Africa: Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking

Our 12-Day Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking safari through the ancient rain forests of Uganda and Rwanda represents one of the world's ultimate primate safaris. Travelling along the Albertine Rift, you will encounter up to 14 primate species including Africa's two Great Apes. 

This is a fulfilling trip, with lots of diversity of and activity, during which you will be out of your vehicle for much of the time. It is one of the most cost-effective trips that gets you to two different chimp populations, and two different mountain gorilla populations in two different countries.

The possible sightings you will enjoy are 2 different populations of mountain gorilla, chimpanzees, L'Hoest's monkey, Uganda mangabey, Uganda red colobus, black-and-white colobus, blue monkey, golden monkey, red-tailed monkey, silver monkey, Ruwenzori colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, vervet monkey and olive baboon.

On request, and at extra cost, accommodation on this tour can be upgraded from Five Volcanoes Hotel to Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Volcanoes Virungas Lodge, Bisate Lodge or Singita Kwitonda Lodge.

• Day 1 Arrival – Entebbe

  On arrival at Entebbe International Airport we will meet you and transfer you to your nearby boutique guesthouse for a welcome drink and a briefing on your ultimate primate safari.

  Your accommodation for the night, Boma Guesthouse, is a rustic 16-room hotel about 5 minutes drive away from the airport. Owned by the Wood family, and located in a leafy suburb of Entebbe, the guesthouse is itself endowed with an extensive garden which hosts a phenomenal array of birdlife. A cosy dining room and bar by the poolside completes the welcome that Boma offers.

  Boma Guesthouse
  Meals Included: Dinner

• Day 2 Entebbe – Kibale National Park

  We move west to Kibale National Park near the Congo border. Travelling by air from Entebbe to Kasese Airstrip, we stay at Kyaninga Lodge for a total of three nights.

  Kibale Forest is the natural habitat for an amazing 13 primate species, and contains the highest primate density of any area on earth. Some of the trees are 50 to 60 metres (150 to 180 feet) in height, and provide a majestic canopy for the profusion of rain forest life, including 325 bird species.

  Whilst here, you are likely to see numerous bird species as well as black and white colobus, red colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkey, vervet monkey, and L’Hoest’s monkey.

  Kyaninga Lodge
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 3 Kibale National Park

  This morning we will set off for some chimpanzee trekking and return to the lodge for lunch, after which you are free to relax for the afternoon in luxury surroundings.

  Kyaninga Lodge
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 4 Kibale National Park – Kisoro

  After an early breakfast, we drive to Kasese Airstrip and board a flight to Kisoro. We are transferred by road to our lodge.

  Mt Gahinga Lodge
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 5 Bwindi National Park

  Today we will have our first day of gorilla tracking. Once the gorillas are located, our small group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Gorilla trekking is one of the world’s truly memorable wildlife experiences – a look into one of these magnificent creature’s eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. The hour is often over all too quickly, and we slowly make our way back to our lodge to recount the day’s adventures.

  The mountain gorillas in Uganda are part of a worldwide population of just 1,000 individuals. The gorillas we are permitted to visit belong to either one of ten family groups, habituated for gorilla trekking.

  For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allow a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild. The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, and will help us locate the group’s whereabouts. The time taken to track the gorillas can vary enormously – from one to seven hours.

  Mt Gahinga Lodge
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 6 Kisoro – Volcanoes National Park

  For the next stage of our tour we travel by road across the border to Rwanda and Volcanoes National Park.

  The Virunga Volcanoes, a rugged chain of eight peaks, rise as high as 4,500 metres in places, and five of these mountains are protected in Rwanda. The slopes of each mountain are covered with thick rainforest, which gives way to montane grassland and alpine moorland higher up.

  Five Volcanoes Hotel
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 7 Volcanoes National Park

  On our first full day in Rwanda we go golden monkey tracking in the bamboo forests of the Virungas.

  This little known primate offers a chance to track an equally fascinating endangered species. You will set off on your trek to find them, accompanied by experienced rangers, in a small group of no more than eight people. The monkeys have been habituated to the presence of the rangers and guests, and once we locate them, you will spend up to an hour observing their charming antics, as they leap from branch to branch.

  Five Volcanoes Hotel
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 8 Volcanoes National Park

  Today, we track mountain gorillas once more. Experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of who have been involved in habituating the gorillas themselves.

  The time taken to track the gorillas varies, and once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a look into one of these magnificent creature’s eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us.

  In the afternoon we can drive into Gisenyi to explore on the edge of the incredible Lake Kivu.

  Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 9 Volcanoes National Park – Nyungwe National Park

  We drive 8 hours from Volcanoes National Park to the Nyungwe Forest in southern Rwanda.

  Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the largest, most primal and biodiverse forests in all of Africa. This rich mosaic of habitats ranges from bamboo groves, open marshes, tracts of giant lobelia and dense jungle vegetation. It is the primary water catchment area for the region, and Nyungwe contains the famous Congo-Nile Divide.

  One & Only Nyungwe House
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 10 Nyungwe National Park

  On this day we will go on a forest hike. Whilst there we will go on a short canopy walk providing a stunning view of the rainforest below. The canopy bridge hangs 60 metres above the forest floor and is East Africa’s only such walkway.

  One & Only Nyungwe House
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 11 Nyungwe National Park

  Today is spent hiking forest trails in Nyungwe Forest. The national park hosts a rich floral diversity, and is home to a staggering number of Albertine Rift endemic bird species, as well as 13 different types of primate. This includes chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkeys, golden monkeys, as well as the largest troops of black and white colobus found anywhere on the continent – a habituated group of up to 400 individual members are resident in the forest.

  This morning, we will enjoy a hike to Nyungwe’s most famous attraction – East Africa’s only canopy walk – a suspended walkway that hangs above the treetops for a bird’s eye view of forest life. After lunch, we can return to the forest for a guided hike along one of the many trails, to enjoy birding, butterflies, waterfalls and forest scenery.

  One & Only Nyungwe House
  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Day 12 Nyungwe National Park – Kigali – Out

  Today we drive back to Kigali ready for you to catch your international flight.

  Meals Included: Breakfast

• Kyaninga Lodge

  Kyaninga has achieved legendary status in Uganda as a labour of love for owner Steve Williams. Since he first bought the land in 2004, Steve, a master carpenter who moved to Uganda from the UK, has crafted this sublime lodge into a masterpiece of detailing and finishing.

  

  Glorious Views

  Located near Fort Portal on the edge of extinct volcanic Lake Kyaninga, the main building is perched on a rocky ridge, with the generously proportioned log cabins strung out on either side.

  The view from the dining and rooms looks down onto the lake, and then on to the Rwenzori Mountains, the fabled ‘Mountains of the Moon’ in the distance.

  Activities & Attractions

  From the lodge, clients can track chimpanzees and other primates in the nearby Kibale Forest National Park, about an hours drive away.

  Relaxing and soaking in the the enchanting scenery of rural western Uganda, or hiking around the nearby crater lake are also options.

• One & Only Nyungwe House

  One & Only Nyungwe House is the first up market accommodation to be built in this remote and ethereal national park in southern Rwanda.

  Luxury in the Rainforest

  As befits the park, the lodge is outstanding, consisting of 20 luxurious rooms and two suites, each equipped with a viewing deck. After a day’s hiking one of Nyungwe’s eight trails in search of the rare animals and plants found in the forest, guests are treated to an outdoor heated swimming pool, a relaxation retreat with two treatment rooms, and a fitness centre.

   

  

  Blending In

  Local materials and construction methods were used to the greatest extent possible when the lodge was built, and the buildings blend with the landscape. The resulting spaces are comfortable and elegant, celebrating the site with views over the tea plantation, to the forest and beyond.

• Boma Guesthouse

  A comfortable, intimate little hotel, the Boma Guesthouse is conveniently located 5 minutes from Entebbe International Airport, and is a great place to stop over at the beginning or end of your Uganda tour.

  Immerse Youself in Nature

  The 16 rooms are simply, but elegantly furnished, and the extensive gardens, created by renowned Kampala landscape architect Roger Wood, are home to an incredible variety of birdlife. The gardens offer hidden nooks and crannies for guests wanting to curl up with a good book away from the main buildings, or to enjoy a spot of private dining away from other guests.

  

  Relax and Unwind

  The service is typically Ugandan in its smiling and efficient delivery, and the kitchen produces hearty and well prepared meals. The pool area offers the best respite from an overnight flight or a dusty safari, depending on which way you’re travelling, and the easy pace of the guesthouse will make you feel right at home.

• Mount Gahinga Lodge

  Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Lodge nestles in the foothills of the Virunga Massif – a line of volcanoes that stretches along the border between Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.

  Eco Lodge Luxury

  Mount Gahinga Lodge has been renovated to maintain its Eco-principles but with customer comfort never far from mind. The lodge sits in peaceful location on the outskirts of Mgahinga National Park in South West Uganda, at the foot of the brooding volcanic peaks of the Virungas. Eight stone and tile bandas join a public dining and lounge area, with the new addition of a sunroom with views out over the volcanoes. The lodge is justly proud of their eco-credentials, with solar power throughout, and en-suite bathrooms that have been carefully designed to minimise their impact on the environment with ‘bush showers’ and composting toilets.

  Cozy and warm

  Contrary to popular belief, equatorial Africa can get pretty chilly by night – especially in the mountains. However guests at Mount Gahinga Lodge will not feel the cold. Hot water bottles are placed in the beds to keep them warm at night, and a roaring log fire in the main hall is a great place to stay cozy whilst tales of the day’s hikes are swapped between travellers.

• Five Volcanoes Hotel

  One of several lodges nestled at the foot of the volcanic Virungas range of mountains, Five Volcanoes Hotel is a well located and moderately-priced alternative for travellers visiting the mountain gorillas.

  

  Unpretentious Charm

  The hotel is small, with just eleven bedrooms, a family suite and a VIP cottage. For those brave enough to enter the chilly water, there is a pool as well. Rooms are comfortable, and meals are simple, hearty fare. The service here is excellent, with attentive staff waiting to cater for your every need. Located just 20 minutes from the park gate, this hotel is well worth a look when exploring the area.
  

  

  A Plethora Of Activities

  The geaography in the general area is stunning, and apart from tracking one of the mountain gorilla families in the nearby Volcanoes Park, guests can enjoy tracking golden monkeys, hiking up one of the volcanoes in the park, mountain biking in the surrounding area or taking a canoe trip across one of the nearby lakes.

  
  

Season	Dates	Per Person*
Low	01 Jan - 28 Feb	$11,622	Enquire now
Low	01 Mar - 31 May	$11,446	Enquire now
High	01 Jun - 30 Sep	$12,286	Enquire now
High	01 Oct - 31 Oct	$12,109	Enquire now
Low	01 Nov - 15 Dec	$11,446	Enquire now
High	16 Dec - 31 Dec	$12,109	Enquire now

• * The price includes and does not include

  The price is per person and is based on a minimum of two people sharing a room. Upgrades to single rooms are available on payment of a supplement. Single travellers are welcome on all of our tours, at an extra charge. Please see below for full inclusions and exclusions.

  The following are included in the main tour price:

  • Accommodation in standard twin rooms
  • Meals as indicated in the daily meal plan
  • All road and air transfers as indicated
  • Services of an English speaking driver guide
  • Park fees
  • 2 Gorilla tracking permits per person
  • 2 Chimp tracking permits per person
  • 1 golden monkey tracking permit
  • All activities described in the itinerary, unless specified as optional/extra
  • Mineral water in the vehicle
  • Medical evacuation insurance (to Nairobi)

  The following are not included in the main tour price:

  • International air fares, entry visa fees
  • Domestic and international departure tax
  • All beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle and those included in the lodge policies
  • Any optional activities not included above
  • All expenses of a personal nature
  • Tips and gratuities to your driver/guide, hotel and camp staff etc