13 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari

Duration 13 Days / 12 Nights

Best Time Year-round

Experience Gorilla-trekking · Chimpanzee

Group Solo to groups

What to expect

13 days trace the classic Ugandan safari circuit and then cross into Rwanda for a finale among the Virunga volcanoes. It begins in the north at Murchison Falls, with rhino tracking at Ziwa on the way, before working south through Kibale's chimpanzee forests and the savannah and waterways of Queen Elizabeth, including the remote, lion-haunted Ishasha plains. The mountains then take over: gorilla trekking in Uganda's Mgahinga, followed by golden monkey tracking and a community visit beneath Rwanda's volcanoes, before a closing stop at the moving Kigali Genocide Memorial.

Tracking gorillas on the Ugandan side keeps this itinerary excellent value while still delivering the full Virunga experience across two countries. For a deeper, more leisurely take on the same idea, see the 16 Days Remarkable Uganda & Rwanda safari, or the premium 15 Days Discover Rwanda & Uganda.

Plan your timing with our gorilla trekking guide, and read more in the Uganda and Rwanda destination guides.

Mountain gorilla trekking in Mgahinga, Uganda Golden monkey tracking beneath Rwanda's Virunga volcanoes Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest On-foot white rhino tracking at Ziwa Murchison Falls game drive, Nile boat safari and sundowner Queen Elizabeth game drives, Kazinga Channel and the Ishasha plains Gorilla Guardians' Village cultural experience and the Kigali Genocide Memorial

Day by day

The Journey

Day 1Entebbe

Arrival in Entebbe

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport you are met and assisted through entry formalities, introduced to your driver-guide, and transferred to your hotel to rest before the safari begins.

Day 2Murchison Falls

North to Murchison Falls, via Ziwa Rhino

After breakfast you drive north towards Murchison Falls National Park, stopping at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track white rhino on foot. You enter the park via the Top of the Falls, where the Nile thunders through a narrow gorge, arriving at your lodge in the late afternoon.

Day 3Murchison Falls

Game Drive, Nile Boat Safari and Sundowner

A morning game drive crosses the northern plains in search of lion, elephant, giraffe and buffalo, followed by an afternoon boat safari upstream to the base of the falls. The day closes with a sundowner overlooking the river.

Day 4Kibale

Transfer to Kibale Forest

A scenic drive south brings you to Kibale, with a stop in Fort Portal for a tea plantation tour along the way. You arrive at your forest lodge in the evening, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest.

Day 5Kibale

Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi Swamp

You spend the morning tracking habituated chimpanzees through Kibale's ancient forest, then explore the community-run Bigodi Wetland in the afternoon, where guides point out monkeys and a rich variety of birds.

Day 6Queen Elizabeth

On to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After a relaxed breakfast you transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, settling in before an evening game drive across the Kasenyi plains in search of lion, elephant and the park's vast kob herds.

Day 7Queen Elizabeth

Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Cruise

A morning game drive is followed by an afternoon boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, where hippo, buffalo, elephant and a wealth of waterbirds gather along the banks of this natural waterway.

Day 8Ishasha

South to the Ishasha Plains

With a packed lunch you transfer to Ishasha, the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth famed for its tree-climbing lions. An evening game drive seeks them out among the fig trees, with elephant and topi on the open plains.

Day 9Ishasha

Into the Mountains: Mgahinga

A final morning game drive precedes the road transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, in the far southwest where Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC meet beneath the Virunga volcanoes. You arrive in time to rest ahead of tomorrow's trek.

Day 10Ishasha

Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga

After a briefing you head into the bamboo and montane forest of Mgahinga to track a habituated mountain gorilla family, spending a treasured hour in their company before returning to relax at the lodge.

Day 11Volcanoes

Across the Border to Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, and with a packed lunch, you cross into Rwanda and transfer to Volcanoes National Park, the country's gorilla and golden monkey heartland set among soaring volcanic peaks.

Day 12Volcanoes

Golden Monkeys and Community Culture

The morning is given to tracking playful golden monkeys through the bamboo zone, restricted to these volcanic mountains. The afternoon brings a cultural experience at the Gorilla Guardians' Village, where former poachers now share the traditions of the region.

Day 13Kigali

Kigali and Departure

After a leisurely breakfast you transfer to Kigali International Airport, pausing at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a moving and dignified reflection on Rwanda's history, before your onward flight.

What is included