The 7 Days Budget Uganda, Rwanda and Congo Gorilla Trekking Safari is a Primates tour designed to allow you to experience the Primate Safari. Uganda, Rwanda and Congo are the only 3 gifted countries in the world with the mountain gorillas. On this safari, you will visit and experience mountain gorillas in both Uganda and Rwanda and later find the lowland gorillas in Congo. These are quite similar to mountain gorillas.
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Pick-up in Kigali and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park.
Day 2: Mountain Gorilla Trekking experience.
Day 3: Transfer to Musanze – Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Mountain Gorilla trekking experience and community tour
Day 5: Transfer to Bukavu – Congo
Day 6: Lowland gorilla trekking – Cyangungu
Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick-up in Kigali and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park.
Depending on your location in Kigali, you will be picked up by our company representative/guide who will then transfer to Bwindi forest national park. The park is located in the south-western part of the country, it’s a 4-5 hours’ drive with en-route lunch. On arrival to the park, you will proceed and check in your lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at Rushaga Haven Lodge for budget/Four Gorilla Lodge for mid-range
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking experience.
Have breakfast and transfer you to park offices for briefing about Mountain Gorilla trekking by a local guide. The time taken is usually between 2-8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. Meeting the gorillas unexpectedly is one of the most captivating lifetime experiences. You will have a chance to observe and take pictures at very close range. You will observe adults feeding and groaning among themselves.
After an hour with the long-awaited gorillas, your guide and rangers will lead you back to the starting point where your driver will readily be waiting to transfer to your lodge for relaxation, if interested, you could do an optional community tour. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 3: Transfer to Musanze – Volcanoes national park
After breakfast, meet your safari driver and transfer to Volcanoes national park crossing via Cyanika border. Upon arrival, visit the Dian Fossey Museum and Ellen Degenerous Campus with en-route lunch. Proceed to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Da Vinci Gorilla lodge for mid-range/Hotel Muhabura for budget
Day 4: Gorilla trekking experience and community tour
Wakeup to an early morning breakfast and report to the park headquarters for briefing and allocation of Gorilla trekking groups. Later, you will head into the cold and misty forested slopes of Virunga national park for your Gorilla trek. The trek can be anywhere between 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the Gorillas and upon finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to see and take photos after which you exit the forest. Meet your driver / guide and transfer back to the lodge.
Later afternoon, connect to visit Iby’wacu Cultural Village-a Non-Profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through the provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood based projects. It’s a rewarding place where you will be guided around the place as you enjoy the Kinyarwanda traditions including the Intore dance, traditional ceremonies, and a guided community walk. Dinner and overnight stay at Lodge as above
Day 5: Transfer to Bukavu – Congo
After breakfast, transfer to Bukavu. It’s about 6-7 hours’ drive through the Nyungwe forest national park with amazing views of the rolling hill in Rusizi with stopovers for lunch and refreshments. Cross through Cyangugu border after finalising with the immigration process and proceed to Bukavu town, which is the nearest town to Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Upon arrival at Bukavu town, connect to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay at Panorama Hotel for mid-range/Hotel Elizabeth for budget
Note that your Rwanda Visa expires immediately you cross into Congo so you will have to reapply for another while at the border and find it ready after the tour.
Day 6: Lowland gorilla trekking – Cyangungu
Enjoy your breakfast at your hotel before transfer to the park headquarters for briefing about the Eastern lowland gorillas. Thereafter, embark on your fascinating trekking experience of the Eastern lowland gorillas in the valleys of Kahuzi as you encounter different mammals, birds and primates. The search usually takes about 1-6 hours’ trekking in the jungle depending on the movements of the lowland gorillas and on finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour in their presence as you watch them interact/play with each other while you take photos and videos of the experience. After your encounter with the Eastern lowland gorillas, you will descend, meet your driver and return to your hotel for relaxation, dinner and overnight at accommodation as above
Day 7: Transfer back to Kigali
Wake up early, enjoy your breakfast and embark on your journey back to Kigali City of Rwanda. It’s a 7 hours’ drive still driving through Nyungwe national park with en-route lunch break before proceeding to Kigali. Depending on your schedule, you will either be dropped at a location you advise in Kigali or be dropped off at Kigali international airport for your onward flight back home or to your next destination. End of Safari
7 Days Rwanda Nyungwe and Bwindi Gorilla Safari
Safari Overview
The 7 Days Rwanda and Uganda Safari is a Primates tour designed to allow you to experience the Primate Safari – Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe national park and mountain gorilla in Bwindi impenetrable national park. This 7 Days Rwanda and Uganda starts in Rwanda – also known as a country of a thousand hills where you will experience and learn more about the genocide that caused a lot of damage to Rwanda as a country, visit the Volcanoes national park which is a home of the mountain gorillas and Golden monkeys in Rwanda. Then to Uganda, which is very close to the borders, while in Uganda, meet the most interesting apes – the Mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Mount Bisoke/ Dian Fossey Hike
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 6: Gorilla trekking Uganda – Batwa community tour
Day 7: Transfer to Entebbe/Kampala – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Depending on your location in Kigali, meet your safari driver and transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Its’ about 6-7 hours’ drive with en-route through wonderful and magnificent hills and cultivated countryside. Have a stopover at the Butare national museum and the royal King’s Palace in Nyanza for a cultural description about the history of Rwanda. Proceed with en-route lunch and upon arrival in Nyungwe, connect to your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel for mid-range/ Gisakuru Visitor Center for budget
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
You will have an early morning breakfast then report to the park headquarters in Nyungwe forest for briefing before going for chimpanzee tracking. However, it is advisable to organize packed lunch and plenty of water prior to this expedition since it can sometimes last over 6 hours. In the forest, you will not only see chimpanzees to but also variety of animals and birds like the Rwenzori Turacco, black and white casqued horn bill, colobus monkeys.
Return for lunch and later, connect for the canopy walk experience – a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before nightfall, you will return to the lodge for dinner as above. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, you will connect to Volcanoes national park. It’s about 6 hours’ drive driving via Lake Kivu for an en-route stop for lunch. Upon arrival late afternoon, connect to your booked lodge for check-in, relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Da Vinci Gorilla lodge for mid-range/Hotel Muhabura for budget
Day 4: Mount Bisoke/ Dian Fossey Hike
Mount Bisoke Volcano hike – After breakfast, you will be driven to the park headquarter at Kinigi at 7:00 am for briefing and you will later head off for hiking. The hike will typically take a full day from 6 to 8 hours depending on your hiking experience. During the climb, you will cross a series of different vegetation habitats starting with bamboo forests, then moving into Hagenia – Hypericum forest and finally moving through Senecio – Lobelia bush near the summit. You will carry your packed lunch with you and some drinks as well. You will later return to your hotel, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Optional Hike – Dian Fossey Hike
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and embark on your journey to cross to Uganda via Cyanika border to connect to Bwindi impenetrable national park with en-route lunch. Upon crossing to Uganda after clearing with the immigration, proceed to your booked lodge in Bwindi for check-in, dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Haven lodge for mid-range/Buhoma community rest camp for budget/Mahogany Springs Lodge for luxury
Day 6: Gorilla trekking Uganda – Batwa community tour
Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for briefing by the ranger guides and later head into the forest for your trek. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. These primates roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day. On finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to view and take photos of these gentle primates, enjoy your lunch packs and meet your driver / guide and transfer back to your lodge.
The time after trekking, connect to visit the Batwa community that stays close to the park. The Batwa people are the indigenous people of Uganda who stayed in the Park Forest before it was gazetted as a national park. Learn more about the Batwa from their way of life to enjoying the songs and dance of the Batwa. Later evening drive back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 7: Transfer to Entebbe/Kampala – Departure
After breakfast at the lodge, check-out of the lodge and embark on your drive to Entebbe. Its’ about 8-9 hours’ drive with en-route lunch stop and Uganda Equator. Upon arrival in Entebbe late afternoon, the driver will either drop you off at Entebbe airport or at your advised location in Kampala or Entebbe, marking the end of the trip.
End of 7 Days Budget Uganda, Rwanda and Congo Gorilla Trekking Safari.
