WildlifeModerate

Uganda & Rwanda Cross-Border Gorilla & Primate Safari

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda

4.9(54)

Duration

12 Days

Group Size

2–8

Difficulty

Moderate

Best Time to Visit

June–August and December–February are the twin prime windows. Both Uganda and Rwanda gorilla permits must be secured 3–6 months in advance. For this itinerary, start with permit dates and build the rest of the trip around them.

Visa & Entry

Uganda visa (USD 50) + Rwanda visa (USD 50) required separately. Uganda: visas.immigration.go.ug. Rwanda: irembo.gov.rw or visa on arrival. East Africa Tourist Visa (USD 100) covers Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda in one.

Fitness Level

Moderate. Multiple trekking days including two gorilla treks and one chimp trek. Terrain ranges from steep, muddy forest to flat savannah. Generally unhurried pace with rest built in.

About This Tour

For travellers who want the very best of East Africa's primate world without compromise, this 12-day cross-border safari delivers it all. You'll track chimpanzees in Uganda's Kibale Forest — the world's chimpanzee capital — drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park's tree-climbing lion territory, trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi's mist-shrouded ancient forest, cross the border to Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park for a second gorilla encounter with a completely different family, then round off with golden monkey tracking and the acacia-and-savannah wildlife of Akagera National Park on Rwanda's eastern border. Two countries, four national parks, two gorilla treks, and some of the most remarkable wildlife encounters on earth. This is the Africa trip you'll describe for the rest of your life.

Tour Highlights

Two mountain gorilla trekking permits — one in Bwindi (Uganda), one in Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)
Chimpanzee tracking — Kibale Forest, Uganda
Golden monkey trekking — Virunga volcanoes, Rwanda
Queen Elizabeth NP: tree-climbing lions, Kazinga Channel cruise
Akagera NP: Big Five (reintroduced lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo)
Batwa cultural experience — Bwindi
Dian Fossey Research Centre and tomb
Cross both Uganda and Rwanda — two of Africa's most fascinating countries