A Chimpanzee in Kibale on the rwanda uganda gorilla chimpanzee trek

Rwanda Gorilla Tracking & Uganda Wildlife, Chimps Trek -7 Days

Gorillas and Wildlfe Safaris Hall of Fame Trip Advisor RecommendedThis is a 7 day Rwanda Uganda wildlife gorilla safari with chimpanzee tracking which starts and ends in Kigali, Rwanda with 2 gorilla permits (for Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi in Uganda) included in the.

This safari offers you a gorilla tracking experience in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, savannah wildlife safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park with opportunity to sight the BIG 5 (lions, leopard, elephant, hippo, buffalo), and chimpanzee tracking (with sightings of other 12 primates species) in Kibale National Park.

The tour is private and exclusive, only you or your privately arranged group with your safari guide.

The safari starts from Kigali city or airport but can also start from Entebbe airport in Uganda.

Transportation is by a 4x4 safari customized land cruiser with a pop-up roof for enhanced game viewing experiences.

Rwanda Gorilla Tracking & Uganda Wildlife, Chimp Trek Safari - 7 Days

7 Day of Rwanda Gorilla tracking, and Uganda Wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth NP, with Kibale chimps trek tour.

Kibale National Park contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda. Forest cover, interspersed with patches of grassland and swamp, dominates the northern and central parts of the park on an elevated plateau. The park is home to a total of 70 mammal species, most famously 13 species of primate including the chimpanzee.

  • Day 1: Start the Rwanda Uganda Wildlife Gorilla Safari form Kigali and drive to Volcanoes National Park, home to Rwanda's mountain gorillas.
  • Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
  • Day 3: Cross to Uganda and continue driving to Queen Elizabeth  National Park doing wildlife safari game drives along the way
  • Day 4: Discovering Queen Elizabeth  National Park with wildlife game drives and a boat trip on Kazinga Channel
  • Day 5: Drive to Uganda's Primates' Capital, Kibale National Park for chimpanzees and more other primates.
  • Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and other primates' encounters in Kibale Forest
  • Day 7:  End the Rwanda Uganda Wildlife Gorilla Safari with transfer to Entebbe Airport (5 hrs) or back to Kigali (8 hrs).

Tour Plan for the 7 Days Rwanda Uganda Wildlife Gorilla Safaris

Day 1: Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Your Rwanda and Uganda safari begins! Your safari guide will be waiting for you at Kigali International Airport when you arrive in Rwanda. Or, if you are arriving in the night, we shall be starting the tour from your hotel in Kigali at 8 AM.

You start off with a brief tour of the city of Kigali, visiting the Gisozi Genocide Memorial Museum among other sights. Kigali Genocide memorial is very moving – the tour takes a couple of hours - and will be of interest to anyone who has spent some time in this enchanting country. It is in memory of the multitudes murdered in Rwanda´s genocide 1994. The memorial sites and centres are places of dignified remembrance for loved ones lost. It is also a place of reflection and learning for the wider community, both in Rwanda and internationally.

Afterwards we shall continue with our drive to Volcanoes National Park, which is located about 2 hours of driving away. You will be checked in at a quiet and comfortable lodge close to the park headquarters where you can spend the evening relaxing as you prepare for the next day's thrilling adventures.

Our Volcanoes National Park Top Recommended Accommodation options:

Accommodation options in Volcanoes National Park (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 2: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

On our second day of the Rwanda Uganda safari we shall be trekking deep into the jungles of Volcanoes National Park in search of the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is one adventurous wildlife experience hard to describe explicitly. The thrill of sitting in the thick untempered jungle surrounded by a family of the endagered gentle giants is awesome indeed. There are only about 1066 mountain gorillas remaining on earth and these can only live in their natural ranges. The only places where one can meet the mountain gorillas is Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and Congo's Virunga National Park. Only a couple of tourists are allowed to see the gorillas on any given day.

You will however have to endure some moderately strenuous trekking before reaching the gorillas. We have a team of local park rangers and guides to escort and show you the way in the forest. Some trails shall actually be paved on the day you will be trekking the gorillas. Along the trek, you might as well encounter other primates inhabiting Volcanoes National Park, like the golden monkeys, L'Hoest monkeys, among others.  

When you are finally able to find the gorillas, you will be allowed 1 hour with them. Spend time watching gorillas, watch the adults feeding their young ones, brushing and resting as the youngsters play from vines in a pleasurably playful display.

Our Volcanoes National Park Top Recommended Accommodation options:

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

This morning we shall be driving into Uganda, crossing at Kyanika Border post, which is about 30 minutes of driving from Volcanoes National Park.

We drive through some of the most fabulous sites with clear views of the 6 Virunga Volcanoes, Lake Bunyonyi, the terraced hills and valley of Southwestern Uganda.

As we approach Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, there are expansive savannah grasslands high with game densities. Commonly seen are large herds of elephant and buffalo, some of the largest anywhere in Uganda. If time allows, we shall do a game drive in the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in search of the tree-climbing lions, that can only be found here. 

Queen Elizabeth National Park is dominated on its northern border by the snow-capped 16,000-foot Rwenzori Mountains - the famed "Mountains of the Moon". This 767-square-mile conservation area is bordered on the north-east by Lake George and on the south-west by Lake Edward; its western border adjoins the Congo Parc du Virunga.

Top Recommendations for Overnight in Queen Elizabeth National Park:

Upper Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge | Kyambura Gorge LodgeKasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range: Ihamba Safari Lodge| Enganzi Lodge |  Bush Lodge

Budget: Bush Lodge (tents)| Simba Safari Camp (tents) | Pumba Cottages

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4: Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park

We set off very early before sunrise for a game drive in the Kasenyi area, Kasenyi track and the entire north of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The early morning game drive is intended to catch the big predators in their hunting tracks as they tend to avoid action during the hotter hours. We shall be coming all thickets as we search for lions, leopards, hyenas, among the many predator mammals here. Also not to miss are elephants, cape buffalo, teeming herds of impala-like Uganda kob, as well as topi, bushbuck, and other grazers in the park.

Your afternoon is set aside to explore more wildlife but in a totally different way. We shall be having aboat trip along the Kazinga Channel. This gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippo’s huff and spray at very close range from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others.

Overnight options:

Upper Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge | Kyambura Gorge LodgeKasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range: Ihamba Safari Lodge| Enganzi Lodge |  Bush Lodge

Budget: Bush Lodge (tents)| Simba Safari Camp (tents) | Pumba Cottages

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5:  Kibale National Park  

After a leisurely breakfast with  beautiful views of the stunning grasslands of Queen Elizabeth National Park, we shall set sail and proceed northwards to Kibale National Park. On either sides of the road are scenes of the undulating highlands of western Uganda on our way to the greener and beautiful Fort Portal area. The lush rolling hills of this region provide lots of good photo opportunities. As you approach Fort Portal in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, you enter Uganda's famous tea plantation region. A carpet of green spreads before you, as far as the eye can see, and seems an unusual contrast to the countryside through which you have just passed.

After we have checked in at the lodge, we shall take off time to visit the neighboring Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a community-inspired conservation initiative located at the borders of Kibale National Park. There are at least 9 primates species in this place and 150 bird species. We shall have a knowledgeable locally based tour guide to take us along as we keep on the look out for the great blue turaco, blue monkeys, baboons, otters, mongoose, bush bucks, bush pigs and among others.

Choice Accommodation options in Kibale National Park

Upper Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge

Luxury: Primate Lodge KibaleCrater Safari Lodge

Midrange: Isunga Lodge| ensuite tents at Kibale Forest Camp

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp (with bedding and mosquito nets, shared bathroom) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6: Chimpanzee & Primate Trekking in Kibale Forest

This day is reserved for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park. The chimps trek commences every day from the park headquarters at 8AM and 11 AM. Your driver shall arrange for you to be at the park office in good time for the briefing before embarking on the trek.

There are at least 1300 chimpanzees in Kibale National park some of which have been habituate for tourists to safely view them without necessarily chasing them down in the forest. You will be allocated guides to lead you to one of these troupes of habituated chimpanzees. You shall first trek to where the chimps were seen the previous day and then keep on following signs of their movements until when you start hearing their loud calls in the forest canopies. 

Unlike gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking is rather less physically demanding and the forest terrain is mostly gentle slopes and hills. Normally, you should reach the chimpanzees in about 1-2 hours.  But as you walk to the chimpanzees, you shall be hearing calls of other primates in the forest and probably encounter some of the fascinating troops of monkeys. Various species move through the forest together, each species occupying different a canopy elevation in the forest. They understand each other's alarm calls when predators are spotted, so when, for example, an eagle soars overhead, the monkeys at the higher elevation will sound the alarm and all monkeys will take appropriate evasive action. The same applies when those at the lowest elevations spot a ground-dwelling or ambush predator such as a leopard: the terrestrial monkeys will sound the alarm signal and all monkeys will rapidly move up to the higher elevation.

After finding the chimpanzees, you are allowed 1 hour with them. It is an awesome moment to be surrounded by many wild but unafraid chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Enjoy to the best as you can before trekking back to the park headquarters where your driver shall be waiting for you.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge

Luxury: Primate Lodge KibaleCrater Safari Lodge

Midrange: Isunga Lodge| ensuite tents at Kibale Forest Camp

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp (with bedding and mosquito nets, shared bathroom) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner 

Day 7: Transfer to Entebbe Airport (4 hrs) or Kigali (8 hrs) to end the Rwanda and Uganda safari  

Following breakfast, you will drive to Entebbe Airport to end the Rwanda and Uganda safari.

 

Ndali Lodge

No words can fully do the location justice as it needs to be seen to be believed.Yes,it is that visually stunning. It is without a doubt one of Africa's most beautiful locations. It is also close to the Kibale National Park making it ideal for chimp trekking.

Ndali Lodge is set stunningly amidst the Bunyaruguru crater lake region of Western Uganda, 24 kilometres south of Fort Portal lies at the centre of 1000 acres of privately owned fertile farmland still cultivated in a traditional style.

There are eight cottages provided for travelers with hot and cold water and beautiful views before you. Ndali Lodge cottages are tastefully furnished, once again showing that Ndali Lodge is one of the premier accommodations around Kibale Forest. The cottages were built with local stones and thatch giving them a most welcoming appearance after a long drive here or day in the KIbale Rainforest. Each cottage has a private verandah that allows you beautiful views of the Mountains of the Moon and Lake Nyiambuga.

At night the dining room is festooned with candles - the lodge has no electricity or generators to destroy the tranquility and atmosphere although there are solar lights in the cottages. The sitting room, reception and dining room open out onto Lake Nyinambuga and are connected by two open passageways or breezeways: fruit bats, owls and frogs like to use them as a highway to the crater lake. Breakfast is on the verandah overlooking the lake: freshly squeezed passion fruit juice (from Ndali's vines when in season) and homemade bread with wild honey go down well with a full English breakfast.

Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge

Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge is conveniently situated for your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Located close to as well the chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge as to the prime game viewing areas in the park, it forms an excellent base for your exploration.

In the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park and overlooking Kazinga Channel, The Bush Lodge offers a unique safari experience. The coming and going of game witnessed from the terrace of your room, hippos lingering in the shallow waters of Kazinga channel, or a lion’s roar while seated at the campfire.

The lodge currently consists of 6 self contained units which are spaciously placed between the indigenous bush. Built along ecological principles the accommodation blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

The rooms are stilted buildings on wooden platforms and are made from a fine combination of canvas and local materials. Huge windows allow you to fully absorb the environment and to feel one with nature.

Each room is comfortably equipped and has its own private ensuite bathroom with an eco toilet and an outside shower where 2 showerheads allow couples to take their starlit shower together.

  • All Rwanda and Uganda tour activities as indicated above
  • one gorilla trek permits per person (in Rwanda)
  • Kibale National Park chimps tracking permits
  • Game drives and Kazinga boat safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park 
  • Sight seeing opportunities in Virungas, Lake Bunyonyi, Rwenzori
  • Accommodation as per programme
  • Park fees
  • Entry fees
  • Private transport using a 4x4 safari vehicle
  • Complementary departure airport transfers
  • Bottled drinking mineral water
  • Meals indicated on programme

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What other say About our Rwanda Uganda Wildlife Gorilla Safaris

  • star rating  My sister organized an itinerary through Gorillas and Wildlife Safari. We love that it was Uganda-owned. She worked with Ivan to put together a fabulous itinerary through Rwanda and Uganda... read more

    608savannahw
    31st August 2023

    star rating  Amazing experience with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris - We did a 7 night, 8 day gorilla and Safari tour. It was fantastic - we had such a great time. Ivan was quick to respond to all... read more

    Marissa W
    29th August 2023

    star rating  My wonderful 13-day trip across Uganda - I just returned from my wonderful 13-day trip across Uganda with Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris. My interactions with Ivan as well as my guide, Huzaima, were fantastic. Ivan was very... read more

    Jafar M
    19th August 2023
  • star rating  Amazing experience from the start! - We cannot recommend Gorilla and Wildlife Safaris enough! From the very beginning in planning the trip, Ivan was extremely responsive to all our questions and very helpful in creating the... read more

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    star rating  Simply perfect, flawlessly executed - There are so many good things I want to say about our trip, Ivan, and our guide Richard that I'm worried this will be a book. To keep myself in... read more

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    9th July 2023

    star rating  A Fantastic 15-day personalised safari with a great company and superb guide - We finally managed to complete the trip we had planned for 2020 that we all understand was delayed due to covid.

    I have to say that the communication in... read more

    Jimmysigs
    24th June 2023

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