8 Days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali

8 Days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali

This 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali is an interesting primate and wildlife safari that starts and ends from Kigali Rwanda. This Uganda safari will take you to Bwindi impenetrable national park and Kibale forest national park where you will have a face to face encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitat. During the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, you will also visit Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake in Uganda and Queen Elizabeth national park where you will enjoy great views of abundant wildlife species including buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, hippos, Nile crocodiles, warthogs among others during the game drives and boat cruise on Kazinga channel

Highlights of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 5: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat ride

Day 8: Departure to Kigali

Detailed itinerary    

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Depending on location in Kigali on the first day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and later go for a short city tour in Kigali where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial centre, Art centres, Kimironko market among others. After the city tour, you will start the safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park passing via Katuna border in Kabale. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and then proceed to Bwindi National Park. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Gorilla trekking,

After an early breakfast on the second day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the mountain gorillas and also conversant with different gorilla trekking trails. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species, plants among others and once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to observe their behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, breastfeeding, grooming young ones, take photos and record videos. After the one hour encounter with the gentle giants, you will drive back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

On the third day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, you will enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to view the famous tree climbing lions which will be lazily lying up in acacia/ fig tree branches if you are lucky. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will have lunch and then continue the journey to the park with great views of the beautiful landscape, countryside, Kigezi hills, terraced farmlands among others. Upon arrival in Queen Elizabeth national park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise

Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience

After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will be able to spot different animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, waterbucks which will be grazing in open savannah plains, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas which will be looking for a morning hunt, view bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

Afternoon boat cruise

After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water channel that connect lake Edward and lake George. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours, you will be able to view large herds of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks drinking water along the shores, view water birds like hornbills, cormorants, fish eagles, king fisher’s among others. After the boat ride you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park

On the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, you will have breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to go for another morning game drive in the park where you will be able to spot some of the animals that you might have missed during the previous game drive. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out and transfer to Kibale forest national park. On the way, you will have views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, tea plantations among others and upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Chimpanzee trekking,

After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the Kanyachu park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated an experienced park guide and start trekking in the forest in search of chimpanzees. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one area to another in search of food. During trekking you will be rewarded with views of other primates like l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, views of different bird species among others. once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment which helps you to watch them feed, play, fight, hunt, rest, observe their behaviors, take photos and record videos.

After the one hour encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for lunch where after, you will go for an interesting swamp walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to view different primates, bird species, animals among others. After the swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat ride

On the seventh day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi which is the second deepest lake in Uganda. Upon arrival, you will have lunch and later go for an amazing boat ride where you will be able to explore the 29 islands, enjoy beautiful views of the scenery, terraced farmlands, view different bird species among others. After the boat ride, you will drive to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Departure to Kigali

On the last day of the 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali, you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kigali. On the way you will have en-route lunch and upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise depending on your schedule.

End of 8 days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from Kigali

Tour includes                   

• Gorilla trekking permit
• Chimpanzee trekking permit
• Lion tracking experience
• Bigodi swamp walk
• Park entrance fees/ game drives
• Boat cruise fees
• Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
• Full board accommodation
• Pick up and drop off in Kampala/Entebbe
• Vehicle and fuel
• Bottled drinking water

 Tour excludes                        

• Air flight tickets
• Visas
• Life insurance
• Optional activities not included on the itinerary
• Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.