ESBT: Rwanda and Uganda: Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking 2026
My 2024 Africa group trips were such a hit that you guys asked for more wildlife-themed trips in Africa. So, I’m excited to share that in winter of 2026 I will be offering a 9-day adventure through Rwanda and Uganda in search of all kinds of wildlife including gorilla and chimpanzee trekking. Ready to learn more? Here’s what you need to know.
Dates
This trip will start on January 24th, 2026 and end on February 1st, 2026. We will start and end in Kigali, Rwanda which makes it easier when booking flights. You are welcome to come early or stay later, hotel add-ons are possible for those looking to extend.
About This Trip
This is a wild-life focused trip with a busy schedule, long days, and (potentially) tough physical activity for the actual trek days. We have one day of Gorilla trekking and you do need to be able to walk 4 hours up and downhill in potentially muddy and wet conditions. I have timed this trip to be in the dry season however nobody can control the weather. Likewise, nobody can guarantee where we will find gorillas. Some groups find them 10 minutes in, others have to venture for a few hours before finding a family.
This is a comfort-level itinerary. Generally speaking that means accommodations are rated as 3* properties. Keep in mind we are not always in big cities. Cleanliness and safety is prioritized over fancy amenities. Again, this is a busy itinerary where we will be out exploring most days and only returning to the hotel for sleep. Hotels are listed below, but are subject to change.
Itinerary
Day 1: January 24, 2026
Destination: Kigali
Meals Included: None.
Welcome to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda since it gained independence in 1962. Most associate Rwanda with the horric genocide that took place in 1994, but this is a country that has been striving to rebuild its economy for years and offers so much to the intrepid traveller. And though the past won’t, and shouldn’t, be forgotten, the future of Rwanda’s tourism is looking bright thanks to its welcoming people, an abundance of lakes and the beautiful Virunga Mountains. Your adventure begins by meeting your local leader at 6pm.
Included Activities: Arrival Transfer
Accommodation: The Nest Kigali
Day 2: January 25, 2026
Destination: Musanze
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast this morning, your tour leader will take you to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which opened in 2004 to mark the 10th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi people. It serves as a museum detailing the history and consequences of Rwanda’s genocide and a place for people to grieve for lost friends and family. This afternoon, you’ll drive to Musanze – the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, home to gorillas and golden monkeys.
This afternoon, you’ll visit The Gorilla Doctors headquarters; the only organisation in the world dedicated to saving the mountain and eastern lowland (Grauer’s) gorilla species one gorilla patient at a time using veterinary medicine and science. They monitor the health of gorilla groups to ensure the early detection of disease and injury, and stage medical interventions when gorillas suffer from human-induced or life-threatening trauma or disease.
Included Activities
- Kigali – Genocide Memorial Centre (Option add on for Audio-Guide)
• Musanze – Visit to The Gorilla Doctors HQ
Accommodation: Amikus Hotel or similar
Day 3: January 26, 2026
Destination: Musanze
Meals included: Breakfast.
Today, you’ll have a free day to do as you please. There are heaps of optional activities to do in Musanze, including Golden Monkey Trekking in the Virunga Mountains, the Mount Bisoke trek, or keep it chill with a canoe ride on the Mukungwa River. Maybe visit Redrocks Rwanda, where you’ll learn about the local banana beer production and be treated to some dancing, drumming and basket-weaving demonstrations.
Optional Activities
- Musanze – Visit ‘Twin Lakes’ Burera & Ruhondo
• Musanze – Redrocks Rwanda Visit (Banana Beer & Cultural Activities) • Musanze – Mount Bisoke Hike
• Musanze – Canoeing on River Mukungwa
• Musanze – Golden Monkey Tracking in Volcanoes National Park
• Musanze – Guardian Village – Iby’Iwachu Cultural Village
Accommodation: Amikus Hotel or similar
Day 4: January 27, 2026
Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Today, you’ll leave Rwanda as we cross the border into Uganda, making our way to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This park is home to 618 bird species, 10 species of primates – including chimpanzees, and 95 different types of mammals. The route to your accommodation may feel like an unofficial safari. Keep a look out for African elephants, buffalo, hippos, warthogs, Nile crocodiles, leopards, spotted hyenas, lions and chimpanzees.
Later you’ll have the opportunity to see the park from a different perspective with a cruise down the Kazinga Channel, linking Lake Edward to Lake George. You’ll be joined by local guides who will ll you in on everything you could want to know about the landscape and the animals who live within it – be on the lookout for hippos basking on the shore, as well as crocodiles, herds of elephants and abundant birdlife.
Tonight, stay in a simple safari lodge within the park overlooking the Kazinga Channel.
Included Activities: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Accommodation: Tembo Safari Lodge or similar
Day 5: January 28, 2026
Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Wake up for another exciting day in Queen Elizabeth National Park. After breakfast depart for Kalinzu Forest and upon arrival at the trailhead, there will be a briefing on chimpanzee behaviour, trekking guidelines, and safety measures. The trek begins at around 9:00 AM, taking you into the lush rainforest for an immersive experience that typically lasts 2-4 hours, depending on the location of the chimpanzees. As you navigate the forest trails, keep an eye out for other wildlife and enjoy the enchanting sounds of nature. Around 11:00 AM, you’ll hopefully encounter a group of chimpanzees, where you can observe their natural behaviours and interactions while your guide shares fascinating insights about their ecology and conservation. After spending quality time with the chimps, you’ll return to the trailhead by noon.
Later in the afternoon, enjoy a 4×4 Game Drive. Be on the lookout for any sightings you may have missed yesterday, and if you’re lucky, you might be able to spot leopards or lions.
Included Activites:
- Kalinzu Forest – Chimpanzee Trekking
• Queen Elizabeth National Park – 4×4 Afternoon Game Drive.
Accommodation: Tembo Safari Lodge or similar
Day 6: January 29, 2026
Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
This morning, we make our way to Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here you meet some local residents to learn more about rural life in Uganda. Visit a local organic farm, medicine garden and homestead and learn how its owner is tackling human-wildlife conict with his anti-crop raiding techniques. You’ll also meet a local Mukiga woman who will share her story while showing you how to sort, pound and grind millet to make porridge and other Bakiga meals.
This part of the park is famous for its tree climbing lions, so be on the look out as you make the game drive towards our ecolodge in the northern sector of the park frequented by herds of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes!
Included activities
- Ishasha – Community Tourism Project Visit
• Queen Elizabeth National Park – 4×4 Game Drive
Accommodation: Enjojo Lodge or Similar
Day 7: January 30, 2026
Destination: Kisoro
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Today, drive out of the Queen Elizabeth National Park on your way to the southwest tip of Uganda (approximately 6 hours). The journey is like a game drive, with the chance to spot zebras, antelopes, baboons and monkeys out the window. When you arrive at the corner of Uganda, where the border touches Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, you’ll be based in Kisoro, which provides access to seven different gorilla groups located in Mgahinga, Nkuringo, Rushaga and Nshongi. Upon arrival and check in. In the afternoon, learn how to cook traditional dishes of the Bakiga tribe. Wander through the gardens, pick and dig your choice of vegetables cand herbs then set to work with the local women. You will experience real Uganda by joining the women in the kitchen to cook.
Included activities
- Traditional cooking
Accommodation: Ride 4 a woman Hotel
Day 8: January 31, 2026
Destination: Kisoro {Gorilla Trek}
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Join a local guide and trackers as you climb through the rugged, mountainous terrain of Bwindi National Park in search of mountain gorillas. A quick lock of eyes with these creatures is a truly primal moment and visits are strictly controlled to minimise disturbance. Make no mistake, tracking gorillas is no walk in the park – it’s called Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a reason. It can be wet, muddy, strenuous and uncomfortable, but the indescribable elation at coming across a group of gorillas is worth the effort. Spend a mesmerizing hour with the gorillas as they eat, sleep, groom and play as the male silverback watches over them, then return to the lodge for dinner and to reect on this incredible experience. To conclude the adventure, we will gather for a farewell dinner, indulging in a sumptuous meal that celebrates the flavours of Rwanda.
Included activities
- Bwindi National Park – Mountain Gorilla Permit & Trek
- Farewell Dinner
Accommodation: Ride 4 a woman Hotel or similar
Day 9: Feb 1, 2026
Destination: Kisoro – Kigali
Meals included: Breakfast
After breakfast this morning, your adventure comes to an end. The driver will transfer you to the Airport for your departure flight depending on the flight timings.
Cost and Inclusions
The total cost of this trip is $7900 CAD per person for a shared twin room. A non-refundable deposit of $500 CAD is required at the time of booking to secure your space.
A further $1200 (non-refundable) will be required 120 days before departure to confirm gorilla permits.
Final payment is due 75 days prior to departure. Cancellation between 31-75 days will incur a 50% cancellation fee. Cancellation 30 days or less before departure will incur a 100% cancellation fee. No-shows are treated as cancellation and will result in 100% cancellation fee.
Your cost includes:
-Gorilla trekking permits
-Chimpanzee trekking permits
-Accommodation for 8 nights
-8 breakfast, 3 lunches, 5 dinners
-English speaking guide/tour leader
-Private 4×4 transportation
-Airport pickup & drop off for those arriving on start and end date
-All activities and entry fees as per itinerary
Not included
-Flights
-Visas
-Vaccines
-Travel Insurance
-Tips and gratuities
-Optional activities and spending not included in the itinerary
How to Book
Booking for this itinerary will open on Monday, February 3rd 2025 at 10am EST.
Please return then for instructions.
Space is limited and will be awarded on a first come first serve basis. I will have a waitlist if required.
Important Notes
Flights and visas are not included in the pricing. It is up to you to research what visas you may need and get them ahead of time (or on arrival) as needed. You are also required to have travel insurance. Please make sure your insurance covers all destinations and activities in this itinerary.
Again, this is one of my more physically demanding itineraries. On top of trekking we will have full jeep safari days on rough terrain and long drives. It will also likely be quite warm. Please ensure you are comfortable with these conditions.
You may need travel vaccines for this trip. Please speak to your travel doctor about what is required based on the itinerary. Border guards do check for required vaccines.
Hard suitcases will not be allowed on this trip. Please bring soft bags only (they can have wheels) and something that you can manage and carry on your own.
Hope you will join this epic adventure!