Skip to content

18-Day Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda and Uganda

Offered by: USD Safari Tours

4.9/5 (1600 Reviews)

Journey Snapshot

🗺 Uganda, Rwanda ⏱ 18 days 🚙 4x4 Pop-up Roof

kigali nyungwe NP(Chimps) volcanoes NP (gorillas) Bwindi impenetrable (gorillas) Ishasha sector

Overview Day by Day Rates Inclusions Getting There Offered By

Experience an unforgettable 18-day primate adventure through Rwanda and Uganda, where lush forests and spectacular landscapes provide the perfect setting for wildlife encounters. Trek through renowned habitats in search of mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, with opportunities to see golden monkeys and other fascinating wildlife. An ideal journey for tourists looking for authentic primate encounters, nature, culture, and unforgettable East African experiences.

Route

Start	kigali (Day 1)
Day 2	nyungwe NP(Chimps)
Day 3	volcanoes NP (gorillas)
Day 4	Bwindi impenetrable (gorillas)
End	Ishasha sector

Tour Features

Day 1:Arrive In Rwanda | Transfer To Your Hotel In Kigali Day 2:Visit The Genocide Memorial | Transfer To Nyungwe National Park | Relaxing Day 3:Chimpanzee Trekking | Tree Canopy Walk In Nyungwe National Park Day 4:Transfer To Musanze | Visit Dian Fossey Center | Visit Iby'Cultural Village Day 5:Last Day In Rwanda | Golden Golden Monkey Trekking | Travel To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Day 6:Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Batwa Cultural Interaction Day 7:Transfer To Ishasha Sector | Game Drive For Tracking Tree Climbing Lions | Transfer To The Lodge Day 8:Morning Game Drive In Queen Elizabeth National Park | Boat Ride | Evening Game Drive Day 9:Transfer To Kibale National Park | Visit The Bigodi Swamp Day 10:Chimpanzee Trekking | Travel To Murchison Falls National Park | Evening Game Drive Day 11:Morning Game Drive | Boat Cruise | Evening Game Drive Day 12:Top Of The Falls Tour | Transfer To Kidepo Valley National Park | Evening Game Drive Day 13:Morning Game Drive | Cultural Interaction And Community Walk | Relaxing Day 14:Transfer To Moroto | Cultural Interaction (Tepeth Community) Day 15:Transfer To Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve | Evening Game Drive Day 16:Guided Walk | Transfer To Sipi Falls | Community Tour Day 17:Hiking Sipi Falls | Transfer To Kampala | Relaxing Day 18:The Last Day With Us | City Tour | Transfer To Entebbe International Airport | Fly Back Home

Activities & Transportation

Route: kigali, nyungwe NP(Chimps), volcanoes NP (gorillas), Bwindi impenetrable (gorillas), Ishasha sector
Duration: 18 days
Getting around: 4x4 safari vehicle (pop-up roof)
Transfers: airport pick-up & drop-off can be included

Accommodation & Meals

Day

Accommodation

Meals

1

Chez Lando Hotel> Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda)

Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

2

Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps, Rwanda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

3

Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps, Rwanda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

4

The Garden Place Hotel> Budget hotelless than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas, Rwanda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

5

Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

6

Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

7

Songbird Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

8

Songbird Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

9

Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

10

Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

11

Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

12

Apoka Rest Camp >Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

13

Apoka Rest Camp> Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

14

Kara-Tunga Safari Camp> Budget tented camp in Moroto (Karamoja, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

15

Pian-Upe Bandas> Budget banda located inside Pian Upe WR (Uganda

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

16

Casa Sipi Falls Lodge >Budget lodgeat Sipi Falls (Highlight, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

17

Humura Resorts> Mid-range hotel in Kampala (City, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

18

No accommodation

Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day by Day

Day 1 Arrive In Rwanda | Transfer To Your Hotel In Kigali

⏱Morning 🏨Chez Lando Hotel> Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda) 🍽Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

On arrival in Rwanda, you will be welcomed and picked by our Kubwa Five Safaris guide who will be holding an A4 paper with your name printed on it at Kigali International Airport and be transferred to your hotel where you will check in and do some relaxing. Dinner and overnight at Chez Lando Hotel.

Day 2 Visit The Genocide Memorial | Transfer To Nyungwe National Park | Relaxing

⏱Morning 🏨Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps, Rwanda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be driven to Kigali for a city tour visiting the Genocide memorial site which gives a brief history of Rwanda. After, you will be transferred to Nyungwe National Park. Nyungwe National Park is the largest block of Montane forest in East and Central Africa and it is an incredibly rich area of biodiversity. On arrival, you will check into your lodge, have lunch and spend the rest of the evening relaxing at your lodge. Nyungwe is Rwanda's most important destination for dedicated birdwatchers, thanks to the presence of 27 Albertine Rift native birds, but even casual visitors will do a double take when they see a great blue turaco flap past like a brightly colored turkey. Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge.

Day 3 Chimpanzee Trekking | Tree Canopy Walk In Nyungwe National Park

⏱Morning 🏨Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Nyungwe NP (Chimps, Rwanda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Take an early morning breakfast then with your packed lunch drive to this park for the starting point of your chimpanzee trek. Once we find these remarkable primates, you'll share an extraordinary encounter with some of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. Two species of chimpanzee occur in Africa. There is the Bonobo and the Common Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes (often shortened to Chimpanzee, and sometimes referred to as the Robust Chimpanzee). After Chimpanzee trekking, you will have lunch and then go for the canopy walk which sets 50 meters above the ground with a 150-meter walkway and is the first of its kind in East Africa and third on the continent after South Africa and Ghana. It allows visitors to see the forest from above the trees and be at eye level with birds and monkeys that inhabit the upper storied part of the forest. Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge.

Day 4 Transfer To Musanze | Visit Dian Fossey Center | Visit Iby'Cultural Village

⏱Morning 🏨The Garden Place Hotel> Budget hotelless than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas, Rwanda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Musanze (formerly Ruhengeri) where you will visit the Dian Fossey Center (Karisoke Research Center). As you drive into Musanze (formerly Ruhengeri), you'll be confronted by the daunting volcanic slopes of the Virungas, home to more than half the world's remaining mountain gorillas, on the northern skyline. In the evening, you will visit the Iby'iwacu village for community interaction and to enjoy the Rwandan culture, which includes traditional dancing. Dinner and overnight at The Garden Place Hotel

Day 5 Last Day In Rwanda | Golden Golden Monkey Trekking | Travel To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

⏱Morning 🏨Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be driven to Volcanoes National Park for Golden Monkey trekking. You will assemble at the park headquarters for a briefing in the morning, together with your trekking gear and drinking water, and ascend in the forest to track the golden monkeys. After golden monkey trekking, you will taken to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Protecting a pristine landscape of steep forested hills bordering the Congo, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best known for harboring around 45% of the global mountain gorilla population. In our experience, visiting these gorillas in their forested home is quite simply the most exciting wildlife encounter Africa has to offer. On arrival, you will check into your lodge for dinner. Dinner and overnight at Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort.

Day 6 Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Batwa Cultural Interaction

⏱Morning 🏨Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, head out with packed lunches to the park head offices with your guide. You will have a briefing about the do's and don'ts while in the park with the gorillas. Afterward, head out for the gorilla trekking through the misty rainforest. Trekking can take between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the location of the gentle giants. Make sure you carry enough water, sturdy shoes, non-flash cameras, and rain jackets. While participating in gorilla trekking, you will learn interesting facts about gorillas that will make your Uganda tour most enjoyable. After gorilla trekking, you will head back to your lodge to freshen up and relax a bit. In the evening, you will head out for a community walk where you will visit the Batwa, which is an indigenous group of people that has lived in the forest for 500,000 years, enjoy traditional dances and drama from them. Dinner and overnight at Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort.

Day 7 Transfer To Ishasha Sector | Game Drive For Tracking Tree Climbing Lions | Transfer To The Lodge

⏱Morning 🏨Songbird Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the Ishasha sector for the tree-climbing lions on the Kasenyi Plains in the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth. Buffalo, elephant and various antelope are likely to be seen in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, but the focal point of our visit will be locations favored by its legendary tree-climbing lions. After the game drive, you will be driven to your lodge. Dinner and overnight at Songbird Safari Lodge.

Day 8 Morning Game Drive In Queen Elizabeth National Park | Boat Ride | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Songbird Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

We will depart at 6:00am for a morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to catch the lions hunting in the morning. We also expect to see the Uganda kob, elephants, buffalos, warthogs, leopards, and waterbucks. After lunch, head out for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Expect to see large numbers of buffalos, elephants, and hippos. In the evening, you will go for an evening game drive in this amazing park. Dinner and overnight at Songbird Safari Lodge.

Day 9 Transfer To Kibale National Park | Visit The Bigodi Swamp

⏱Morning 🏨Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park. On your way, you will have a stopover at the equator. Today, we enter the prime chimpanzee country of Kibale National Park. This immense forest is renowned for its rich diversity of primates, but it is chimps - humankind's closest genetic relative - that top the wish list of most visitors. On arrival, you will head out to visit the Bigodi Swamp. This is a beautiful area in the rainforest with an abundance of animals like monkeys, birds, and maybe forest elephants. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge.

Day 10 Chimpanzee Trekking | Travel To Murchison Falls National Park | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you and your guide will head out with packed lunches to the park head quarters for a briefing about the do's and the don'ts of chimpanzee trekking. The tracking will start early and take about two to three hours, depending on the location of the chimpanzees. After trekking, you will be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park. On arrival, you will go for an evening game drive. Be ready to spot lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and many others. Dinner and overnight at Parkside Safari Lodge

Day 11 Morning Game Drive | Boat Cruise | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will have a morning game drive. The famous Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest protected area. Besides being home to many animal species, there are about 451 bird species, of which 23 are endemic to the Albertine Rift. After the morning game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you will embark (between 2:00pm -N4:00pm) on a 3-hour boat cruise on the Nile. This boat cruise offers an amazing view of the falls from the bottom angle. Hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, and aquatic birds can be seen along the river's shores. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge and later in the evening go for an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at Parkside Safari Lodge.

Day 12 Top Of The Falls Tour | Transfer To Kidepo Valley National Park | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Apoka Rest Camp >Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will tour the Top of the falls. It is an exciting experience that brings you very close to the rushing whitewater as it squeezes itself through the narrow crevice below. The resulting mist from the turbulence often produces rainbows. Then you will be transferred to Kidepo Valley National Park. On arrival, you will check into your lodge and later go for an evening game drive. Kidepo Valley National Park has several wildlife species, which includes lions, elephants, buffalos, giraffes and zebras. Kidepo's bird checklist of 470 species includes several recorded nowhere else in Uganda (most famously, East Africa's only wild population of the spectacular roseringed parakeet). It's one of the best places anywhere to see the long-limbed, ground-dwelling patas monkey. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Rest Camp.

Day 13 Morning Game Drive | Cultural Interaction And Community Walk | Relaxing

⏱Morning 🏨Apoka Rest Camp> Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, embark on an early morning game drive through the park to encounter zebras, giraffes, and many more that roam the short grassland plains of the Narus valley. The scenic view is splendid, with Mt. Lotukei in the far background in the Sudan. In the afternoon, undertake a community walk where you will have the opportunity to interact with the local people - the Karamojong. You will spend a wonderful afternoon with the Karamojong people and gain insight of their way of life and beliefs. After the culture interaction, you will spend the rest of the day relaxing at your lodge. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Rest Camp.

Day 14 Transfer To Moroto | Cultural Interaction (Tepeth Community)

⏱Morning 🏨Kara-Tunga Safari Camp> Budget tented camp in Moroto (Karamoja, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, our next stop is Moroto, a small and unassuming town that nonetheless serves as the largest urban outpost in the vast badlands of Karamoja. The town has an attractive setting at the base of Mt Moroto, which rises to 3,084m on the eastern skyline. You will visit the Tepeth community on arrival. Dinner and overnight at Kara-Tunga Safari Camp.

Day 15 Transfer To Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Pian-Upe Bandas> Budget banda located inside Pian Upe WR (Uganda 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve. On arrival, you will check into your lodge, have lunch and later, you go for an evening game drive. Named after its cattle-herding Pian and Upe inhabitants, this little-known wildlife reserve protects a vast tract of semi-arid acacia scrub that stretches north from the base of Mount Elgon. It is home to Uganda's largest cheetah population and a small number of lion, as well as buffalo, zebra, giraffe, patas monkey and dry-country antelope such as roan, greater kudu and dik-dik. Dinner and overnight at Pian-Upe Bandas.

Day 16 Guided Walk | Transfer To Sipi Falls | Community Tour

⏱Morning 🏨Casa Sipi Falls Lodge >Budget lodgeat Sipi Falls (Highlight, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will head out for a nature walk in the Pian Upe Nature Reserve. A nature walk in this reserve offers an opportunity to explore Uganda's second-largest protected area at a closer range. During the nature walk, you will be able to see the diverse landscapes of Pian Upe ranging from rolling hills, grasslands and rocky outcrops, you will have wildlife encounters and see some birds as well. After the nature walk, our next stop is Sipi Falls. It is a scenic highlight of eastern Uganda. The 99m-high waterfall is formed by the Sipi River on its babbling descent from the lofty upper slopes of Mt Elgon to the swampy Kyogo Basin. On arrival, you will check in and spend the entire evening exploring the villages around during the community tour. During the community walk, you will engage with the locals and learn the way of life and culture of the Sabiny people. Dinner and overnight at Casa Sipi Falls Lodge.

Day 17 Hiking Sipi Falls | Transfer To Kampala | Relaxing

⏱Morning 🏨Humura Resorts> Mid-range hotel in Kampala (City, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will first be briefed by the local guide about the does and don'ts while hiking. You will be able to view the different falls at different stages during the hiking. The beautiful view will leave you amazed. At different stages, the local guide will offer the history of the falls and after you will be given an opportunity to take pictures. After the hike, you will return to lodge to freshen up then later be transferred to Kampala. On arrival in Kampala, you will check into your lodge and relax. Dinner and overnight at Humura Resorts.

Day 18 The Last Day With Us | City Tour | Transfer To Entebbe International Airport | Fly Back Home

⏱Morning 🏨No accommodation 🍽Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After having a delightful breakfast, you will have a city tour of Kampala and then be transferred to Entebbe International Airport for your scheduled flight back home. Your safari may be coming to an end, but we believe that you will have had the most amazing time in this fascinating country.