8 days Uganda, Congo and Rwanda Safari
For your primate safaris in Africa, this 8 days Uganda, Congo and Rwanda safari will answers your nature’s questions about the gorillas in Africa when you get to access both the eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas. The safari experience will take you on an adventure in Kahuzi Biega National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Volcanoes National Park, where you will get to spend an hour with the species observing their behavior in the designated gorilla families. Enjoy the gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda when you hike the Virunga mountains in Rwanda, watching a number of rewarding attractions like the Albertine endemic species, like the colobus monkeys, golden monkeys, and many more. For gorilla trekking in Congo, you will hike the forest along the lowlands of Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega, and for your gorilla trekking experience in Uganda. You will hike through the impenetrable forests in any of the four sectors of the park to access the habituated gorilla families. Continue with the itinerary below for a more detailed experience while on your 8 days Uganda, Congo and Rwanda safari.
Highlights of your safari
Day 1: Pick-up from Kigali, Rwanda and cross to Bukavu
Day 2: Lowland gorilla trekking in Congo
Day 3: Transfer back to Kigali
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Day 6: Dian Fossey Museum and departure
Day 7: Transfer to Kigali city and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer back to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick-up from Kigali Rwanda and cross to Bukavu
Depending on your location in Kigali, our company representative-guide/driver will pick you up and transfer you to Kahuzi Biega National Park. While making your way to the park, you will watch the rolling hills in Rusizi with stopovers for lunch and a refreshing break. Cross through the Cyangugu border to Bukavu town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On arrival in Bukavu, the nearest town to Kahuzi Biega National Park, you will advance to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Panorama
Day 2: Lowland gorilla trekking in Congo
After enjoying your breakfast at the lodge, drive to the park headquarters for a briefing about the Eastern lowland gorillas and gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, and the rules and regulations to follow. After the session, you will then set off to search for the lowland gorillas in the valleys of Kahuzi as you encounter different mammals, birds, and primates. The experience will take between 1-6 hours experience of the jungle, depending on the gorilla movement. You will watch them interact/play with each other as you take photos and videos. You will then descend back and meet up with your driver to drive back to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay at Panorama Hotel.
Day 3: Transfer back to Kigali
After an early morning breakfast, head back to Kigali city. It’s a 7-hour drive passing through Nyungwe national park again, en route visit to the King’s palace in Nyanza and Butare national museum before proceeding to Kigali with lunch en route, connect to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Des Mille Collines.
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After an early morning breakfast, your guide will transfer to Volcanoes National Park, where you will arrive in time to participate in Ibyi’wacu cultural village tour. Have a guided walk around the village at the different sites that exhibit the different aspects of the people of the village to have an insight into the interesting features of the culture of the people of Rwanda. By visiting Ibyiwacu cultural village get to see a medicine man who is mixing a number of herbs that were used to cure a number of diseases like barrenness and impotence, stomach upsets, fever, and many more. If you’re interested, you can also get involved in mixing the herbs, which will give you an authentic experience. After the experience, head to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay. Tiloreza (mid-range) Amikus hotel (budget)
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from your hotel. Our guide will meet you after having your breakfast and your lunches packed, and he will take you to Kinigi Headquarters, where you are expected to be given a brief before starting the gorilla trek. This brief is done at 7 am. You are given guidelines during this brief before you are allowed to start the trek. This gorilla trek can take anywhere from 2 hours to half a day as it’s unpredictable. When you finally find the gorillas, you will have to maintain a 7 meters’ distance, and you are allowed one hour to admire and take photos of the gorillas. During the time you spend with the gorillas you will get the opportunity to understand a number of their rewarding features like how they co-exist with one another, you will get to watch the duty of the dominant silverback whose role is to mate with the adult females to increase the members of the family, raid other gorilla families for their members, you will watch the juveniles grooming one another for a rewarding safari experience. After the trek, you will then make your way back to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay as the night before.
Day 6: Dian Fossey Museum and transfer to Kigali city
Dian Fossey museum visit, where you will spend about 2 hours learning about the famous gorilla lady with artifacts that belonged to her, along with an impression of the Virunga ranges. This is a thrilling walk through the museum. Connect back to Kigali for lunch, and if you have more time, you may visit the Kimironko market to purchase some local souvenirs for the people back home, and also get to interact with the community
Day 7: Transfer to Kigali city and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will transfer to Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Cyanika border. Depending on the time you reach the hotel, you can get to participate in the Batwa trail experience, to understand more about the culture of the people of Rwanda. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in either of the sectors of the park.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer back to Kigali
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will make your way to transfer to the park headquarters in any sector of the park to embark on your gorilla trekking experience in Uganda, which will give you access to the habituated mountain gorillas in Africa. The safari experience will take about 2-7 hours, depending on the movement of the gorillas the previous night. During the safari experience, you will watch a number of different animal species as they go about their daily activities in the wild. Interesting about the safari experience, you will get to spend an hour with the species, understanding more about their behavior in the wild. After the safari experience, you will head back to Kigali city and the end of your 8 days Uganda, Congo and Rwanda safari.
Note that your Rwanda Visa expires immediately you cross into Congo so you will have to reapply for another while at the border and find it ready after the tour.
Quote includes:
- Pick up and drop off in Kigali
- Lowland gorilla permit
- Congo Visa
- English/ French speaking driver/guide
- Accommodation and meals as described in the itinerary
- 4X4 safari vehicle and Fuel.
- Bottled mineral water in the car
Quote excludes:
- International flight fees
- Rwanda and Uganda Visa
- Porters and walking sticks for trekking
- Tourist visa fees for Rwanda
- Items of a personal nature, like Laundry, Telephone calls, luxury drinks, among others.
- Tips and gratuities to service providers
- Any other item not mentioned in the itinerary, and extra costs not included in the itinerary
