18 Days Africa Primate Safari – Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda, Congo & Uganda.

Day 1:  Arrival at Kigali International Airport. You will take a COVID 19 test before transfer to your hotel of stay. Overnight at Hotel Chez Lando Kigali.

Day 2: You will have an early breakfast and transfer to Akagera National park. On your way, You may visit the Nyarubuye Genocide memorial or just proceed to the park. Upon arrival, you will relax before taking an evening game drive spotting herds of wildlife like lions, buffaloes, water and bush back, warthogs, giraffes etc. Dinner and overnight stay at Akagera game lodge.

Day 3: Dawn game drive to look for early riser wildlife species and other wildlife like the lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, water and bush backs, among others. Return to the lodge for lunch and after in the evening prepare for a boat ride along the Ihema Lake and over the cruise expect to spot various wildlife along the shores and birds as well. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: After your breakfast, You will proceed to Nyungwe National Park, on your way, you may visit Nyanza palace and Museum, Murambi Genocide museum among others. You will arrive in the evening just to take a rest as you prepare for the next day activity. Dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Hilltop view Lodge.

Day 5: Have to breakfast, you will go for chimpanzee tracking. You may spot other primates such as the L’hoest’s monkey and the grey-cheeked mangabeys are often sighted. The birds are spectacular, though as in most tropical forests, you’ll have to look out for them. Giant hornbills, great blue turacos and red-breasted sparrow hawks are amongst the specials, of which 24 are endemic to this section of the Rift Valley. In the afternoon, you go for a canopy walk and then proceed to Goma.  Dinner and overnight at Lac Kivu / Ihusi Hotel.

Day 6: Rise up very early in the morning and have your breakfast and with packed lunch, drive to Nyiragongo volcano trail in Virunga national park. The climb up this volcanic hill takes around five hours which is coupled with burning some calories, watching some rare bird species, some
small mammals and the view at the top is very stunning. The night will be spent in tents on the rim of the giant crater, high above the active lava lake. Dinner and overnight stay at the summit.

Day 7: Descend and transfer to the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Kibumba Camp.

Day 8: Gorilla Trekking and Visit Sekenkwe Gorilla Orphanage. After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will transfer to the park headquarter for a briefing about the gorilla trekking rules and regulations about the mountain gorilla trekking in the wilderness of Virunga National Park. Treks usually require 2-3 hours of hiking each way, depending on the location of the gorilla group being trekked and the difficulty of the terrain. After spending the allotted hour with the gorilla family group, trekkers will make their way back to camp, enjoy a late lunch and have the rest of the day at leisure, including time for nature walks and bird watching.  Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as Above.

Day 9: Transfer to Mgahinga National Park- Uganda. On this day, You will have breakfast and transfer to Uganda (Mgahinga National Park) Via Bunagana Border. Dinner and overnight stay at Ikoro Hotel.

Day 10: Golden Monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. After breakfast at the Lodge, you will go for Golden Monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park. These Golden Monkeys are the most endangered primates within the forest. This activity will not take long like as it is when tracking the Gorillas. You will spend also less time with these primates. Return to the lodge for a hot lunch and proceed to Lake Bunyonyi. Overnight at Bunyonyi Overland Resort.

Day 11:  A day at Lake Bunyonyi, transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will do activities like boat cruise around the islands and nature walk in the forest. Lunch will be at the lodge and then proceed to Bwindi National Park. Dinner and overnight stay at Gorilla Mist Lodge.

Day 12: Gorilla Trekking. An early morning breakfast, go for a briefing at the park headquarters, in accompaniment of guides and rangers, you enter the forest to begin the Gorilla tracking activity which takes 2-10 hours depending on the movements of these gorillas.  Other animals and birds might be spotted too and these include the l’Hoest’s monkey, African elephant, birds like the African green broadbill, Grauer’s rush warbler, Chaplin’s flycatcher, African giant swallowtail among others. After tracking, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above.

Day 13: Ishasha game drive and Boat Cruise on Kazinga channel. You will have breakfast at leisure and catch up with the tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You might spot other animals like elephants, Buffaloes, Impalas, Uganda Kobs and lions. Various birds can be spotted too and they include the African skimmer, Chapin’s flycatcher, Pink-backed pelicans, Papyrus canary, Shoebill stork, martial eagle. Later return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a launch cruise where you will spot Hippos, Crocodiles, various water birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 14: Transfer to Kibale National Park-Chimpanzee trekking.  On this day, you will drive to Kibale forest national park headquarters after breakfast at the lodge where you will be briefed about chimpanzee trekking and the park in general. Most tourists visit the park to trek chimpanzees. Apart from the chimps, the forest is home to other primates like monkeys, mangabey, baboons, wild pigs, various fish species among others. Chimpanzee trekking can be done in the morning; which starts at 8 am, mid-morning; starts at 11 am and in the afternoon; starts at 2 pm. You will then start the trek through the forest to look for the chimps. Unlike gorillas, chimpanzees keep moving around the forest and jump from one tree to another as they go about their daily life. So do not expect to find them in one place. As you trek the chimps, you will expect to see other primates that live in the forest as well as various bird species like the great blue turaco. You will then return to the lodge to refresh and have lunch. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 15: Transfer from Kibale forest national park – Murchison falls National Park.

Have breakfast, and later drive to Murchison Falls National Park. Murchison Falls National Park is located in Masindi district in northwestern Uganda. You will arrive in time for lunch en route, Dinner and overnight stay at the Murchison Tree House

Day 16: Game drive and a Launch cruise

Breakfast, go for a game drive and return for lunch. In the afternoon get on a boat to the bottom of the falls. You might also spot crocodiles, Hippos, elephants and many others. You can hike to the top of the falls. Various birds might be spotted too, like the hornbills, bee-eaters, kingfishers and storks, Egyptian plover, Chestnut-crowned sparrow weaver, Rock pranticole, Red-winged grey warbler, Pulvus illadopsis among others. Dinner and overnight at the lodge above.

Day 17: On this day, You will visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary as you continue to Kampala.

Upon arrival at Kampala, you will take a COVID Test and if time permits, you may do a short city tour. Dinner and overnight stay at Cassia Lodge.

Day 18: Departure.