5 Days Uganda Gorilla trekking and Rwanda Hiking safari

5 Days Uganda Gorilla trekking and Rwanda Hiking safari starts from Entebbe Uganda and ends in Kigali Rwanda taking adventurous travelers on a visit in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park the most visited primate park in Uganda the pearl of Africa due to the fact that it harbors more than a half of the surviving endangered mountain gorillas in the impenetrable rain forest. After spending an hour with gorillas in Uganda, you will exit the country and enter in Rwanda the land of a thousand hills which yet another best destination to visit and for this itinerary, you will visit Volcanoes national park where you will hike up Mount Karisimbi one of the 8 volcanoes situated in Virunga massif. The major aim of hiking up mount Karisimbi is to watch the calderas and crater lakes at the summit and also view the neighboring volcanoes from above. This 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwanda Mount Karisimbi hiking safari include 5 days and 4 nights exploring two different countries with in East African region. You would ask yourself as to why not combine Karisimbi hike with Rwanda gorilla trek in volcanoes national park but the answer is that you will trek cheaper gorillas in Uganda for as low as $700 per person compared to Rwanda gorilla which are trekked at $1500per person thus Uganda becomes the best choice for gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park.

Highlights of 5 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Karisimbi hiking safari

• Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
• Day 2: Uganda gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
• Day 3: Drive to Rwanda and transfer to Volcanoes national park
• Day 4: Hike mount Karisimbi (Ascend)
• Day 5: Descend Mount Karisimbi and drive to Kigali

Detailed Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

• Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park: Be ready for a pick up from your hotel in Kampala/ Entebbe early in the morning on day 1 of 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwanda Mount Karisimbi hiking safari and start the long drive to south western part of Uganda where Bwindi impenetrable national park is situated. The first stopover will be at the Equator as this is one of the best attractions along the way enjoyed by almost evert tourist on a safari to western part of Uganda. Take the photographs at the equator, perform some experiments and visit some craft shops near the equator then proceed to Mbarara city for another stop at Igongo cultural hotel where lunch will be served. Upon finishing lunch, embark on your journey via farmlands of Ankole cattle throughout Mbarara and Ntungamo districts and then be welcomed by rolling kigezi hills in Kabale district and proceed to arrive at the park late in the evening, check in for dinner and have an overnight rest.

Day 2: Uganda gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

• Uganda gorilla trekking: On day 2 of 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwanda Mount Karisimbi hiking safari, enjoy your early breakfast at the lodge, pack some snacks and enough drinking water since the trek is draining and you need to keep hydrated at all the time. Well, meet your safari driver to start the journey to the park headquarters where park rangers will brief you about the gorilla trekking adventure, the possible expectations while in the forest, the dos and don’ts among others then later on by 8:00am, start the real adventure of searching for the habituated and allocated gorilla family together with other trekkers as each gorilla family is entitled to a maximum number of 8 trekkers all above 15 years of age as the minimum age limit of gorilla trekking. During the trek, look out for different species of wildlife that thrill in the forest including other primates, mammals, birds and even identify some unique plant species in the forest. Upon finding the gorilla family, you will spend an hour taking photographs and even learning more about the gorillas as the guides and rangers are able to explain any possible questions about the endangered mountain gorillas. Trek back after spending your one hour and meet your safari driver/ guide to be returned to the lodge. You have an option of evening batwa experience. 

Day 3: Drive to Rwanda and transfer to Volcanoes national park

• Drive to Rwanda and connect to Volcanoes national park: Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at your lodge on day 3 of 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwanda hiking safari, then check out and meet your safari driver to start the journey from Bwindi impenetrable national park to cross over into Rwanda via Cyanika border. While at the border point, you will be cleared by Immigration officers to obtain a Rwanda visa then proceed your journey to Ruhengeri/ Kiningi where volcanoes national park is situated with an enroute lunch in Musanze before proceeding to Ruhengeri. You will then drive past the park management of volcanoes national park to obtain your Mount Karisimbi hiking permit and head to the booked lodge for check in. late in the evening you have two optional activities one being a walk to visit the twin lakes of Burela and Ruhondo and the next being a cultural visit to Ibyiwacu cultural village where they show case all the Rwanda cultural practices.

Day 4: Hike mount Karisimbi (Ascend)

• Hike mount Karisimbi: On day 4 of 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwanda hiking safari, you will wake up early for a cup of coffee or anything served for breakfast then pack all that you need while on Mount Karisimbi hiking adventure including packed lunch, sleeping bag, long sleeved attire, warm sweater, a rain jacket, enough drinking water and finally wear the best hiking shoes that are waterproof yet light. Be driven to the park headquarters for briefing and after briefing, you will be transferred to the starting point where you start to ascend Mount Karisimbi via the forest, plantations and many other attractions at the base. During the hike, you have a lot of attractions to look out for including primates, mammals, birds, and plants among others. You will take about 6-7 hour to ascend up to 3,700m above the see level where you will camp for dinner and have your overnight stay awaiting to summit the top the following day. Remember the summit stands at 4,705M above the see level thus you still have over 1,000M to climb the next day. 

Day 5: Descend Mount Karisimbi and drive to Kigali

• Descend Mount Karisimbi: After breakfast on day 5 of 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking and Rwanda hiking safari which is yet the last day of your memorable Uganda and Rwanda safari, you will wake up at the camp and continue to ascend for at least 1,000m until you get to the top of Mount Karisimbi at 4,705M. The summit offer a lot of stunning views including crater lakes, calderas and the view of other neighbouring volcanoes in both Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo among others. After taking the photos and relaxing abit, start descending back to the starting point where you will picked up by your safari driver and transferred for lunch before setting off for a journey to Kigali. You flight time will determine whether you will add any activity such as Kigali city tour or be driven direct to Kigali international airport for departures.

END OF 5 DAYS UGANDA GORILLA TREKKING AND KARISIMBI HIKING SAFARI