Arriving in Kigali you will be welcomed by your expert guide who will provide knowledge and assistance throughout your safari. Your journey takes you through the beautiful terraced hills that characterise much of Rwanda’s landscape. Climbing gradually to the base of the spectacular volcanoes of the Virunga range, the five nearest peaks rising high above the verdant countryside, you arrive at the magnificent Volcanoes Virunga Lodge.

Approximate Travel Times: Driving 3 hours

Please book flights arriving no later than midday

Through the mountain forest on the slopes of the Virunga range we track some of the last remaining wild gorilla families. Once you locate the troop, you will have one hour to spend with these amazing primates. Usually, you return to camp in time for a late lunch, however, some of the gorilla families are elusive, and tracking can take a full day.

Today you will set off for another early-morning adventure, heading back into the Volcanoes National Park to track golden monkeys. This rare species lives in the bamboo vegetation toward the base of the volcanoes, and visitors can spend one hour with the troop upon locating the family. Return to Virunga Lodge for a restful evening. 

This morning you will leave the lodge at 6:00am and cross the border into Uganda. Transfer to the airstrip in Kisoro for the 9:10am flight to Kasese, arriving at 10:00am.

Once there, you will be met by the next guide who will transfer you to Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Depending on when you arrive, there maybe time before dinner to explore the lodge grounds with its clear mountain stream or visit the local village or to go for a nature walk.

Approximate Travel Times: Flying 1 hour; Driving 2 hours

Either take an early morning or evening game drive for the best opportunity to see game. What you see depends on the season, but the Kasenyi plains are excellent for sighting lion and large herds of Uganda kob. The Mweya peninsula is one of the best places to look for leopard, which live in the dense, scrubby thickets.

You can also visit various community projects from the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust (VSPT) including: Women’s Coffee Cooperative Tour, Reclaimed Wetland Tour, Bee-Keeping Fence Visit, Omumushaka Dance Group Performance, Empundu Playground Visit and much more.

The Kyambura Gorge is an extraordinary natural environment and forms a stark contrast to the surrounding grasslands. Here you can track one of our closest animal relatives: the chimpanzee. The chimp population is quite mobile and viewing can be unpredictable but the walk is enchanting.

In the afternoon take a cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which flows between Lakes Edward and George. Kazinga is home to one of the greatest concentration of hippo in Africa and herds of elephant, buffalo and other animals come to drink at the waters edge. The channel is a magnet for waterbirds, with great flocks of pelicans and others birds on the shore, and a great spot to see African fish eagle.

Transfer from Kyambura Gorge Lodge to the Kasese airstrip. Leave with the 10:20am (arrive at 11:25am) or 14:55pm (arrive at 15:55pm) return flight to Entebbe and connect in time for your return flight.

Approximate Travel Times: Flying 1 hour; Driving 2 hours

Please book return flights departing after 08:00pm