9 Days Low Land & Mountain Gorillas

Journey time: 4-5Hrs
Early in the morning after breakfast you will be picked from your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala so as to start off your journey to Lake Mburo National Park. Take a stopover at the Equator for a photo moment and some demonstrations by a specialized tour guide.

Lake Mburo National Park is conveniently located close to the Kampala– Mbarara highway, with a gem of wildlife in the middle of an extensive rich acacia woodland. The park is home to 332 bird species including the rare African fin foot, shoebill, papyrus gonolek, yellow warbler, saddle billed stork, brown chested wattle, plover among others.

On arrival check into the lodge and enjoy your lunch. Later on, go for an afternoon boat cruise.

During your boat cruise, watch more animals together with water birds as many come down the lake during afternoon hours for water & cooling off. Here you will spot the African fin foot, king fishers, fish eagle among others including reptiles like crocodiles and some snakes.

Upon arrival you will have your lunch at your lodge, and in the evening you will have a game drive. After the drive you will be back to your lodge for relaxation.

OVERNIGHT : Montana Tented Camp & Lodge / Rwakobo Rock – Or similar

Journey time: 5hrs: 45min

Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a game drive in the woodland acacia. Expect a variety of flora and fauna comprised of Zebras, Roth’s child giraffe, Elephants, Elands, Wart Hogs, Topi, Kobs and by chance some Leopards.

Spot some rare bird species mainly water and swamp birds like; Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow Warbler, Saddle-billed Stork, Cisticola, White-winged Warbler and many more. Proceed to the Salt licks and get onto the viewing platform where you will be able to watch animals licking salt to supplement their diet.

Exit the park and start your scenic drive through the rolling hills of Ntungamo and Kabale to Bwindi. Upon arrival you will check into your lodge and spend the rest of the day at leisure or explore optional activities.

Optional excursions/activities include

• Village walks


• Canoe rides


• Story telling by the bonfire


• Cultural dance


• Batwa cultural experience


• Birding

After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for briefing at exactly 8:00am and tracking will commence in the next 30 min after registration and briefing by the ranger guides.

Gorilla tracking is a very captivating and unforgettable experience which more than repays the effort needed to reach Bwindi. This starts at 8:30am and can last a few hours to a whole day depending on where the gorillas were left the previous day. After gorilla tracking, return to your lodge and have your lunch.

In the evening you may opt for a community tour where you will meet and interact with the shortest people (Batwa) of the mountains; learn about their way of life such as; hunting skills, medicinal knowledge, child upbringing, cuisines, art and crafts and many more interesting aspects.

Overnight Trackers Safari Lodge/ Mahogany Springs Lodge/ Haven Buhoma Lodge

Journey time: 3hrs: 52mins

After an early breakfast, depart Bwindi for Volcanoes National Park in Musanze, Rwanda. You will travel through Cyanika Boarder on a scenic drive, arrive at your hotel/lodge and have lunch.

Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is home to the rare and endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys with five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo). At 160sq.km, covered in rainforest and bamboo, the park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey.

After lunch you will be discovering the culture and history of Rwanda by way of engaging in the below activities:

Visit Iby’Iwacu cultural village : this visit will give you a chance to meet local people, in their community, with a taste of Rwanda’s culture and traditions. The local people will present to you all the aspects of their traditions and beliefs as you share the heritage treasures including traditional lifestyles, activities, artefacts and their ways of living. Proceed to Gisenyi and check into your lodge / hotel. Spend the rest of the evening at leisure.

In the morning to the Rwanda – Congo (DRC) border on Grande Barriére, La Corniche. We shall offer Visa assistance and other customs formalities. Thereafter you will cross the border, entering the Democratic Republic of Congo. Proceed to Goma or Virunga National Park. You will then spend the night at a pre –arranged accommodation.

Spend the day exploring Goma

After an early breakfast, depart for Parc National des Virunga, and head over to the starting point of your gorilla tracking experience. Handle park formalities then set off for a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is tracking mountain gorillas. These massive primates are extremely rare, with less than 700 alive today. You will get within meters of the family, and you’ll have the opportunity to spend an hour with them. Then return to your hotel or lodge for the night.

The day starts with an early breakfast. This is when the real adventure begins. You’ll spend a day hiking Nyiragongo, a live volcano. The trek includes a walk through lush forest and lava fields with a steep ascent near the top. It also involves an overnight stay at the Nyiragongo Crater Cabanas on the volcano rim. Stunning views in both sunlight and moonlight will make this an unforgettable experience. Later, get ready to spend the night in tents at the rim of the giant crater, high above the active lava lake.

Overnight : CRATER BANDAS – Ready-made food and water are included in the rate.

Packing list for Nyiragongo hike – sleeping bag, dry change of clothes, rain gear, good walking shoes, warm clothes (sweater, jacket) to wear on the rim, where it’s cold, sun cream, warm hat, torch, camera, and personal toiletries.

After breakfast, descend by 0700 hours, arriving back at the start of the trail before lunch. Continue back to the city of Goma for lunch. Thereafter, you will be transferred back to Rwanda, and then to Kigali Airport for departure.