16 Day Rwanda Uganda Primates and Gorilla Safari
This 16-day Rwanda-Uganda primates safari is designed for travellers who want the deepest primate experience across both countries in one extended journey. Instead of focusing on a single gorilla trek, the route combines chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe, gorilla trekking in Volcanoes, gorilla habituation in southern Bwindi, a second gorilla trek in another Bwindi sector, chimp tracking in Kyambura or Kalinzu, and chimp habituation in Kibale. Along the way, the safari also includes selected wildlife and scenic highlights such as Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and the Kazinga Channel, giving the trip more balance than a forest-only itinerary. It is best suited to travellers who want a rich East Africa primates journey with multiple trekking days, varied landscapes, and enough time to experience both Uganda’s wider safari circuit and Rwanda’s compact primate destinations in one well-paced route.
Safari highlights
Kigali city tour on arrival
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest
Canopy walk in Nyungwe
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Optional Mount Bisoke hike or golden monkey tracking
Gorilla habituation experience in Rushaga
A second gorilla trekking experience in another Bwindi sector
Ishasha game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge or Kalinzu
Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee habituation in Kibale National Park
Rhino tracking at Ziwa and wildlife viewing in Murchison Falls.
Detailed itinerary, day by day
Day 1, Kigali City Tour and Rwanda Arrival
Upon arrival at Kigali airport, you will be welcomed by our company representative, who will also be your safari guide. Connect for a Kigali city tour and visit the Kigali genocide memorial, the Rwanda Art Museum, and the presidential palace museum, where you will learn more about the history of Rwanda, depending on the time available. Enjoy en-route lunch, dinner, and overnight stay at Des Mille Collins Hotel – Mid-range option/Step Town Motel for budget option
Day 2, Nyungwe Forest National Park Transfer
After your early breakfast, embark on your journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park, which is a 6-7 hour drive from Kigali with en-route lunch and en-route stop to visit the Nyanza King’s palace, butare national museum. Proceed to check in your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel for the mid-range option, Gisakura Visitors’ Centre for the budget option
Day 3, Nyungwe Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest with your backpack. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3-5 hours, depending on their location. On finding them, spend an hour taking pictures and videos. Proceed to the park and connect for the 2 pm canopy walk experience. You will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk, 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 below. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 4, Volcanoes National Park Transfer from Nyungwe
After breakfast, follow the same procedure as chimpanzee tracking, receive a briefing, and then enter the forest to search for the colombus monkey. These primates are quite different to spot as they keep jumping from tree to tree; however, the park rangers will do their best to help you get the best view of the primates. This will take 2-5 hours, and on finding them, you will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence. Thereafter, embark on your journey to the Volcanoes National Park. It’s a 6-7-hour drive with great sights of Lake Kivu and the Virunga Mountains, and the forest. You can stop to take pictures, keeping in mind the time. Upon arrival in Musanze, proceed to check in at your lodge, dinner, and overnight stay at Hotel Muhabura for the budget option/Le Bambou Gorilla lodge for the mid-range option
Day 5, Rwanda Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to the Kinigi park headquarters with your trekking gear for a briefing about the endangered mountain gorillas. You have been allocated a gorilla family to trek, connect to the starting point and start trekking along with the guidance of the armed ranger guides together with the ranger guides. This activity may take between 2 and 8 hours searching for the gorillas, depending on their movement. However, meeting them is so rewarding, and you will spend a maximum of 1 hour with them as you take time studying them, taking pictures, and videos. After spending your time with the fascinating mountain gorillas, return to the base and meet your driver to connect to your lodge for lunch and refreshment. Spend the rest of your day at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at the booked lodge as above
Day 6, Golden Monkey Trekking or Mount Bisoke Hike
Option 1: Mount Bisoke hike – After breakfast, connect to the park offices for your trekking experience. You may either trek with the Golden monkeys or do a Mount Bisoke hike. The Mt. Bisoke hike is part of Volcanoes National Park, home to the Rwanda gorillas. On reaching the summit, you will discover a beautiful crater lake, and the whole experience is overwhelming! Along the trail, you will 
discover a lot of birdlife and captivating scenery – the reason Rwanda is referred to as the “land of a thousand hills”. After the hike, drive back to your lodge.
Option 1: Golden Monkeys trekking – After an early morning breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing and later enter the forest and hike while in search of the golden monkeys. Tracking the golden monkeys rewards views of other primates such as the black and white Colobus monkeys, Olive baboons, among others. After trekking, visit the Ibya Wacu cultural village to have an experience of Banyarwanda culture and tradition. Connect back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 7, Transfer from Volcanoes to Rushaga Sector Bwindi
After breakfast, transfer to Bwindi National Park, crossing via Cyinka border. It’s a 4-5 hour drive with en route stops for lunch. On arrival in Bwindi, you will proceed to check into your lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at Rushaga Haven Lodge for budget/Ichumbi Gorilla camp for mid-range
Day 8, Gorilla Habituation Experience in Rushaga
Enjoy an early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for a briefing by the ranger guides, and later head into the forest for your trek. Gorilla habituation in Bwindi is done in the Rushaga sector, which involves visiting a semi-habituated gorilla family that is in the process of habituation. This activity takes a whole day, and you are granted 4 hours to stay with the gorillas. After the habituation experience, meet your guide and drive back to your lodge to rest. Dinner and overnight at Lodge as above
Day 9, Transfer from Rushaga to Buhoma Sector Bwindi
After breakfast, check out and embark on your journey to the Buhoma sector of gorilla trekking. It’s about a 4-5-hour drive with en route stops for lunch. On arrival in Bwindi, you will proceed to check into your lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Community Rest Camp for the budget option/ Buhoma Haven Lodge for the mid-range option
Day 10, Bwindi Gorilla Trekking in Buhoma Sector
Have breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking, and at around 7 am, you will set off for the search. The search time for these apes is unpredictable but normally ranges between 2 and 8 hours, depending on their movement. This activity takes you through the steep rocks, climbing up and down, making it tiresome but in an adventurous way. However, after encountering these humble giant primates for 1 hour, return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 11, Transfer from Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It’s a 4-5-hour drive from the Buhoma sector with en-route lunch. Connect for an afternoon game drive in Ishasha sector, then proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Kazinga Wilderness Safari Lodge for budget / Elephant Hub Lodge for mid-range option
Day 12, Queen Elizabeth Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will enjoy a game drive in search of early risers in the Kasenyi area. This area has the highest population of animals such as lions, antelopes, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob, and other types of antelopes. Connect for your Kazinga channel boat cruise experience and Lake Edward. This cruise will let you pass through a place of the highest concentration of hippos, and you may also see many animals drinking at the water’s edge. The cruise also offers a good platform for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 13, Kyambura Gorge Chimpanzee Tracking or Kalinzu Forest
After breakfast early in the morning, you will depart for Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge or Kalinzu forest with your tracking gear. The walk in the forest in search of the chimps generally takes around 2‐5 hours. spend an hour with the chimpanzees before you return for lunch at your lodge. Later afternoon/evening, spend it on a leisure or optional activity like visiting the Katwe salt mine area, or visiting the beautiful crater lakes found around the park. Before nightfall, return to your lodge to refresh, relax, have dinner, and spend another night at the lodge as above
Day 14, Transfer to Kibale National Park and Bigodi Swamp
After breakfast, transfer to Kibale forest national park, which is about a 3-4 hour drive from Queen Elizabeth national park with en-route lunch. Proceed for a nature walk in the Bigodi swamp. Take a walk to the Bigodi sanctuary for plenty of bird species, plus the rare flora and fauna. Thereafter, proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee Guesthouse Cottages for the mid-range option/Isunga lodge for the budget option
Day 15, Kibale Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
Wake up very early, enjoy your breakfast, and set off to the park headquarters with your trekking gear, packed lunch, and water. Meet with other trekkers and gather for a briefing from the park officials, where you will be guided on the expectations. Thereafter, in a group of only 6 people and ranger guides/researchers, we set off for a chimpanzee habituation experience. This is a full-day activity where you will visit a semi-habituated chimpanzee group that is in the process of habituation. These chimpanzees are usually difficult to find because they keep running away; however, the researchers will find them and allow you to spend 4 hours in their presence. Return to meet your safari guide and receive your certificate, and drive back to your lodge; dinner will be served and an overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 16, Transfer to Kampala or Entebbe Departure
After an early morning breakfast, check out of the lodge and embark on your journey to Entebbe with an en-route lunch. Upon arrival at Entebbe, the driver will drop you off at a location you advise or at the airport for your drop off for your scheduled flight back home.
Inclusions and exclusions
Inclusions
Private 4×4 safari vehicle and fuel
English-speaking driver-guide
Accommodation as per chosen category
Meals as specified in the itinerary
Park entry fees were applicable
Nyungwe chimpanzee tracking permit
Nyungwe canopy walk fee
Volcanoes gorilla trekking permit
Golden monkey permit or Bisoke arrangement as selected
Uganda gorilla habituation permit in Rushaga
Uganda gorilla trekking permit in another Bwindi sector
Kyambura or Kalinzu chimp tracking permit
Kibale chimp habituation permit
Bottled water in the vehicle
Exclusions
International flights
Uganda and Rwanda visa fees
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Tips and gratuities
Drinks not included with meals
Optional activities not clearly listed in the itinerary
