Gorillas, Golden Monkeys & the Land of a Thousand Hills
An 8-Day Private Uganda and Rwanda Safari | Entebbe to Kigali
Few journeys on earth compare to standing a few metres from a mountain gorilla family in the misty forests of Bwindi, or gazing into the eyes of a playful golden monkey troop on the slopes of a Virunga volcano. This 8-day private Uganda Rwanda safari links the very best of two countries into one seamless, expertly guided journey — from the primal wilderness of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to the quiet, poignant streets of Kigali, one of Africa’s safest and most inspiring capital cities.
You will trek to see endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, spend time with the Batwa people — the original forest-dwellers of the region — track rare golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park, unwind on the shores of Lake Kivu, and pay tribute to Rwanda’s remarkable story of resilience at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Every step is arranged privately for you and your travel companions, with a dedicated English-speaking driver-guide, private 4×4 safari vehicle, and hand-picked lodges throughout.
Uganda Rwanda Safari At a Glance
- Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
- Style: Private, guided — not shared with other travellers
- Starts: Entebbe, Uganda
- Ends: Kigali, Rwanda
- Countries: Uganda and Rwanda
- Key experiences: Gorilla trekking · Batwa cultural encounter · Golden monkey tracking · Lake Kivu · Kigali Genocide Memorial
- Pace: Moderate to active — includes trekking on uneven forest terrain
Day 1 — Arrival in Entebbe, Uganda
Karibu! Upon landing at Entebbe International Airport, you’ll be met by your private driver-guide and transferred to your lakeside hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria. Depending on your arrival time, relax by the pool, take a short stroll through the Botanical Gardens, or simply rest and adjust after your flight. Your guide will brief you over dinner on the days ahead.
Overnight: Entebbe | Meals: Dinner
Day 2 — Scenic Drive to Bwindi via Lake Mburo
Depart early for the scenic road journey south-west to Bwindi, roughly 8–9 hours in total, broken up to make the most of the drive. Pass through the rolling green hills of central Uganda before stopping at Lake Mburo National Park for a short game drive or lunch break — a chance to spot zebra, impala, eland, and buffalo in open savannah, a different landscape entirely from the forest ahead. Continue on through terraced tea and banana plantations as the road climbs into the mountains, arriving at your lodge on the edge of Bwindi in the late afternoon, in time for sunset over the forest canopy.
Overnight: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 — Gorilla Trekking, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The heart of your Uganda Rwanda safari experience. After an early breakfast, transfer to park headquarters for a briefing from Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers before setting off in small groups to track one of Bwindi’s habituated mountain gorilla families. Trekking time varies from 2 to 8 hours depending on where the gorillas are ranging, through dense, beautiful rainforest. Once located, spend a magical hour observing the family at close range — infants playing, silverbacks keeping watch. Return to your lodge in the afternoon to relax and reflect.
Overnight: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 — Batwa Cultural Experience & Transfer to Rwanda
This morning, meet the Batwa — the indigenous forest people who called Bwindi home for millennia before it became a national park. Guided by Batwa elders, walk trails they once used, visit a recreated forest homestead, learn traditional fire-making, hunting and medicinal plant skills, and listen to storytelling and song that keep their culture alive.
After lunch, drive to the Cyanika border post and cross from Uganda into Rwanda, continuing to the Volcanoes National Park area near Musanze/Kinigi — roughly 2.5–3 hours in total, through dramatic terraced-hillside scenery.
Overnight: Musanze / Volcanoes National Park area | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 — Golden Monkey Tracking, Volcanoes National Park
After an early breakfast, head to park headquarters for your golden monkey tracking briefing. This is a livelier, often shorter trek than gorilla trekking, taking you into the bamboo forests on the lower slopes of the Virunga volcanoes to find troops of endangered golden monkeys — acrobatic, curious, and strikingly colourful. Expect an hour observing them at close range. The afternoon is free to relax at your lodge, with volcano views on every side, or add an optional visit to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.
Overnight: Musanze / Volcanoes National Park area | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 — Transfer to Lake Kivu
Drive roughly 1.5–2 hours from Musanze down to the shores of Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes and a place to simply breathe out after two days of trekking. Check into your lakeside lodge and spend the day at leisure — swim in the lake’s calm waters, take a sunset boat cruise past fishing villages and small islands, or arrange an optional local coffee or tea plantation tour.
Overnight: Lake Kivu (Gisenyi/Rubavu or Kibuye) | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 — Transfer to Kigali & Genocide Memorial
genocide memorial
Drive roughly 2.5–3 hours from Lake Kivu to Kigali. In the afternoon, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the resting place of over 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and a deeply moving, beautifully curated museum telling the story of what happened — and Rwanda’s remarkable journey since. Afterwards, a short city tour taking in Kigali’s hillside neighbourhoods, the Inema Arts Center, and (time permitting) Kimironko Market, before a farewell dinner.
Overnight: Kigali, Rwanda | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 — Departure from Kigali
After breakfast, enjoy some free time or last-minute shopping for local crafts and coffee, depending on your flight schedule. Your driver-guide will transfer you to Kigali International Airport in good time for your onward or homeward flight.
Meals: Breakfast
END OF 8 DAYS UGANDA RWANDA SAFARI
What’s Included
- 7 nights’ accommodation as per itinerary, in your selected lodge category
- All meals as specified (B/L/D above)
- Private ground transportation throughout in a 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- A dedicated, professional English-speaking driver-guide for the full 8 days
- 1 Gorilla Trekking Permit per person (Bwindi, Uganda Wildlife Authority)
- 1 Golden Monkey Tracking Permit per person (Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Development Board)
- Batwa Cultural Experience fee and guide
- Kigali Genocide Memorial entrance and guided visit
- Sunset boat cruise on Lake Kivu
- All national park entrance and conservation fees
- Uganda–Rwanda border crossing assistance at Cyanika
- Bottled water in the vehicle throughout
- All government taxes and VAT where applicable
- 24/7 in-country support from our ground operations team
What’s Not Included
- International flights to Entebbe and from Kigali
- Uganda and Rwanda entry visas (East Africa Tourist Visa recommended — covers both countries)
- Travel and medical/evacuation insurance (strongly recommended, including trekking cover)
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate and any other required health documentation
- Gorilla trekking porter fees (optional, ~USD 15–20 per person — recommended, supports local community)
- Tips and gratuities for driver-guide, trekking guides, porters and lodge staff
- Alcoholic beverages, unless otherwise noted
- Personal expenses: laundry, phone calls, souvenirs, spa treatments
- Optional activities not listed above (coffee/tea plantation tours, extra cultural visits, chimpanzee trekking add-ons)
- Costs from flight delays, itinerary changes, illness, or events beyond our control
Good to Know
- Gorilla and golden monkey permits are limited — recommend confirming at least 4–6 months ahead, especially for peak season (June–September, December–February).
- Minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15; no minimum for golden monkey tracking.
- Both treks involve steep, sometimes muddy forest terrain — reasonable fitness recommended, porters available.
- Can be extended with chimpanzee tracking in Uganda, Akagera National Park safari, or extra Lake Kivu nights.
BOOK UGANDA RWANDA SAFARI NOW
To inquire or request quote for the combined safari in Uganda & Rwanda- simply contact us now by sending an email to [email protected] or call us now on +256-700135510.