Overview
Itinerary
Arrive at anytime. Arriving early? Pre-book Nile River Whitewater Rafting in Jinja on Day 1, and be back in time for your evening welcome meeting. We strongly advise arriving one night earlier to facilitate the activity's early start.
Please note that if you choose to participate in the Jinja Rafting excursion, the pick-up will depart from The Canary Hotel in Kampala at approx 7:30am. If you have booked alternative pre-tour accommodations, please be sure to contact Nile River Explorers the day before to arrange a convenient pick-up point. See the Optional Activities section of the Tour Details page for more information.
- Welcome Meeting: Meet your CEO and fellow group members and learn more about the upcoming itinerary. Fill out some paperwork and get ready for the adventure.
- Jinja River Rafting from Kampala: Looking for a change from wildlife to simply something wild? Wake up early and head out on the Nile River for a full-day navigating the whitewater. Enjoy an exciting day testing your paddling skills in the rapids while waves crash over into your eight-person raft. This activity is suitable for rafters of all experience levels. Enjoy a BBQ and drinks with your group after conquering the rapids. Trip includes approx 4 hours round-trip transportation to and from Jinja from the start hotel in Kampala.
Take the scenic route to Fort Portal at the edge of Kibale National Park. Spend the night on a guest farm listening to the sounds of monkeys and birds.
Accommodation in Fort Portal is on a farm in simple furnished tents with shared bathroom facilities.
Explore the evergreen rainforest and trek to spot chimps in the morning or afternoon. Enjoy a traditional lunch in the Bigodi Community. Opt to venture deep into the wetlands to spot more wildlife on a guided walk through the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.
- Chimpanzee Trek: Embark on a chimp trek with a park ranger/guide. See more than just chimpanzees in their natural environment. Learn about the ecosystem and keep an eye out for other animals. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, visitors stand a good chance of hearing and seeing our distant cousins as they are not bothered by humans watching their daily behaviour.
- Bigodi Community Lunch: Sit down to a traditional buffet-style lunch prepared with fresh, organic local ingredients. Guests dine in a grass thatched hut and learn about Bigodi dining etiquette. Your local hosts describes how the ingredients used in the dishes are grown, harvested and prepared.
- Bigodi Swamp Walk: Take a guided walk through the Bigodi wetlands. On your tour, you will likely see several kinds of monkeys including black and white colobus, red colobus, mangabey, red tail, vervet, and L’Hoest. Other wetlands mammals include baboons, sitatunga (an increasingly endangered swamp antelope), bush pigs, civet cats, mongooses, bush bucks and an occasional chimpanzee. The area also boasts an incredible bird population. Walking poles are provided, subject to availability. If you require poles, we suggest bringing your own.
Continue on to Queen Elizabeth NP, stopping at the equator. Head out on a wildlife safari drive in the afternoon. Keep your eyes peeled for warthogs, elephants, buffalo, five different species of primates, and hippos. Queen Elizabeth National Park is characterized by open savannah, large areas of swamp around Lake George, the extensive Maramagambo Forest in the southeast, and the forested Kyambura Gorge along the border with Kyambura Game Reserve.
Tonight's accommodation is located on a hill, on the border of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It offers spectacular views of Lake George and the savannah plains.
- Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife Safari Drive: Enjoy a wildlife safari drive inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is home to Uganda's largest wildlife populations. Keep an eye out for buffalo, elephants, hippos, hyenas, lions, warthogs, and the elusive leopards.
Take an early morning wildlife safari drive and enjoy lunch inside the park. Opt for an evening cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Enjoy a wildlife safari drive with possible sightings of buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, lions, leopards, hyenas, giant forest hogs, and elephants.
- Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife Safari Drive: Enjoy a wildlife safari drive inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is home to Uganda's largest wildlife populations. Keep an eye out for buffalo, elephants, hippos, hyenas, lions, warthogs, and the elusive leopards.
- Free Time: Don't waste a minute— start exploring.
- Kazinga Channel Cruise: Take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, a waterway inside Queen Elizabeth National Park that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. Look out for a variety of wildlife who are drawn to the channel shores. Spot birds, crocodiles, hippos, and reptiles.
Enjoy the scenic drive south, with views of forests, volcanoes and lakes. Spend the night on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Accommodation at Bwindi Impenetrable NP is in simple furnished tents/rooms with ensuite bathroom facilities.
Rise early for the tour's main highlight – gorilla trekking! Head into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to meet the park ranger/guide for orientation. Embark on the trek, which can vary in length and difficulty, depending on the location of the gorilla family that's being visited. Spend 1 hr (max) observing these beautiful and endangered creatures, a truly privileged experience. Trek back and return to town. Enjoy free time in the afternoon.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four areas; Rushaga, Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhija. Depending on permit availability your group could be tracking gorillas from different areas of the park, it is all still part of Bwindi.
- Mountain Gorilla Trek: Take an unforgettable guided trek (1-6 hrs) deep into volcano forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a wildlife encounter of a lifetime, and meet a family of mountain gorillas. One of Africa's major highlights, a close encounter with these amazing animals is simply breathtaking. Get prepared before heading out: bring plenty of water and waterproof clothing (it can rain on only a few minutes’ notice), and be sure to bring protective bags for cameras and film. Dress in layers with long sleeves and long pants to protect against stinging nettles found in the forests. The trek’s often chilly, at first, until you start trekking. Note: Ugandan authorities are fiercely protective of this natural treasure, and currently permit only a maximum of eight people, per day, to visit a given gorilla family. The group will be split into different sub-groups for the trek, and depending on the number of travellers, different sub-groups may do their trek on different days. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has four areas; Rushaga, Buhoma, Nkuringo, and Ruhija. Depending on permit availability your group could be tracking gorillas from different areas of the park, it is all still part of Bwindi.
- Free Time: Depending on when you get back from your gorilla trek, you may have some time to explore more of the area.
- Porter Hire: Hire a local porter to carry your day pack throughout the trek, giving you more ease on your journey.
Cross the border into Rwanda, then head to the capital city, Kigali. Visit the genocide museum to learn more about the dark history of this fascinating country. Enjoy lunch at the G Adventures supported Nyamirambo Women's Centre.
The tour ends following lunch at Nyamirambo Women's Centre. Please book onward flights no earlier than 6pm.
- Border Crossing (Uganda - Rwanda): Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
- Kigali Genocide Memorial Visit: Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which serves as a permanent memorial to those who fell victim to the genocide in 1994. The centre opened on the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, in April 2004, and was built on a site where more than 250,000 people are buried. Please note that content at the Memorial Centre shows the harsh reality of the genocide.
- Nyamirambo Women's Centre, Local Lunch: Located in Nyamirambo, the largest and most vibrant township in Rwanda, the centre provides women and girls from a diverse range of backgrounds, the opportunity to support each other and succeed, through education and training programs. Enjoy lunch prepared by women employed at the centre, allowing us to try local foods and popular dishes. After lunch, take some time to browse the centre's shop, which features handmade, high-quality crafts and clothes, made by some of the women at the shop, as well as other women's cooperatives throughout Rwanda. Proceeds from the meal and shop help support the centre’s education and training programs, including a community library.
Trip Inclusions
- Admire a family of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
- Trek to see chimpanzees in Uganda.
- Keep your eyes peeled for the plentiful elephant and hippo populations in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Your G for Good Moment: Nyamirambo Women's Centre, Local Lunch, Kigali
- Guest farm stay near Kibale National Park
- Chimpanzee trek
- Bigodi community lunch
- Queen Elizabeth National Park wildlife safari drives
- Guided gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Visit to Kigali Genocide Museum
- All national park fees and trekking permits
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
- Private van, walking
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) /driver throughout, experienced gorilla trackers, local guides
- Standard Hotel (1 Night), Simple Furnished Tents/rooms (6 Nights)
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners
- Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included.
Operator
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
Get the best of both worlds with G's Classic trips as your knowledgeable CEO (Chief Experience Officer) leads you to iconic highlights and hidden gems, while ample free time lets you discover what excites you most. Enjoy included meals showcasing local flavours, plus opportunities to dive deeper into the food scene independently. Stay in comfortable hotels, authentic homestays, and unique accommodations that capture the spirit of each destination.
Dates & Pricing
AUD
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Enquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by G Adventures. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
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