9 Days Double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali
The 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali is an extraordinary safari that starts and ends in Kigali, Rwanda. The safari will take you to different national parks, including Bwindi impenetrable national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Kibale forest national park also known as the primate capital and Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale.
During the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will be able to engage in game drives and boat cruises where you will be able to spot different animals like buffaloes, lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, and giraffes, among others. You will also engage in an adventurous chimpanzee and gorilla trekking activity where you will get an opportunity to spend time with the chimpanzees and mountain gorillas in their natural environment.
Highlights of the 9 Days Double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 2: First gorilla trekking experience
Day 3: Second gorilla trekking experience
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 6: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 9: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Depending on your location in Kigali on the first day of the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will be welcomed by a company representative from Achieve Global Safaris who will brief you about the safari and then you will go for a short city tour in Kigali, where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial Centre, Kimironko market, art centers, among others. After the city tour, you will start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park with an en-route lunch and stunning views of the rolling hills, traditional homesteads, Kigezi hills, and tea and banana plantations, among others on the way. Upon arrival in Bwindi national park, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: First gorilla trekking experience
On the second day of the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will have breakfast and carry your packed lunch to go for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest, which takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primates, different bird species, and plant and tree species, among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their environment, where you will get an opportunity to learn about their habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari. After the encounter with the mountain gorillas, you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Second gorilla trekking experience
After breakfast on the third day of the 9 days double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will carry your packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to go for a gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the mountain gorillas, which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them, where you will get a chance to learn more about their habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari. After the encounter with the mountain gorillas, you will meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On the fourth day of the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will have breakfast at the lodge, check out and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way, you will have a stopover in the Ishasha sector, where you will be able to view the tree-climbing lions lying on acacia/fig tree branches if you are lucky. After the game drive in the Ishasha sector, you will have lunch en route and then proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Morning game drive/lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast on the fifth day of the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in the park, where you will be able to spot animals like lions, leopards, and hyenas looking for a morning hunt; view other animals like waterbucks, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, elephants, and warthogs; and view different bird species, among others. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for an amazing boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water body that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. During the boat cruise, which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos in water, view Nile crocodiles basking on the water banks, view buffaloes, elephants, and antelopes drinking water along the shores, and view aquatic bird species like cormorants, hornbills, kingfishers, and bee-eaters, among others. After the boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park
On the sixth day of the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will have breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to go for another morning game drive in the park, where you will be able to view some of the animals that you might have missed during the previous game drive. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch, whereafter you will check out and start the journey to Kibale forest national park which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
After breakfast on the seventh day of the 9 days double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide, which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located. During trekking, you will be able to view different primate species, birds, and plant and tree species among others and once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their habitat, where you will be able to learn about their habits and behaviors and watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, take photos and record videos.
After the encounter with the chimpanzees, you will return back to the lodge for lunch, whereafter you will go for an interesting Bigodi swamp walk, where you will be able to spot different birds, primates, and plant and tree species, among others. After the swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi—boat ride
On the eighth day of the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, which is the deepest freshwater lake in Uganda. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch, whereafter you will go for an interesting boat ride on the lake, where you will be able to explore different islands, enjoy great views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, and terraced farmlands, and spot different bird species and animals, among others. After the boat ride, you will return to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Departure to Kigali
On the last day of the 9-day double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to Kigali with lunch en route. Upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali international Airport for your departure flight/drop-off at your hotel, depending on your schedule.
End of 9 Days Double gorilla trekking safari from Kigali
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park entrance fee/game drives
- Boat cruise
- Lion tracking experience
- Services of a professional English-speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off in Kigali
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, and tips, among others.
