6-DAY GAHINGA & VIRUNGA SAFARI
To enquire about rates, availability or to make a booking for this safari , please email us at tours@tourseastafrica.com +44790.863.9450.
This is a 6 days gorilla safari tour that combines culture, adventure, gorillas and primates in both Rwanda and Uganda. When you choose this Rwanda & Uganda tour you will get the chance to explore some of the best visitor attractions that Rwanda and Uganda have to offer-Mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, volcano trekking adventure and visit the ancient Batwa Pygmies culture and their ways of living.
For your convenience and to avoid long overland drives, the safari tour will start and end in Kigali. On arrival to Kigali you will be driven straight across to Mt Gahinga National Park in Uganda for a chance to track the golden monkeys. After tracking the golden monkeys, you will then return to Volcanoes National Park in Virunga Rwanda for a chance to trek the rare mountain gorillas, in essence experiencing a bit of both Rwanda and Uganda on the same tour.
Highlights Include:
- Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
- Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga, Uganda
- A visit to the Batwa Pygmies community and experience their way of life and living.
- Kigali Genocide Memorial & city tour.
- Volcano hiking in Virunga Rwanda.
ITINERARY AND MAP
Day 1
If you are already in Kigali, you will be picked up from your Kigali hotel, otherwise on arrival at Kigali airport, you will be met and greeted by one of our driver guides who will brief you about your safari. We recommend flight arrival times before noon. You will set off with your driver straight to Mgahinga national park across the border in Uganda via the Cyanika border crossing. The drive time is roughly 4hours after factoring in border crossing formalities. Arrival at your Mount Gahinga Lodge is foreseen in the evening. Upon arrival at this beautiful cosy lodge you will be treated like royalty during your entire stay, as you soak in the splendid views of the Virunga Volcanoes.
O/N Mount Gahinga Lodge (L,D)
Day 2
After breakfast you start exploring the range of options available at Mgahinga National Park, including mountain gorilla tracking in Mgahinga, adventure hikes of Volcano Muhabura, Volcano Sabyinyo or Gahinga Volcano or enjoy a performance by the Batwa Pygmies and learn about their culture and history. The Batwa are one of the oldest tribes in Africa and as such an interaction with them is a very enriching cultural and historical experience.
Later in the evening you return to the lodge for another night of luxury at Mount Gahinga Lodge.
O/N Mount Gahinga Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 3
This morning after breakfast you will report at Mount Gahinga park headquarters for pre-trekking briefing of golden monkeys. You will be accompanied into the mountains in search of the golden monkeys by experienced tracking rangers. After finding the golden monkeys, you will return to Mount Gahinga Lodge for lunch and later drive across the Cyanika border into Rwanda and finally arrive at your lodge accommodation after a 2.5hrs drive. If you are staying at Virunga Lodge you will enjoy stunning views of the Virunga volcanoes of Karisimbi, Bisoke and Sabyinyo as well as view of the twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo. In the evening you are entertained by a colourful Intore Dance group performance over a warm fire on the balconies of the lodge.
O/N Virunga Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 4
Breakfast is served very early this morning and a packed lunch is prepared for you. We need a very early start to the gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park. You report at park headquarters by 7am for pre-gorilla trekking briefing on how to behave during the tracking process and when you meet with the gorillas. You get divided into groups of 8 persons each and then are transferred to the gorilla trekking trailheads by your driver guide. You set off in the forest with your expert tracking guides. After a gentle climb through thickets and bamboo you will meet with the gentle giants of the Virunga after about 3-6hrs depending on the gorilla family that you are assigned to track. You will spend 1 hour with the gorillas before returning to the base of the mountain where you will be reunited with your driver guide. Please note that some gorilla groups like the Sabyinyo group can be elusive and trekking may take a full day especially during the rainy season.
O/N Virunga Lodge
Day 5
Today choose from one of the optional tour activities below:
- Go for a second gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda. You would need to purchase an additional gorilla permit
- Trek to Dian Fossey’s grave as well as visiting the gorilla cemetery of Dian Fossey’s favourite gorilla named Digit.
- You may alternatively drive 1.5hrs to the lake Kivu beach town of Gisenyi and perhaps visit the DRC/Rwanda border town of Goma.
- Take a guided walk to the twin Lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera. As you take the walk, you will get the opportunity to experience local Rwanda life, watching local Rwandans going on about their daily life in the villages.
- You may also tour an orphanage in the area.
O/N: Virunga Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 6
Today, it is time to depart from beautiful northern Rwanda. It is almost the end of our 6 days safari tour of Volcanoes National Park Rwanda and Mount Gahinga National Park Uganda. We take away great memories of the mountain gorillas, the golden monkeys and cultural experiences of the Batwa to name but a few. After breakfast we embark on 3hours drive back to Kigali. On arrival, time permitting we shall do a Kigali city tour including a visit to a genocide memorial in Gisozi and visiting other tourist attractions in Kigali including a visit to a local market to purchase souvenirs for taking to loved ones and family back home. You will later be dropped off at Kigali airport for your departure onward international flight.
End of tour services.
To enquire about rates, availability or to make a booking for this safari , please email us at tours@tourseastafrica.com +44790.863.9450.