This 6-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali is an awesome and exciting experience of spending time with the mountain gorillas and observing them up close as they go about their routines, play, and relax.
Starting and ending in Kigali, Rwanda, this Uganda safari trip offers a memorable encounter with the Batwa pygmies (former forest dwellers). You’ll witness demonstrations of their traditional hunting and trapping techniques, as well as learn how they make ointments from indigenous plants to treat various diseases.
Below is the detailed plan for this 6-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
6-Day Triple Gorilla Trekking Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 2: Ruhija Gorilla Trekking & Transfer to Rushaga
- Day 3: Rushaga Gorilla Trekking & Transfer to Nkuringo
- Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Nkuringo & Evening Batwa Community Walk
- Day 5: Golden Monkey Experience in Mgahinga
- Day 6: Transfer to Kigali
Detailed 6-Day Triple Gorilla Trekking Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The 6-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali begins after breakfast in Kigali. Meet and greet with the guide, who will take you through the details of the itinerary and the entire trip.
Thereafter, depart Kigali for the northern part of the country via Volcanoes National Park. The park lies in the foothills of the Virunga ranges, spanning Uganda, Rwanda, and D.R.C.
The journey takes approximately 4-5 hours. Along the way, you will see the blossoming green countryside, traditional homesteads, and extensive farmlands. Admire the scenic allure of the rolling hills with striking vantage points typical of northern Rwanda.
Cross into Uganda via Katuna border, and lunch will be in Kabale town. Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Ruhija sector, arriving at your reserved lodge in the evening.
Day 2: Ruhija Gorilla Trekking & Transfer to Rushaga
Enjoy an early breakfast and then be driven to Ruhija ranger headquarters for a briefing on Gorilla tracking at 7:30am. You will be allocated a Gorilla family to track and guided through the forest. The tracking will be a 2-5 hour exercise after which you will return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, transfer to the far south of Bwindi, Rushaga region. This area has the highest number of gorilla families and is the only place where gorilla habituation can be done. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Rushaga Gorilla Trekking & Transfer to Nkuringo
Gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector begins in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters. The pre-trek briefing lasts about 30 minutes, and by 8:00am, the actual gorilla trekking begins.
Gorilla trekking requires an average level of physical fitness as it involves hiking through steep jungles, valleys, and lush vegetation.
The duration of tracking could be 2 hours, 4 hours, or a full day, depending on the location of the mountain gorillas and their daily movements. Ensure you have adequate drinking water, insect repellents, rain jackets, waterproof cameras, packed lunch, and any other equipment advised.
Enjoy the adventure as you trek through the forests and listen to the beautiful sounds of birds, monkeys, and other forest animals. Return to the lodge and transfer to Nkuringo region in the far south of Bwindi.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Nkuringo & Evening Batwa Community Walk
Have an early morning breakfast at your lodge and head to Nkuringo ranger station. Join other guests for a briefing on gorilla trekking rules at 8:00am. Hike through thick creepers and undergrowth with your ranger guides until you find the mountain gorillas.
The trek can take between 1-8 hours depending on the season and gorilla movements.
The steeply forested landscape of Nkuringo is dense but crisscrossed by animal trails, easing access for trekkers. Upon sighting the gorillas, spend one hour observing their behaviors, history, and daily life. Return to the lodge and in the evening, visit nearby Batwa communities for a sunset performance.
The Batwa historically inhabited the jungles of Bwindi alongside other primates and gorillas themselves. Overnight stay and dinner at a lodge in Kisoro town.
Day 5: Golden Monkey Experience in Mgahinga
Like gorilla trekking, golden monkey habituation begins at 7:30am with a briefing on visiting the golden monkeys. The experience starts at 8:00am, trekking through jungles to find these primates, which inhabit the lower mountain ranges.
Golden Monkey Habituation allows visitors to spend up to 4 hours observing these shy apes, taking photographs, and studying their behavior in their natural habitat. This unique experience enhances your primate safari in Uganda. There is no minimum number of tourists per group, and the age limit is 12 years.
Return to the lodge for lunch and relax in the afternoon. Optionally, take a guided cave tour and walk to Garama cave, inhabited by bats and historically significant to the Batwa. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Kigali
After breakfast at your lodge in Kisoro/Mgahinga National Park, drive back to Kigali with stopovers to enjoy lush landscapes covered with tea, coffee, and banana plantations.
Upon arrival in Kigali, visit the craft market for souvenirs before catching your outbound flight, marking the end of your 6-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
End of 6-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
