10 Day Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Safari

Your 10-day Rwanda and Uganda adventure begins when you arrive at Kigali International Airport, where your safari guide will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel in Kigali. The journey into the city offers your first glimpse of Rwanda's clean streets, green hills, organized neighborhoods, and welcoming atmosphere. Depending on your arrival time, you can spend the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel or enjoy a gentle introduction to Kigali. If time permits, you may visit a local craft centre or explore some of the city's lively neighborhoods before returning to your hotel. Your guide will brief you about the safari and explain the activities planned for the coming days, including gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, the Rwanda–Uganda border crossing, and Uganda's wildlife experiences. This is also a good opportunity to prepare your trekking equipment and make sure everything is ready for the physically demanding activities ahead. Enjoy your first dinner in Rwanda and get a good night's rest before tomorrow's journey into the Virunga Mountains.

After breakfast, begin your morning with a guided Kigali city experience before leaving the capital for Volcanoes National Park. Depending on your interests and available time, the city tour can include local markets, craft centres, historical attractions, and scenic viewpoints that introduce you to Rwanda's culture and modern way of life. Later, leave Kigali and travel north through Rwanda's spectacular countryside. The landscape gradually changes into rolling green hills, cultivated farmland, small villages, and dramatic views of the Virunga volcanoes. Continue towards Musanze, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, and check into your lodge. Enjoy lunch and spend the afternoon relaxing in preparation for tomorrow's gorilla trek. Your guide will explain the trekking procedures, appropriate clothing, footwear, rain protection, and conservation rules that must be followed while visiting the gorillas. The surrounding volcanic landscape creates an exciting atmosphere as you prepare for one of the most anticipated experiences of the safari. Enjoy dinner at your lodge and rest early ahead of your first gorilla trekking adventure.

Today is one of the biggest highlights of the entire journey as you embark on your first mountain gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters in Kinigi for registration and a detailed briefing from the ranger guides before being assigned to a habituated gorilla family. You then begin your trek through the montane forests of the Virunga Mountains, following trails that can be steep, muddy, and physically demanding. The length of the trek depends on where the gorilla family is located that day, meaning the experience can range from a relatively short hike to several hours of challenging forest trekking. Rangers and trackers follow signs such as footprints, broken vegetation, feeding sites, and other evidence to locate the gorillas. Once the family is found, the effort becomes worthwhile as you watch silverbacks, mothers, juveniles, and other family members interacting naturally. You may see them feeding, grooming, resting, playing, or moving through the dense vegetation. After the permitted viewing time, trek back to the park headquarters before returning to your lodge for lunch. Spend the afternoon relaxing and reflecting on the unforgettable encounter before enjoying dinner and another peaceful night near the volcanoes.

After breakfast, head into the Volcanoes region for another exciting primate experience—golden monkey tracking. These lively primates are known for their striking golden-orange coats and energetic behavior, often moving quickly through the bamboo and forest vegetation. Follow your ranger guide through the forest while looking for signs of the group and listening for their calls. Once located, you can observe them feeding, grooming, climbing, and jumping between branches. After completing the activity, return for lunch before beginning the journey towards the Rwanda–Uganda border. Your guide will handle the transfer arrangements and assist you through the necessary border procedures before continuing into southwestern Uganda. From the border, the landscape changes into Uganda's dramatic highlands, with terraced hills, valleys, farms, and forest-covered mountains surrounding the route. Continue towards your selected Bwindi trekking sector, where you will check into your lodge and enjoy dinner. This is the only Rwanda–Uganda border crossing in the itinerary, so there is no unnecessary backtracking between the two countries. Relax after the day's activities and prepare for tomorrow's Bwindi experience.

Today is deliberately slower and gives you time to settle into the Bwindi region before your second gorilla trekking experience. After breakfast, enjoy the spectacular forest surroundings and take part in an optional community experience where you can learn about the traditions and daily lives of communities living around Bwindi. Depending on your interests, you may visit local craft makers, interact with residents, learn about traditional practices, or take a gentle walk around the surrounding area. The day also gives you an opportunity to recover from the previous day's golden monkey trek and long transfer from Rwanda. Your guide will provide a detailed briefing for tomorrow's gorilla trek, including what to wear, what to carry, how to behave around the gorillas, and what to expect from the forest terrain. You will also have time to organize your backpack and prepare your camera equipment. The afternoon can be spent relaxing at the lodge while enjoying views of the surrounding hills and forest. This slower pace is important because tomorrow's trek can be physically demanding. Enjoy dinner and an early night's rest before entering Bwindi's ancient rainforest in search of another mountain gorilla family.

Wake early for the second major gorilla trekking experience of the safari, this time inside Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. After breakfast, report to the appropriate park headquarters for registration and briefing before setting off with experienced ranger guides and trackers. Bwindi is one of Uganda's most important mountain gorilla destinations and protects a large portion of the world's remaining mountain gorilla population. The trek takes you through an ancient rainforest filled with thick vegetation, towering trees, vines, ferns, and steep forest trails. Trackers will help locate the gorilla family by following signs of their recent movements through the forest. Depending on the location of the family, the trek can take several hours and may involve challenging climbs. When you finally encounter the gorillas, the atmosphere becomes unforgettable as you watch the family living naturally in the forest. You may see a powerful silverback protecting the group, mothers caring for young ones, and juveniles playing among the vegetation. After your permitted viewing time, begin the trek back to the trailhead and return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. Spend the afternoon recovering and enjoying the peaceful Bwindi surroundings before dinner.

After breakfast, leave Bwindi and begin the scenic journey towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. The route takes you away from the misty mountain forests and into Uganda's open savannah landscapes. If road and park conditions permit, travel through the Ishasha sector, famous for its unusual tree-climbing lions. Enjoy a game drive through the area while your guide searches for lions resting in large fig and acacia trees, as well as elephants, buffaloes, topis, Uganda kobs, and other wildlife. The contrast between the dense Bwindi rainforest and Ishasha's open plains makes this a particularly scenic part of the journey. Continue towards the northern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park and check into your lodge. Enjoy lunch and take time to relax after the long transfer. If you arrive early enough, an additional short game drive can be arranged before sunset. As evening approaches, return to the lodge for dinner while enjoying the sounds of the surrounding wilderness. Tomorrow will bring a full day of wildlife exploration, including a game drive and the famous Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

Rise early for a game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park, taking advantage of the cooler morning hours when many animals are active. Your guide will explore the park's savannah plains and woodland habitats in search of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, antelopes, and other wildlife. With patience and good timing, you may also encounter predators such as lions and leopards. After the morning game drive, return to your lodge for breakfast or lunch and enjoy some time to relax. In the afternoon, head to the Kazinga Channel for one of Uganda's most rewarding wildlife experiences. Board a boat and cruise along the channel while watching huge hippo pods gathered in the water and crocodiles resting along the banks. Elephants and buffaloes often come down to the shoreline to drink and bathe, while numerous bird species make the channel an excellent destination for birdwatchers. The boat provides a different perspective from the morning game drive and allows you to observe wildlife from the water. After the cruise, return to your lodge for dinner and your final night in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After breakfast, leave Queen Elizabeth National Park and begin the journey towards Entebbe. Although this is mainly a transfer day, the route provides an excellent opportunity to observe everyday life in rural Uganda. Travel through villages, farms, plantations, trading centres, and changing landscapes as you gradually approach central Uganda. Stop for lunch along the way and take opportunities for photographs whenever appropriate. Depending on your arrival time and flight schedule for the following day, make a stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe. Here you can take photographs, visit local craft shops, and enjoy one of Uganda's most recognizable landmarks. Continue towards Entebbe and check into your hotel in the evening. Having the final night in Entebbe makes the itinerary more comfortable because you are not relying on a long road transfer on the day of your international flight. Enjoy your final dinner in Uganda and reflect on the incredible journey that has taken you from Kigali to the Virunga Mountains, across the Rwanda–Uganda border, through Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth, and finally to Entebbe.

After breakfast, enjoy your final morning in Uganda before your guide transfers you to Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have some free time to relax at the hotel, take a short walk, or complete some last-minute souvenir shopping. Your guide will ensure that you leave the hotel in good time and reach the airport comfortably for check-in and departure procedures. As you leave Uganda, you will carry memories of an extraordinary journey through two East African countries and some of their most spectacular landscapes. The safari has combined two mountain gorilla trekking experiences, giving you the opportunity to encounter these incredible primates in both Rwanda and Uganda. Golden monkey tracking added another unique primate experience, while Ishasha and Queen Elizabeth introduced you to Uganda's savannah wildlife. The Kazinga Channel provided a final opportunity to observe hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and numerous bird species from the water. Your guide will bid you farewell at the airport as your Rwanda and Uganda adventure comes to an end. You depart with photographs, unforgettable wildlife encounters, and memories that will remain long after you return home.