Overview
Participate in this great 7 days Rwanda and Uganda gorilla safari where you visit the endangered mountain gorillas in both in Uganda and Rwanda. Each visit will give you an hour in the presence of mountain gorilla family trekked and this creates everlasting memories. Also, visit the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo in Rwanda to be able to take a canoe ride and also take a boat cruise or leisure time on Lake Bunyonyi.
There will be optional activities like visiting the Kigali city attractions like the genocide memorial center and also another option of taking a hike at one of the surrounding hills on Lake Bunyonyi. A great time will be spent at the Uganda equator where lunch will be served and also have a chance to buy some of the handmade crafts from Uganda and east Africa at large that portrays the true African art and design.
Detailed tour plan
Day1. Arrive in Kigali and leisure
Be picked from the airport in Kigali by the assigned driver guide and immediately after briefing, have a leisure time at the hotel or opt to take a city tour depending on the arrival time where you get to tour around the Kigali genocide memorial grounds, local markets, art and gallery centers, coffee shops and many more others.
Day2. Transfer to Volcanoes national parks via the twin lakes
Leave the hotel in the morning and transfer to Volcanoes national park a home to the rare primates that is the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys together with other wildlife. The road trip will take about 5 hours including an hour visiting the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo for a canoe ride. Volcanoes national park is not only known for its wildlife but also the great history of conservation brought by Dian Fossey. This was a female primatologist researcher saved a great number of gorillas from poachers. Arrive and spend a good time at the lodge as you prepare for tomorrow’s gorilla trekking adventure.
Day3. Gorilla trekking day
Begin the day with delicious breakfast and then the driver guide will take you to the briefing point at the park office and this exercise is very important where you get to learn about different aspects like the guidelines to follow while in the forest for example, use of flashlight camera is not allowed, keep a distance of about 8m and many more others.
Begin the search under the guidance of the park ranger well-armed and on meeting the gorilla family/group trekked, spend an hour in their presence and this will create everlasting memories as the head of the group (silverback) will be practicing it’s his leadership skills, the mothers will be breastfeeding if they have babies, the young ones will be playing. End the day after returning to the lodge.
Day4. Transfer to Bwindi national park (cross Katuna border)
Leave Volcanoes national park and take a long drive to Bwindi national park in Uganda crossing the Katuna boarder. Bwindi impenetrable national park is located in far south western Uganda known for homing almost half of the endangered mountain gorillas in the whole world. The driver guide will help you on border crossing and this is through the immigration offices and acquiring all the required documents. The journey to this park takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive and this creates everlasting memories as you enjoy the beautiful landscape. Arrive at the booked accommodation and this will create everlasting memories.
Day5. Gorilla trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Like in Volcanoes national park, also here the day will be the same only the terrain and attractions differs. Breakfast will be serve and then briefing at the park offices will be enjoyed since it covers different aspects like the attractions of the park, history on the formation of the park, gorilla information, requirements needed for trekking and any other required information like the guidelines.
Begin the search as you will be meeting other eye catching attractions like the unique and beautiful birds, primates like the varvet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and many more others. Meeting a gorilla family will offer you a great time of spending an hour in their presence as you witness their daily activities, movements and behaviors. After the experience, you will head to Lake Bunyonyi just a two hours’ drive and spend a night at one of the booked resort hotel.
Day6. Leisure/boat cruise and optional zip lining on Lake Bunyonyi
Depending on your choice, have either leisure time or take boat cruise of the Lake and this will create everlasting since you will visit some of the islands such as the punishments island, leprosy island, Buchuranika island and many more others. There will be an option of hiking to one of the surrounding hills in order to have an aerial view of the lake with the different island.
Day7. Head to Kampala and stopover at the airport in Entebbe
Have a leisure breakfast at the lakeside restaurant and then embark on a long journey to Kampala and this will have a stopover at the Uganda equator where you take memorable photos, buy crafts and then lunch will be enjoyed at one of the restaurants. Proceed and head to Kampala as you will be dropped at Entebbe international airport to mark the end of this great gorilla safari in Rwanda and Uganda.