Two Gorilla Treks in Bwindi, Three Days from Kigali
This 3-day private tour takes you from Kigali into southwestern Uganda for two gorilla treks in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. After a short stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, you’ll drive across the border to a lodge on the southern edge of the park. On Day 2 and Day 3, rangers lead you to two different habituated gorilla families, and you spend up to an hour with each.
Between the treks, you’ll meet the Batwa, the forest’s first inhabitants. Our 4-day Uganda double safari splits its treks between Bwindi and Mgahinga and adds golden monkeys in Rwanda. This shorter trip keeps both treks in Bwindi.
Why You’ll Love This Safari
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Trip Details
Trip Details
Price
Price on request. Tell us your dates and group size, and we’ll send you a quote.
Meeting point
Your hotel in Kigali
Availability
Year-round, 7 days a week
Duration
3 days
Group size
Min. 1 person
Included
- Park fees (for non-residents)
- Uganda gorilla permits (two per person, non-resident)
- Batwa community visit
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodations (unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- Private safari vehicle: a 4×4 Land Cruiser, Toyota Prado or safari van, depending on group size
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All taxes/VAT
- Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water (on all days)
Not included
- International flights (from/to home)
- Airport transfers (can be arranged for an extra cost)
- Additional accommodations before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
- Porter fees
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Some meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
What to bring
- Passport (you cross into Uganda and back)
- Waterproof jacket and rain pants
- Warm jacket (early mornings can be cold)
- Neutral-colored clothing (avoid bright colors)
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Long pants
- Good hiking shoes
- Gaiters (for mud and nettles)
- Walking poles (optional)
- Hat
- Gloves
- Light backpack
- Sunscreen
- Snacks
- Insect repellent
- Face mask (worn near the primates)
Participation requirements
Min. age of 15 years old required to participate in this tour. No fitness test is required, but the treks can be steep and muddy, and a reasonable level of fitness helps.
About your guide
Your safari will be led by an experienced local guide who will share facts about the wildlife, landscapes, and culture. Your guide is dedicated to ensuring your safari is safe, informative, and tailored to your interests.
What You’ll See & Do
Day 1: Kigali Genocide Memorial and Drive to Bwindi
Your driver/guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kigali after breakfast and take you first to the Kigali Genocide Memorial for a short visit. Its exhibits and gardens give you a clear sense of Rwanda’s recent history and how the country has rebuilt.
Then you set off through Rwanda’s terraced hills toward the Uganda border. The drive to Bwindi takes about four to five hours, including the border crossing, with a lunch stop on the way. You’ll reach your lodge near the southern sectors of the park in the afternoon, with time to unpack, lay out your trekking gear and go over the next morning’s plan with your guide before dinner.
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 2: First Gorilla Trek and Batwa Community Visit
After an early breakfast, you’ll drive to the park office for registration and the rangers’ briefing, where your group is assigned a habituated gorilla family. Trackers go ahead to find the gorillas, and you follow your ranger into steep, dense forest. A trek can be shorter or longer, depending on where the family is feeding and the conditions on the trail. When you reach the gorillas, you’ll have up to an hour to watch them feed, rest and play.
Back at the lodge, you’ll have lunch and some time to rest. In the afternoon, you’ll visit a Batwa community to learn about the history, culture and traditional way of life of the people who lived in Bwindi’s forest before it became a national park.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 3: Second Gorilla Trek and Return to Kigali
After breakfast, you’ll return to the park office for registration and a new briefing, then set off to find a different gorilla family. Every family has its own size, mix of ages and character, so your second hour can look quite different from the first: a silverback on the move, young gorillas wrestling or a mother carrying her infant.
After the trek and lunch, you’ll begin the drive back to Kigali, crossing the border into Rwanda on the way. You’ll reach the city in the evening, where your guide will drop you at your hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Frequently Asked Questions
This tour fits two gorilla treks into three days, both in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Our 3-day and 4-day Uganda gorilla and golden monkey tours include one gorilla trek each. Our 4-day Uganda double safari splits its two treks between Bwindi and Mgahinga and adds golden monkeys in Rwanda, while our 5-day Rwanda and Uganda double includes one gorilla trek in each country.
Not sure whether to trek in Rwanda or Uganda? Our Rwanda vs Uganda gorilla trekking guide compares permits, trails and drive times.
Both treks start on the southern side of Bwindi, in the Rushaga sector or nearby Nkuringo, depending on permit availability. No fitness test is required, but the trails are steep and often muddy, and a reasonable level of fitness helps. Treks can be longer or shorter depending on where the gorillas are, and rain can make the ground slippery, so bring waterproof gear. Porters can carry your bag; porter fees are not included.
We quote the price for your dates and group size. Your quote includes two Uganda gorilla permits per person, park fees for non-residents, the Batwa community visit, two nights’ accommodation, meals as listed, your driver/guide, a private safari vehicle and drinking water. Uganda’s gorilla permit is $800 per trek, or $600 in April, May and November, when those permits cannot be rescheduled. Airport transfers, tips, porter fees, visas and travel insurance are extra.
For how gorilla permits are priced and booked, see our gorilla trekking permit cost guide and our guide to the full cost of a gorilla trek.
Most travelers need a visa for Uganda as well as for Rwanda. The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, and you apply for it through the first of those countries you will enter. Check the rules for your passport before you travel, and keep your passport with you on Day 1 and Day 3, since you cross the border both ways.
Book as early as you can, because this tour needs two gorilla permits on back-to-back days, and about six months ahead for July and August. A 50% deposit confirms your booking. You reach Kigali in the evening on Day 3, so choose a late-night flight or add a night in Kigali. Because this is a private tour, we can also add days, such as golden monkey tracking in Rwanda.
