Highlights of this tour with G Adventures: Admire a family of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, Trek to see chimpanzees in Uganda, and keep your eyes peeled for the plentiful elephant and hippo populations in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

This is a small group experience with a maximum of 12 passengers.

YOUR G FOR GOOD MOMENT: G for Good reflects G Adventures’ promise to use travel as a force for positive change. It’s about supporting local communities and protecting the environment through responsible tourism. On this journey, you’ll visit the inspiring Nyamirambo Women’s Centre, enjoy a traditional local lunch in Kigali, stay on a guest farm near Kibale National Park, and trek to see chimpanzees. Other highlights include a Bigodi community lunch, safari drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, guided gorilla trekking in Bwindi, and a moving visit to the Kigali Genocide Museum. All park fees, permits, and transport for activities are included.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Kampala

Your adventure begins in Kampala, where you’ll meet your G Adventures CEO and the rest of your small group. Your CEO will talk you through the route, explain what to expect, and help you get ready for the days ahead.

There may be a little paperwork to complete before you set off, including important details linked to permits and park visits. It’s a straightforward first evening, designed to help you settle in and feel prepared.

Day 2: Kampala to Fort Portal

You’ll leave Kampala and travel towards Fort Portal, close to Kibale National Park. The drive gives you your first real sense of Uganda’s changing landscapes, with towns, farmland, and green countryside along the way.

Tonight, you’ll stay at a guest farm near the park. It’s a lovely shift in pace after the city, with birdsong, monkeys, and the sounds of the surrounding countryside setting the scene for your first wildlife experience.

Day 3: Kibale National Park

Today is all about Kibale’s evergreen rainforest and its famous chimpanzees. You’ll head into the forest with a park ranger or guide, learning about the ecosystem as you walk beneath the canopy.

Chimpanzee sightings can never be guaranteed, but Kibale offers a very good chance of seeing or hearing them. Even if the chimps keep moving, the forest itself is full of life, with birds, butterflies, monkeys, and the constant sound of the rainforest around you.

This is a rewarding trek, and your guide will help you understand more than just the wildlife sightings. You’ll learn how the chimps move, feed, interact, and fit into the wider forest environment.

After your trek, you’ll enjoy a traditional buffet-style lunch in the Bigodi Community. The meal is prepared with fresh, organic, local ingredients and served in a grass-thatched hut.

Your hosts will explain how the ingredients are grown, harvested, and prepared, giving you a warm and genuine insight into local food traditions. It’s a simple, personal experience that adds real depth to your time near Kibale.

Optional

If you’d like to see more wildlife, you can choose to join a guided walk through the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. This area is known for its birdlife, monkeys, and wetland scenery, and it’s a good option if you enjoy slower, more detailed nature walks.

Day 4: Kibale National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park

You’ll continue towards Queen Elizabeth National Park, with a stop at the equator along the way. It’s a classic photo opportunity and a natural pause in the journey before you move into one of Uganda’s best-known wildlife areas.

Queen Elizabeth National Park has a wide mix of landscapes, including open savannah, swamp areas around Lake George, Maramagambo Forest, and the forested Kyambura Gorge. This variety makes it one of the country’s richest wildlife regions.

Later, you’ll head out on a safari drive inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. Keep watch for buffalo, elephants, hippos, hyenas, lions, warthogs, and, with luck, leopard.

The park is also home to several primate species, so it’s worth looking carefully around forested areas as well as across the open plains. Your guide will help track movement, read the landscape, and position the vehicle for the best possible viewing.

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park

You’ll start the day with another safari drive, when wildlife is often more active. This is a good time to look for predators, grazing herds, and animals moving before the heat of the day builds.

Possible sightings include buffalo, waterbuck, warthogs, lions, leopards, hyenas, giant forest hogs, elephants, and hippos. As always, wildlife watching comes with no guarantees, but the park’s scale and diversity make every drive feel worthwhile.

You’ll enjoy lunch inside the park, giving you more time in the landscape rather than returning too far between activities. It’s a practical, well-paced way to make the most of the day.

Optional

In the evening, you may choose to take a cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This waterway is well known for hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, elephants, and a wide range of birdlife.

It’s a different way to experience the park, with wildlife often gathering near the water’s edge. If you enjoy photography or relaxed wildlife viewing, this optional cruise is a strong addition.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Today, you’ll travel south towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, one of Africa’s most important gorilla habitats. The drive takes you through a changing landscape of forests, lakes, and volcanic views.

You’ll spend the night on the edge of the park, ready for the next day’s gorilla trekking. This is a good evening to prepare your kit, charge your camera, and pack a small day bag.

Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This is the main event of the journey. You’ll rise early and head into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a briefing with your ranger or guide before setting off on foot.

The trek can vary in length and difficulty, depending on where the gorilla family is that day, so your ranger will set a steady pace and guide you through the forest safely. The terrain can be muddy, steep, and uneven, but the reward is extraordinary: time spent quietly watching mountain gorillas feed, rest, play, and interact in their natural habitat. Once your permitted viewing time comes to an end, you’ll make your way back through the forest with a real sense of what makes Bwindi so special. The rest of the day is yours to take things slowly, reflect on the experience, and enjoy your final evening surrounded by the sounds of the park.

Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Kigali

You’ll leave Bwindi and make the journey across the border into Rwanda, travelling through green hills, small towns, and rural landscapes on the way to Kigali. It’s a longer travel day, but a meaningful one, as the route gives you time to reflect on your gorilla trekking experience while moving towards the final chapter of the trip. Once in Kigali, you’ll begin to get a feel for Rwanda’s capital, with its quiet streets, thoughtful memorials, and warm community spaces adding important context to the journey.

Terms and Conditions

INCLUDES: Accommodation in a standard hotel and simple furnished tents/rooms, meals (7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners), all transport between destinations and to/from included activities, 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.

7 Nights from R70,599 per person sharing