4-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari via Lake Kivu

Explore Lake Kivu
Track Golden Monkeys
Gorilla Trekking Bwindi NP

This 4-day adventure is the best of wildlife safaris in Uganda, offering you the opportunity to spot creatures from Uganda’s myriad of natural wonders. See the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, track golden monkeys in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and explore Lake Kivu in Rwanda.

Tour Highlights

Track the rare mountain gorillas through the mountains of Bwindi National Park
Explore Kigali city (museum & markets)
Trek golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Discover Lake Kivu and its surroundings
Sunset or sunrise canoeing at Lake Mutanda

Click the Tabs to Find out More

Trip Details

Trip Details

Price

Adults (15-80): $2,651

Please inquire for the budget accommodation price, this is our mid-range accommodation tour

2 persons or more: $1,938 per person
3 persons or more: $1,842 per person
4 persons or more: $1,694 per person


Departure Time

Anytime between 7:00 am to 11:00 am Kigali time


Meeting Point

We offer pick-up to the following places for this experience:

  • Kigali city
  • Kigali International Airport

Availability

Monday to Sunday, year-round


Duration

4 days


Difficulty Level

Moderate – uphill trekking


Group size

1 to 5 persons


Included

  • Meals: 3 x breakfasts, 3 x dinners, 3 x lunches
  • Accommodation included: 3 nights
  • Transport in 4×4
  • Gorilla trekking permits ($700 per permit)
  • Park entrance fees:
    • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Not Included

  • Optional activities (see tab 4)
  • Visas, travel insurance, and items of personal nature
  • Flights (domestic and international)

What to Bring

  • Hiking boots
  • Garden gloves
  • Rain jacket or poncho
  • Long-sleeved shirt/blouse
  • Cameras and extra batteries
  • Hat/cap and sunglasses
  • Pair of binoculars
  • Flashlight (torch)
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Other items to include: zoom lens for wildlife shots and energy bars/bites

Participation Requirements

  • Age restriction: 15-80 years old
  • A valid passport is required on the day of travel
  • This tour is not wheelchair accessible
  • We advise against people with heart problems or other serious medical conditions participating on this tour
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Good to Know

On day 2, depending on the availability of gorilla permits, we may propose trekking gorillas at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

What You’ll Do

We will pick you up at Kigali Airport or downtown Kigali and drive you to Bwindi National Park. The scenic 4-5-hour drive to Uganda will take you through Rwanda’s northern town of Ruhengeri and then cross over into Uganda via the Cyanika or Katuna border post. The trip continues through the nearby Kisoro or Kabale town and finally into Bwindi National Park. Arriving at Bwindi National Park in the early afternoon will allow you to do optional activities such as hiking, canoeing, or visiting the local community. ​

Today is a special day! The gorilla safari Uganda is famous for. You will head to Bwindi National Park immediately after breakfast to get a briefing about the gorilla trek. The presentation will cover the basics of what to expect during the trek, how to approach the animals for both your and their safety. The national park guide will assign all visitors a gorilla family to track and after that, your adventure begins. Depending on how far the gorillas are inside the forest, the trek can last from 3 to 8 hours, the average time being between 3 and 5. Venture into the vegetation until you come across these incredible creatures, it is a truly unique experience. After the trek, you will return to the lodge to relax, eat dinner, and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

This trip will take you to trek the golden monkeys, an endemic Mgahinga Gorilla National Park species in southwestern Uganda. You will enter the forest and walk through the bamboo vegetation and various indigenous plants like giant lobelia. Your national park guide will tell you about the national park’s history and the fauna and flora that the park holds during the trip. The golden monkey trek should take about 5 hours. After the golden monkey trek, we will drive to Lake Kivu (Gisenyi area) via the Cyanika border.

 

This will be the last of the day of the tour. We will drive from Lake Kivu to Kigali.  The drive from Volcanoes National Park to Kigali is estimated to take 4hrs.

Accommodation & Meals

We will choose from one of these lodges according to availability.

Optional Activities on Days 1 & 3:

  • The Batwa Trail Cultural Tour inside Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – $80 USD
  • Visit the Batwa Community in the Village – $30 USD
  • Canoe Trekking at Lake Mutanda – $30 USD
  • Coffee-Making Experience – $30 USD
  • Mabungo Community Village Tour in Kisoro – $30 USD
  • Boat trip on the Mweya Peninsular – $30 USD

See our Local Experiences(opens in a new tab) page for more information on each activity.

See What Our Previous Guests Have Said...


You May Also Like…


Baby gorillas sit next to each other on this gorilla watching uganda tour.
A silverback gorilla plays in the forest on this Uganda gorilla trek.
A tree-climbing lion cub lounges on the branch of a tree.