4-Day Rwanda & Uganda Primates Expedition

Overview

Three primates. Two countries. Four days. Zero compromise.

This expedition is engineered for the discerning traveller who refuses to choose between Rwanda’s endemic golden monkeys and Uganda’s mountain gorillas—who demands chimpanzees and savannah wildlife in the same breath.

It is not a tour. It is a curated sequence of Africa’s most profound wildlife encounters, compressed without chaos, connected without clutter. Every permit is secured before you depart. Every transfer is orchestrated. Every lodge is positioned for maximum efficiency and minimum transit fatigue.

You do not wait. You do not wonder. You simply arrive, trek, and witness.

Itinerary

Day 1: Golden Monkeys • Border Crossing • Bwindi Arrival

Morning: Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Your guide collects you from Kigali International Airport or your hotel. You transfer to Volcanoes National Park for a scheduled golden monkey trekking briefing at park headquarters.

Golden monkeys are endemic to the Virunga massif—among Africa’s rarest primates. The trek follows gentle terrain through bamboo forest, requiring moderate fitness. Once the habituated troop is located, you spend one hour observing their social dynamics, feeding behaviour, and acrobatic movement through the canopy.

Afternoon: Border Crossing & Transfer to Bwindi

Lunch is served at a lodge overlooking the Virunga Volcanoes. You then depart Rwanda via the Cyanika border post, where your guide manages both exit and entry formalities. The East Africa Tourist Visa (recommended) covers both countries seamlessly.

You arrive in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, in the late afternoon. Your lodge is positioned on the forest edge. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2:Mountain Gorillas • Lake Bunyonyi • Deep Water Rest

Morning: Gorilla Trekking, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Following an early breakfast, you transfer to Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters for the gorilla trekking briefing. Your permit is verified, and you are assigned a habituated gorilla family.

The trek is strenuous, traversing steep, densely vegetated terrain. Duration varies from one to six hours depending on the gorillas’ location. A local porter is recommended to carry your daypack and assist on difficult slopes.

Upon locating your assigned family, you spend one hour in the presence of the gorillas—observing the silverback, mothers with infants, juveniles at play. This is widely regarded as one of wildlife tourism’s most profound experiences.

Afternoon: Lake Bunyonyi

After lunch, you transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda’s second-deepest lake and one of the few bilharzia-free bodies of water in the country. A private boat cruise navigates the lake’s 29 islands, with opportunity to swim in clear, deep water.

Dinner and overnight at a lakeside lodge.

Day 3: The Rift Valley • Kazinga Channel • Evening Game Drive

Morning: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Breakfast at Lake Bunyonyi. You depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, descending from the cool highlands into the Western Rift Valley. The drive reveals panoramic views of Lakes George and Edward, connected by the sinuous Kazinga Channel.

Afternoon: Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Following lunch and lodge check-in, you embark on a two-hour boat safari along the Kazinga Channel. This waterway holds Africa’s highest concentration of hippos, alongside abundant Nile crocodiles, buffalo, elephants, and exceptional birdlife.

Evening: Game Drive

As light softens, you undertake a game drive in the Kasenyi plains or surrounding savannah. Lion, leopard, elephant, and Uganda kob are regularly sighted.

Dinner and overnight at a lodge bordering the park.

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking • Return to Kigali • Departure

Morning: Chimpanzee Trekking, Kalinzu Forest Reserve

An early start for chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu Forest Reserve, adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kalinzu is home to six habituated chimpanzee groups—over 300 individuals—and receives significantly fewer visitors than Kibale National Park.

The trek is moderate, following forest trails through medium-altitude rainforest. Once the chimpanzees are located, you spend one hour observing their complex social interactions, tool use, and vocalisations.

Midday: Return Journey to Kigali

After the trek, you begin the transfer south, crossing back into Rwanda via the Katuna or Cyaniba border. Lunch is served en route.

Late Afternoon: Kigali Arrival & Departure

You arrive at Kigali International Airport in time for your evening departure flight. Your guide assists with check-in and farewell formalities.

Inclusions & Exclusions

All airport/hotel pick-ups and drop-offs.
Full-time services of a professional, English-speaking driver/guide.
All ground transportation in a customized 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof.
All park entrance fees and government taxes.
Golden Monkey Trekking Permit — Volcanoes NP, Rwanda
Gorilla Trekking Permit — Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda
Chimpanzee Trekking Permit — Kalinzu Forest Reserve, Uganda
Chimpanzee Trekking Permit — Kalinzu Forest Reserve, Uganda
All game drives and boat cruises as per the itinerary.
Accommodation as specified (3 nights).
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle.