Your Luxury Uganda Safari begins in Kigali, Rwanda, where your guide will greet you and provide a detailed trip briefing. Before heading out, you will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to honor the lives lost during the 1994 genocide. After this moving cultural stop, you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park, a vast montane rainforest known as one of Africa’s best primate destinations. Arrive in the evening, check into your lodge, and prepare for the adventures ahead.

Accommodation: Ken Barham Guesthouse or similar

Wake up early for a 4:30 am breakfast before heading to Gisakura or Uwinka Visitor Center for a briefing. Today, you’ll embark on chimpanzee trekking, an exhilarating experience that brings you close to humanity’s closest relatives. Afterward, enjoy the famous canopy walk at Uwinka, suspended high above the rainforest with sweeping views of the forest canopy. In the afternoon, transfer to Lake Kivu in Cyangugu/Rusizi for relaxation by the lakeside.

Accommodation: Emeraude Kivu Resort

After an early breakfast, cross the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo at Rusizi and proceed to Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Accompanied by expert rangers and trackers, you’ll trek deep into the forest to encounter the critically endangered Eastern Lowland Gorillas. Watching these gentle giants in their natural environment is an awe-inspiring experience. Spend an hour with them before returning to Bukavu or Rwanda for the night.

Accommodation: Nediva Bed & Breakfast (Congo) / Peace Guesthouse (Rwanda)

Leave the shores of Lake Kivu and journey northwards to the Virunga Volcano region. This landscape of volcanic mountains straddles Rwanda, Uganda, and DRC, forming one of the last strongholds of the mountain gorilla. After a scenic lakeside drive and en-route lunch, arrive at Volcanoes National Park, where you will check in to your luxury lodge for dinner and relaxation.

Accommodation: Gorillas Hotel or similar

After breakfast, you may opt for Rwanda’s iconic gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park (permit required at an additional $1,500). Alternatively, take a hike up Mount Bisoke, offering breathtaking views and crater lakes. Gorilla trekking here guarantees a close, personal experience with a habituated gorilla family, guided by expert trackers. After your trek, return to your lodge for an evening at leisure.

Accommodation: Gorillas Hotel, Volcanoes NP

Today you will head back to Volcanoes NP headquarters for golden monkey trekking. These rare, playful primates are a delight to observe as they leap between bamboo stems in large troops. Afterward, cross the border into Uganda and transfer to Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Here, you will settle into your lodge ahead of your second gorilla trekking opportunity in Uganda.

Accommodation: Travelers Rest Hotel or similar

After an early breakfast, prepare for the ultimate highlight of your Luxury Uganda Safari: mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi or Mgahinga. Led by rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, you will hike through dense rainforest until you find one of the habituated gorilla families. Spending an hour with these magnificent apes is one of the most powerful wildlife experiences on Earth. Alternatively, if not trekking, enjoy a hike up Mount Sabyinyo for stunning views.

Accommodation: Travelers Rest Hotel

After a leisurely breakfast, bid farewell to Uganda’s majestic forests and volcanoes. You will be transferred back to Kigali, Rwanda, arriving in time for your outbound flight. This marks the end of your extraordinary 8-day gorilla trekking journey across Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC—an adventure that epitomizes the very best of Luxury Uganda Safaris.