The ultimate “islands in the sky” tour. Bwindi and the Virungas are the last two sanctuaries of the Mountain Gorilla. This tour allows you to interact with both populations and to see the subtle difference in ecology between the two locations.

Bwindi Forest for gorilla tracking
Volcanoes National Park for Gorilla tracking and golden monkey tracking

Day 1

Today you arrive in Uganda, where you are met at the Entebbe International Airport, and taken to your hotel for a welcome drinks and a briefing. We then travel to a nearby airstrip to take an air charter to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. On arrival, we are welcomed to our camp. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure to relax or explore. After dinner, we retire for the night, lulled to sleep by the sounds of one of Africa’s most incredible natural environments.

Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

Days 2 and 3

The next two days activities may be amongst the most exciting and challenging of our entire expedition. The Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi are part of a worldwide population of just 600 individuals. The gorillas we are allowed to track belong either one of two habituated family groups. For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild.

The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts.

Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before one returns to camp. Once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a look into one of these magnificent creatures eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. It also brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that our presence here contributes to ensuring their continued survival. The hour is often over all too quickly, and we slowly make our way back to camp to recount the day’s adventures.

Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 4

Today we drive south over the border to Rwanda, where we will check in to our lodge

Overnight: Volcanoes Virungas Lodge

Meal Plan: Dinner

Days 5 and 6

Early start to Ruhengeri, to start the Gorilla tracking for these 2 days. The Mountain Gorillas in the Parc Nationale des Volcanes form the other half of the total population. The gorillas we are allowed to track here belong either one of four habituated family groups.

As with Bwindi, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before one returns to base. Once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them.

Overnight: Volcanoes Virungas Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 7

This morning you participate in another adventure tracking the “Little Primates” of the Virungas, the Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus Kandti), now listed by the IUCN as endangered because of their small numbers. We will be part of a select group of a maximum of 6 people, and the track will take most of the day. You return to Kigali in the later afternoon

Overnight: Novotel Kigali

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 8

Today we take our international flight out

Meal Plan: Breakfast

INCLUSIONS

Accommodation in standard twin rooms (please note we cannot guarantee single rooms at the Gorilla Forest Camp).
Meals as indicated in the daily meal plan.
Soft drinks, bottled water, beers, laundry and house wine at the Gorilla Forest Camp.
All road and internal air transfers as indicated.
2 gorilla permits per person Uganda
2 gorilla permits per person Rwanda.
Park fees.
All activities described in the itinerary, unless specified as extras.
Medical Evacuation Service.

EXCLUSIONS

International Air Fares, entry visa fees, domestic and international departure tax.
Beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle.
Bottled wine, spirits and champagne at the Gorilla Forest Camp.
All expenses of a personal nature.
Tips and gratuities for your driver/guide hotel/camp staff.