9 Days Rwanda Tour & Uganda Gorilla Trekking

Overview of 9 Days Rwanda Tour & Uganda Gorilla Trekking

Explore the natural beauty, wildlife, primates, and cultures of Rwanda and Uganda on this remarkable 9 Days Rwanda Tour & Uganda Gorilla Trekking. The tour begins in Kigali with an introduction to Rwanda’s history and modern development before continuing to Akagera National Park. Enjoy a boat safari on Lake Ihema and an extensive game drive through the park’s savannah plains, wetlands, woodlands, and lakes while searching for lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, leopards, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos, crocodiles, and abundant birdlife. From Akagera, travel through Rwanda’s spectacular countryside to Volcanoes National Park, where you will explore the bamboo forest during a golden monkey trek and discover the country’s successful mountain gorilla conservation efforts.

Continue across the Rwanda–Uganda border to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, one of the world’s most important mountain gorilla habitats. Trek through the ancient rainforest with experienced trackers before spending an unforgettable hour observing a habituated gorilla family. The itinerary also includes cultural encounters, the beautiful Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, and a relaxing visit to Lake Bunyonyi. With private transportation, comfortable accommodation, professional guiding, and carefully planned activities, this tour provides a balanced combination of wildlife viewing, primate trekking, culture, scenery, and relaxation.

9 Days Rwanda Tour & Uganda Gorilla Trekking

 

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, meet your professional driver-guide and receive a warm welcome to Rwanda. Transfer to your hotel for check-in and relaxation.

Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a short orientation tour of Kigali or relax at the hotel after your international journey.

Accommodation: Kigali Marriott Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton, or similar
Meal plan: Bed and breakfast

Day 2: Kigali City Tour and Transfer to Akagera National Park

After breakfast, begin your Kigali city tour with a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Continue to a local market, an art gallery, and some of the city’s historical and modern neighbourhoods.

After lunch, drive to Akagera National Park through Rwanda’s scenic eastern countryside. Upon arrival, enjoy a boat safari on Lake Ihema, where you may encounter hippos, Nile crocodiles, waterbirds, and other animals along the shoreline.

Accommodation: Akagera Mantis Game Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3: Full-Day Akagera Wildlife Safari

Enjoy an early breakfast before beginning a full-day game drive through Akagera National Park. Explore its open savannah, lakes, wetlands, woodland, and rolling hills while searching for the Big Five and other wildlife.

Possible sightings include lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, leopards, giraffes, zebras, topis, impalas, warthogs, baboons, and numerous bird species. Enjoy a picnic lunch inside the park before returning to the lodge.

Accommodation: Akagera Mantis Game Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4: Akagera to Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, leave Akagera and travel toward Volcanoes National Park. Stop in Kigali for lunch before continuing northwest through Rwanda’s beautiful hills and rural communities.

Upon arrival in Musanze, visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Learn about mountain gorilla research, conservation, and the legacy of Dian Fossey before transferring to your lodge.

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Ingagi Park View Lodge, or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5: Golden Monkey Trekking and Twin Lakes Experience

Following an early breakfast, transfer to the Volcanoes National Park headquarters for registration and a briefing. Enter the bamboo forest with an experienced guide in search of the energetic and colourful golden monkeys.

After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the scenic Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Enjoy panoramic views of the lakes, surrounding hills, local communities, and Virunga volcanoes.

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Ingagi Park View Lodge, or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6: Volcanoes National Park to Bwindi, Uganda

After breakfast, visit the Gorilla Guardians Village for an introduction to Rwanda’s traditions, music, dancing, and community life.

Continue to the Rwanda–Uganda border, complete immigration formalities, and travel through Uganda’s mountainous southwestern countryside to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Check in at your lodge and prepare for the following day’s gorilla trekking experience.

Accommodation: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7: Uganda Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for registration and a briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority guides. Enter Bwindi’s ancient rainforest with experienced trackers in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family.

The trek may last several hours depending on the gorillas’ location. Once found, spend one memorable hour observing their behaviour and family interactions. Afterwards, return to the park headquarters to receive your trekking certificate before returning to the lodge.

An optional Batwa cultural experience can be arranged later in the afternoon, depending on the duration of the gorilla trek.

Accommodation: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner

Day 8: Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before leaving Bwindi for Lake Bunyonyi, one of Uganda’s most scenic destinations. The journey passes through terraced hills, rural communities, and beautiful highland landscapes.

Upon arrival, check in at your lakeside lodge and enjoy lunch. Spend the afternoon relaxing or take an optional boat or canoe excursion to explore some of the lake’s islands and learn about their history and surrounding communities.

Accommodation: BirdNest Resort, Arcadia Lodge Lake Bunyonyi, or similar
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9: Lake Bunyonyi to Kigali and Departure

After breakfast overlooking Lake Bunyonyi, begin the return journey to Rwanda. Cross the border and continue through the scenic countryside toward Kigali.

Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy lunch and stop for souvenir shopping in Kigali before transferring to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight.

Meal plan: Breakfast and lunch

Includes in 9 Days Rwanda Tour & Uganda Gorilla Trekking

  • Airport arrival and departure transfers
  • Private 4×4 safari vehicle
  • Professional English-speaking driver-guide
  • Eight nights of accommodation
  • Meals indicated in the itinerary
  • Uganda gorilla trekking permit
  • Rwanda golden monkey trekking permit
  • Akagera National Park entrance fees
  • Full-day Akagera game drive
  • Lake Ihema boat safari
  • Kigali city tour
  • Ellen DeGeneres Campus visit
  • Twin Lakes excursion
  • Gorilla Guardians Village experience
  • Border-crossing assistance
  • Bottled drinking water during the tour
  • Applicable government taxes

Excludes in 9 Days Rwanda Tour & Uganda Gorilla Trekking

  • International flights
  • Rwanda and Uganda visa fees
  • East Africa Tourist Visa
  • Travel and medical insurance
  • Personal expenses and gratuities
  • Porter services during gorilla trekking
  • Alcoholic and premium beverages
  • Optional Batwa and Lake Bunyonyi activities
  • Activities or services not listed in the itinerary

    What Our Clients Say

    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Aucun regret Nous avons passé une journée incroyable avec Félix, pick-up très tôt pour arriver a l'heure du lever du soleil a Akagera. Et franchement l'excursion a duré bien plus longtemps que ce que j'imaginais par rapport au prix. Je recommande a 200% !
    Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
    Virginie D profile picture
    Virginie D
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Experience of a lifetime with fantastic operator The day began at 4:30 AM when Dodos picked us up from our hotel in Kegali, we arrived at the briefing at about 7 AM where we had a nice cup of tea and were assigned our guide and group of 8 people for the day. The hike itself was more strenuous than I expected, and unfortunately, my daughter was sick so they ended up asking the local village to provide a stretcher to carry her with a rotating group of about 9 guys. It was an extra $200 but well worth it given how challenging it was to navigate the trails. A couple of guys lead with machetes, making space for us to travel about 3 miles uphill. Seeing the gorilla was incredible, it was beyond words to experience them in their natural setting for an hour. I know there are several different operators who organize these tours but I would highly recommend Universal Ventures due to their personal attention and going above and beyond when my daughter was sick. We ended up getting back to the hotel at about 8 PM, so a very long day, but one that we will never forget.
    Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
    erg2222 profile picture
    erg2222
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Perfect Rwanda tour that worked around our flight issues We had a fantastic experience in Rwanda with Dodos our guide and Emmanuel from the office! We had to deal with 2 cancelled flights and delayed baggage, and Emmanuel helped us reconfigure our itinerary so that we were still able to see the Genocide Memorial and go gorilla trekking. Dodos patiently waited for us at the airport even until 3am and helped us shop for clothes due to our baggage delay. He saved us quite a bit of money by bargaining with the locals. The arranged accommodations were very nice. Gorilla trekking is a lengthy hike but gratifying with the hour we had to hang out beside the family. Overall, Dodos and Emmanuel made Rwanda one of our most favorite countries we visited, even though our 5-day tour became 3 days. We highly recommend doing a tour with Universal Ventures Rwanda.
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    DK Travels the World profile picture
    DK Travels the World
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Magical experience and lovely tour operator I would definitely recommend this experience in general and this operator specifically. They contacted me quickly to discuss arranging for the permit to see the gorillas (and extra fee paid directly to the Rwandan authorities). They also advised on how to prepare and answered my questions. On the day of, a really lovely driver picked me up from my hotel in Kigali on time in a luxurious jeep. He was friendly and encouraging as I was a bit anxious about the hiking which can be intense but my one wasn't that strenuous. It depends what the gorillas are up to and the park guides try to sort people loosely on fitness levels, I think. I hired a porter to carry my bag, and they also helped with uneven ground, which was not needed in this case but could have been very very essential if we had to walk through a steeper part of the park. The park staff then led my small group of tourists to see the gorillas, which was one of the most magical things I have experienced! The family of gorillas were very tolerant of us and we spent the full hour allotted with them (longer can stress them). After the walk back, Dodos, my driver, greeted me with a fancy drink and flip flops so I could get out of my hiking boots. We then had lunch at a restaurant o. The way back to Kigali. Overall, I felt very safe as a single female traveller and there were no unexpected costs.
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    Rosie H profile picture
    Rosie H
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    An Amazing Holidays in Rwanda and Uganda We took a wonderful 19-day trip through Rwanda and Uganda with the travel agency Universal Ventures—a trip tailored specifically to our family. We started planning the entire trip about three months in advance, and communication with the agency was excellent from the very beginning. It was a trip full of powerful experiences, beautiful nature, encounters with local people, and moments we’ll remember for a long time. The agency’s owner, Emmanuel, was very helpful, communicative, and patient from the very beginning, and he always helped us choose the best options for activities and accommodations based on what was most suitable for our family. The agency arranged a car with a driver and guide for us, as well as some of the activity bookings during the trip. We visited Akagera, Volcanoes, Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, and Nyungwe National Parks, as well as Lake Kivu. Our driver (guide) was John Bosco, whom we can highly recommend. He was not only a great driver but also an excellent guide, thanks to whom we experienced the trip much more intensely. He has a vast knowledge of the local flora and fauna, and his knowledge of local birds was truly impressive. We were equally fascinated by his excellent knowledge of the local area—he was able to drive to any location or hotel without using a map or a GPS on his phone. We also greatly appreciated his punctuality: the car was always ready even before the agreed-upon time. The car remained tidy and clean throughout the entire trip, even after driving on dusty roads. John also provided us with valuable information about the duration of each leg of the journey, helped us plan our itinerary better, and thanks to him, we felt safe and well taken care of the entire time. The agreement with the agency was clear and easy to understand. We had the option to choose from several pricing options, and the one we selected was the final price—we weren’t charged any additional fees. The deposit we paid to Universal Ventures in advance was properly accounted for. Any minor issues that arose during our long trip were quickly resolved. We definitely recommend booking a car with a driver for a vacation in Rwanda and Uganda: finding your way around isn’t always easy, the quality of the roads is often very poor—especially in Uganda—and it’s also better to cross the Rwanda/Uganda land border with someone who knows the local conditions. In addition, the driver can help you organize visits to local cultural centers, which will allow you to get to know the country much better. This vacation was unforgettable for us, and we feel that it was thanks to Emmanuel, John Bosco, and the entire Universal Ventures agency that we were able to experience Rwanda and Uganda in such a beautiful, safe, and in-depth way. Thank you so much for the excellent organization, care, and all the experiences that will stay with us for a long time to come. We can wholeheartedly and with great pleasure recommend this agency for a trip through Rwanda and Uganda.
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    Lenka N profile picture
    Lenka N
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Amazing time seeing Gorillas We had the best time with Mupenzi and Dodos! They made the whole trip unforgettable! There is nothing like seeing Gorillas up close in the wild!
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    Joel S profile picture
    Joel S
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Majestic Experience Today was such an amazing day of adventure! Volcanoes National Park is an amazing and ethical way to see these beautiful creatures. Our trekking guide Mupenzi was so kind, fun, and knowledgeable. And our driver, Dodos was phenomenal. He is such a lovely person and incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommended!
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    Sami M profile picture
    Sami M
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Absolutely breathtaking experience! My experience was seamless from the coordination of my pick up and drop off, to the actual excursion! Hands down one of the best experiences of my life! Christian was extremely helpful and welcoming throughout our entire trip, it would not have been the same without him. Seeing the gorillas after the trekking through the thick brush, was absolutely breathtaking! I will definitely be recommending this trip to all my friends and family!
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    Greg V profile picture
    Greg V
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    100% recommended I was originally in Tanzania for a safari but decided to add the gorilla trek at the end of my trip because the flight was too long to fly to Africa from California again at my age. I booked through Viator. From the beginning, communication with Universal Adventures was positive. They were prompt to answer any questions. And a few days before the excursion, they sent me my driver's name and WhatsApp number. His name is Christian.We communicated through WhatsApp, and he was very prompt to reply back. He was early to pick me up at 4:30am. I had another person in the car. The car was clean. Its a long drive to the meeting place. We stopped for breakfast pastries at a local shop( they take credit cards and had a clean breakfast. We then drove to the meeting place where we met up with our group. There they had hot drinks like coffees, lattes, teas, etc. We then had to drive to the beginning of the mountain. It was a long drive as the roads are not paved. My group was assigned the Isimbi gorilla family and our guide was Jolie. My porter was Adolf. I was the least active one in the group but the crew never made me feel bad. After what I thought was a 4 hr hike (it was really 1 hr and 26 minutes) we found our gorilla family. We had plenty of time to take pictures with them. After we were done, Christian took us to a rooftop restaurant. The food was delicious! I recommend this excursion 100%. The company is awesome and very professional.
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    patty e profile picture
    patty e
    Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
    Gorilla Experience in Rwanda! Easy ride, the trip was one in a life time experience. The driver (Christian) was very nice and kind and made the trip smooth! Everything was great.
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    Juliet K profile picture
    Juliet K
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