Overview
This 5-day Uganda gorilla safari starts with a Kigali International Airport arrival and transfer to Green Nest Homestay. Following a 4 to 5-hour scenic drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Rushaga sector), guests enjoy two nights at Gorilla Valley Lodge, highlighted by a gorilla tracking excursion and a romantic bush dinner, before returning to Kigali for departure.
Highlights
- Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park
- Experience Kigali - The Capital of Rwanda
- Enjoy a Bush Dinner
- Experience both Rwanda and Ugandan Culture
Itinerary
Our driver will pick you up from Kigali International Airport (30 minutes) and check
you in at your hotel within Kigali. You'll meet with your English speaking Safari
Guide for a briefing just before dinner. Green Nest Homestay is one of our City Accomodations. It is located in the heart of Kigali City, in the safe and modern neighborhood of Kacyiru allowing for a short guided evening or night walk under the lights in Kigali (optional).
Accomodation:
Green Nest Homestay Kigali
Meal Plan: Full Board
Your private driver guide for the entire journey will pick you up from your hotel early
in the morning to hit the road by 8:00 am after breakfast. The drive to Kisoro takes
about 4-5 hours on a smoothly surfaced road.
Your journey from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Rushaga sector) is a
scenic drive through the heart of the African highlands. Expect rolling green hills, terraced farmland, winding mountain roads, and sweeping valley views often referred to as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” stretching toward southwestern Uganda. As you approach the border and continue toward Kisoro, the dramatic Virunga landscapes and mist-covered peaks create stunning photography moments.
There will be a relaxed lunch stop in Kisoro town before continuing to Rushaga, where
dense rainforest and mountain backdrops signal your arrival in gorilla country. Your driver-guide will gladly stop at scenic viewpoints or anywhere safe along the way
whenever you’d like to capture beautiful photos. Dinner will be served at your lodge, where you can unwind and enjoy the peaceful forest atmosphere in preparation for the next day's adventure.
Staying at: Gorilla Valley Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Your butler will ensure you are up and about by 7:00 am with a packed lunch, the right
trekking gear, drinking water, and a walking stick. The Uganda gorilla trekking excursion briefing starts at 7:30 am at the visitor's centre.
8:00 am: Your tracking guide and two gun-bearing rangers will lead you and six other
tourists into the rainforest to find a habituated gorilla group. Time spent tracking the
gorillas is relative, but once you find them, you can observe them for about an hour at a
10 meters distance. Your time in the forest can not be pre-determined as every day differs from the previous. However, most trekkers are out of the jungle by 2:00 pm with a satisfactory grin.
After the Gorilla Trekking Excursion, return to your lodge to freshen up and get some
well deserved rest. On this same evening, enjoy a candlelit romantic bush dinner before going off to bed.
Note: Rushaga is often considered a superior gorilla trekking destination to Buhoma due to its higher concentration of habituated gorilla families, offering more available permits and better chances for bookings.
Staying at: Gorilla Valley Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.
After breakfast, lazily get your bags and take another rural drive down the volcanic
mountains through Kisoro, Musanze to Kigali. Here, you can freshen up and enjoy a
peaceful evening and dinner as you enjoy the the final night in Rwanda's Capital.
Accommodation: Green Nest Homestay
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast as you prepare for your airport transfer depending on flight
times.
Cost
The Cost Includes
- Accommodation and meal plan as described
- 1 Gorilla trekking permit per person
- Drinking water in the vehicle (1 liter per person per day)
- All the excursions and activities indicated above under the supervision of professional, experienced English-speaking guides.
- Private 4x4 Safari Vehicle with an English-speaking Driver guide
- Government taxes
The Cost Excludes
- Visa fees
- Any local and international air flights
- Any optional activity not indicated in the above program.
- Laundry Services
- Gratuities and Tips
- Gorilla Trekking porter fees
FAQs
General
A standard Gorilla Trekking permit costs USD 800 per person for foreign non-residents.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda.
Rushaga is often considered a superior gorilla trekking destination to Buhoma due to
its higher concentration of habituated gorilla families, offering more available permits and better chances for bookings.
Yes, you need to consider costs like porter fees which are USD 20 per person. Tour guides are included in the Nturo Safaris cost for this tour.
Starting the trek from Kigali, Rwanda instead of Kampala, Uganda is purely a strategic choice to save you massive amounts of time on the road. While Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in Uganda, its southern sectors (like Rushaga and Nkuringo) sit right along the border of Rwanda, making them geographically much closer to Kigali.
