5 Day Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari from Kigali

Your safari begins with a pickup from Kigali International Airport or your hotel in Kigali. Travel through Rwanda’s beautiful highlands before crossing into Uganda via the Katuna or Chanika border.

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park. As you approach the park, enjoy scenic views of crater lakes and the Albertine Rift Valley.

After checking into your lodge, head out for an evening game drive on the Kasenyi Plains. This area is well known for wildlife sightings including elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and sometimes lions or leopards.

Drive Time: Approximately 6 hours
Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation Options

• Budget: The Bush Lodge
• Midrange: Buffalo Safari Lodge / Elephant Hab Lodge / Parkview Safari Lodge
• Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge / Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Start your day with an early morning game drive on the Kasenyi Plains, one of the best wildlife viewing areas in the park. Look out for lions, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, and many other species.

Return to the lodge for breakfast and relaxation before heading out in the afternoon for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.

This boat safari offers excellent opportunities to see hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and a wide variety of birds including African fish eagles, pelicans, and kingfishers.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Same as Day 1

After breakfast, depart Queen Elizabeth National Park and drive south toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The journey takes you through beautiful countryside, rolling hills, and local villages.

Stop for lunch along the way before continuing to your lodge near Bwindi Forest.

Arrive in the afternoon and spend the evening relaxing while preparing for your gorilla trekking experience the next day.

Drive Time: 5–6 hours
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation Options

• Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge / Bakiga Lodge
• Midrange: Four Gorillas Lodge / Gorilla Leisure Lodge
• Luxury: Gorilla Heights Lodge / Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge / Kiho Lodge

After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing from Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers.

Depending on your choice, you will either:

• Gorilla Trekking: Trek through the rainforest to locate a habituated gorilla family and spend one hour observing them.
• Gorilla Habituation Experience: Join researchers and trackers to spend up to four hours with a semi-habituated gorilla group.

The trek can take between 1 and 6 hours depending on the location of the gorillas. Once found, you will have time to observe their behavior, take photos, and learn about their social structure.

After the experience, return to the lodge to relax. Optional community visits to learn about Batwa culture can also be arranged.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Same as Day 3

After breakfast, begin the scenic drive back to Kigali through southwestern Uganda and northern Rwanda.

Stop for lunch along the way before continuing to Kigali. Depending on your travel plans, your guide will drop you off at Kigali International Airport or at your hotel.

Drive Time: 4–5 hours
Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch