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Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla & Chimp Adventure
9 days, Kigali to Entebbe
Itinerary
Day 1Kigali
Arrive at any time and transfer to the hotel.
If you arrive early, take some time to explore the city. Kigali is one of Africa’s safest cities and has a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. The city is known for its exceptional cleanliness.
Kigali has some interesting and historic sites outside of the city. If you want more time to explore, we recommend booking a pre-night.
Elevation - Kigali area: 1,300 m (4,270 ft)
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2Kigali/Volcanoes National Park
Today visit the Genocide Memorial and learn about the somber history of Rwanda. Later, embark on a community walk and enjoy local lunch at the G Adventures-supported Nyamirambo Women's Centre. Travel to northern Rwanda in the afternoon to the lodge, located just outside the national park it has stunning volcano views.
Volcanoes National Park borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains can be found here. The volcanoes and highlands of the park are covered in lush rainforest and bamboo (a favourite snack of the gorillas). While the most famous resident is the mountain gorilla, other wildlife include: golden monkeys, buffaloes, hyenas, bushbucks, numerous bird species, and some elephants.
Altitude note: Volcanos NP - approx 2000 m (6,550 ft)
Kigali Genocide Memorial Visit
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which serves as a permanent memorial to those who fell victim to the genocide in 1994. The centre opened on the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, in April 2004, and was built on a site where more than 250,000 people are buried.
Please note that content at the Memorial Centre shows the harsh reality of the genocide.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Nyamirambo Women's Centre, Community Walk and Local Lunch
Today we visit a local women’s centre supported by G Adventures. Located in Nyamirambo, the largest and most vibrant township in Rwanda, the centre provides women and girls from a diverse range of backgrounds, the opportunity to support each other and succeed, through education and training programs. From here, we take a guided walk through the lively community, meeting some of the women who have benefitted from the centre's training programs, seeing their local businesses and initiatives and having a chance to share in their daily life. After the walk, enjoy lunch prepared by the women at the centre, allowing us to try local foods and popular dishes. After lunch, take some time to browse the centre's shop, which features handmade, high-quality crafts and clothes, made by some of the women. Proceeds from the meal, shop and walking tour help support the centre’s education and training programs.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 3Volcanoes National Park
Depart early and transfer to the national park to meet the park ranger/guide for orientation. Embark on the trek, which can vary in length and difficulty, depending on the location of the gorilla family that's being visited. Spend 1 hr observing these beautiful and endangered creatures, a truly privileged experience. Trek back and return to the lodge with the remainder of the day at leisure.
Approximately 800 mountain gorillas exist globally in the wild today. They are found in Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda. In DRC and Rwanda, gorillas live in similar ecosystems/areas. The gorilla species found in these three areas are called “highland gorillas,” the latin name is “Gorilla berengei” named after the first European person to see and encounter a mountain gorilla.
The total duration of a trek can vary between 4-9 hours in length, depending on the location of the gorillas, who are constantly moving.
*The order of activities over Days 3 and 4 can change depending on permit scheduling.
Gorilla Trekking
Depart early and transfer to the national park to meet the park ranger/guide for orientation. Embark on the trek, which can vary in length and difficulty, depending on the location of the gorilla family that's being visited. Spend an hour observing these beautiful and endangered creatures. Trek back and return to the hotel with the remainder of the afternoon to yourself.
Free Time
Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4Volcanoes National Park
Enjoy a second trek into the national park with a ranger/guide to view a unique and endangered species, the golden monkey. Watch these playful and lively creatures in their natural habitat.
Golden Monkey Trek
Embark on a trek in Volcanoes National Park to view a species even more endangered than the mountain gorilla – the golden monkey. It is only in Rwanda where this interesting species has been successfully habituated. Look (and listen) for these lively and curious creatures that like to chatter – they are often only seen high up in the trees, but, with luck, hikers may have a close encounter. Golden monkeys mainly live in the lower parts of the bamboo forests; they are not as socially “tight” as gorillas and chimpanzees, and the number in the habituated troupe can vary on any given day between 20 and 80.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Free Time
Your afternoon is at leisure to relax at the lodge or choose to visit the local Village.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 5Volcanoes National Park/Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, cross into Uganda, arriving at the Queen Elizabeth National Park area in the late afternoon.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is characterized by open savannah, large areas of swamp around Lake George, the extensive Maramagambo Forest in the southeast, and the forested Kyambura Gorge along the border with Kyambura Game Reserve.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Border Crossing (Rwanda - Uganda)
Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 6Queen Elizabeth National Park
Explore the national park with a chimp trek in search of the playful primates. Enjoy a safari drive with possible sightings of buffalo, waterbucks, warthogs, lions, leopards, hyenas, giant forest hogs, and elephants.
Depending on the number of people travelling, the group will be split into two, with half doing the chimp trek in the morning, followed by the wildlife safari drive in the afternoon (and vice versa).
The order of activities over Days 6 and 7 can change depending on chimp permit scheduling.
Chimpanzee Trek - Kyambura Gorge
Embark on a chimp trek with a park ranger/guide in Kyambura Gorge (aka the “Valley of Apes”) located in the eastern corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park. See more than just chimps in their natural environment. Learn about the unique ecosystem of the gorge’s rainforest. Keep an eye out for other animals that can include birds, elephants, and hippos. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, visitors stand a good chance of hearing and seeing our distant cousins as they are habituated and not bothered by humans watching their daily behaviour.
Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife Safari Drive
Enjoy a wildlife safari drive inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is home to Uganda's largest wildlife populations. Keep an eye out for buffalo, elephants, hippos, hyenas, lions, warthogs, and the elusive leopards.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 7Queen Elizabeth National Park
Embark on a morning wildlife safari drive for more wildlife viewing inside the park. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel to view hippos and birds, and, with a bit of luck, elephants or cats.
Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife Safari Drive
Enjoy a wildlife safari drive inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is home to Uganda's largest wildlife populations. Keep an eye out for buffalo, elephants, hippos, hyenas, lions, warthogs, and the elusive leopards.
Kazinga Channel Cruise
Take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, a waterway inside Queen Elizabeth National Park that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. Look out for a variety of wildlife who are drawn to the channel shores. Spot birds, crocodiles, hippos, and reptiles.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 8Queen Elizabeth National Park/Entebbe
After breakfast, head to Entebbe with a stop at the Equator and a visit to a royal drum maker's workshop.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Equator Visit
Enjoy a fun stop at the equator and watch a demonstration on how water swirls in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres. Uganda is one of the few countries in the world where the imaginary line that divides the earth into two can be crossed.
Drum Makers Workshop
Visit a traditional drum making workshop for a demonstration on how the drums are made using animal hides and woods. After the demo, it’s time for a short musical presentation.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 9Entebbe
Depart at any time.
We recommend booking post nights if you want more time to explore Entebbe and the surrounding area.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.