Newly launched in 2024, this 7-night Great Ape Conservation Safari takes you to Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Combining exceptional wildlife viewing with the opportunity to participate in vital conservation projects and meet the people who work to protect the great apes, this safari gives you behind-the-scenes access to conservation and community projects run by Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust.
Spend three nights each at Kyambura Gorge Lodge and Mount Gahinga Lodge and explore the wonderful changing landscapes and exceptional biodiversity of the Albertine Rift. Enjoy early morning walking safaris through the rolling savannah and Kyambura Gorge, a magical sunken rainforest, to search for the 'Lost Chimps of Kyambura’.
Join the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Team as they identify large carnivores as part of an annual census and participate in the Kyambura Ecotourism Project, a series of initiatives in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute which aims to protect a small isolated group of chimpanzees and the fragile gorge ecosystem in which they live.
At Mount Gahinga Lodge, visit the Batwa Village and learn about the ancient culture of one of the oldest surviving indigenous people in the Central African Region. Trek to see the rare golden monkey and end your safari with a trek to the enchanting and playful Nyakagezi gorilla family, the only gorilla group in Mgahinga Park and famous for its high number of silverbacks.
2025 Rates from $12,310 per person for this 7-day all-inclusive safari, including a tax deductible donation of $3,000 per person, used to fund the Gahinga Batwa Village and the Kyambura Gorge Ecotourism Project.
Trekking mountain gorillas in dense African forests is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Groups of eight visit per day, maintaining a 10m distance to protect the gorillas. Treks last 3-8 hours, requiring some fitness, but all levels are accommodated for this unforgettable adventure.
Golden monkeys, with their striking golden fur and playful nature, inhabit the volcanic foothills of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Treks lead through bamboo forests and moorlands, offering a chance to observe these rare primates in their natural habitat.
Guests at Virunga Lodge and Mount Gahinga Lodge can embark on exhilarating climbs of the Virunga volcanoes—Mt. Gahinga, Mt. Sabyinyo, and Mt. Muhavura. Each offers unique challenges and stunning views, with hikes starting early and lasting a full day.
Experience the vibrant Intore dancers in the afternoon, a local troupe supported by the Volcanoes Safari Partnership Trust since 2004. With 18 performers, they showcase Rwanda’s traditional ballet, ‘The Intore,’ a powerful courtly dance honoring the victory rituals of the Rwandan kings.
Established in 1967, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is dedicated to protecting and studying gorillas and their habitats, as well as empowering the communities that live near these forests. With a team of nearly 300 professionals working in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Fossey Fund is the world’s longest-running and largest organization focused entirely on gorilla conservation.
Join a veterinarian from Gorilla Doctors for an enlightening briefing on gorilla health and conservation strategies. Learn about their unique One Health approach and life-saving veterinary practices dedicated solely to the conservation of endangered mountain and eastern lowland gorillas.
In 2024, a new vocational center near Virunga Lodge will offer training in carpentry and tailoring to local youth, empowering communities with practical skills and apprenticeships. This initiative supports sustainable livelihoods for neighboring communities.
Established in 1967, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is dedicated to protecting and studying gorillas and their habitats, as well as empowering the communities that live near these forests. With a team of nearly 300 professionals working in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Fossey Fund is the world’s longest-running and largest organization focused entirely on gorilla conservation.
In 2014, Virunga Lodge launched the “One Sheep per Family” project, providing sheep to families in nearby villages. The sheep produce manure for crops and offspring for income. With support, hundreds of families in Sunzu, Bugeyo, Kigugu, and Nyagatoki villages have benefited, fostering sustainable farming and community growth.
Virunga Lodge provides water tanks to local communities facing water shortages despite heavy rains. Since 2016, tanks have been donated to all households in Sunzu and many in Bugeyo village, improving access to clean water for drinking and farming. The project aims to support more families by 2024.
The Batwa Cultural Heritage Site at Mount Gahinga Lodge preserves Batwa traditions through a herbal garden, traditional huts, and a trail where they demonstrate forest life, hunting, and honey collection to Volcanoes Safaris guests. The VSPT aims to expand this site to safeguard Batwa culture.
The Batwa are thought to be one of the oldest surviving indigenous people in the Central African Region. Known for their unique culture in the forests, the Batwa of the Virunga Mountains survived by hunting small game, gathering plants and fruits, living in caves and constructing huts of leaves and branches.
Arrive in Uganda at Entebbe Airport where a Volcanoes Safaris representative will assist you to your hotel.
Overnight at Hotel No. 5 (dinner, breakfast)
Transfer from your hotel to Entebbe airport where a representative will assist you with your domestic flight to Kasese airstrip, where you will be welcomed by your expert Volcanoes Safaris guide who will provide knowledge and assistance throughout your journey.
Drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park for approximately 2 hours to Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Visit the Rwenzori Sculpture Foundation on the way and learn about the cultural partnership with Volcanoes Safaris to support young Ugandan artists.
In the afternoon, harvest honey with the Kyambura bee-keeping cooperative, or go on an early evening walk to the Kyambura wetlands to see birds, monkeys and other wildlife.
Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails on the veranda overlooking the sweeping views of the rolling savanna and the sunken Kyambura Gorge.
Flying time between 1 to 1.5 hours, driving time 1-2 hour. Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (lunch, dinner)
Enjoy an early breakfast and set out for a morning game drive for the best wildlife viewings in the park. Depending on the season the wildlife seen varies. The Kasenyi plains are excellent for sighting lion and large herds of Uganda kob. The Mweya peninsula is one of the best places to look for leopard, which live in the dense, scrubby thickets.
You will be joined by a member of the Kyambura Wildlife Team on your game drive who will teach you how to take lion identification photos and track your GPS, which will form part of an annual carnivore census as part of the Lion Monitoring Project.
After lunch, participate in the Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project, run by Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute. Try roasting coffee with the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative, plant a tree seedling in the wildlife buffer zone and review camera traps along the lodge’s extensive trails and check for photos of any animals captured during the night.
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
After an early bush breakfast overlooking the park, walk along the Fig Tree Trail and then 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. The walk is exciting and enchanting as you look for members of this mobile chimp group, often seen moving quickly between the canopy overhead as they search for food.
In the afternoon take a cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which flows between Lakes Edward and George. Kazinga is home to one of the greatest concentration of hippo in Africa and herds of elephant, buffalo and other animals come to drink at the waters edge. The channel is a magnet for waterbirds, with great flocks of pelicans and others birds on the shore, and a great spot to see African fish eagle.
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Transfer to Kasese Airstrip for an early morning flight to Kisoro. 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.
In the afternoon visit the Gahinga Batwa Village and experience the culture and history of one of Africa’s oldest tribes. On your tour, you will visit their new village and community centre and can participate in the Batwa Heritage Tour to gain insight into their traditional life as hunter gatherers in the forest.
Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails and a fireside chat with a vet from the Gorilla Doctors and learn about their daily work looking after the health of the mountain gorillas.
Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
After enjoying an early breakfast, 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.
After a climb of between one and three hours the moment you find the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged one. You will spend one hour in the company of the majestic and gentle mountain gorillas before returning to the lodge in time for a late lunch.
Gorilla trekking requires stamina and can sometimes take a full day, especially if it is wet and muddy.
Relax after your day’s tracking experience and enjoy a complimentary spa treatments and massages, including the famous Rungu massage at Gahinga Spa and Sauna. Visit the Batwa Vocational Center and see how the community are earning a sustainable income through craft making.
Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
After enjoying an early breakfast, set off to track the rare golden monkeys through the bamboo forests of the mountains. The monkeys travel 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.
Later in the afternoon hike the Gisozi caldera and enjoy sundowners over magical views of the Kisoro valley, with Lake Mutanda in the distance.
Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Transfer from Mount Gahinga Lodge to Kisoro airstrip for your morning flight to Entebbe and then connect to your international flight.
Approximate Travel Times: Flying 1 to 1.5 hours; Driving time 1 hour.
Please book international flights departing after 7pm.
(Breakfast at the lodge)
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