Private • Rwanda
6 Days Rwanda and Uganda Double Gorilla Trekking Safari
Rwanda's Virunga volcanoes, golden monkeys, and Bwindi's ancient forest
Overview
About this journey
- Region
- Northern Province
- Duration
- 6 days
- Departures
- All year round
- Party size
- Up to 6
Experience the ultimate primate adventure on this 6-Day Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, featuring two unforgettable gorilla trekking experiences in two of Africa's most renowned gorilla destinations—Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. This unique safari also includes golden monkey tracking, optional hiking and cultural experiences, and breathtaking drives through the scenic landscapes of both countries.
Perfect for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers, this safari offers the rare opportunity to compare different gorilla families and habitats while exploring the rich biodiversity and cultures of Rwanda and Uganda.
Safari Highlights
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Golden monkey tracking
Optional Dian Fossey Tomb hike
Scenic drive through the Virunga Mountains
Cultural and community visits
Cross-border safari from Rwanda to Uganda
Professional English-speaking safari guide
Highlights
What you'll experience
Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Push through bamboo stands and stinging nettles until the forest floor shifts beneath someone's knuckles — and suddenly you are sitting ten metres from a silverback. Your hour with the family passes faster than any other hour you will ever spend.
Golden Monkey Morning
Cercopithecus kandti are fast and acrobatic in the bamboo above you, their russet-gold flanks flickering between stems. Mornings with the golden monkeys at the Virunga foothills are genuinely playful — a sharp contrast to the gravity of gorilla trekking the day before.
The Karisoke Trail and Fossey's Grave
The walk to Dian Fossey's research site in the saddle between Karisimbi and Bisoke is part history lesson, part pilgrimage. Her grave sits beside those of the gorillas she gave her life to protect — a quiet, mossy place that stays with you.
Crossing into Bwindi
The afternoon drive from the Rwandan border up into the Kigezi highlands trades volcano silhouettes for rolling tea farms and eucalyptus ridges. Arriving at Bwindi as the mist thickens off the canopy is its own kind of arrival.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi's gorillas live lower and denser than their Rwandan counterparts — the forest is older, darker, louder with birds. Guides from Arrive Africa Safaris brief you at the trailhead before you follow rangers into a world that genuinely earns the word impenetrable.
Kigali — First Light and City Rhythms
The drive from Kigali International Airport through the capital's clean, terraced hillsides sets the tone: Rwanda moves with intention. A city briefing over coffee grounds the trip before you head north toward the volcanoes.
Why choose us
Why choose a Private Journey?
This itinerary was built around one simple principle: two gorilla permits are always better than one. Rwanda and Uganda offer genuinely different encounters — different forest textures, different gorilla families, different emotional registers — and doing both back-to-back gives you context that a single-country trip simply cannot.
Both Gorilla Habitats, One Continuous Trip
Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest represent two of the world's rarest wildlife encounters. We connect them without dead days or redundant drives — the border crossing on Day 4 is logistically clean and well-practised by our team.
Small Group, Private Feel
With a maximum of six guests and a dedicated guide from start to finish, you are never waiting on a bus or sharing a briefing room with strangers. Your pace, your questions, your optional detours.
Permits Secured, Paperwork Handled
Gorilla permits in both Rwanda and Uganda must be booked well in advance and require careful coordination with park authorities. We hold allocations on your preferred dates and manage every detail — you arrive knowing your morning is already arranged.
Itinerary
Your day-by-day journey
Day 1
Arrival in Kigali – Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your professional guide from Arrive Africa Safaris. After a short briefing about your safari, begin your scenic drive north to Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda's premier gorilla trekking destination. The journey takes you through Rwanda's spectacular rolling hills, terraced farmland, picturesque villages, and breathtaking mountain scenery. As you approach the Virunga Mountain Range, enjoy magnificent views of the volcanic peaks that dominate the northern landscape.
Upon arrival, check in at your preferred lodge and spend the evening relaxing while preparing for your first gorilla trekking adventure.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Mid-range: La Palme Hotel or Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge
Luxury: Virunga Lodge or Gorilla Mountain View Lodge
Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After an early breakfast, transfer to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters for a briefing by Rwanda Development Board park rangers. During the briefing, you will learn about gorilla trekking regulations, conservation efforts, and safety guidelines before being assigned to one of the park's habituated gorilla families. Accompanied by experienced guides and trackers, venture into the lush rainforest and bamboo forests of the Virunga Mountains in search of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Depending on the location of the gorilla family, the trek may last between 2 and 6 hours, or occasionally longer during the rainy season when the terrain becomes more challenging. Once the gorillas are located, you will spend one unforgettable hour observing them in their natural habitat. Watch them feed, groom, play, and care for their young while enjoying one of the world's most remarkable wildlife encounters. Return to the lodge for a late lunch and spend the remainder of the day relaxing.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Mid-range: La Palme Hotel or Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge
Luxury: Virunga Lodge or Gorilla Mountain View Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Golden Monkey Tracking and Optional Activities
After breakfast, return to Volcanoes National Park for an exciting golden monkey tracking experience. Golden monkeys are playful and energetic primates found only in the Virunga Mountains. Watching these colorful monkeys leap through the bamboo forest offers a completely different wildlife experience from gorilla trekking. In the afternoon, you may choose from several optional activities depending on your interests:
Visit the beautiful shores of Lake Kivu, Explore the scenic Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, Hike Mount Bisoke or Mount Muhabura (optional), Visit local schools and community development projects
Tour conservation initiatives and cultural sites around Volcanoes National Park. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Kinigi Guest House
Mid-range: La Palme Hotel or Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge
Luxury: Virunga Lodge or Gorilla Mountain View Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
Optional Dian Fossey Hike – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
After breakfast, you may choose to relax at your lodge or take an optional hike to the Dian Fossey Tomb and Karisoke Research Center, where you will learn about the legendary primatologist's pioneering work in mountain gorilla conservation. Later, after lunch, continue your journey across the Rwanda–Uganda border to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to nearly half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Arrive at your lodge in the evening, surrounded by the ancient rainforest that will host your second gorilla trekking experience.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Mid-range: Gorilla Resort
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge (or similar)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today offers another extraordinary opportunity to encounter mountain gorillas, this time within Uganda's famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Following an early morning briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers, set off into the dense rainforest in search of one of Bwindi's habituated gorilla families. The trek varies in duration depending on the gorillas' location but rewards you with another unforgettable hour in the presence of these magnificent primates. Observing a different gorilla family allows you to appreciate their unique behaviors, personalities, and social interactions. After the trek, return to your lodge for lunch.
If time and energy permit, enjoy a guided nature walk or community visit to learn more about the forest ecosystem and the local communities living around Bwindi.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Mid-range: Gorilla Resort
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge (or similar)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
Return to Kampala or Entebbe – Departure
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and begin your scenic drive through southwestern Uganda. Travel past rolling hills, tea plantations, rural villages, and the famous Uganda Equator before continuing to Kampala or directly to Entebbe International Airport, depending on your departure schedule. Your guide will ensure you arrive in time for your onward flight, marking the end of your unforgettable 6-Day Rwanda and Uganda Double Gorilla Trekking Safari.
Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Safari Includes
Airport transfers
Transportation in a comfortable 4×4 safari vehicle
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
Rwanda gorilla trekking permit
Uganda gorilla trekking permit
Golden monkey tracking permit
Park entrance fees
Border crossing assistance
Five nights' accommodation
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
Bottled drinking water during the safari
Safari Excludes
International flights
Rwanda and Uganda visas (where applicable)
Travel insurance
Optional Dian Fossey hike
Optional volcano hikes
Alcoholic and soft drinks
Tips and gratuities
Personal expenses such as laundry, souvenirs, and telephone calls
Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
End of Your 6 Days Rwanda and Uganda Double Gorilla Trekking Safari
Meals · Breakfast
Inclusions
What is and isn't included
Included
- Airport transfer on arrival in Kigali and departure from Entebbe
- All accommodation on a full-board basis (breakfast, lunch, dinner) as listed
- One Rwanda mountain gorilla trekking permit per person
- One Uganda mountain gorilla trekking permit per person (Bwindi)
- Golden monkey trekking permit in Volcanoes National Park
- All park entrance fees for Rwanda and Uganda parks visited
- Private 4WD safari vehicle with pop-up roof throughout
- English-speaking guide from Arrive Africa Safaris for all six days
- Bottled water and trail snacks on all trekking days
- Trekking poles and porters available (porters charged locally)
Not included
- International flights to and from the region
- Entry visas and any transit visas
- Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory
- Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
- Laundry, telephone and other items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities for your guide, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional activities not listed in the day-by-day itinerary
Pricing
Available all year round
A private itinerary with no fixed departure dates. Rates are per person in USD.
Journey Details
Essential information
Minimum Age
15 years (gorilla trekking minimum age set by both Rwanda and Uganda park authorities)
Safari Duffel
Soft-sided bags recommended; maximum 15 kg for any internal flights if added to the itinerary
First Group Event
Trip briefing at Kigali airport on Day 1 at time of arrival
Last Group Event
Arrival at Entebbe International Airport, Day 6 evening
Guaranteed Departures
All listed departures operate with a minimum of 2 guests. Gorilla permits are allocated per departure — once confirmed, permits are non-transferable.
Alternate Sightseeing
On Day 3, guests may substitute the Karisoke trail walk for a guided hike on the lower slopes of Bisoke volcano or a visit to a local school programme in Kinigi, subject to availability.