5 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali

5 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali

Cross the border from Kigali into the emerald heart of Uganda. Track gorillas, cruise the Kazinga Channel, and end with a calming reflections on Lake Bunyonyi.

Itinerary Overview

This 5-day cross-border safari begins in Rwanda and dives straight into Uganda’s wilderness wonders. You’ll explore Queen Elizabeth National Park with its lions and hippos, trek deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for your once-in-a-lifetime gorilla moment, and wind down at the peaceful Lake Bunyonyi. Perfect for travelers flying into Kigali who want both wildlife and soul-level connection—with nature and themselves.

Summary Itinerary

• Day 1: Pickup in Kigali – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
  
• Day 2: Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Safari
• Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
• Day 4: Gorilla Trekking – Drive to Lake Bunyonyi
• Day 5: Morning Canoe or Walk – Return to Kigali

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: From Kigali to Uganda’s Wild Plains

Your guide meets you in Kigali early morning and after a meet, greet and simple briefing, your driver guide picks you and them proceed for a swift drive through Rwanda’s rolling hills—neatly terraced and impossibly green—then cross into Uganda at the Cyanika or Katuna border.

As you descend, the land opens into the wide, game-rich savannas of Queen Elizabeth National Park. After a warm Ugandan welcome and lunch, settle into your lodge and enjoy a gentle evening surrounded by the sounds of the wild.

Depending on the time of arrival, you may opt for a Rwanda Kigali genocide tour as you learn more about the Tutsi-Utu massacre that occurred in the 1997.

Accommodation in Queen Elizabeth:

• Budget: Pumba Safari Cottages
• Standard: Buffalo Safari Lodge / Engiri Game Lodge
• Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Day 2: Lions in Trees & Hippos on the River

Rise early for a game drive through the Kasenyi Plains, where lions perch in fig trees, elephants feed near crater lakes, and warthogs trot beneath the grass. The Kasenyi plains has several elephants, antelopes, buffaloes and more, so pay close attention to enjoy your adventure.

After a midday rest, board a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, where hippos bob in muddy waters and elephants sip from the shoreline. Birds dart across the sky in bursts of color, and the channel hums with life.

You return to your lodge just as the sun disappears into the hills.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Into the Jungle – Journey to Bwindi

After breakfast, leave the savanna behind and drive south into the highlands. The air cools. The hills roll endlessly, wrapped in forest and fog and proceed via the Isasha sector with a possibility of sighting the famous tree-climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth.  Later, drive towards Bwindi arriving in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest by afternoon—where the air is thick, the trees ancient, and gorillas roam in quiet families beneath the canopy.

Tonight, fall asleep to the lullaby of the jungle.

Accommodation in Bwindi:

• Budget: Rafiki Safari Lodge / Ride 4 a Woman
• Standard: Buhoma Gorilla Camp / Ichumbi Safari Lodge
• Luxury: Mahogany Springs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: The Gorilla Moment – Then Peace at the Lake

Today is the day. After an early breakfast and briefing, you head into the forest with a team of expert trackers in search of the gentle giants. The terrain is rugged. The forest breathes around you.

Then, without warning, they appear.

A silverback, wide and still. A baby clinging to its mother. A family—just like yours, only quieter, wild and more emotional. They watch back as you watch them. For one unforgettable hour, you are part of something older than words.

After the trek, return to the gorilla trekking starting point and head driving to Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda’s most peaceful lake. Here, islands float like green stories on blue water, and time slows down.

Accommodation at Lake Bunyonyi: (custom options available on request)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Reflections & Return to Kigali

Wake up to birdsong and a cool breeze over the lake. Enjoy a gentle canoe ride or short hike along the hills, soaking in views that belong on postcards but feel like a quiet gift.

After breakfast, begin your journey back to Kigali, arriving by late afternoon—with dust on your boots and something wild in your soul.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Five Days. One Gorilla Family. A Journey Across Borders and Into Yourself.
From Rwandan hills to Ugandan jungles, this safari is beyond what you see—it’s about what you feel.