A comprehensive East Africa primate and wildlife journey combining two gorilla trekking experiences, golden monkey tracking, chimpanzee habituation, savanna game drives, and the Nile at Murchison Falls — from Kigali to Entebbe.

Day 1: Arrive Kigali

Arrive at Kigali International Airport and transfer to your hotel. Depending on arrival time, enjoy a city tour including the Kigali Genocide Memorial and local craft markets. Overnight in Kigali.
Lodge options: The Retreat by Heaven, Kigali Marriott Hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel Kigali

Days 2–3: Volcanoes National Park (2 nights)

Drive roughly two and a half hours northwest to Musanze/Ruhengeri, gateway to Volcanoes National Park. Settle into your lodge with views of the Virunga volcanic chain. The following morning, head to park headquarters for a briefing before setting out with trackers and rangers on your gorilla trekking experience — one of eleven habituated mountain gorilla families, with treks ranging from a couple of hours to a full day depending on the family’s location. In the afternoon or on a spare day, optional activities include the Dian Fossey Tomb hike, Twin Lakes canoeing, or a cultural visit to the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village.
Lodge options: Bisate Lodge (Wilderness), Singita Kwitonda Lodge, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge

Days 4–5: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (2 nights)

Cross the Rwanda–Uganda border at Cyanika into southwestern Uganda, arriving at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the smallest of Uganda’s parks and part of the same Virunga massif. This is the place for golden monkey trekking, an activity that’s shorter and less strenuous than gorilla trekking, tracking troops of these endangered, endemic primates through bamboo forest. A second day allows for the Gahinga-Sabinyo volcano trail, a nature walk to the Garama Cave, or Batwa cultural encounters.
Lodge options: Mount Gahinga Lodge (Volcanoes Safaris), Mutanda Lake Resort, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp

Days 6–8: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (3 nights)

Continue north through Kisoro to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. With three nights here, this itinerary allows for the standout experience: gorilla habituation. Unlike a standard one-hour trek, the habituation permit allows up to four hours with a gorilla family that researchers and rangers are still acclimatising to human presence, offering an unusually intimate and extended encounter (available only in the Rushaga sector). A second full day can be used for a classic gorilla trek in a different sector (Buhoma, Ruhija, or Nkuringo), or for the Bwindi community walk, birding along the Munyaga River trail, or a visit to the Batwa Pygmy village to learn about the forest’s original inhabitants. The varied terrain and four trailheads mean lodge choice often depends on which sector you’re trekking from.
Lodge options: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Bwindi Lodge (Volcanoes Safaris), Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Gorilla Bwindi Camp

Days 9–10: Lake Bunyonyi (2 nights)

After three trekking-intensive days, transfer roughly two hours to Lake Bunyonyi — one of Africa’s deepest lakes, dotted with 29 islands and free of bilharzia or crocodiles, making it safe for swimming. This is your scheduled break: relax by the water, take a dugout canoe trip between islands, visit the Punishment Island with its history, go birdwatching (the area hosts over 200 species), or simply enjoy the terraced hillsides and cooler climate at altitude. It’s a welcome pause between the forest treks and the savanna portion of the trip ahead.
Lodge options: Arcadia Cottages, Birdnest at Bunyonyi, Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort, Bunyonyi Overland Resort

Days 11–13: Queen Elizabeth National Park (3 nights)

Drive north (roughly four to five hours) into the Great Rift Valley to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s most biodiverse savanna reserve, spanning craters, lakes, and open plains. Highlights over your three nights include a morning or afternoon game drive on the Kasenyi Plains in search of lion, elephant, buffalo, hyena, and Uganda kob, and a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, one of Africa’s best wildlife-viewing waterways, connecting Lake Edward and Lake George and famed for enormous hippo pods, basking crocodiles, and elephant herds coming to drink. An optional excursion south to the Ishasha sector offers a chance to see the park’s famous tree-climbing lions draped over fig branches, while the Kyambura Gorge offers a short chimpanzee trek in a dramatic rift valley gorge as an alternative or add-on.
Lodge options: Mweya Safari Lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Katara Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Days 14–15: Kibale Forest National Park (2 nights)

Head north to Kibale Forest National Park via Fort Portal, a scenic route through tea plantations with views of the Rwenzori Mountains. Kibale is regarded as the primate capital of East Africa, with thirteen primate species including a large habituated chimpanzee population. Your chimp tracking morning takes you deep into the forest following trackers who monitor the chimps’ movements from dawn — sightings are excellent, with chances to observe grooming, feeding, and vocal displays. For a deeper experience, the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience option extends time with a semi-habituated community from before dawn until afternoon. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary nearby is worthwhile for birding and primate spotting, including the striking black-and-white colobus.
Lodge options: Kyaninga Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Primate Lodge Kibale

Day 16: Transfer to Kasese and Fly to Pakuba (Murchison Falls)

Drive roughly two hours from Kibale to Kasese airstrip for a scheduled light aircraft flight to Pakuba airstrip inside Murchison Falls National Park, cutting what would otherwise be a full day’s drive down to about an hour in the air, with striking aerial views over the Rwenzoris and the Rift Valley escarpment along the way. On arrival, transfer to your lodge on the Nile’s northern bank and settle in for the first of three nights.
Lodge options: Baker’s Lodge, Paraa Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge

Days 17–19: Murchison Falls National Park (3 nights)

Uganda’s largest national park centers on the point where the Nile forces itself through a narrow seven-meter gorge before plunging 43 meters — the most powerful stretch of white water in the world. Over three days: take a launch cruise to the base of the falls, tracking large pods of hippos, basking crocodiles, elephants, and abundant birdlife including the rare shoebill stork in the delta area; hike to the top of the falls for a dramatic close-up view of the Nile’s compression through the rock; and spend a morning or evening on game drives across the park’s northern savanna, one of Uganda’s best areas for lion, giraffe, buffalo, and large elephant herds. A sunset cruise along the delta is a particularly good add-on for birders.
Lodge options: Paraa Safari Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge, Baker’s Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge

Day 19 (evening): Fly to Entebbe

On your final afternoon at Murchison, take a short scheduled flight from Pakuba airstrip directly to Entebbe, avoiding the long road transfer south. Arrive in Entebbe in the late afternoon and check into your final lodge on the shores of Lake Victoria. Depending on timing, enjoy a relaxed evening or a visit to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre or the Botanical Gardens.
Lodge options: The Boma Guesthouse, Protea Hotel Entebbe, Karibu Guest House

Day 20: Departure from Entebbe

Enjoy a leisurely morning at your lodge before transferring to Entebbe International Airport for your onward or homeward flight, bringing the 20-day Rwanda–Uganda double gorilla trek to a close.

Trip Summary

Practical Notes

• Permits: Gorilla permits (Rwanda and Uganda), golden monkey permits, gorilla habituation permits, and chimp tracking/habituation permits should all be booked well in advance — often six to twelve months ahead for gorilla habituation slots, which are limited to four per day in Rushaga.
• Border crossing: The Cyanika border between Rwanda and Uganda is straightforward for tourist vehicles; visas or East Africa Tourist Visas should be arranged beforehand.
• Flights: Both internal flights (Kasese–Pakuba and Pakuba–Entebbe) are operated by scheduled light-aircraft carriers such as Aerolink, with generous but not unlimited luggage allowances — soft-sided bags are recommended.
• Fitness: Gorilla and chimp trekking involve unpredictable, sometimes strenuous hiking through forest terrain; a reasonable fitness level and hiking boots are recommended, along with gardening gloves and long sleeves for the vegetation.
• Best time to travel: The two dry seasons (June–September and December–February) offer the easiest trekking conditions, though gorilla and chimp permits are available and tracking is still very rewarding year-round.