Uganda- Rwanda Gorilla Trekking, Canoeing Tour - 5 Days

Uganda- Rwanda Gorilla Trekking, Canoeing Tour - 5 Days

Day 1: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Our tour guide will meet you at your hotel in Kampala and drive west to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Have a journey break at the Equator and take some photos. Then continue to Mbarara town where you will stop for lunch prior to heading through the grasslands of Ankole.

If you are trekking in the southern part of Bwindi where Nkuringo and Nshongi Families of gorillas are located, you will have a lunch stop in Kabale before you proceed to Kisoro.

Along the road you will enjoy the beauty of the wonderful long horned cattle before going on to the highlands of Kigezi referred to as the 'Switzerland of Africa! You will arrive in Bwindi in the evening; freshen up as you wait for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Mahogany Springs Lodge | Buhoma Lodge | Bwindi Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge| Engagi Lodge | Silverback Lodge Bwindi |  Gorilla Mist Camp

Low Budget: Gorilla Haven Lodge Rushaga | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp |  Gorilla Conservation Camp

Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest & Lake Bunyonyi

Begin the day with breakfast ready for trekking, which begins at 8:00 a.m with a briefing from the UWA staff on how to behave with these endangered mountain gorillas. Ensure to carry along with you rain jacket, drinking water, snacks, jungle boots etc.

The guides will lead you inside the  beautiful ecosystem to see the shy primates for a group you have been booked for. Do not forget to take your lunch boxes and all the necessary gear to track the rare mountain gorilla, perhaps one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on earth. The tracking may take between 2 and 6 hours but it’s well worth the effort.

After your trek, we embark on a 2 hours drive to Lake Bunyonyi and spend the night.

Up-market: Bird's Nest | Arcadia Cottages

Moderate: Bird's Nest

Budget: Bunyonyi Overland Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 3: Canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi & Rwanda

After breakfast, set out for a 5-hour canoe trek as well as bird watching on the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi, traversing to the gorgeous Kyabahinga peninsula.

Here you will be gladly welcomed with songs plus dances by the resident school children. You will enjoy with the locals at least a cup of “Obushera” which is a local brew. You will ascend the Kyabahinga slopes having a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the birdlife and the verdant terrain. The view is very breathtaking! The guide will certainly brief you about the history of the area.

Among the bird species, you will see are the dusky turtle dove, the handsome francolin, and Alpine Chat. A renowned herbalist who is a traditional healer - Omugurusi Jeremiah, based on the hilltop will disclose to you some of the secrets about the flora on the tropical highland.

Have lunch and depart for Rwanda afterward. You will cross the border via Kisoro or Kabale and then clear at the border - Rwanda is 1 hour behind Uganda.

Located in the far northwest of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is home to the steep slopes of this wonderful mountain range – home of the rare mountain gorilla – and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which cuddles evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp, and heath.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Muhavura Hotel 

Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Have breakfast and go to ORTPN offices for briefing after that set off in the forest for gorilla trekking.

A thrilling trek through the refined foothills of the Virungas provides inspiring views in all directions. Then, suddenly, the trail enters the national park, engrossing trekkers in the strange closeness of the rainforest, alive with the calls of colorful birds and chattering of the rare golden monkey, and besieged with fresh spoor of the mountains' elusive populations of buffalo and elephant.

Through gaps in the forest canopy, the marvelous peaks are sighted, easily easy to get to, and among the uppermost in Africa, indicating an ascent. Gorilla trekking is a quite strenuous but worthwhile encounter of these gentle giants. The enthusiasm of your coming across these apes will wipe away your intricacy of the strenuous trek. 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.

Accommodation options available

Up-market: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Muhavura Hotel 

Day 5: Kigali & Genocide Memorial

Following breakfast, you will leave for Kigali.

Go for a city tour including visits to the market, a pottery project, handicraft shops, the Franco-Rwandan cultural center, and the genocide memorial. Have lunch en route and then transfer to the airport.

• Two gorilla trek permits (one in Rwanda at $1500 and one in Uganda at $700 per person)
• Canoe trek along Lake Bunyonyi islands
• Meals indicated on program
• Drinking water
• Services of an experienced English-speaking safari guide
• Accommodation as per the safari program
• Park fees for the various parks
• Private transport using a 4x4 safari vehicle