5 Days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from kigali
This 5 Days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from kigali takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable and Kibale Forest National Parks in Uganda. This trip starts and ends in Kigali City, Rwanda.
Detailed Itinerary for this 5 Days Tour.
As earlier mentioned, this 5 day tour requires you to already be in Kigali in Rwanda. Your guide from Explore Rwanda Tours will pick you up from Kigali International Airport or from your designated hotel in Kigali city. The drive from Kigali to Bwindi National Park will take about 3-4 hours with one stopover for lunch. The accommodation options listed in this itinerary vary from budget to mid-range and luxury depending on your preference at the time of booking.
Day 1: Pick up from Kigali and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
On the 1st day of your 5 Days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from kigali, meet and greet with your tour guide at Kigali airport or hotel in Kigali depending on your pick up choice. Proceed with your drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, with lunch on route. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the number one destination for gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda. The national park has a total of 459 mountain gorillas with 15 habituated gorilla groups available for tourists to track. Once you reach the park, you will check into your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at Gorilla Friends Resort (Budget), Ichumba Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range), and Buhoma Haven Lodge (Luxury).
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest.
This is the day you have been anxiously waiting for. Have breakfast very early at you lodge as your guide will pick you up at 6am. You will embark on a short journey to the Parks headquarters in Buhoma. You are supposed to be at Buhoma at exactly 7am for a briefing by the park’s head ranger which will begin at 8am and then you will be put in groups of 8 individuals per group depending on the gorilla group you are going to track. Gorilla Trekking begins at exactly 8:30 am hence endeavor to always keep time.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a total of 15 habituated gorilla groups that are tracked from four trailheads. Of these 15 habituated gorilla groups, 3 are found in Buhoma area in the northwest part of the park; while 4 gorilla groups are situated in Ruhija in the eastern part of Bwindi and 8 gorilla groups in Nkuringo and Rushaga respectively, located south of Bwindi.
Each tracking group consists of strictly eight individuals with each group having a park guide and ranger. Tracking can take about 1- 6 hours depending how easily and quick the gorillas are spotted. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be give exactly an hour with them; hence you should maximize your time well and don’t forget to take lots of pictures without using your camera’s flash. The tracking trails can be very wet, steep and slippery thus you should wear a good pair of hiking boots.
After your tracking activity, you can proceed to have an optional hike to local communities and on this expedition, you can visit Batwa [pygmies] communities that have lived within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for many years. Get to watch various performances like; dance, singing, drumming and storytelling by the local dance groups.
Return back to your Lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
On the 3rd day of your 5 Days Uganda gorilla and chimpanzee safari from kigali, wake up early in the morning and have breakfast at your lodge. Check out of your Lodge and proceed with your transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. This national park, which was first established in 1932, is home to about 13 primate species that include; chimpanzees, Red Colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, and Black & White monkeys among others. You will have a stopover for lunch and later proceed with your drive to Kibale forest. Dinner and overnight stay at the Chimpanzee Guesthouse/Primate Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge.
Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest.
Today marks one of the highlights of your tour. Have a hearty breakfast at your lodge and proceed to drive to Kibale national park where you will trek chimpanzees from. Kibale National Park is home to about 1,500 chimps, most of which have been habituated. Chimpanzee trekking activities in the park start from Kanyanchu Visitor Center at 8am and 3pm respectively. Today you will be trekking in the morning so you have to be at the park by 7am. Chimpanzee trekking is done in groups of a maximum of 6 people per group, and the activity will take you about 3 hours inclusive of one hour that you will get to spend with the chimps once you have located them. Make sure that your camera is nearby and get ready to take lots of memorable pictures with these amazing apes.
After spending your quality hour with the chimps, you will have lunch and proceed with your journey to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. Here, you can either embark on a community tour or go deeper into the forest on a swamp walk. The community tour gives you an opportunity to interact with the locals, visit arts and craft stores, and watch wonderful dance performances from the local entertainment groups. Should you choose to do the swamp walk in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, be sure to have an amazing time viewing a variety of wildlife especially birds like the Rare Shoebill Stork.
Later retire back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 5: Transfer to Kigali.
Unfortunately, this is your last day with us and we hope you enjoyed most of your tour. Take your breakfast at leisure and then head out for a half day tour of Kigali City, depending on when your flight back home departs. While on your Kigali city tour, you can visit places like the Kigali genocide memorial center, camp Kigali, house of Richard Kandt, Nyamirambo Women’s Center, Caplaki craft village and Kimironko market; where you can grab yourself and your loved ones back home some souvenirs. Your guide will then drive you back to your hotel of straight to Kigali International Airport in time for you to check in and board your flight back home. End of Tour.
