10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari
Multi-country · Dual country gorilla focus
Tour overview
10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari
This 10-day Uganda and Rwanda gorilla safari delivers the ultimate double-primate experience: chimpanzees in Kibale, savannah wildlife in Queen Elizabeth, then gorillas in Bwindi (Uganda, USD 800 permit) followed by a second gorilla trek in Rwanda's Volcanoes (USD 1,500). The Cyanika border near Kisoro makes the Uganda–Rwanda hop seamless.
Two gorilla permits must be secured months ahead — peak season (June–September) sells out 6–12 months in advance. Our permit guide compares Uganda vs Rwanda trekking terrain and costs.
Places you visit
Key stops along this itinerary — customise dates and lodges when you enquire.
- Entebbe (Start, End)
Day-by-day itinerary
Entebbe / Kampala — transfer to Kibale Forest
Pick-up from Entebbe International Airport or your Kampala hotel. After a safari briefing covering the Uganda–Rwanda loop and permit confirmations, drive west via Mubende and Fort Portal to your lodge near Kibale National Park Kanyanchu headquarters (approx. 5–6 hours).
The landscape shifts from Kampala's bustle to tea plantations and crater lakes as you approach the Albertine Rift. Evening at leisure; your guide confirms tomorrow's chimp briefing time.
Drive time: Approx. 5–6 hours
Meals: Lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Kibale forest lodge
Day 1 | AccommodationChimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park
Early briefing at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, then join UWA rangers for a chimpanzee trek through Kibale's mature rainforest. The park holds 13 primate species; your target is a habituated chimp community, usually located within 2–4 hours of walking.
One hour observing grooming, feeding and social calls. Afternoon Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk for red colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey and great blue turaco — a community-run boardwalk through papyrus swamp.
Trek duration: 2–4 hours typical
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Same lodge as Day 1
Safari activity | Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale
Track a habituated chimp community through mature rainforest with UWA rangers — one hour with the group once located, with excellent chances of loud pant-hoots and close-up social behaviour.Day 2 | AccommodationKibale to Queen Elizabeth — Kazinga Channel boat
Morning transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park Mweya Peninsula (approx. 2–3 hours) via Kasese, skirting the Rwenzori range. Check in at your bush lodge with lunch overlooking the rift valley.
Afternoon 2-hour Kazinga Channel boat safari — hippos yawning at close range, Nile crocodiles on the banks, and elephant herds drinking. African fish eagles and pied kingfishers patrol the papyrus edges.
Drive time: Approx. 2–3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Queen Elizabeth bush lodge
Safari activity | Kazinga Channel boat safari
Two-hour afternoon cruise on the channel linking Lakes George and Edward — dense hippo pods, elephant and buffalo on the banks, and outstanding birding including skimmers and kingfishers.Day 3 | AccommodationKasenyi Plains & Ishasha tree-climbing lions
Pre-dawn game drive on Kasenyi Plains — Queen Elizabeth's prime predator territory. Lion prides stalk Uganda kob at first light; leopard, spotted hyena and elephant are regular. Return for breakfast at the lodge.
Afternoon drive south to the Ishasha sector, scanning giant fig trees for tree-climbing lions — a behaviour seen in only two places in Africa. Topi and buffalo graze the Ishasha plains alongside the lions.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Ishasha or Mweya area lodge
Safari activity | Kasenyi Plains & Ishasha lion drive
Dawn predator tracking on Kasenyi Plains, then afternoon Ishasha sector drive scanning fig trees for tree-climbing lions — Queen Elizabeth's signature double wildlife day before Bwindi.Day 4 | AccommodationQueen Elizabeth to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, scenic drive south through the terraced Kigezi highlands — the "Switzerland of Africa" — to your Bwindi Impenetrable National Park sector lodge (approx. 4–5 hours). The road winds through tea plantations and volcanic peaks.
Evening gorilla etiquette briefing: porter hire, waterproof layers and the sector headquarters you will report to tomorrow. Uganda gorilla permits (foreign non-resident) are currently around USD 800 — see our permit guide.
Drive time: Approx. 4–5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Bwindi sector lodge
Day 5 | AccommodationGorilla trekking in Bwindi, Uganda
Early breakfast and transfer to park headquarters for UWA briefing. With rangers and trackers, begin your mountain gorilla trek into Bwindi's montane forest — trekking can take 2–8 hours depending on the assigned family's location.
One hour with the habituated family — silverback displays, juveniles tumbling through vegetation. Afternoon rest at the lodge; trekking is physically demanding and porters are recommended on steep, muddy trails.
Trek duration: 2–8 hours round trip
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Bwindi sector lodge
Safari activity | Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Track a habituated gorilla family through Bwindi's montane forest with UWA rangers — one hour with the group on contact, then your gorilla trekking certificate on return.Day 6 | AccommodationBwindi to Rwanda via Cyanika border
Optional morning community walk or forest birding around the lodge. Mid-morning drive to the Cyanika border (Kisoro–Cyanika, Uganda–Rwanda) — your guide handles exit and entry formalities; allow 30–60 minutes at the post. East Africa Tourist Visa recommended; gorilla permit receipts may be checked on the Uganda side.
Continue to Kinigi and the foothills of Volcanoes National Park (approx. 3–4 hours total from Bwindi). Evening briefing for tomorrow's second gorilla trek — Rwanda permits are USD 1,500 (RDB).
Drive time: 3–4 hours including border
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Volcanoes foothills lodge
Safari activity | Cyanika border crossing into Rwanda
Scenic Kisoro–Cyanika crossing with guide-managed customs — volcanic peaks of the Virunga Massif frame the road as you enter Rwanda for your second gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park.Day 7 | AccommodationGorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
07:00 RDB briefing and allocation to a different habituated family on the bamboo slopes of the Virunga Massif. Second gorilla trek day — trekking typically 1–6 hours; terrain differs from Bwindi's steeper montane forest.
One hour with the habituated family, certificate and celebration dinner at the lodge. Comparing Uganda and Rwanda trekking terrain and permit costs is one of the highlights of this double-gorilla route.
Trek duration: 1–6 hours round trip
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Volcanoes foothills lodge
Safari activity | Second gorilla trek in Volcanoes, Rwanda
Track a different habituated gorilla family on the Virunga slopes — one hour on contact, certificate ceremony, and celebration dinner at the lodge.Day 8 | AccommodationGolden monkeys or Lake Kivu relaxation
Choose your morning: golden-monkey trek in Volcanoes (separate permit, approx. USD 100) through bamboo forest, or transfer west to Lake Kivu at Gisenyi for a lakeside boat cruise and lunch.
Afternoon at leisure on the lakeshore or exploring Musanze market. Overnight Gisenyi or Musanze depending on your choice.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Lake Kivu or Musanze
Safari activity | Golden monkey trek or Lake Kivu boat
Golden monkeys in Volcanoes bamboo forest, or an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Kivu among fishing villages and pelicans — your choice of primate encore or lakeside recovery.Day 9 | AccommodationLake Kivu / Musanze to Kigali — departure
Breakfast overlooking the lake or volcanoes, then scenic drive to Kigali (approx. 2–3 hours). Optional visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial if flight time allows — a dignified, essential stop for understanding modern Rwanda.
Airport transfer to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight. Your guide confirms East Africa Tourist Visa stamps and both gorilla certificates are packed.
Drive time: Approx. 2–3 hours
Meals: Breakfast & lunch
Accommodation: None (departure day) — overnight Kigali hotel available on request
Day 10 | AccommodationWhat's included
- Private 4×4, driver-guide, border assistance at Cyanika
- Two gorilla permits (Uganda UWA + Rwanda RDB) and Kibale chimp permit
- Queen Elizabeth park fees, game drives and Kazinga boat
- 9 nights lodge accommodation
- Meals as indicated; bottled water
What's not included
- Golden monkey permit (Day 9 option)
- East Africa Tourist Visa or separate Rwanda/Uganda visas
- International flights, insurance, tips, porter fees
- Bigodi community walk fee
Accommodation & comfort level
Kibale forest lodge 2N, Queen Elizabeth 2N, Bwindi 2N, Volcanoes/Lake Kivu 2N, Kigali transit optional.
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