Gorillas Galore: Entebbe, Bwindi & Volcanoes National Park

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport where you will be met by a Goway representative and transferred to your accommodation.

Depending on your arrival time, a half day trip to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary can be arranged at an additional cost. Other options include the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe, where there are a variety of visitors' programs including behind the scenes 'work' with the animals.
Entebbe is a small, quiet town located on the shores of Lake Victoria and is easy to explore on foot or local transport on motorbikes known as "boda bodas" or local taxis. Entebbe as a wide variety of restaurants serving many different cuisines as well as several bars and clubs where you can sample the local beer, catch a game of football and chat with the local Ugandans, known for their open and friendly nature.

Depart your lodge, for the short drive to the Entebbe domestic airport for your scheduled flight to Kihihi airstrip, near Bwindi/Queen Elizabeth National parks. The flight takes just over an hour (depending on the plane used) and on arrival you will be met by a Goway representative and driven to Buhoma Lodge, located at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The drive to the lodge is through local villages and mountain roads - lovely scenery and very interesting en route!

Other activities that can be enjoyed in and around the park include forest walks, visits to a local school or orphanage or Batwa pygmy village, and curio shopping (additional costs).

Bwindi National Park, located in south western Uganda on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, is considered the most diverse forest in Uganda. The area, one of the few large expanses of forest in East Africa, where lowland and mountain habitats meet, contains a dense ground cover of herbs, vines, and shrubs. Home to over 120 mammals, 345 species of birds, 200 species of butterflies, and 160 species of trees, Bwindi is one of the richest ecosystems in East Africa. The park contains almost one half of the world's population of the endangered Mountain Gorilla, making it an extremely valuable conservation site. Bwindi is also home to several endangered bird species with very limited ranges, and acts as an important catchment area for many rivers, supplying water for agriculture in the surrounding region.

Following breakfast at the lodge, you will walk down to National Park Headquarters to meet your guides for the day and begin your gorilla tracking experience. Experienced guides and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the dense rain forest on the mountain slopes. The journey, through dense foliage and up steep climbs, is abundantly rewarded with the lifetime experience of viewing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. You will have an opportunity to be within meters of these magnificent apes, sharing in their daily lives and experiencing their day-to-day activities. Mountain gorillas are extremely rare with only an estimated 850 remaining in the wild. This is an experience you won't soon forget! Some of the gorilla families are located in an area which you will need to travel to by vehicle, but don't worry - we will transport you there!

Following the trek, return to your accommodation and, if time allows, take a guided afternoon forest or community walk.

Please note: tracking may be fairly strenuous with treks up to six hours or longer, at high altitudes, not uncommon. Also, mountain gorillas are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. However viewing success rates are over 95%.

Depart Bwindi and drive to the border, by the bustling town of Kisoro, to enter Rwanda. The drive is long, but very beautiful - passing through the highlands of Uganda, amazing mountains, villages, over streams and through forests. Arrive Rwanda, and check into your lodge for the evening.

This morning you will be transferred to the Head Quarters for gorilla trekking in Rwanda (Optional at additional cost). In Rwanda you will be allocated a gorilla family to visit, all of which reside in the picturesque Virungas Mountains - this range of volcanic mountains stand 'sentry' along the border and are very impressive. The trekking is generally quite comfortable in terms of the topography of the region - a gradual incline to where the gorillas live. Return your lodge at the end of your gorilla experience to relax.

This morning you will be driven to Kigali, with lots to see along the way. Rwanda is often referred to as the Land of a 1000 Hills, and the scenery is incredible. Kigali is a bustling African city - a mix of modern and traditional. Option of visiting the Genocide Museum, Churches or simply enjoy city life. (Museum entry fees not included). Lunch/dinner on your own account today. Transfer to the airport for your outward flight.