6 Days Rwanda Tour and Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari
Overview
This 6 Days Rwanda Tour and Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari provides an opportunity to encounter golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda before traveling to Uganda for gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Other major highlights of the 6-day tour are wildlife game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and chimpanzee trekking at Kalinzu Forest Reserve. The 6 days tour can start and end in Kigali, Rwanda, but it can also start and end in Kampala or Entebbe, Uganda.
Your Rwanda tour continues with golden monkey trekking in the bamboo forests before transitioning to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for intimate encounters with endangered mountain gorillas. This Rwanda tour seamlessly blends cultural immersion with wildlife experiences, as you journey through Queen Elizabeth National Park’s savannah plains and cruise along the wildlife-rich Kazinga Channel.
The final day of your Rwanda tour culminates with a chimpanzee trekking adventure in Kalinzu Forest Reserve, completing your primate safari experience before returning to Rwanda’s capital. Throughout this Rwanda tour, expert guides provide insights into conservation efforts while ensuring your comfort with carefully selected accommodations that showcase the natural beauty of both countries.
Price Includes
Chimpanzee trekking permit
Gorilla trekking permit
Park fees
All activities
Ground transport per 4WD custom
Bottled water in the safari vehicle
Full board accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary
Service of an English-speaking driver-guide
Driver allowances
All mentioned activities except for the optional ones
Price excludes
Rwanda and Uganda Visa
International and Internal Flights
Personal needs such as gratitude, beverages etc.
Visa
Air ticket
Optional Activities
Laundry fees
Tips
Life insurance
Other drinks apart from water
Itineraries
Day 1Arrival and Transfer from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park
Your Rwanda tour begins as a knowledgeable guide welcomes you in Kigali, the clean and vibrant capital city of Rwanda. This Rwanda tour includes an optional but highly recommended visit to the sobering Kigali Genocide Memorial, which provides important historical context about the country's tragic past and remarkable recovery. Your Rwanda tour continues with a scenic 3-hour drive (approximately 107 km) northwest through Rwanda's rolling hills to Musanze, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcans). Upon arrival, your Rwanda tour enriches with cultural immersion at the Ibyi'wacu Cultural Centre where traditional dances, crafts, and customs of the local Banyarwanda people are showcased, with an optional visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Centre for Conservation to learn about gorilla protection efforts.
Day 2Golden Monkey Trek in Volcanoes National Park and Transfer to Bwindi National Park
Day two of your Rwanda tour starts early with breakfast before heading to Volcanoes National Park headquarters for a briefing on golden monkey trekking protocols. During this Rwanda tour highlight, you'll trek through bamboo forests for 1-3 hours to encounter playful troops of endangered golden monkeys (Cercopithecus kandti), unique to the Virunga volcanic range. After your Rwanda tour's morning adventure photographing these vibrant primates, you'll begin the cross-border journey to Uganda, traveling approximately 4-5 hours (120 km) via the Cyanika border crossing. Your Rwanda tour transitions into Uganda as you navigate through stunning landscapes to reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where you'll check into Karungi Camp or similar accommodations in the Rubuguri or Rushaga sector, preparing for tomorrow's gorilla encounter.
Day 3Gorilla Trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Following the Rwanda tour's cultural and wildlife experiences, today focuses on the most anticipated adventure—gorilla trekking in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. After an early breakfast, your Rwanda tour extends into Uganda's conservation success story as you gather at the park headquarters (Rushaga, Ruhija, Buhoma, or Nkuringo sector) at 7:30 AM for a comprehensive briefing about gorilla etiquette and trekking expectations. The Rwanda tour's most profound wildlife encounter begins as you trek through dense montane forest for 1-6 hours (depending on gorilla family location) guided by experienced rangers who interpret the forest ecosystem. After finding your assigned gorilla family, your Rwanda tour reaches its emotional peak with a magical hour observing these gentle giants—photographing their human-like expressions, watching juveniles play, and witnessing silverbacks' commanding presence in their natural habitat.
Day 4Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for Game Drives
The fourth day of your Rwanda tour and Uganda wildlife exploration begins with breakfast at your Bwindi accommodation before embarking on a scenic 4–5-hour journey (approximately 180 km) to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Your Rwanda tour experience transforms from forest to savannah as you traverse through the varied landscapes of southwestern Uganda, reaching Uganda's most popular wildlife reserve by early afternoon. This Rwanda tour segment introduces classic African safari experiences as you head directly for an afternoon game drive in the wildlife-rich Kasenyi plains, renowned for large lion prides and abundant Uganda kob antelope. As the sun begins to set during your Rwanda tour, the golden light illuminates grazing buffalo herds, elephant families, and perhaps even elusive leopards before you transfer to your lodging within or near the park for dinner and overnight rest.
Day 5This is day oneKasenyi Plains Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Trip
Your Rwanda tour adventure continues with an early breakfast followed by a thrilling morning game drive across the expansive Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This Rwanda tour highlight takes you through the heart of the Albertine Rift ecosystem where diverse wildlife thrives in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains, locally known as the "Mountains of the Moon." Your Rwanda tour offers excellent opportunities to spot lions lounging in fig trees, massive elephant herds, Cape buffalo, Uganda kobs performing mating rituals, and numerous antelope species in their natural habitat. After returning to the lodge for lunch, your Rwanda tour features an unforgettable 2-hour boat cruise along the 40km Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes Edward and George, providing close encounters with the highest concentration of hippos in Africa, massive Nile crocodiles, and over 600 bird species that make this waterway their home.
Day 6Chimpanzee Trekking at Kalinzu Forest Reserve and Drive to Kigali
The final day of your Rwanda tour begins with an early breakfast before a short 1-hour drive (45km) to Kalinzu Forest Reserve, an important 147 sq km natural forest corridor adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Your Rwanda tour's primate experiences culminate with chimpanzee trekking through this mid-altitude moist evergreen forest, where experienced guides lead you to habituated chimpanzee communities while explaining their complex social structures. During your Rwanda tour's forest walk, you might also encounter other primates including black-and-white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and L'Hoest's monkeys that inhabit the forest canopy. After this final wildlife adventure, your Rwanda tour concludes with a 6-7 hour return journey (approximately 300 km) through the beautiful landscapes of southwestern Uganda and across the border back to Kigali, where you'll be dropped at your hotel or at Kigali International Airport for your onward journey.
