10 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo Gorilla Trekking Tour
This 10 days Uganda Rwanda Congo gorilla trekking tour is an exceptional adventure that will take you to three gorilla destinations in Africa. The safari will take you to Uganda, where you will participate in amazing activities such as chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, game drives and boat cruises in Queen Elizabeth National Park, gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, golden monkey trekking, cultural tour and another gorilla trekking experience in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
From Rwanda you will connect to Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where you will engage in another gorilla trekking activity so as to compare experiences of the mountain gorilla families in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.
Highlights of the 10 Days of Uganda and Rwanda Congo Gorilla Trekking Tour
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 5: Gorilla trekking and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Day 7: Golden monkey trekking and cultural tour
Day 8: Transfer to Virunga National Park
Day 9: Gorilla trekking
Day 10: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1 of the 10-day Uganda-Rwanda-Congo gorilla trekking tour
Arrival and transfer to Kibale National Park
Depending on the time of arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be welcomed by our driver guide, who will brief you about your safari and then start the journey to Kibale National Park.
The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive passing via Mubende, Kyenjojo and Fort Portal towns. On the way you will have en-route lunch and great views of the beautiful landscapes, tea and banana plantations, homesteads, local people, farmlands, crater lakes, and Rwenzori Mountains, among others. Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge and prepare yourself for an optional nature walk.
The guided nature walk is done in Bigodi Swamp, a wetland that is located outside the park and harbors different wildlife species, including primate species like baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and hoest monkeys; animals like bush pigs, otters, and sitatunga; bushbucks; bird species like the great blue turaco, papyrus gonerolak, and white-winged warbler; and plant and tree species, among others. After the nature walk, which takes about 2 to 3 hours, you will meet up with your guide and drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Chimpanzee trekking: After an early breakfast, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu Visitors Centre for a briefing about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking.
After the briefing you will be put in a group of 6 people, allocated a chimpanzee group to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the jungle. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park takes 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees because they like to move deep into the forest in search of food.
During trekking you will be able to spot other primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys; bird species like the slender-billed weaver, tropical boubou, great blue turaco, and African pied wagtail; and plant species, among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, which gives you a chance to learn about their habits and behaviors, watch them feed, play, hunt, take photos and record the moments to show people back home. After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will meet your driver guide and transfer to the lodge for lunch.
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park; after lunch you will check out of the lodge and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The journey takes about a 3-hour drive, and upon arrival you will have great views of different animals like elephants, buffaloes, and Uganda kobs, among others, as you drive through the park to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Morning game/lion tracking experience drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive/lion tracking experience: Have an early breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive/lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. The game drive starts at around 7:00am so as to catch up with the early risers and predators, who will be going back to their hiding areas.
During the game drive you should look out for animals like elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, Uganda kobs, giant forest hogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, bird species like grey crowned cranes, yellow throated long crow, red throat spur fowl, African white-backed vulture, African wattled plover, black-bellied bustard, and black-headed gonerke, among others. After the game drive, you will drive to Lake Katwe, a Crater Lake where rock salt is extracted.
While at Lake Katwe you will have views of migratory birds and interact with the local people who extract rock salt and earn a living through selling it to traders in Uganda and other countries. From Lake Katwe you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise: after lunch you will drive to a landing site near the luxury lodge Mweya safari lodge for an exciting boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. Kazinga Channel is a water body that joins Lake George and Lake Edward and offers scheduled boat rides, which take 2 to 3 hours.
During the boat cruise you will have spectacular views of animal species like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, and monitor lizards, among others, along the water banks; large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water; aquatic bird species such as martial eagles, papyrus goliathes, pelicans, African skimmers, cormorants, African spoonbills, fish eagles, kingfishers, and view fishermen preparing their fishing gear for night fishing, among others. After the boat ride you will drive to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Check out of the lodge and start the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the southwestern part of Uganda. On the way you will pass via the Ishasha sector, which is located in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will view the tree-climbing lions that will be lying up in acacia and fig tree branches.
The tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector are believed to climb trees due to various reasons, such as to run away from biting insects, to have a clear view of the antelopes, and to escape ground heat, among others. After the game drive you will have lunch and then proceed with the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Upon arrival you will check into the lodge and have dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
For gorilla trekking, after an early breakfast on day 5 of the 10-day Uganda-Rwanda-Congo gorilla trekking, you will carry a packed lunch, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for the gorilla trekking briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations.
After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people, allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the jungle. Grouping of individuals is, however, done according to age, physical fitness and personal preferences; therefore, in case you are not physically fit, you are advised to communicate with your driver guide so that they allocate you a gorilla family that is easy to trek.
Gorilla trekking in the park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located and during trekking you will pass via steep slopes and thick forests where you will have views of primates like the L’hoest monkeys, chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, baboons, bird species, and plant and tree species, among others.
When the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their lifestyle and behaviors and watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, take photos and record videos.
Transfer to Volcanoes National Park; after the one-hour encounter with the gorillas, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Volcanoes National Park.
The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours, passing via the Cyanika border in Kisoro or the Katuna border in Kabale. On the way you will have spectacular views of the rolling hills in Rwanda, beautiful landscapes, Kigezi hills, and terraced farmlands, among others. Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge and have dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
For gorilla trekking, after an early breakfast, carry a packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kinigi Park headquarters for the briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking.
Gorilla trekking is done in groups of 8 people, where each group is allocated a gorilla family to trek daily and a park guide who is well conversant with the trails in the forest. Trekking of the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park starts at 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the location of the gorillas.
During trekking you will have wonderful views of the colorful bird species, animals, primates, and plants among others and once the gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment, which gives you an opportunity to take photos, record videos, learn more about their lifestyle, behaviors, and habits, and watch them carry out their daily activities among others.
After the one-hour encounter with the gentle giants, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Golden monkey trekking and cultural tour
Golden monkey trekking: Have an early breakfast and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of golden monkey trekking. After the briefing you will be allocated a golden monkey family to trek and a park guide who will be showing you golden monkey trail to follow as well as sharing information about the golden monkeys.
Golden monkey trekking is an interesting and active activity which takes 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where they are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. during golden monkey trekking you will follow trails of left over bamboo shoots, leaves and once the golden monkey family is found you will be allowed to spend one hour with the individuals in their natural habitat which helps you to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them jump up in trees, take photos and record the moments.
After the face to face encounter with the golden monkeys you will trek back to the park headquarters, meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for lunch.
Cultural tour: after lunch you will go for a cultural tour in the neighboring communities where you will visit Ibyi’wacu cultural village. During the cultural tour you will interact with the local people in the community which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their tradition, culture, way of living, visit their farmlands, taste different Kinyarwanda food, learn how local beer is made from bananas, enjoy entertainment by women as they perform Kinyarwanda dance, songs, drama, listen to ancient stories about their tradition among others. After the cultural tour you will transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Virunga national park
After breakfast check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Goma. The journey takes about 4 hours drive passing via Goma Grande Barrier border and on your way you will have en-route lunch and great views of the rolling hills in Rwanda, beautiful scenery, landscapes, terraced farmlands, smiling people, homesteads among others. From Goma you will join the Virunga security convoy and connect to Virunga national park headquarters in Bukima where you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
Gorilla trekking, after an early breakfast, you shall carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park is done in groups of 8 people where each group is allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest.
Trekking of the mountain gorillas in the park takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located and during trekking you will have great views of different bird species, other primates, plant and tree species, animals among others.
Once the gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment which helps you to learn about their lifestyle, behaviors, take photos and record the moments. After the one hour with the mountain gorillas you will trek back to the park headquarters, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Departure to Kigali
Have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and your driver guide will pick you up to start the journey to Kigali. You will join the Virunga security convoy to Goma Grande barrier border where you will check out and continue the journey to Kigali which takes about 4 hours drive.
Upon arrival in Kigali you will visit some interesting attractions such as Kigali Genocide Memorial Center where you will learn about the 1994 Kigali Genocide between the Hutus and Tutsi, visit Kimironko market where you will interact with the local vendors among others. After the city tour you will have lunch in one of the restaurants and then transfer to Kigali international airport for your next flight.
End of 10 days Uganda Rwanda Congo gorilla trekking tour
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Bigodi nature walk
- Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise fee
- Kigali city tour
- An English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
