8 Days Rwanda & Uganda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari

Arrive at Kigali International Airport and be warmly welcomed by your Matrix Safaris guide. Short briefing and transfer to your hotel in Kigali. Overnight in Kigali.

Drive: approx. 2–3 hours. Explore Kigali with visits to the Genocide Museum and Caplaki Crafts Centre (approx. 3–4 hours). After lunch, drive north through Rwanda's rolling hills to the base of the Virunga volcanoes. Arrive at your lodge in Ruhengeri in the evening. Overnight in Ruhengeri.

Set off into the dense Virunga rainforest to find a mountain gorilla family. Ascending through layers of vegetation, you will eventually sit face-to-face with one of the world's most endangered primates. One hour with the gorillas will feel both too short and timeless. Optional afternoon: Ibyiwatu Cultural Performance or visit to the twin crater lakes. Overnight in Ruhengeri (full board).

Drive: approx. 6 hours. Cross the Uganda border at Cyanika and drive to northern Bwindi — home to over half the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Bwindi's ancient rainforest (321 sq km) shelters 90 mammal species and 23 Albertine Rift endemic birds. Rest well before tomorrow's trek. Overnight in Bwindi (full board).

A second gorilla trek — this time in Uganda's mist-draped Bwindi. Hiking through thick, verdant rainforest to find the gorillas is always deeply moving. Trek times vary. Optional afternoon activities: Village Walk with traditional healers, or the Batwa Trail to learn about the indigenous hunter-gatherer people of these forests. Overnight in Bwindi (full board).

Drive: approx. 5–6 hours (or optional 45-min flight to Kasese at $290 pp). Drive through Ishasha — famous for tree-climbing lions — to Kibale Forest NP (795 sq km), home to 13 primate species, 355+ bird species, and the elusive forest elephant. Overnight in Kibale (full board).

Track habituated chimpanzees along Kibale's forest trails — watching them squabble, groom, and swing overhead is exhilarating. In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-managed reserve rich in bird life, vegetation, and primates. Overnight in Kibale (full board).

Drive: approx. 6 hours. After breakfast, drive east to Entebbe with a lunch stop en route. Transfer to your hotel or airport for your homeward flight.