Gorilla trekking in Rwanda and golden monkeys in Uganda

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be combined with golden monkeys in Uganda in a 5-day gorilla tour. Rwanda and Uganda are leading tourist destinations in East Africa for mountain gorilla tourism. Rwanda and Uganda are a homeland for more than 50% of the remaining mountain gorillas. A gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda, a land of thousand hills, can be a life-changing adventure.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is done at the flagship Volcanoes National Park, which boasts more than ten gorilla groups. Note that each Rwanda gorilla family is visited by a maximum of 8 tourists per day. This means only 96 gorilla permits are available daily in Volcanoes National Park. This makes gorilla trekking permits competitive, so booking a Rwanda gorilla safari in advance is highly recommended.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda to encounter gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park can be combined with a golden monkey tracking experience in Uganda. Golden monkey tracking in Uganda is done in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the smallest of the ten national parks in Uganda, located in the district of Kisoro in the southwest. This Afromontane forest shares a border with Volcanoes National Park and is a 2hrs drive from the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Spending 5-days on such a Rwanda gorilla safari provides an opportunity to add other experiences, such as a Kigali city tour and a visit to the Genocide Memorial and Museum in Kigali. A short visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda to see the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha can be included in the 5-day Uganda and Rwanda gorilla tour. Even a stopover at the Kalinzu Forest Reserve for a chimpanzee trekking experience can fit within the 5-day gorilla safari. A sample itinerary for the 5-day trip can follow this schedule:

On day one of the 5-day Rwanda gorilla trek and Uganda golden monkeys, a pickup in Kigali city or Kigali airport will be scheduled, an optional Kigali city tour, and a Genocide museum visit and transfer to Volcanoes National Park. There is also an option to visit the Ibyiwacu culture centre near Kinigi Volcanoes National Park headquarters to experience the Rwanda culture. Other activities in Kigali city include visiting Kimironko Market and the Ivuka Arts Centre.

On day two of the 5-day gorilla safari, the gorilla trekking experience at Volcanoes National Park will be the main activity. After the gorilla trekking in Rwanda, drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda via the Cyanika (Kyanika) land border crossing. Accommodation in Uganda will be organized either at the Lake Mutanda area or near the Rushaga gate of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The recommended midrange lodges near Mgahinga Gorilla National Park include Mutanda Lake Resort and Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge. For budget accommodation at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp would be an excellent option. Lodges at the Rushaga gate of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park would be out of the way.

The primary activity for day three of the Uganda golden monkey tour is the Golden Monkey Tracking adventure at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The golden monkey trek starts at the Ntebeko gate of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and takes about 5hrs. Community activities such as visiting a Batwa Cultural Village can be arranged in the afternoon. Or consider a short hike to the nearby Gisozi Kings Hill, which provides fantastic views of the Virunga Volcanoes and the Uganda-Congo border line of Bunagana.

Driving to Queen Elizabeth National Park would be the schedule for day four. The major highlights of the day include sighting the tree-climbing lions at the Ishasha sector. In the afternoon, a boat trip on the Kazinga channel is scheduled, where there is a chance to see abundant wildlife, including hippos, buffalos, lions, and a range of rare and endemic birds.

On day five of this thrilling gorilla safari adventure of Rwanda and Uganda, a chimpanzee trekking experience is planned at the Kalinzu Forest Reserve. While the Kalinzu Forest is less famous than Kibale National Park, the chances of sighting chimps are high. The chimp trekking safari at Kalinzu forest will take about 4-5hrs, then drive back to Kigali city. The drive to Kigali will take 6hrs via the Katuna (Gatuna) border crossing in the Kabale district. Note that it is also possible to drive to Kampala or Entebbe instead. The bonus activity of going to Kampala or Entebbe at the end of the Kalinzu chimp trek is a stopover at the Equator crossing near Masaka town.

If you are interested in booking gorilla trekking in Rwanda and a golden monkey tour in Uganda on this thrilling 5-day gorilla trek that combines gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda with golden monkey tracking in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, consider contacting Bamboo Ecotours by email at info@bambooecotours.com