Why limit your trip to just one country? This 5-Day Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Tour combines a gorilla trek in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park with another in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Gorilla trekking and strong wildlife are the two main draws of an East Africa safari, and this route brings both together across two countries.
5-Day Uganda Rwanda Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
- Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
- Day 5: Return to Kigali
Detailed 5-Day Uganda Rwanda Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
On arrival at Kigali Airport, clear customs and collect your baggage. Our company representative will welcome you and brief you on the safari ahead. Shortly after, drive to a nearby restaurant for coffee, then take a city tour of Kigali, with stops at the genocide memorial, city monuments, a local craft market, and the presidential palace.
Have lunch in Kigali, then depart on the scenic drive northwest through Rwanda’s terraced hillsides. Arrive in Musanze, the main base town for gorilla trekking near Volcanoes National Park.
Musanze sits about 25 km from the Uganda border and has a population of roughly 70,000. The town offers a range of accommodation, most with views over the surrounding Virunga volcanoes.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, head to park headquarters for a briefing on trekking guidelines, then get assigned your ranger guide and gorilla family. Enter the forest to begin the search. Each gorilla family is visited by a group of no more than eight trekkers.
Once you find your assigned family, you get up to one hour with them. Coming face to face with a mountain gorilla is typically a memorable experience, and this is your chance to see Rwanda’s gorillas up close.
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
After breakfast, cross into Uganda via the Cyanika border toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Along the way, take a boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi to see some of its 29 islands and the communities living along its shores. Overnight stay at a lodge in the Rushaga sector.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Have an early breakfast, then head to park headquarters in Bwindi to begin your trek. Your guide and tracker will lead you into the forest in search of your assigned gorilla family. Trekking time ranges from 30 minutes to 8 hours, depending on the family’s movements.
Once you find the gorillas, you get up to one hour observing them at close range, watching them feed and interact under the watch of the dominant silverback.
In the afternoon, transfer back to the starting point, meet your guide, and return to your lodge to reflect on the day.
Day 5: Return to Kigali
Wake up early, have breakfast at your lodge, and transfer to Kigali, where you’ll be dropped at your hotel or the airport for your onward flight. If you arrive back in Kigali early, there’s time for another city tour. This concludes your 5-Day Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Tour.
