Experience the Great Apes of Uganda & Rwanda
Set off on a once in a lifetime journey into the lush hills of Uganda and Rwanda to encounter chimpanzees and mountain gorillas in the wild. Observe chimpanzees with a primatologist, and trek gorillas in the forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and volcanoes National park. Spend two days tracking chimpanzees, two days tracking gorillas, and one day tracking endangered golden monkeys.Watch the antics of chimpanzees up close at a sanctuary. Go on safari and take a wildlife cruise in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park.Meet with scientists at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Center.
Trip Provider: This trip is run by Gorilla Trekking Rwanda, a Kigali based tour operator.
Itinerary of 11 days Uganda and Rwanda
Day 1&2; Entebbe, Uganda/Ngamba Island
Arrive in Entebbe and transfer to our hotel. The next day, visit the Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Ngamba Island, established in association with the Jane Goodall Institute as a habitat for rescued and orphaned chimpanzees. Later, explore the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. Dinner and Overnight Namirembe guest house.
Day 3&4; Kibale National Park
Drive from Kampala to Kibale National Park with lunch en-route and check in to our lodge, set on a crater lake. Meet with a local researcher and search for chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed, and blue monkeys, as well as the rare L’Hoest’s monkey. Explore the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. Dinner and overnight atKibale forest lodge, mountains of the moon, kyaninga lodge.
Day 5&6; Kibale National Park/Queen Elizabeth National Park
Spend a second morning tracking chimpanzees. Today we get the opportunity to explore Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale Forest is home to 13 primate species and a guided forest trek can be taken in search of one of the most popular primate species in the world the chimpanzee. There are 9 diurnal primates, include, vervet, red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red colobus, black and white colobus, olive baboon and the most famous of all, the chimpanzee.Continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park, and go on safari to look for elephants, lions, and Ugandan kobs before an afternoon wildlife cruise.Dinner and overnightBush lodge, Mweya safari lodge, katala lodge.
Day 7&8; Queen Elizabeth National Park/ Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The next morning, head into the park’s forests, home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Sit among these gentle giants, observing one of the planet’s most endangered creatures up close. Dinner and overnight at Mutanda lakes resort, Buhoma haven lodge, silverback lodge, mahogany springs
Day 9&10; Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Settle into your private villa overlooking the surrounding volcanoes and lakes. Meet experts at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Center to learn about ongoing conservation efforts. Spend the next day tracking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, where National Geographic grantee Dian Fossey conducted research on gorillas for 18 years. Enjoy a traditional dance performance this evening.
Day11;Volcanoes National Park/Kigali
This morning, search for endangered golden monkeys in the park. After lunch, visit a local school. Then transfer to the airport for your flight home.