along a porter to help you especially on the steep slopes as you hike.
The trek can take anything from minutes to several hours depending on where the gorilla nested the previous night. Once you get close with the group allocated, take a many picture as possible as the gorillas go about with their lives in their natural habitat. The experience is unforgettable spending an hour watching these amazing creatures
After this experience you will return to the starting point to meet up with your guide, who will drive you back to the lodge to refresh and relax. Later you will have dinner and overnight
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Nkuringo Gorilla camp
- Gorilla valley lodge
- Rushaga gorilla camp
- Meal plan: full board
Day 8 of 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour: Transfer from Bwindi Forest to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After an early breakfast meal, you will leave for Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishaha Sector (this depends with Bwindi sector) which is for a home to the famous tree-climbing lions. We arrive in time for afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel, which connects Lake George and Lake Edward.
There is a high likelihood to sight buffaloes, elephants among others that come for an afternoon drink together with hippos and crocodiles that make it their home.
There is a bird sanctuary on the channel with several species of birds which will keep you on the lookout as your guide describes each of them and some of their characteristics.
After this boat cruise experience which normally takes 2-3 hours, we take a short game drive as we drive to your lodge to check in, later you will have dinner and overnight stay at your lodge!
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Mweya Safari lodge
- Park view Safari lodge
- Marafiki lodge
- Meal plan: full board
Day 9: Game Drive at Queen Elizabeth National park and Transfer to Kibale Forest National park
After an early morning breakfast, you will go for a game drive. We start the day with a game drive towards the mating ground of the Uganda kob in the Kisenyi plains in search of the lions.
We look out for lions, warthogs, elephants, kobs, waterbucks, buffaloes, etc. We can also spot many bird species during this game drive. You will return to the lodge and check in refresh up the check out.
We start our journey to Kibale National Park, we shall have stopovers for lunch either in Kasese or if we chose to pack a picnic lunch for the lodge we can have as we drive to the park
Late afternoon we shall arrive in the park. You will check in at your lodge. Later have your dinner and have an early rest as you prepare for the day ahead.
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Papaya Lake Lodge
- Primate lodge
- Kibale forest lodge
- Meal plan: full board
Day 10 of 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale National Park covers a land area of roughly 795 square kilometers. It is one of Uganda’s most gorgeous tropical forest being the home to 12 primate species. After breakfast, you will be dropped by your guide to Kanyanchu visitor center for a briefing before chimpanzee trekking.
You will be briefed by the park ranger guides before being divided into smaller groups and joined by a ranger guide depending on the chimp’s community to visit.
While on this trek, you might encounter other primates like the black and white colobus monkey, grey cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey etc. and several butterflies.
Once you spot the chimps you will have an hour to spend with them closely as you take pictures. However, ensure that your camera flashlight is turned off as you take these memorable pictures. After this experience you get back to where you started to meet your guide to drive you to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, visit Bigodi swamp an initiative by the community to conserve the swamp and trees with several primates.
Recommended Accommodation facilities:
- Papaya Lake Lodge
- Primate lodge
- Kibale forest lodge
- Meal plan: full board
Day 11: From Kibale Transfer to Entebbe through Kampala
After breakfast, our professional driver guide will transfer you to Kampala proceeding to Entebbe airport for your departure flight. I am sure this was an experience worthy! This will mark the end of your Rwanda and Uganda primates and wildlife safari.
- Meal plan: breakfast and lunch
End of the 11 Days Rwanda Primates Tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime)
Activities on this trip
- Game drive
- Boat cruise
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Gorilla trekking
- Nature walks
- Kigali city tour
What You Need While Going for Gorilla Trekking
Just like Rwenzori Mountain Trekking, Gorilla trekking also requires thorough preparations and these items are very crucial when trekking the gorillas;
Water:
Gorilla trekking can be very tedious and you need to refill your tank as the trek goes on. It is advisable to park a few water filtrations tablets before you come for the trek.
Boots:
You will need good waterproof comfortable shoes. Sometimes it rains during the trek, so skid proof shoes can come in handy. These will ensure you go through this adventure safely at all times.
Rain Jacket:
It is always desirable to carry rain jacket because it rains very often in Bwindi impenetrable forest and this will do you a great deal of good.
Snack:
You can carry a light snack to give you some energy during the walk in the forest.
Trouser and shirts:
Bwindi forest is covered with thick undergrowth, therefore light trousers and long-sleeved shirts are advised.
Socks:
You will have to tuck in the trousers into the socks to avoid insects crawling inside
Gloves:
You will need Garden gloves because you will be grabbing tree branches, leaves etc. and some can be thorny.
Camera:
Carry a good camera (no flash) to capture this lifetime experience while in the jungle!
Background Informationof the 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour & Uganda Gorilla Safari (Adventures of a lifetime) wildlife tour
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park is located in Western Uganda, protecting moist evergreen rain forest. It is 766 square kilometers (296 sq mi.) in size and with an altitude between 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) to 1,600 meters (5,200 ft) in elevation.
Despite encompassing primary moist ever green forest, it contains a diverse array of landscapes to contain both lowland and montane forests. In Eastern Africa, it sustains the last significant expanse of pre-montane forest!
The park was gazetted in 1932 and formally established in 1993 to protect a large area of forest previously managed as a logged forest reserve. The park forms a continuous forest with Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This adjoining of the parks creates a 180 kilometers (110 mi) wildlife corridor. It is important eco-tourism and safari destination, popular for its population of habituated Chimpanzees and twelve other species of primates.
Queen Elizabeth National Park – 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour
The park sits on a land area of about 1978 square kilometers. Its position provides a magnificent view of the Rift Valley floor that is occupied by Lakes Edward and Gorge.
It is well known to be habitat of about 95 mammals along with 612 species of birds. Formerly, a historian known as Douglas Willocks talked about the various features that lead to the formation of the Park in 1952!
This area was strategically located with a stunning view of mountain Rwenzori, the plains and the campsite jagged mass of mountains that are good for activities such as hiking. On the other side of Lake Edward, there is a famous hill known as Mitumbe that looks out to Congo.
Its beauty is signified with changing colors from blue to green, with gentle distant slopes, and this makes it become the center of darkness in Africa. The Eastern part of the park is characterized with peaceful green escarpments that were acquired from the western rift valley. The features are well covered with Savannah making it a beautiful place full of natural euphorbia trees
The park is so extensive further more adjacent to the other protected areas. For instance, Kigezi covering an area of about 256 square kilometers and Kyambura with about 152 square kilometers wildlife set aside.
The other area is Kalinzu Forest Reserve that adjoins to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with about 200 square kilometers along Virunga National Park. Rwenzori National Park is about a few Kilometers to the North of Queen Elizabeth National Park!
Bwindi Impenetrable forest – 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour
Bwindi is derived from the Runyakitara word “mubwindi” which is translated as “a place full of darkness” this name comes from the extensive stands of bamboo interspersed amongst the larger forest hardwoods.
The bamboo and thick ground cover of ferns, vines, and other plants growth severely hinder direct access on foot. The forest is on the edge of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, only a few kilometers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border and about 25 kilometers (16 mi) north of the Virunga Mountains
The forest is one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth where half the world’s populations of the highly endangered Mountain Gorillas live in their natural habitat.
The forest has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world heritage site for its biological significance
The forest has been described as “riven by disputes and crosshatched by historical, political, biological boarders” by the researcher Craig Stanford, co-director of the park’s Jane Goodall Research center. In 1991, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established
Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda. The Park is on the edge of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, only a few kilometers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border and about 25 kilometers (16 mi) north of the Virunga Mountains. Composed of 321 square kilometers (124 square miles) of both Montane and lowland forest, it is accessible only by foot.
This park has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world heritage site for its biological significance
Species diversity is the first feature you will notice about the park. It provides habitat for 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many endangered species.
Floristically, the park is among the most diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1000 flowering plant species, including 163 species of trees and 104 plant species of ferns.
The northern (low elevation) sector has many species of Guineo-congolian flora, including two endangered species, the brown mahogany and Brazzeialongipedicellata. In particular area shares in the high levels of Endemism the Albertine Rift.
The park is a sanctuary for colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, and many birds such as hornbill and turacos. It is most notable for the 400 Bwindi Gorillas, half of the world’s population of endangered mountain Gorillas.
Habituated mountain gorilla groups are open to tourism in four different sectors of Buhoma, Ruhijja, Rushaga and the Nkuringo in the Districts of Kanungu,Kabaale and Kisoro respectively all under the management of Uganda Wildlife Authority
Volcanoes National Park – 11 Days Rwanda Primates tour
In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat, wrote the eminent primatologist Dian Fossey “are great, old volcanoes towering almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest – the Virunga’s”.
Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range home of the endangered mountain range- home of the endangered mountain gorillas and rich mosaic of montane ecosystems.
Which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp and heath. Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: karisimbi– the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant crater lake, Sabinyo,Gahinga and Muhabura
Nyungwe Rain Forest National Park
This park is located in Western Great Rift Valley. Also referred to as Albertine Rift flows West Valley. The park stretches from Lake Albert to the Lake Tanganyika and the rift has many mountains and lakes that flow west into Congo River system.
The Albertine rift besides having an amazing landscape is also known to its endemic species of fauna and flora. In the Nyungwe forest, there are about 1,068 plant species and 248 species of orchids and other new species are discovered each year.
Also, about 85 mammal species are found in Nyungwe, including 13 primates’ species. Nyungwe accommodates over 300 bird species, 29 species of them are endemics to Albertine rift this makes Nyungwe the best Ornithologist’s site, as many refer to it as birders paradise.
The biodiversity of the park is even further enriched by other landscapes including swamps, marshes, bamboo thickets, heath, open woodland and many microhabitats.
Nyungwe is known to its 13 primate species including the famous chimpanzees, this is the best site for chimps trekking and also the largest troop of the black and white colobus monkeys.
After all activities in the park there is also fragmented forests including cyamudongo home of the well-habituated chimpanzees and also Gisakura has other fragmented forests where the second habituated small troops of the colobus monkeys live.
Nyungwe forest has over 130km of constructed trails, which allows all travelers of the different fitness levels to enjoy its beauty and be able to explore the park to its depth.
11 Days Rwanda Primates Tour Inclusions
Safari includes:
- Transportation in a tour van/Landcruiser
- Service of an English -speaking tour guide/driver
- All activities mentioned in the itinerary
- Park admissions
- Accommodation on full board
- Entrance fees to all destinations as per the program
- Transfer to and from the airport
Safari exclusions
- All activities not mentioned in the program
- Phone calls bills
- Tips
- International transfers
- Gratitude to tour guides
- Personal insurance
- Personal effects of any nature
- Hotel fees before and after the safari
