10 Days Uganda Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife Via Rwanda 2025

After landing at Kigali International Airport, take a short 20-minute drive to the city, known as Africa’s cleanest. Depending on your arrival time, check into your hotel and relax or explore Kigali’s cultural and historical sites. Visit the Kandt House Museum and the Presidential Palace Museum, then return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Dinner.

Drive Time: 20 Minutes.

Start the day with a Kigali city tour, visiting key historical and cultural sites. Stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial to learn about Rwanda’s history, then explore local art and craft galleries for unique souvenirs. After lunch, take a scenic 3-hour drive to Volcanoes National Park, arriving in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Driving Time: 3 hrs.
 
Helicopter flight: 30 minutes.

Start the day with an exciting trek in Volcanoes National Park to see the rare golden monkeys in the Virunga volcanoes spanning Rwanda, Uganda, and DR Congo. After a briefing from the park rangers, begin your hike into the forest, accompanied by enforcement officers for safety, especially in case of encounters with buffaloes. These playful and energetic monkeys move swiftly as they feed, making the experience lively and dynamic. Like gorilla trekking, you will spend one hour observing them before descending back.
 
In the afternoon, visit the Gorilla Guardians’ Village for a cultural immersion. Meet a traditional healer and learn about medicinal plants, watch banana beer brewing, enjoy traditional dances, visit a local school, and explore a replica of the King’s Palace, gaining insights into Rwanda’s rich heritage.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Start the day with breakfast, then begin your journey to Bwindi National Park in Uganda. Depending on the route, you will cross either the Cyanika Border (near Kisoro) or the Katuna Border (near Kabale). As you drive through southern Uganda’s scenic winding roads, take the beautiful landscapes and stop for photo opportunities. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch, or enjoy a picnic meal along the way before settling in for the evening.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Travel Time + 4 Hours.

After breakfast, head to the Park Headquarters for registration and a briefing before starting your gorilla trek. Enjoy 30 minutes of cultural entertainment from a local group before the park ranger explains the trekking guidelines. Equipped with a walking stick and mask, begin your journey through the dense Bwindi Forest.

 
The trek can take 1 to 6 hours, offering chances to see various primates, unique tree species, colourful birds, and butterflies before finally encountering the majestic mountain gorillas. Spend one unforgettable hour observing them in their natural habitat, watching how they interact and capturing photos.

 
After a short rest at the lodge, set out on a guided hike to Munyaga Waterfall, starting from the Park Office. This three-hour trek is a perfect way to unwind after your gorilla adventure while enjoying the scenic rainforest views. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Start the day early with breakfast, then set off on a scenic drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha sector. This remote region is famous for its tree-climbing lions, often seen lounging on fig tree branches as they watch over the grazing Uganda Kobs and other wildlife on the open plains.
 
After the lion tracking experience, continue to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.
 
In the evening, enjoy a sundowner experience in the park’s vast golden landscapes. Sip on your favourite drink as you take in the breathtaking views, watch the last herds of wildlife return home, and feel the peaceful transition from day to night in the African wilderness.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Travel Time + 4 Hours.

After breakfast, drive to Kasenyi, located in the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Enjoy a mini game drive, spotting wildlife such as lions, Defassa waterbucks, bushbucks, elephants, warthogs, Uganda Kobs, Cape buffaloes, leopards, spotted hyenas, Topis, hippos, and banded mongooses. After the game drive, continue to the lodge for lunch and some relaxation.
 
In the afternoon, take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, where you’ll see hippos, Nile crocodiles, and sometimes buffaloes and elephants along the shores. This boat ride also offers fantastic birdwatching, with chances to spot African fish eagles, African skimmers, pelicans, and possibly the rare shoebill stork. After the cruise, return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Start the day early with a hot cup of tea or coffee, then head out for a lion-tracking experience in the Kasenyi sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
 
Guided by researchers and trackers, follow the signals from radio collars placed on lions to locate them in the wild. Unlike regular game drives, this experience allows the vehicle to go off-road, giving you a closer view of these majestic predators.
 
After the lion-tracking adventure, return to the lodge for a full breakfast, then set off for Kibale National Park, a lush rainforest in western Uganda.
 
Along the way, enjoy scenic views of crater lakes and stop at the "Top of the World" viewpoint for breathtaking panoramas. Upon arrival, check into your lodge for lunch, relax in the afternoon, and enjoy a peaceful evening with dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Travel Time: 3-hour Drive.

Start your day with breakfast, then head to the Kibale National Park headquarters for a briefing on chimpanzee tracking rules. At 8:00 AM, set off on your chimpanzee trek, guided by an expert ranger in a small group of six. The trek lasts 2 to 4 hours, with one magical hour spent observing chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Watch them swing through trees, groom each other, and communicate, while also spotting other primates like colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, and vervet monkeys, along with various bird species.
 
After lunch at the lodge, choose between a guided walk in Bigodi Wetland, home to 8 primate species, 138 bird species, and other wildlife, or a cultural visit to the local community. Learn about traditional foods, crafts, dances, and clothing, gaining insight into daily life in rural Uganda. End the day with dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Start your final day with breakfast at the lodge, then begin your journey back to Entebbe. Along the way, stop for lunch at a local restaurant, enjoying a taste of Ugandan cuisine. Continue to Entebbe Airport, where you will catch your evening flight, marking the end of your incredible Rwanda & Uganda safari adventure.

Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch.

Travel Time +6 Hour Drive.