***Your final, detailed itinerary will be sent to you approximately six weeks before the tour. Please note that while all listed inclusions and experiences will remain the same, the order of activities may vary.***

 

 

Day 1: Depart for Rwanda!

 

Day 2: Kigali City

 

• Arrive in Kigali National Airport

• The Drivers will be ready to pick you up and then transfer you to the hotel in Kigali.

 

Day 3: Volcanoes National Park

• Pickup from Kigali - Visit Genocide Memorial

• Transfer to the Volcanoes National Park 

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Day 4: Volcanoes National Park

 

• Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda

• Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

• Transfers to Bwindi National Park

 

 You will meet other travelers who have assembled to take part in the briefing for golden monkey trekking. After the briefing, the park guides will take you to search for the monkeys in the bamboo forests. Golden monkey tracking in Rwanda takes a shorter time. Expect to complete the activity in 4 hours at most. Golden monkeys are cute but endangered primates. They are only found in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. After spending time with the primates, you will head back to the starting point and find our driver waiting for you. You will visit the Ellen Degeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Foundation before starting the journey to Bwindi. The journey to Bwindi takes 2 hours and involves a border crossing.  

 

Day 5: Bwindi/Marahinga National Parks 

 

• Gorilla Trekking

• Batwa Pygmy cultural community

 

Briefing for gorilla trekking takes place at 7:30 am and is led by a Ranger at the Bwindi or Marahinga park head offices. All gorilla trackers must be at the park by this time and attend the briefing which is an overview of what to expect during the gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking is challenging but you will find the experience awesome once you see the primates. It is always amazing to watch a family of mountain gorillas. You could spend hours just watching the little ones roll around and play. Mountain Gorillas are very playful and curious. While with the gorillas, it’s important to listen to instructions from your guide. Never make sudden movements while with gorillas.

 

After spending one hour with the gorilla family, you will be led back to the starting point where our driver will be waiting to take you back for lunch at your hotel. The gorilla trekking experience could last the duration of six hours.

 

You will head out to visit the Batwa pygmy cultural community in the late afternoon. The Batwa originally lived in the forest with the gorillas when the government decided to relocate them elsewhere to allow for smoother gorilla conservation activities.

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Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park

 

• Transfer to Queen Elizabeth

• Game drive

 

Start the long journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Before reaching your new lodge, the driver will take you for the first game drive to try to see any animals. Queen Elizabeth National park is home to many animals like elephants, giraffe, wart hog, hippo, lions, leopards, many different kinds of monkeys and birds.

 

Enjoy an afternoon game drive today!

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Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park

 

• Lion/Leopard Tracking

• Launch Cruise at the Kazinga Channel  

 

Lion Tracking in the morning is special and different from what you see during normal game drives. A ranger will lead you to parts of the park that are not accessible to other tourists. You will learn a lot about lions and leopards as you follow them using sophisticated tracking equipment. The rangers know the exact location of the mammals using tracking devices inserted around the lead lioness or leopard. Your game drive today will be focused on seeing the cats of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

 

After spending time with the lions and leopards, you return to have lunch and a rest at your lodge. Later, you will be transferred to the Kazinga Channel for a launch cruise. The Kazinga Channel is a collection point for most of the park's animals and birds. Elephant, buffalo, hippopotamus can be seen at the rivers edge.

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Day 8: Kibale National Park

 

• Chimpanzee Trekking

• Visit Bigodi local community  

 

Tracking chimpanzees is different from gorilla trekking. Chimps are very vocal, stubborn and unpredictable. Chimps tend to spend a lot of time on top of trees compared to gorillas. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale takes about three hours. After spending time with the chimps for an hour, the Ranger will lead you back to the park offices.

 

Today also involves a visit to a local community using a cooperative that allows visitors into the community and supports the local community with jobs. Locals will describe the coffee making process, share their weaving talents and goods, how they make banana juice and gin, and you will also share a visit to the community medicine man who teaches about different medicinal herbs. 

 

Day 9: Make your way to Entebbe airport for your flight tonight with some stops along the way.

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Day 10: Welcome Home!