Gorillas Galore
Uganda & Rwanda
In the Realm of Primates & Peaks
Your journey begins in Entebbe, Uganda, where you’ll overnight before venturing westward into the wild. The adventure truly begins in Kibale Forest National Park, where your days are filled with forest walks, chimpanzee encounters, and serene crater lake scenery. From here, you’ll travel into Queen Elizabeth National Park, a mosaic of grassland and wetland habitats rich in game. Keep an eye out for tree-climbing lions, elephants, buffalo, and a myriad of bird species as you explore the Mweya and Ishasha sectors.
Next, you ascend into the emerald embrace of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This World Heritage-listed rainforest is home to around half the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Here, in hushed anticipation, you’ll trek through tangled undergrowth to spend an hour with one of nature’s most magnificent creatures. You’ll then cross into Rwanda and the peaceful town of Musanze, gateway to Volcanoes National Park, where a second gorilla trek and optional golden monkey visit await.
The journey blends scheduled small group travel with private guiding and four-wheel drive exploration, creating a rhythm that is both exhilarating and deeply immersive. Along the way, you’ll stay in comfortable lodges and tented camps that reflect the spirit of their surroundings. You’ll travel through mist-cloaked forests, crater lakes, savannah plains, and volcanic slopes — a land of great biodiversity and soulful beauty. The itinerary concludes with a return to Kigali, where you may opt to visit the Genocide Memorial before your onward journey.
You will love
- Close-up gorilla trekking in Bwindi
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest
- Scenic game drives in Queen Elizabeth NP
- Tree-climbing lions of Ishasha
- Cross-border adventure from Uganda to Rwanda
- Golden monkey trekking option
Let us design your perfect itinerary.
12 INCREDIBLE DAYS
DAY 1 | ENTEBBE | 1 NIGHT
On arrival at Entebbe Airport, a representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel for the night to begin your ‘Gorillas Galore’ safari.
Entebbe sits on the shores of Lake Victoria — a relaxed town that’s easy to explore. Visit local markets, stroll the Botanical Gardens, take a boat cruise, or hop on a boda boda (motorbike taxi) for a quick tour, then spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure.
DAY 2 | KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK | 2 NIGHTS
Depart after breakfast to Kibale Forest. The drive via rural villages and towns will take approx. 6-7 hours, stopping for a picnic lunch en route.
Kibale Forest is a rich mosaic of tropical rainforest, montane woodland, and swampy grasslands. It’s renowned for its incredible primate diversity — 13 species in total — including chimpanzees, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, diademed monkeys, and the striking black-and-white colobus. Bird enthusiasts will be delighted by the presence of nearly 300 bird species, along with over 140 butterfly species and a fascinating array of forest insects.
Check in to your luxurious eco-lodge, tucked next to the chimp trekking starting point, and relax for the rest of the afternoon.
DAY 3 | KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Head out early on your chimp trek, into a forest alive with bird calls and primate chatter. Chimps may be on the move or resting close to the ground. Either way, it’s an exciting walk through lush forest. While sightings aren’t guaranteed, your expert guide will point out wildlife and forest highlights along the way. Once found, you’ll spend an unforgettable hour with the chimps in their natural habitat.
In the afternoon, enjoy an optional extra 2–3 hour guided walk through Bigodi Swamps, one of Uganda’s richest ecosystems with exceptional birding and primates like colobus monkeys.
DAY 4 | QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK | 3 NIGHTS
Depart early to travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is a full day drive down to the southern sector, with plenty of game viewing on the way, as the park is home to elephants, buffalo, hippos, leopards, Uganda kob and over 600 bird species.
On arrival, check in to Ishasha Wilderness Camp, which sits beside the beside Ntungwe River, and relax for the remainder of the afternoon. Come evening, unwind by the fire with sundowners and stories under the stars.
DAY 5 | QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Today is yours to enjoy game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, looking out for huge herds of buffalo, elephant and of course the famous tree-climbing lion typically found in the area. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a special bush breakfast – a real highlight (optional extra, pre-booking essential).
DAY 6 | QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Another day to do things your way – up early with the birds at dawn, or taking it slow with coffee on your verandah and the river flowing by. Spend the day out on game drives with a picnic lunch or head back to camp for a lazy afternoon siesta. As the sun sets, take in the views with a sundowner drink and snack in hand – alongside the river or on the ridge with sweeping views of the plains.
DAY 7 | BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK | 3 NIGHTS
Continue your journey onto Bwindi, with a brief stop en route at a community project near Ishasha Village (drive +- 3 hours). Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley with mist-covered hillsides that are home to an estimated 460 mountain gorillas
Check into Buhoma Lodge and enjoy an evening at leisure.
DAY 8 | BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Experienced guides and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the dense rain forest on the steep mountain slopes to find your group of habituated gorillas. Coming face to face with mountain gorillas is a rare and exhilarating wildlife encounter that is hard to capture in words. Once you have located your gorilla family, spend an hour quietly observing them. The time passes so quickly; be sure to enjoy this experience fully and not just through your camera lens.
Head back to Buhoma Lodge for a complimentary massage after your trek or explore the surrounding Bwindi community. There are also a range of optional activities including forest walks, visits to a local school, orphanage, Batwa pygmy village or Ride 4 a Woman project, or curio shopping.
DAY 9 | BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Today is yours to explore at your own pace.
Choose to embark on a second gorilla trek or enjoy one of the other optional experiences available in the area. The Bwindi Forest Walk, led by a Uganda Wildlife Authority guide, is a peaceful hike through the forest to a scenic waterfall — keep an eye out for monkeys and colourful birdlife along the way.
Or join the Bwindi village walk, a fascinating 3–4-hour journey through the local community, where you might visit a traditional healer, stop by a village school or orphanage, or watch how local banana brew is made.
DAY 10 | VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK | 2 NIGHTS
Travel through the lush highlands of southwestern Uganda — often called the ‘Little Switzerland of Africa’ — along winding mountain roads and through rural villages en route to Rwanda. On clear days, the towering Virunga Volcanoes line the horizon like silent sentries. Today is full travel day, with around 7–8 hours on the road and approx. a 1-hour border crossing, but it is incredibly scenic.
Settle into your lodge on arrival in Volcanoes National Park, ready for an exciting day tomorrow.
DAY 11 | VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Set off to Volcanoes National Park and the trekking start point. After an early coffee, you’ll be grouped according to fitness level and head into the forest with expert guides and scouts. Trek times vary depending on the gorilla family’s location — from a quick half-hour to a full day of hiking through bamboo forest and up into steep, dense forest.
If you decide not to trek, you will have the opportunity to hike to Dian Fossey’s tomb, visit the Karisoke Research Centre, track golden monkeys or climb Mount Bisoke to its stunning crater lake.
In the afternoon, drive to Rwanda’s bustling capital, Kigali, for an overnight stay.
DAY 12 | KIGALI & DEPARTURE
On your final morning, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial — a powerful and moving tribute to the thousands of lives lost in 1994. It’s a place of remembrance, reflection and learning, also highlighting other global tragedies.
This brings your ‘Gorillas Galore’ itinerary to a close, and you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight or to continue with your travel arrangements.
Note
This itinerary is a suggestion only and can be amended in terms of length, destination and properties to be included.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Please enquire for pricing
Inclusions
- Meet & greet upon arrival in Entebbe, transfer airport – Entebbe hotel
- 1 night Boma Hotel including breakfast
- Private safari vehicle and guide
- 2 nights Primate Lodge including all meals
- 3 nights Ishasha Wilderness Camp, including all meals & local drinks
- Bush sundowners at Ishasha
- 3 nights Buhoma Lodge, including all meals & local drinks
- Community fees & contribution to the Future Generations Trust
- 1 night Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge including all meals
- 1 night Kigali Serena including breakfast
- All park fees & Game drives
- Genocide Memorial visit in Kigali
- Transfer to Kigali Airport
*Please note: Total weight limit for domestic transfer flight from Entebbe is 15kg in soft bags. XL seats available for those with additional luggage / needing more space.
Exclusions
- Gorilla trekking & golden monkey permits
- All optional activities
- All international flights & airport taxes
- Personal expenses such as porters, drinks, tips, visas, health requirements & travel insurance
- Optional activities not included above
This itinerary provides the perfect inspiration for a spectacular journey and can be tailored to suit your style, pace, preferences and budget. Elements of this trip may vary based on your chosen season and dates of travel and, once the timing of internal flights is known, this may also present the opportunity to see and do even more!
An absolutely fantastic travel company - every one of the many trips they have organised for us over 22 years have been faultless and fabulous.
Judith & Roger Williams
Would do it all again and not change a moment. Best holiday ever!
The McGowan Tribe
It certainly was the best trip we have EVER had. The experiences were mind blowing. We want everyone we know to experience Africa - the animals, the people - magical.
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The Classic Safari Company is the best I have dealt with. Extremely knowledgeable & professional, friendly, patient & understanding of first timers to Africa.
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If you want the most sensational experience in Africa let Julia and the staff at Classic Safari Co plan it for you! Their knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for their job means your every wish will be fulfilled.
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Their experience and knowledge of Africa is evident and we couldn't have been happier with the total package. This has given us a taste for Africa - now we are ready for more.
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The trip of a lifetime, couldn't have dreamt of a better adventure if I tried.
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You can't improve on perfection. I had my best birthday and holiday with my family celebrating my 80th birthday in Africa. Everything that Julia organised was perfect and the whole trip was a highlight!
Buckingham Family
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Thank you for making our trip to Africa so spectacular. The attention to detail really made it special. It really was the trip of a lifetime.
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An amazing experience - the best family holiday we have ever had. We were extremely impressed by the meticulous attention to our itinerary. I can't speak highly enough of all the elements of this exciting journey!
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The trip exceeded my expectations and was the best family holiday I have ever had. Our children simply loved it and now I know more about African wildlife than they do about our own farm animals.
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Kim & Brad Balance
Julia you did a fantastic job - everything was first class. Well organised, efficient and stress free. We all agreed it was the best holiday we've ever had. Cant wait to travel with CSC again.
Milford family
We wanted the opportunity to see as many wildlife parks as possible and the Classic Safari Company provided an action-packed itinerary that included six, with 11 tiger sightings and nine leopard. This was overlaid with an introduction to Jaisalmer, Jaipur and the 'real' India. Pench and Panna were the hidden gems of a really great trip, very well organised, seamless and enjoyable. As a solo traveller I felt incredibly safe at all times. I want to go back!
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Thank you for putting together the ancestral adventure of a lifetime. I cannot speak highly enough of the trip.
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