9 Days Great Apes Of Uganda And Rwanda Unparalleled Tour

Tour Overview: 9 Days Great Apes Of Uganda And Rwanda

This 9-days Great Apes of Uganda and Rwanda adventure starts in Entebbe and ends in Kigali. The trip covers 3 primate destinations: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, and Volcanoes National Park. The trip will take you to Kibale Forest National Park which is the primate capital and while there, you will have a chance of seeing quite several primates. The safari will continue to Bwindi impenetrable national park in western Uganda. This park has over 340 mountain gorillas making it half of the mountain gorillas remaining in the whole world. You will continue to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park where you will do golden monkey habituation. Golden monkeys are subspecies of blue Monkeys. The amazing adventure will continue to Volcanoes National Park and while there, you will have fun meeting the mountain gorillas that share 99% of DNA with humans. While on this tour, you will meet the Ibwiwachu community which will entertain you with dances and poetry. This trip will offer you an opportunity to have a glimpse of the beautiful and eye-catching Lake Kivu with a boat ride.

Safari Gallery: 9 Days Great Apes Of Uganda And Rwanda

Detailed Itinerary: 9 Days Great Apes Of Uganda And Rwanda

Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and drive to Kibale Forest National Park. You will be able to enjoy an impressive sight of the legendary “mountains of the moon” which you will see on the road to Fort Portal. You will also pass through many traditional villages as you enjoy local people carrying out agriculture.

You will also enjoy Fort Portal which is in the foothills of mountain Rwenzori filled with tea plantations filled with tea plantations, after enjoying this platform of green tea, you will continue to Kibale Forest National Park which is one of the great rain forests in Africa. This forest is mainly famous for around 13 primate species with chimpanzees being the main tracked chimpanzees. The other primate species include the golden monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys, as well as the bird species. The park is also next to Bigodi Wetland which is managed and owned by the local people in the area, this place is famous for primate watching as well as birding.

Accommodation: Turacco treetops (Midrange)/ Kibale forest camp (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi wetland visit

Wake up so early and head to Kanyanchu by 8:00 am to start your chimpanzee trek in the Kibale forest. Chimpanzees are considered to be the closest relatives of human beings since they share 98% of their DNA with that of human beings. As you proceed with the search for these beautiful chimps, you will view many other primate and animal species including the LHoests monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, bush babies, and many bird species including yellow-spotted nictor, ramped tinker, crowned eagle, as well as the elephants which are mammals.

This national park is on an average of 3,300 feet in elevation and it’s a rainforest with many chimpanzee communities, each troop of these chimpanzees has over 100 individuals which is a competed social structure. In their groups, the adult males dominate the group and always defend the whole community against any danger and incursions by the females from outside. These primates are located by listening to their pant-hooting calls and then hurrying to the place where they are calling from. You get a chance to observe them as they play, feed; socialize as well as jump around the trees.

Immediately after the long trek, you will return to the lodge for lunch as you prepare to visit Bigodi wetland sanctuary where you will view more primates like the blue monkeys, baboons, otters, bushbucks, mongoose, bush pigs, and many more. This place is also known for many species like the great blue turaco and the green-breasted pitta.

Accommodation: Turacco treetops (Midrange)/ Kibale forest camp (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

On this day after breakfast, you will check out of the lodge for the transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda (harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population) including several habituated groups, which you will trek. With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check in your accommodation, and relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla trekking experience the following day.

Accommodation: Ichumbi gorilla lodge (Midrange)/ Gorilla hills eco-lodge (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 4: Gorilla trekking & Batwa community visit

Encountering the rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an experience of a lifetime. Half of the world’s population of gorillas lives under the mist-covered canopies of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforest. In the company of an experienced park ranger, you will be tracking the whereabouts of one of the nine habituated family groups who live in the park.  Your tracking experience will be an exciting, yet challenging, journey along forested (often muddy and slippery) slopes, tangled vines, thick vegetation, and bamboo forests before you reach the territory of these gentle giants.

En route, your ranger will point out telltale signs of previous gorilla activity like dung, nests, and chewed bamboo shoots. Depending on the location of the gorillas on any given day the walk can take anything from 2 to 7 hours. Once the family of gorillas has been located, settle into your surroundings and enjoy the hour you have to quietly observe these fascinating primates whose habits and mannerisms remind us so much of our own.

Encountering mountain gorillas in the wild is a truly humbling and emotional experience, one that you are sure to remember for the rest of your life.

Accommodation: Ichumbi gorilla lodge (Midrange)/ Gorilla hills eco lodge (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 7: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge with the help of your guide and transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Accommodation: Ikoro hotel (Midrange)/ Travelers rest hotel (Budget)

Meal Plan: Full board

Day 8: Golden monkey habituation

Leave for the morning golden monkey habituation experience which will make you stay longer with the golden monkeys than the normal golden monkey trekking, you enjoy almost a full day with these great apes right from the time when they are still in their nest up the time, they will be breastfeeding their young ones and other daily activities, you stay with them for 4-6 hours. After the golden monkey habituation, you will transfer to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda via the Chanika border post. Upon arrival, you will check in at the lodge for relaxation, overnight stay, and dinner.

Accommodation: Five volcanoes (Midrange)/ Da vinci gorilla lodge (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 7: Gorilla trekking and Cultural tour

On this day, you will have a great time encountering the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park! After a tasty breakfast, your guide will pick you up from the lodge and transfer you to the briefing point for a briefing by ranger guides at 7:30 and 8:30 am about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. With a packed lunch, you will start the trek to track the gorillas and after locating them, you will only spend a maximum of 1 hour. This walk can take approximately 4-5 hours depending on where the gorillas slept the previous night.

After the trek, you hike back out of the park for lunch. After lunch, you will be taken to the Ibwiwachu community the gorilla guidance community. This afternoon you will visit the Ibwiwachu community where you will be introduced to traditional Rwanda through traditional; dances, poems, and dressing codes among others.

Accommodation: Five volcanoes (Midrange)/ Da Vinci Lodge (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 8: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Kivu

This will take us through the edges of the forest via potato fields and the briefing will be conducted in the same place where the usual Kinigi park office is located this means the trekking will take us 3-4 hours after the trekking, we shall transfer to Lake Kivu where you will check in at the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Serena Kivu (Midrange)/ Kivu Paradise (Budget)

Meal plan: Full board

Day 9: Boat ride and transfer to Kigali

After breakfast, you will explore the shores of beautiful Lake Kivu. You will take a relaxed boat ride which will give you a chance to explore one of the beautiful freshwater bodies in Rwanda. After the boat ride, you will return to the lodge for lunch and then drive to the airport for your flight back home.

End of Tour: 9 Days Great Apes Of Uganda And Rwanda

Inclusions

• Transportation
• English-speaking driver guide
• Full board meals
• Gorilla permits
• Golden monkey permits
• Bigodi wetland visit
• Batwa cultural tour
• Boat ride along Lake Kivu
• Chimpanzee permits
• Accommodation as stated above
• All entrance fees
• All activities mentioned above
• Meals as mentioned above

Exclusions

• Air tickets
• Visa fees
• Tips & gratuities
• Items that are not mentioned above