4-Day Rwanda Golden Monkey, Uganda Gorilla, Chimp Trek

You will be met by our driver guide in Kigali at 6 am and we then transfer you to the park head offices in Kinigi by 7 am. You join the other golden monkey trekkers and meet the ranger guide for a few minutes to talk about the activity and the park. By 8 am, you transfer to the trailhead just outside the park. Enjoy great views of the mountain scenery as you start your trek into the park. The golden monkeys live near the edge of the park in the bamboo forests where the ground is relatively flat and easy to trek. Find the monkeys and follow them as they feed. Notice how they skillfully pick the young bamboo leaves from the tip of the bamboo tree. They may also move out of the park into the potato fields which they love! After an amazing 1 hour with the golden monkeys, you will return to the trailhead and drive back to the lodge for lunch. Thereafter, head to the border, and after clearing, we will proceed to Bwindi.

You will have an early breakfast and then head to the park's headquarters to join other trekkers for a briefing about the gorilla-trekking rules at 7:45 am. You will trek through thick creepers and undergrowth with your guides to find the gorillas, which can take anything between 1 and 8 hours. The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing access to tourists. Once you find the gorillas, you will have 1 hour with them. We then transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. The drive will be through a beautiful part of the country often referred to as the "Switzerland of Africa" because of its unique, cool weather. The lake is said to be one of the most beautiful places in Western Uganda. It is the second-deepest lake in Africa (900 meters) and one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim as it is bilharzia free. You will take a boat ride and hike to different viewpoints before returning for dinner and an overnight stay.

Wake up early for breakfast and then set off for Queen Elizabeth National Park through the volcanic formation of the Western Rift Valley. The descent reveals a stunning panorama of Lake George and Lake Edward amidst game-filled plains. You will arrive in the afternoon for check-in at the lodge. Have lunch and get some rest. In the afternoon, you go on the unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward. The trip passes through possibly the highest hippo concentration in Africa and many mammals may be seen drinking water. The cruise offers an excellent platform for photography and game viewing. The birdlife is colorful and abundant. In the evening, you go for a game drive with a chance to see elephants, lions, buffaloes, etc. Later, you return for dinner and an overnight stay.

You wake up early in the morning for breakfast. We head to the Kalinzu Forest Reserve for chimpanzee trekking with a tracker and guide for up to 4 hours. The forest reserve is home to 6 groups of chimps comprising over 300 animals. Please bring suitably closed walking boots and long trousers! Afterward, we transfer to Kigali Airport with an en-route lunch to catch your evening departure flight back.