A Luxury 9-Day Great Apes Watching Tour in Uganda and Rwanda
The Ultimate Great Apes Watching Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival at Entebbe
Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by your driver guide. He will transfer you to the hotel for relaxation and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Hotel No.5 (Luxury)/ Papyrus guest house (Midrange)
Meal plan: Bed & breakfast
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Following breakfast, you will check out of the lodge with the help of the guide and embark on the journey to Kibale Forest National Park. You will enjoy a lot on this breathtaking journey inclusive of the Kabale landscape together with sensational views along the way. You will have a stopover in Fort portal for enroute lunch and then proceed with the journey to Kibale. Upon arrival, you will check in at the lodge for relaxation
Accommodation: Chimpundu lodge (Midrange)/ Turaco treetops (Midrange)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 3: Chimpanzee habituation experience
Wake up early, have breakfast and then transfer to Kanyanchu for briefing about chimpanzee trekking. You will step into the forest with armed ranger guides to search for the chimpanzees. You will encounter the chimpanzees in the heart of the rainforest playing, feeding and nurturing their young ones. Upon meeting the chimpanzees, you will be permitted to spend with them 4 hours. In regards to how long it takes to locate the chimpanzees, it depends on the location of the chimpanzees and where they slept the previous night. This activity takes between 4 hours to the whole day and when you meet them, you are allowed to take pictures.
Accommodation: Chimpundu lodge (Midrange)/ Turaco treetops (Midrange)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Following breakfast, you will embark on the journey to the home of the gentle giants. Bwindi impenetrable is a place of residence to half of the world’s remaining population of mountain gorillas which you will see during the trek. With an exhausting day ahead, you will just check-in for relaxation upon arrival. You will use the evening for relaxation as you contemplate on the gorilla trekking adventure the next day.
Accommodation: Clouds mountain gorilla lodge (Luxury)/ Ichumbi gorilla lodge (Midrange)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 5: Gorilla trekking and Batwa
Today, you will have an amazing time meeting the gentle giants of Bwindi impenetrable national park. Following a tasty breakfast, the driver guide will transfer you to the park headquarters for briefing about gorilla trekking. With packed lunch and bottled drinking water, you will begin the trek to the mountain gorillas and after finding them you will spend with them 1 hour. After the trek, you will return to the lodge relaxation. In the evening, you will be taken for the Batwa cultural encounter where you ill learn more about the ways of life of the Batwa people.
Accommodation: Clouds mountain gorilla lodge (Luxury)/ Ichumbi gorilla lodge (Midrange)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 6: Transfer to Mgahinga national park
After breakfast at leisure, you will start the journey to the mighty Mgahinga gorilla national park. Mgahinga is located in the south western part of Uganda and is also a home to the mountain gorillas. You have lunch upon arrival at the lodge and use the afternoon for relaxation.
Accommodation: Mount Gahinga lodge (Luxury)/ Ichumbi hotel (Midrange)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 7: Golden monkey habituation and transfer to Volcanoes
After an early breakfast and with packed lunch, you will get ready get ready for the exciting golden monkey habituation experience. You will be transferred to the park headquarters for briefing and allocation of ranger guides. You will enter the forest you will to search for these cheerful golden monkeys. You will watch them as they jump from one tree to another, feed, play, interact and socialise. After your trek, you will head back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will be cross the Cyanika boarder for the transfer to Volcanoes national park.
Accommodation: Amarembo by touchdown lodge (Luxury)/ Ichumbi hotel (Midrange)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 8: Gorilla trekking and Ibwiwachu cultural tour
After breakfast and with your lunch box, the driver guide will transfer you to the park headquarters for briefing and allocation of gorilla families. You will then start the incredible gorilla trekking adventure. During gorilla trekking, physical fitness is essential most of the times.
Many times, gorilla trekking lasts between 1 -6 hours depending on where the gorillas slept the previous night and trekkers are allowed to spend 1 hour with the gorillas. Gorilla trekking is a wonderful experience and when you locate the gorillas, you will watch them play, nurture their young ones, feed, interact and guard each other.
After trekking, you will be taken back to the lodge for relaxation. In the evening, you will be taken for the Ibwiwachu cultural tour.
Accommodation: Amarembo by touchdown lodge (Luxury)/ Ichumbi hotel (Midrange)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 9: Transfer to the airport
Following breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and transfer to Kigali international airport for the flight to your next destination. If time allows, you will do a half-day Kigali city tour.
End of tour
Inclusions
- Transportation
- English-speaking driver guide
- Accommodation
- Meals as mentioned above
- 2 gorilla permits
- Golden monkey habituation permits
- Chimpanzee habituation permits
- Ibwiwachu cultural tour
- Batwa cultural tour
- All transfers
Exclusions
- Visa fees
- Tips & gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Air tickets