Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Holiday – 9 Day

9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday Overview

This incredible 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday takes you on a great adventure to explore the very best of Uganda and Rwanda.

Starting in Uganda, you will raft the rapids of the Nile, see savannah wildlife, and track gorillas in Bwindi. In Rwanda, you will track gorillas again in Volcanoes.

You will visit places such as Jinja, Queen Elizabeth & Bwindi Impenetrable National Park as well as Lake Bunyonyi, Volcanoes National Park, and Kigali.

On this 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday, you will see wild animals such as elephants, lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, and much more. You will also get to immerse yourself in the culture of the local people in the various areas you shall be going to.

Take a closer look at the detailed itinerary and get a better idea of how this safari would work for you. Keep in mind that our trips are fully customizable and can be personalized to match your specific needs.

Detailed 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday

Here is the full day-by-day itinerary for this 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday

Day 1: Airport pickup

Our 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday driver/guide will be waiting at Entebbe International Airport to pick you up and then transfer you to your accommodation for the night.

  • Accommodation: 2 Friends Hotel
  • Meal plan: Dinner

Day 2:White Water Rafting in the Nile, Jinja

Early in the morning, after your breakfast, you will be driven to Jinja for a white water rafting experience which can either take a full day or half-day depending on your choice.

This is one of the most exciting rafting trips on earth going up to 31 km and includes a fantastic barbeque lunch and complimentary drinks after the 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday. 

  • Accommodation: 2 Friends Hotel
  • Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3:Drive from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Your 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday driver/guide will pick you up in the morning from your accommodation in Kampala or Entebbe. You will then head west and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Fort Portal.

The journey will take around 8 hours as you go through the Ugandan countryside with many small towns, villages, roadside markets, and lush greenery.

You will have a stopover in Fort Portal town for lunch before continuing to Queen Elizabeth N.P. This last drive will follow the epic backdrop of the mystical Rwenzori mountain ranges.

You will reach Queen Elizabeth in time for an evening game drive where you will spot some animals such as elephants, hippos, and buffalos among others. You will then check in at the lodge and wind down from the day’s excitement.

  • Accommodation: Aardvark Safari Lodge
  • Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, you will go for an early morning wildlife safari game drive in this park. Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse ecosystem of grassy plains, tropical forests, rivers, swamps, lakes, and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.

With the massive Rwenzori Mountains as a backdrop, you will have excellent opportunities to see lions, leopards, giant forest hogs, cape buffalos, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kobs, Topi, and bushbuck

After lunch, you will go for a 2-3 hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This take will take you through possibly the highest concentration of hippos. Many animals may be seen drinking at the water’s edge.

This launch cruise offers great opportunities for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous with more than 600 different species.

  • Accommodation: Aardvark Safari Lodge
  • Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After your breakfast, you will be driven from Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is a 6 hours journey passing through the Kigezi Highlands an area known as the “Switzerland of Africa”.

The 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday journey takes you through terraced hills and winding roads to the Bwindi forest. You will have a stop-over in Kabale for lunch.

Day 6: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Today is the big day! Prepare yourself for an encounter with the gentle giants; the rare mountain gorillas.

For most people, this is the absolute highlight of their 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Trekking Safari Holiday. You will go into the forest in groups of not more than 8 in search of mountain gorillas. En route, your guide will point out previous signs of gorilla activity such as dung, nests, and chewed bamboo shoots.

Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes, and bamboo. Upon finding the gorillas, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour with them after which you will be led back to the starting point.

  • Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge/ Buhoma Haven Lodge
  • Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Drive to Musanze, Rwanda.

Lake Bunyonyi is surrounded by terraced hills, a perfect opportunity to spend the day relaxing. Enjoy Bilharzia – free swimming, dug-out canoeing, sunbathing, and also visit the Batwa community on one of the Islands.

In the early evening, transfer to Musanze across the border in Rwanda.

  • Accommodation: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge 
  • Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Day 8: Gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park

Today is the big day! Prepare yourself for an encounter with the gentle giants; the endangered mountain gorillas. After your morning breakfast, you will go to the headquarters of the Park where the park rangers will brief you about the gorilla trekking experience.

You will go into the forest in groups of not more than 8 in search of mountain gorillas. En route, your guide will point out previous signs of gorilla activity such as dung, nests, and chewed bamboo shoots.

Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes, and bamboo. Upon finding the gorillas, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour with them after which you will be led back to the starting point.

After the gorilla trekking, if time allows, you will have lunch and then go for an excursion to explore the beautiful twin lakes in the region (Lake Bulera & Ruhondo).

Accommodation: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge 

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Day 9: Kigali City Tour and Departure

After breakfast, you will be driven to Kigali where you will do a city tour to learn about the history, culture, and people of Rwanda.

The city tour will include a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial where you can learn about the various aspect of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and how the country has recovered and healed with unity. Understandably, a visit to the Genocide Memorial is quite emotional for most visitors, but it equally creates a great platform for learning.

After your Kigali city tour, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

  • Accommodation: None (last day)
  • Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch

Price per person (USD)

Here is the cost per person depending on the group size.
 1 Pax  2 Pax  4 Pax  6 Pax
 9860  6980  5770  5360

  • Trip Duration: 9 days, 8 nights.
  • Starting Point: Entebbe, Uganda.

Note: A 30% booking is due upon booking, with the balance cleared 1 month before the trip starts.

Not quite ready to book yet?

That is fine, you can send us an inquiry so that we figure it all out together. Please use this form to talk to our safari specialists and they will help you.

Inclusions

The price of this tour includes the following items
  • Transport in a 4WD vehicle with a pop-up roof.
  • All fuel for the tour.
  • English-speaking Ugandan driver/guide.
  • Accommodation and Meals on Full Board.(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
  • Park-entrance fees for all National parks
  • All activities described in the itinerary.
  • 2 Gorilla tracking permits per person.
  • Drinking water throughout the safari.

Exclusions

The price of this tour does not include the following items
  • International airfares.
  • Entry visa to Uganda, and Rwanda.
  • Meals that are not part of your accommodation.
  • A porter. (Helps to carry your backpack & push/pull you on the slippery slopes.)
  • Personal insurance (medical/travel)
  • Tips and gratuities to rangers, driver/guide, porter, hotel staff, etc.
  • All expenses of personal nature.(e.g. drinks, laundry, optional activities.)