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Launched in July 2022 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Volcanoes Safaris, this 10-day safari allows guests to experience trekking the gorillas in both Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the Virunga mountains of Mgahinga National Park. You will also see the endangered golden monkeys, experience the ancient Batwa culture in Mgahinga, search for the lost chimps of Kyambura Gorge, before finishing your safari in the savannah of Queen Elizabeth National Park to see the famous tree-climbing lions.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge
Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Visit the Gahinga Batwa Village at Mount Gahinga Lodge
Enjoy local street food at Bwindi Bar
Community visits at all lodges
Write to us on [email protected] or send us a message via the form on our contact page.
Rwanda: +250 (0) 252 502 452
Uganda: +256 (0) 414 346 464
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Day 1
Arrive at Entebbe airport where a staff representative will assist you with the check-in and transfer to your domestic flight to Kisoro which departs at 7am. Upon arrival at Kisoro you will be welcomed by your expert guide who will provide knowledge and assistance throughout your journey.
The lodge is located at the foot of the Virunga Volcanoes and near the entrance to the national park. 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 (lunch, dinner)
Day 2
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.Â
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.Â
Gorilla trekking requires stamina and can sometimes take a full day, especially if it is wet and muddy.
Later 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 will participate to the Batwa Heritage Tour to gain insight into their traditional life as hunter gatherers in the forest.Â
Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 3
A relaxed morning during which you can 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.
If time allows, you can visit the Batwa Vocational Center and or hike the Gisozi caldera in the afternoon. The lodge has beautiful terraced gardens where you can choose to sit and relax while enjoying afternoon drinks and canapes.
Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 4
After an early breakfast transfer from Gahinga Lodge to Kisoro airstrip. Fly to Kihihi and transfer to Bwindi Lodge. Spend the day relaxing at the lodge and exploring the walks in the gardens along the stream, have a signature ‘Rungu’ massage in the Bwindi Humula Forest Spa, and enjoy a demonstration of our local tea processing cooperative.Â
Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails on the veranda that overlooks our namesake forest with the calls of more than 150 bird species echoing in the distance.
Driving time approximately 2 to 3 hours. Flying time 20 minutes.Â
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 neighbouring communities.Â
Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 6
Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 7
Your safari now continues to Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Travelling via Ishasha you can observe the unusual behaviors exhibited by the tree-climbing lions. The journey through the rapidly changing landscape takes you through Queen Elizabeth National Park and to Kyambura Gorge Lodge.Â
In the afternoon you can visit the Kyambura Gorge wildlife buffer zone and plant a tree seedling. See how coffee is grown and then processed by hand by the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative. Walk back to the lodge through the Kyambura wetland reclamation project.
Enjoy pre-dinner drinks on the veranda overlooking the savannah plains with the magnificent Rwenzori Mountains on the horizon.
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (lunch, dinner)
Day 8
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.
After lunch, you will walk from the lodge directly down into Kyambura Gorge, to search for the ‘Lost Chimpanzees 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. This group of isolated chimps are quite mobile and viewing can be unpredictable but the walk itself is exciting and enchanting.
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 9
After a bush breakfast overlooking the savannah will go for a second chimpanzee trek in Kyambura Gorge.
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.
After your boat cruise harvest honey with the Kyambura bee-keeping cooperative, see a performance from the Omumushaka Dance Group, and go on a gorge walk to see birds, monkeys and other wildlife around Kyambura Gorge Lodge.Â
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Day 10
After breakfast at the lodge transfer to the Kasese airstrip. Leave with the morning or afternoon return flight to Entebbe and connect in time for your international flight.
Driving time approximately 2 hours. Flying time 1 to 1.5 hours.
Please book international flights departing after 8pm.
Tracking mountain gorillas through the dense African forests is a magical experience. Only eight visitors are allowed per gorilla group each day, and to minimize possible transmission of human diseases, visitors are asked to maintain a distance of 10m from the gorillas. Typically, tracking can take from 3 to 8 hours and requires some agility and fitness; however, all fitness levels can be accommodated and no one should feel deterred from missing this once in a lifetime experience.
Tracking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor is nothing short of exhilarating. The chimps effortlessly cross and scamper through the trees above the gorge, and visitors on the other hand must cross the river using natural bridges in order to keep up with the chimps. So although the walk usually lasts only 2–3 hours, descending the steep gorge and crossing the log bridges over the river requires some agility and fitness.
Chimpanzee tracking is also available in nearby Kalinzu, a forest reserve 30 minutes drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge where there is a community of about 40 habituated chimpanzees.
Join a local scientific researcher on his daily game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to locate and record the behavior of a lion pride he is studying. This activity is best done in the mornings when there is ample time to track the pride and chances of finding them are high.
The Kazinga Channel is a 32-kilometer long channel, rich in wildlife, that links Lakes Edward and George. Boat trips down the channel depart from Mweya Safari Lodge (about an hour’s drive through the park from Kyambura Gorge Lodge) and last 3-4 hours. The boat cruise provides a wonderful opportunity to photograph the many animals that come to cool off at the waters’ edge, including lion, buffalo, hippo, elephant, and leopard.
With only a small number remaining in the world, the Golden Monkey can be found in the foothills of the volcanic mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Characterized by its bright golden body, cheeks and tail, with contrasting black limbs, crown and tail end, these playful primates are a pleasure to watch. Whether you choose to do this on the Rwandan or Ugandan side, the walk will take you from the bamboo stands and forested gorge on the lower levels of the volcanoes, to the elevated heath and moorland higher up.
Guests staying at Virunga Lodge or Gahinga Lodge have easy access to the Virunga chain of volcanoes, which offer challenging hikes and stunning panoramas. The three most popular volcanoes to climb are Mt. Gahinga, Mt. Sabyinyo, and Mt. Muhavura. These hikes are of varying difficulty and typically take a full day. The treks starts at 7:00am from the park headquarters, from where visitors drive to the base of the volcano.
Write to us on [email protected] or send us a message via the form on our contact page.
Rwanda: +250 (0) 252 502 452
Uganda: +256 (0) 414 346 464