Encounter resilience and rare wildlife in Rwanda and Uganda.
Come face to face with heartbreaking history and incredible wildlife on a 6-day Premium journey through Rwanda and Uganda. See sombre reminders of Kigali’s devastating past, watch local life play out on the streets and witness a beautiful country that’s continuously striving to move forward. Enter the world of rare mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and spend a day tracking and observing these endearing creatures. This soul-stirring adventure won’t soon be forgotten.
Why you’ll love this trip
PREMIUM ACCOMMODATION
Our best accommodation and highest level of service.
PREMIUM EXPERIENCES
Unusual, exceptional and authentic on-trip experiences.
PREMIUM KNOWLEDGE
Led by our most experienced and highest rated local leaders.
- With your gorilla permit included in the price of the trip, spend a day trekking (with an optional second) through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to get close to Uganda’s rare mountain gorillas for an unforgettable hour.
- Wake up to spectacular views of the forest canopy during a three-night stay at our carbon neutral feature stay, the Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
- Take a closer look at Rwanda’s devastating history and the resilience of its people during a two-night stay at Kigali’s Hotel des Mille Collines, which famously sheltered more than 1000 people during the Genocide, plus visits to the Ntarama Church, the Nyamata Genocide Memorial Centre and the Genocide Museum
- Sit down to dinner with a local park ranger, learning about life in the wilderness and their special relationships with the mountain gorillas. This is one dinner conversation you’ve likely never had before!
- Enjoy a local street food favourite ‘rolex’ at a colourful lunch stop in Kigali. Rolex is actually a sandwich made out of flat bread called chapati with an omelette and extra toppings rolled like burrito.
Itinerary
Day 1: Kigali
Special Information
You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until tonight’s important welcome meeting at 6 pm. Please ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If you can’t arrange a flight that will arrive in time for this, consider arriving a day early so you are able to attend. If you are going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We’ll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have these to give to your leader.
Day 2: Kigali
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Special Information
In order to reduce plastic use at the lodge, water is provided in jars. We encourage you to travel with a reusable water bottle that can be refilled in the dining area.
Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Special Information
Be aware that the trek can be strenuous and may reach altitudes of almost 2,000 metres above sea level. Depending on weather conditions, some of the paths can be slippery and these paths themselves can change depending on the location of the gorillas. Therefore, it is very hard to predict how long you will need to walk for, but a good level of fitness is recommended for this trek. Rangers may allocate you to different trekking groups based on your fitness levels and the group may be split. Those who find the trek most strenuous can often be allocated to a gorilla group located closer to the base of the mountain, but this obviously cannot be guaranteed.
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Special Information
Please speak to your booking agent about purchasing an additional permit if you plan to do another gorilla trek today as the permit will need to be pre-booked (subject to availability). Please note that you’ll only be purchasing the permit itself and there are other associated costs that you’ll need to pay locally. This local expense varies depending how many people have pre-booked the second trekking to share the transport (ie. 250 USD for a maximum of 6 people sharing one jeep) and if porters may be needed etc. Your tour leader will be on hand to help organize that.
Day 6: Kigali
Special Information
Please don’t book any international flights departing before 6 pm this evening to allow for any unexpected delays. If you would like to extend your stay in Kigali, additional accommodation can be booked at Hotel des Mille Collines in advance (subject to availability).
Images Courtesy of Intrepid Group
INT – YGPU