6 Days Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Trekking

About this safari

This short trip gives you two gorilla treks in two countries. You start in Kigali, trek in Rwanda, cross into Uganda, trek again in Bwindi, and finish back in Kigali, where you began.

Rwanda issues only 96 gorilla permits a day, so the dates you want can fill early. Send us your travel dates as soon as you have them and we will check availability.

Day by day

Day 1: Kigali, then into the hills

Your driver-guide collects you in Kigali. The first stops are the Genocide Memorial and Museum, the Nyamata Genocide Church and the local markets. We keep this unhurried, because it helps to understand the country before you meet its wildlife.

After lunch you drive to Volcanoes National Park, through the hilly country that earned Rwanda the name Land of a Thousand Hills.

Day 2: Your first gorilla trek

Take a packed lunch and water, and consider hiring a porter. Most first-time trekkers do.

After a briefing from the rangers, you are assigned to one of the habituated gorilla families and walk up through the bamboo slopes to find it. The hike may take a few hours or most of the day, depending on where the gorillas spent the night. Once you reach them, you have one hour. Use it for photos and for questions to the rangers.

In the evening you visit Ibwachu Cultural Village, run by former poachers who now work in conservation.

Day 3: Golden monkeys

Today has a different briefing and a different target. Golden monkeys travel quickly and rarely stay still, but you will not need a full day to find them. You are back at the lodge by lunchtime and the afternoon is free.

Day 4: Dian Fossey's grave, then on to Uganda

The trailhead is a 30-minute drive away. From there it is a 1 to 2 hour walk to Karisoke Research Camp and about another hour to Fossey's grave. Your ranger-guide explains her work and what her research still means for gorilla conservation.

After lunch you transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

Day 5: Your second gorilla trek, in a different forest

Bwindi has four sectors: Buhoma and Ruhija in the north, Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south. The one you trek depends on where your lodge is.

The search here can take longer than in Rwanda, from 2 to 5 hours depending on where the gorillas were last seen. With the transfer and the return, the whole day can stretch to 9 hours. Along the trail you may pass butterflies, other primates and forest birds.

Carry a packed lunch and think about hiring a porter. Once you find the gorillas, you have one hour with them.

Day 6: Back to Kigali

After breakfast you drive to Kigali. Lunch depends on your flight time, and then you head to your departure.

Where you stay

These are the lodges we usually book for this route. If one is full on your dates, we will use a similar lodge nearby.

• Volcanoes National Park, days 1 to 3: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge or Davinci Lodge (budget); Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Five Volcanoes Lodge or Ingagi Park View Lodge (mid-range); Bisate Lodge, One&Only Gorilla Nest, Bishop's House, Virunga Lodge or Sabinyo Lodge (luxury). Full board.
• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, days 4 and 5: Ride 4 A Woman, Bakiga Lodge or Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge (budget); Buhoma Haven Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge or Engagi Lodge (mid-range); Mahogany Springs Lodge, Bwindi Lodge or Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge (luxury). Full board.