5-Day Bwindi Gorilla Trekking, Kalinzu Chimps & Wildlife Safari

Our tour guide will pick you up from your hotel or guest house in Kigali and drive you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The route passes through Rwanda's northern town of Ruhengeri, crosses into Uganda via the Kyanika border post, and continues through Kisoro town before reaching Bwindi, a journey of roughly 4 hours.

Since Bwindi is relatively close to Kigali, you can depart as late as around 11:00 AM Rwanda time and still arrive in the early afternoon, leaving time for optional activities such as nature hikes or a community visit.

Right after breakfast, you'll head to the Bwindi National Park gate for a pre-trek briefing. A national park guide will walk you through what to expect during the gorilla trek and assign you to a trekking group; other visitors'll likely join you. The trek itself can take anywhere from a few hours to most of the day, depending on how far the gorillas have moved into the forest.

Depart Bwindi in the morning and drive through the stunning landscapes of western Uganda toward Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving in the late afternoon. Round off the day with an afternoon game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, known for its lions and abundant plains game, before returning to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Start the day with an early breakfast at the lodge before heading out to the famed Kasenyi Plains, set within the vast savannahs of the Albertine Rift. It's a morning full of adventure, with chances to spot lions, herds of buffalo, elephants, Uganda kobs, topi, and bushbucks. The Big Five isn't guaranteed, but on a lucky day you might also spot leopards. Return to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, join a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel for more wildlife viewing from the water; expect crocodiles, buffalo, elephants, and a wide variety of bird species along the banks.

After an early breakfast, drive to Kalinzu Forest for a chimpanzee trek through their natural forest home. Along the way, keep an eye out for other primates such as colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and red-tailed monkeys. Following the trek, you'll transfer to Kigali or to Kampala/Entebbe to conclude your safari.