Overview
The 8-day safari in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) takes you on special primate encounters in the lush African jungle. Expect to enjoy up close and personal encounters with the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the unique Eastern Lowland gorillas in Congo’s Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up at the airport & drive to the hotel
Upon arrival at the Kigali International Airport (KGL), expect to meet and greet your safari expert. You will have a short introduction from your safari guide about your trip then you exit the airport. You will be safely transferred to the pre-booked hotel in the beautiful and clean Kigali city. Have a long evening for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 2: Kigali city tour & Transfer Bukavu
Early in the morning, you will have a remarkable treat to a Kigali city tour for you to explore the different historical and cultural sites. Expect to visit the Kigali genocide site, museums, and nearby craft centers. Later, proceed to the Congo border to cross Bukavu to check in at your hotel.
Day 3: Bukavu to Kahuzi-Biega to track Lowland gorillas
After a hefty breakfast, you will embark on an hour’s drive up to Kahuzi-Biega Park offices to meet the officials for briefing. Get to know the set gorilla trekking regulations to be observed as you track lowland gorillas. Habituated lowland gorillas and park ranger guides will also be allocated to you. You will be spending about 2-6 hours in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park jungles as you search for a family of lowland gorillas. A maximum of an hour will be spent for you to enjoy up close and personal interaction with a group of lowland gorillas in the wild.
After you have enjoyed a magical encounter with lowland gorillas, expect to walk back to meet your driver. You will be transferred to your lodge or hotel for evening relaxation.
Day 4: Drive back to Kigali
Have a delicious cup of tea/coffee at leisure and later, you will leave Bukavu for Kigali city in Rwanda. At Kigali, you will have a leisurely moment in your respective hotels.
Day 5: Kigali to Bwindi by road
Following an early morning breakfast, you will be picked up by an experienced driver guide. Today, you will be safely transferred to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Katuna or Chanika border. This border crossing journey takes between 4 and 5 hours then you will be at any of the 4 regions (Ruhija, Buhoma, Rushaga, and Nkuringo) in Bwindi as guided by your gorilla permit.
Day 6: Enjoy a Mountain Gorilla trek with Bwindi expert
A delicious breakfast will be provided early in the morning and after, you will be transferred to Bwindi trailheads for briefing. The briefing allows you to know the set gorilla trekking regulations and gorilla groups to be tracked. The park ranger guides will also be present and each of the 8 visitors will have one guide to lead them. The actual trek with gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest begins from 8:00 am taking between 2 and 6 hours. The extensive gorilla trek includes a maximum of one hour for up close and personal encounters with a family of mountain gorillas.
Upon returning from the jungle, meet the park official to award you with a certificate and then proceed to the lodge. Have a leisurely moment at the lodge and you will again be picked up for you to embark on a cultural tour in the nearby Batwa community. ‘
Day 7: Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi with a local expert
At leisure, you will have a heavy breakfast, and after, expect to drive to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale. The scenic Lake Bunyonyi boasts of its tranquility characterized by 29 Islands dotted plus interesting bird species. You will have a memorable boat ride that ushers you to one of the tropical islands on Lake Bunyonyi. The rest of the evening will be enjoyed at the lodge while overviewing the lake.
Day 8: Departure
Leave Lake Bunyonyi in Southwestern Uganda for Kigali or Entebbe/Kampala. Today marks the end of the 8 days of Uganda and DRC lowland gorilla adventure.
End of safari
