8‑tägige Gorilla-Trekking & Big‑Five Safari in Ruanda & Uganda

This 8 day Rwanda & Uganda gorilla trekking safari collects the main primate and wildlife experiences of the two countries in a single week. You track chimpanzees in Nyungwe and golden monkeys in the Virungas, search for the Big Five in Akagera, and cross into Uganda to trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi, with a Kigali city tour and a coffee cupping on the last full day. Permits, park fees, a private 4x4 and a driver guide are included.

Few trips put so many primates in one week. In Nyungwe, one of Africa's oldest rainforests, you track chimpanzees. In Volcanoes National Park you follow golden monkeys through the bamboo, and in Bwindi you spend an hour with a mountain gorilla family. Between them lies Akagera, Rwanda's only savannah park, and the cultural stops in Musanze. Read Rwanda versus Uganda for gorilla trekking, the Bwindi gorilla trekking guide and the guide to Nyungwe National Park.

For the conservation story, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's campus in Musanze shows how one person's work led to decades of protection. See the pages on gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking, the Rwanda and Uganda destination pages, and our visa guide for East Africa for the border crossing.

Moderate fitness is enough. Chimpanzee and gorilla treks can follow rough, muddy and steep forest paths, while golden monkey tracking is usually shorter and easier. Transfers between the parks take between two and six hours, and the longest, from Akagera to Bwindi on day five, is a full travel day. The itinerary suits active adults, photographers and families with children old enough for the age limits, which are 15 for gorillas. Guides and rangers accompany every walk.

June to September and December to February are the driest months in both countries, with firmer forest trails and the best game viewing. The wetter seasons make the treks muddier but also greener. Bring waterproofs whenever you travel.

This trip suits travellers who want the full range of Rwanda and Uganda's primates and parks in eight days and who do not mind long travel days. For a longer route see the 9-day gorilla trekking, chimpanzees and safari trip in Rwanda and Uganda or the 12-day primate trekking safari. For a shorter Rwanda-only version see the 6-day gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking tour.

Gorilla and primate permits are limited, so book early. Our packing list helps with preparation.

If you would like a Rwanda-focused alternative with tree planting and community visits, see our Signature Journey, the 7-day Rwanda gorilla trekking tour with culture and ReGreen, and the Hundred Trees initiative.