rwanda & uganda
both sides of the virungas
Seven nights from Kigali into Uganda's Mgahinga and back to a Rwandan ridge, tracking gorillas along the Virunga chain.
- Private Safari
- From $11,295 pp
- 2 guests
- 7 nights
trip highlights
- Chimpanzee treks set out each morning from Kibale, a forest holding thirteen primate species and more than a thousand chimpanzees.
- The Nkuringo sector is the quietest corner of Bwindi, with steep, demanding treks to habituated mountain gorillas.
- Mgahinga holds a single habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi group, against the skyline of three Virunga volcanoes.
- Golden monkeys are tracked through the bamboo zone at Mgahinga, where fresh shoots concentrate the troops.
Scroll for the full itinerary
Across Uganda's Primate Forests
This nine-night route runs west across Uganda’s primate country. It opens in Entebbe, close to Lake Victoria, then climbs to Kibale Forest, a moist evergreen rainforest holding thirteen primate species and more than a thousand chimpanzees. From there it moves south to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to close to half the world’s mountain gorillas, staying on the quieter Nkuringo side, and ends at Mgahinga, the country’s smallest gorilla park, set among three Virunga volcanoes.
You travel it by road and light transfers, with morning treks the shape of most days. Chimpanzees at Kibale, mountain gorillas at Bwindi and Mgahinga, and golden monkeys in the bamboo. The lodges are the strongest in each area, hand-built in stone and thatch, with fires lit, personal butlers and a level of finish rare this close to the forest.
Daily Itinerary Breakdown
Arrival in Entebbe
You land at Entebbe International Airport and settle for the night close to the shores of Lake Victoria, a short drive from the terminal. This is a rest stop rather than a game-viewing day, built around the flight schedule before you head west in the morning. No.5 Boutique Hotel is a small garden retreat in a leafy Entebbe suburb, ten minutes by road from the airport. Rooms and communal spaces gather around a courtyard planted with palms, with a pool, a well-stocked bar and dining that runs through the day. Fifteen rooms keep the operation small, and arrivals are met with a cold juice.
- Accommodation at No.5 Boutique Hotel
Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest
You move west to Kibale Forest, southeast of Fort Portal, where treks set out each morning from the Kanyanchu trailhead to find the habituated chimpanzee families. The forest holds thirteen primate species alongside red and black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey and blue monkeys, and sightings come on the great majority of mornings. Afternoons can take in the Ndali-Kasenda crater lakes or the Bigodi wetland for birds. Kibale Lodge stands on a ridge about thirty minutes from the trailhead, its eight hand-built bandas looking towards the Rwenzori Mountains. Papyrus thatch, eucalyptus floors and a personal butler for every guest set the tone.
- Accommodation at Kibale Lodge
Mountain Gorillas at Nkuringo
South in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, you trek the quieter Nkuringo sector, where fewer lodges and less traffic make for the emptiest trails in the forest. Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers lead you in among a habituated mountain gorilla family, with eight visitors per group and a strict hour once the gorillas are found. The routes here are among the steepest, long ascents and descents through dense forest at altitude. Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge sits at roughly 2,000 metres on Nteko Ridge, its volcanic-stone cottages facing the canopy one way and the Virunga volcanoes the other. A fire is kept lit in each cottage, with hot towels and a foot massage waiting off the mountain.
- Accommodation at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
One Gorilla Family Among Three Volcanoes
You finish at Mgahinga, Uganda's smallest and quietest gorilla park, where a single habituated family, the Nyakagezi group, lives against the backdrop of Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. The gorillas spend much of their time in bamboo and on open volcanic slopes rather than tangled undergrowth, which gives clearer sightlines. Golden monkeys are tracked through the same bamboo zone, and over 180 bird species have been recorded on the slopes. Mount Gahinga Lodge sits a short walk from the park gate, with eight circular bandas of local volcanic stone under conical thatch. Each holds a fireplace and opens onto a private veranda angled toward the volcanoes.
- Accommodation at Mount Gahinga Lodge
Ed Charles, BBC Producer
Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.
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uganda
the primate parks and the virungas
Eleven nights across Uganda, tracking chimpanzees in Kibale and Kyambura and gorillas at Mgahinga, via Queen Elizabeth's plains.
- Private Safari
- From $13,800 pp
- 2 guests
- 11 nights
uganda & kenya
gorillas, riding and laikipia rhino
Fourteen nights linking Uganda's gorilla forests with riding and rhino country on Kenya's Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
- Private Safari
- From $19,380 pp
- 2 guests
- 14 nights
rated five stars by our clients
our approach
remote, exclusive
& personal
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.
Get in touch to start planning yours.