Encounter gorillas, golden monkeys, and other wildlife while exploring the lush forest of the Virunga Volcanoes and the dense jungles of Bwindi on your Africa Safari in Uganda and Rwanda. Your first gorilla tracking tour will be set in the Virunga Volcanoes forest, made famous by the classic film Gorillas in the Mist. Travel north to Bwindi, where you have a second opportunity to track gorillas, as well as discovering the traditions of the Batwa Pygmies, the indigenous people of the forest.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
After making your way through customs at the Kigali International Airport, meet your expert guide who will travel with you for your entire 8 day journey. Travel through the beautiful terraced hills that characterize much of Rwanda’s landscape towards the base of the Virunga Range arriving at Virunga Lodge, your home for the next 2 nights.
Approximate Travel Times: Driving 3 hours
NOTE: You must arrive no later that 11 AM on day 1. Please let your travel consultant know if you need to arrive the day before the trip starts.
Through the mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga range you track gorillas. Once you locate the troop, you will have one hour to spend with these amazing primates. Usually, you return to camp in time for a late lunch, however, some of the gorilla families are elusive, and tracking can take a full day.
Enjoy a relaxing morning at the lodge, where you can participate in one of the following activities:
Golden Monkey Tracking
Visit the local school and see community projects
Orphanage visit
Birding on Lake Kivu: home to some of Africa’s finest inland beaches
Guided walk to Lake Bulera: experience local village life along the way.
This afternoon set off for Mount Gahinga Lodge, located at the base of the Virunga Volcanoes. Enjoy the views from the terrace before dinner, or curl up by the fire and enjoy the general ambiance of the lodge.
Accompanied by Batwa elders, walk the Batwa trail and learn about their unique cultural heritage. Watch as the Batwa demonstrate their traditional hunting techniques, and listen as they share their in-depth knowledge of medicinal plants. Visit the sacred Ngarama cave and enjoy the music and dance of this interesting culture. Alternatively there are other activities you can participate in:
Track Gorillas in Nkuringo: tracking can be very challenging due to the steep and muddy paths. (2 hours drive from Lodge)
Hike the Muhavura or Gahinga Volcanoes: Gahinga offers a gentler hiking experience through the bamboo forest, whereas Muhavura is the most challenging peak in the park.
Track Golden Monkeys: A guide escorts the group through the forest as you search for the rare Golden Monkeys, as well as birds and other forest fauna.
Fly Via a schefuled Flight from Kisoro to Kihihi and continue by land to Bwindi, sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of Africa. Depending on your arrival time to the Bwindi Lodge, you may have time to explore the lodge grounds, take a self guided river walk, or visit the local village.
Enjoy an early breakfast before departing the lodge in search of gorillas. The Bwindi habitat is steep and densely forested and the trek requires stamina, as it can take the better part of a day to come across the gorillas. The first moment you finally see the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Alternatively there are other activities you can participate in:
Guided Rainforest Walk: Spot all different kinds of endemic bird species, watch a rabble of butterflies float in the mist, and learn about the rare plant life that make the rainforest such a globally important habitat.
Visit the Local Village: Learn about community projects, such as the Bwindi Community Hospital which started as a clinic under a tree and now provides medical services to over 60,000 people, and Amagara project that helps local farmers and their communities.
Batwa Pygmy Discovery: Learn about the native tribe and their traditional hunter-gatherer skills. The indigenous people of the Bwindi forest no longer inhabit the forest, but still practice many of their old ways.
Day 8: Depart Uganda
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Your journey comes to an end as you reach Entebbe via a schefuled flight from Kihihi. Depending on your international flight times you may have the opportunity for a city tour, or a visit to the Genocide Memorial. Return to your hotel, or transfer to the airport in time for your flight home.
Note: Flights must depart after 4 PM. Earlier flight times will require an overnight in Entebbe.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Notes
Select a Date
Rates based on high season scheduled departures
Low season scheduled departures: $6,478
Custom start dates available. Rates range from $6,995-$7,772
Initial deposit is 25% plus Gorilla Permit cost, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
8 hours ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.