This Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Rwenzori Hiking Safari combines two of Uganda’s most distinct experiences into one 10-day trip, mixing adventure, comfort, and learning.
This safari brings you close to the world’s most endangered primates in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, up onto the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain range at the Rwenzori Mountains, and out onto Lake Bunyonyi, the continent’s second-deepest lake.
This Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwenzori hiking safari covers all of it in one package.
10-Day Uganda Wildlife and Rwenzori Climbing Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
- Day 2: Lake Mburo National Park: game drive and evening cultural tour
- Day 3: Lake Mburo to Lake Bunyonyi and sunset canoeing
- Day 4: Sunrise boat cruise and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 5: Gorilla trekking and Batwa encounter
- Day 6: Transfer to the Rwenzori Mountains
- Day 7: Hike to Sine Camp
- Day 8: Sine Hut to Samalira Camp
- Day 9: Descend, accommodation at base camp
- Day 10: Transfer to Entebbe and departure
Detailed 10-Day Uganda Wildlife and Rwenzori Climbing Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast, your pickup from Kampala or Entebbe begins a 4 to 5 hour drive southwest to Lake Mburo National Park, one of the smallest parks in Uganda and one of the closest to Kampala.
The park sits near the highway connecting central Uganda to most southwestern destinations, including Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Lake Bunyonyi.
The first stop is the equator in Kayabwe, Mpigi district, about 80 km south of Kampala, where you can take photos at the point marking the divide between the northern and southern hemispheres.
Continue for another 2 to 3 hours to Lake Mburo National Park, entering via the Nshara or Sanga gate. Check in at your hotel, have lunch, then head straight to Lake Mburo for the afternoon boat trip.
The boat departs at exactly 2:00 pm, taking in the lake’s scenery, hippos, rare and endemic birds, crocodiles, and other wildlife along the shore.
The boat trip lasts about 3 to 4 hours. Afterward, meet your driver at Rwonyo jetty for the drive back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Lake Mburo National Park: Game Drive and Evening Cultural Tour
After breakfast, spend the day exploring one of Uganda’s smaller savannah parks, dotted with acacia trees. A sunrise game drive brings good chances to spot the park’s resident wildlife and bird species.
Depending on your lodge, the game drive typically starts between 6:00 and 6:30 am, just before sunrise, to catch early risers and nocturnal animals heading back to cover.
Lake Mburo’s residents include zebra, buffalo, impala, and reintroduced giraffe, along with occasional leopards and lions. Other species to look for include waterbuck, topi, eland, Uganda kob, bushbuck, oribi, and a range of primates and birds.
The game drive lasts about 3 to 4 hours. Return to the lodge before noon to rest and have lunch.
Rest in the afternoon, then take an evening community tour to learn about traditional Ankole life and daily activities.
You can take part in activities like grazing cattle, milking, milk preservation, or craft-making, or join an evening gathering called “ekitaramo,” where elders share stories, songs, and traditional dance.
Day 3: Lake Mburo to Lake Bunyonyi and Sunset Canoeing
Leave Lake Mburo National Park for Lake Bunyonyi, the second-deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika.
The route crosses the plains of Ankole into the highlands of the Kigezi region, with views of part of the Virunga volcanoes along the Uganda-Rwanda-DRC border.
On arrival, have lunch, then take a sunset canoe trip in the afternoon, taking in some of the lake’s 29 islands.
You may also see local fishermen casting their nets for the day’s catch. Overnight stay on the lake shore.
Day 4: Sunrise Boat Cruise and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Take a sunrise motorboat trip to see some of the communities living along the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, then have breakfast before transferring to the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi is one of the few places in the world with a strong mountain gorilla population, set within a mix of habitats including evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, marshland, and heath. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Encounter
Have breakfast at 6:30 am, then be ready at park headquarters by 7:30 am for the pre-trek briefing with the head ranger, covering what to expect and how to behave during the trek and the encounter with your assigned gorilla family.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi involves hiking through dense, often boggy forest in search of the gorillas. Trekking time runs about 1 to 8 hours, depending on the family’s movements.
You get one hour with the gorillas before returning to park headquarters and back to the lodge for lunch.
Rest for the remainder of the afternoon at the lodge, then in the evening, visit the Batwa community on the edge of Bwindi Forest with a local guide.
Learn about their history, hear their songs and see traditional dance, and pick up some of their craft work as souvenirs, supporting local community projects along the way.
Day 6: Transfer to the Rwenzori Mountains
Check out of your lodge and travel to the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda’s highest range, on the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park along the Uganda-DRC border.
You can take an optional game drive en route through the Ishasha sector to look for tree-climbing lions.
Ishasha, the southernmost sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, is known for its tree-climbing lions, one of the highlights of this part of the park and of Uganda more broadly.
After the game drive, continue to your lodge at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains.
Day 7: Hike to Sine Camp
The first day of the climb starts at 1,450 meters above sea level, reaching 2,596 meters by evening. Stay at Sine Camp, or at Kalalama Camp, slightly higher at 3,134 meters.
This stretch offers views of the lower Rwenzori slopes, Lake Albert, and the savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The hike begins by climbing through the valley floor, an Afro-montane forest zone with tall trees typical of this altitude. The forest holds several primates, including blue monkeys, along with birds and Enock’s Falls.
Sine Hut sits across the river, about 6 km away on a steep climb. Climbers can rest by a campfire in the evening, taking in views of the waterfalls and forest, with stories about the mountain shared along the way.
Day 8: Sine Hut to Samalira Camp
Leave Sine Camp in the morning and begin the ascent through a bamboo forest zone. The climb is steep, but offers wide views over the terrain below, along with pockets of forest and a range of bird species.
The call of the Rwenzori turaco, endemic to the region, can often be heard along this stretch, alongside other birds. The trail reaches the heather zone at about 3,000 meters, home to giant heather trees up to 15 meters tall.
If you stayed at Sine Camp the previous night, the trail passes Kalalama Camp at 3,147 meters, with views of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake George.
Continue along a mossy ridge through heather forest at 3,515 meters, then descend into a valley covered in lobelia. A short climb from here leads to Kyravilla, then a further climb along a moss-covered ridge to Samalira Hut for the overnight stay.
Day 9: Descend, Accommodation at Base Camp
On the last day of the climb, start with a steep descent through the bamboo zone, then into the Afro-montane area, home to a range of birds and primates.
Trek through the Omusita resting area and descend to join a path along the Nyamwamba River, passing through forest and wildlife. Continue down to park headquarters for a snack break, then transfer to your lodge at the base of the mountain for the overnight stay.
Day 10: Transfer to Entebbe and Departure
After breakfast, leave the Rwenzori area for the drive back to Kampala for an overnight stay, or continue directly to Entebbe International Airport if your flight departs the same night.
End of 10-Day Uganda Wildlife and Rwenzori Climbing Tour.
