Day 1

Arrive at Entebbe airport where a staff representative will assist you to your 7am flight to Kasese airstrip. In Kasese you will be welcomed by your expert Volcanoes Safaris guide who will provide knowledge and assistance throughout your journey.

Drive for approximately 1.5 hours to Kibale Lodge, near Kibale National Park. The lodge has stunning views of the Rwenzori Mountains, known as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’.

In the afternoon, explore the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The reserve is abundant with butterflies, plants, animals and birds. Spectacular birds like Great Blue Turaco and rare Papyrus Gonolek will be of great interest to birders. The swamp is also home to more elusive animals such as Red Colobus monkeys and Sitatunga antelope.

Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails on the terrace overlooking the magnificent Rwenzori Mountains. You will be joined for dinner by a primatologist from the Kibale Chimpanzee Project who will talk about their long term research program and the conservation issues relating to chimpanzees in Kibale.

Flight time 1 hour, Driving time 1.5 hours. Overnight at Kibale Lodge (lunch, dinner)

Day 2

Spend the morning tracking the exuberant chimp families in Kibale Forest, the ‘Primate Capital of the World’. Tracking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor, is a thrilling experience, with the forest becoming alive with their noisy calls.

Depart for Kyambura Gorge Lodge and Queen Elizabeth National Park, en route visit the Rwenzori Sculpture Foundation on the way to the lodge and learn about the partnership with Volcanoes Safaris to support young Ugandan artists.

In the afternoon, participate in the Kyambura Gorge Ecotourism Project, run by Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust (VSPT) and learn about our partnership to protect the gorge and chimpanzees with the Jane Goodall Institute. Try roasting coffee with the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative, go birding in the Kyambura reclaimed wetlands, plant a tree seedling in the wildlife buffer zone, or harvest honey with the Kyambura bee-keeping cooperative.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 3

After breakfast walk from the lodge directly down into Kyambura Gorge, to search for the ‘Lost Chimps of Kyambura’. The gorge is an extraordinary natural environment and forms a stark contrast to the surrounding grasslands. Here you can track one of our closest animal relatives: the chimpanzee. Explore the magical gorge and enjoy the surprises of a walking safari. Your guide will help you track footprints and understand about the diverse wildlife living in and around this unique natural habitat.

In the afternoon take a wildlife boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, home to one of the greatest concentration of hippo in Africa and herds of elephant, buffalo and other animals come to drink at the water’s edge.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 4

Enjoy an early breakfast and set out for a morning game drive with the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Team. The Kasenyi plains are excellent for sighting lions, leopard, elephant and buffalo. The Mweya peninsula is one of the best places to look for leopards, which live in the dense, scrubby thickets. Track your GPS and take lion identification photos, to submit to the Lion Monitoring Team. Check camera traps in the park as part of the survey for leopard and hyena.

In the afternoon your safari continues to the primeval Bwindi forest. Driving through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park who can look for the famous tree-climbing lions in the fig trees. The fascinating journey through the rapidly changing landscape takes you up in the highlands to Bwindi Lodge situated on the edge of the impenetrable forest.

Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails on the veranda overlooking the dramatic Bwindi Forest. You will have a fire side chat with staff from Gorilla Doctors ahead of your gorilla trek the next morning.

Approximate driving time 5-6 hours. Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (lunch, dinner)

Day 5

After enjoying an early breakfast, you set off gorilla tracking. Trekking through the steep, densely forested hills and then finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Tracking in the Bwindi forest can be steep and requires stamina as some gorilla families can be more elusive, and tracking can take a full day, especially if it is wet and muddy.

Visit the award-winning Bwindi Bar on the way back to the lodge after your gorilla trek and celebrate with the signature Gorillini cocktail! Bwindi Bar provides hospitality training to young disadvantaged youth from the neighboring communities.

Approximate driving time up to 2 hours, depending on the location of the gorilla groups.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 6

Transfer to Kihihi Airstrip for a morning flight to Kisoro Airstrip. Transfer by road for 1 to 2 hours to Mount Gahinga Lodge. The lodge is located at the foot of the Virunga Volcanoes and on the edge of Mgahinga National Park.

On arrival at Mgahinga, proceed direct to park for golden monkey tracking. The monkeys move in large groups and are as energetic as they are photogenic, often seen playing in the high branches or foraging on the ground for bamboo shoots.

Visit the Gahinga Batwa Village and experience the culture and history of one of Africa’s oldest tribes. Visit their new village and community centre and participate in the Batwa Heritage Tour to gain insight into their traditional life as hunter gatherers in the forest.

Enjoy your pre-dinner cocktails on the terrace with stunning views of the Volcanoes or warm yourself inside by the cosy fire.

Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Day 7

Drive across the border into Rwanda and to Virunga Lodge (driving time approximately 2 hours). The magnificent Virunga Lodge is perched on the top of a hill with panoramic views of the chain of volcanoes and Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo.

Drive to Musanze to visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus to Dian Fossey (a donation of $20 is required on site for a self-guided tour of the facility). Continue to Virunga Lodge and do a site inspection on arrival. Enjoy lunch looking over the twin lakes. Later, visit the community center and enjoy a performance by the Intore Dancers at the helipad.

Overnight at Virunga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Day 8

Have early breakfast and depart for Kigali (approximately 3 hours). Enjoy a city tour and visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial – a moving testimony to this country’s past that it has courageously overcome (pay/donate entrance fees directly).

Transfer to the airport in time for your return flight.
(breakfast at the lodge, lunch)

Please book international flights departing after 8pm.
(breakfast and lunch)