Flying into Kigali is the smartest way to reach Uganda’s mountain gorillas without spending a full day on the road. Instead of the long nine-hour haul from Entebbe, you get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in just four to five hours. Booking during Uganda's quieter months—April, May, and November—brings two major perks: the Uganda Wildlife Authority drops gorilla permits from $800 down to $600, and forest lodges offer much better rates. Over three well-paced days, you will cross the terraced hills of southwestern Uganda, spend a morning hiking through thick rainforest with local trackers, and sit quietly with a gorilla family before heading back to Rwanda for your flight home.
Tour Highlights
- Discounted low-season gorilla permits
- Short transfer from Kigali
- Scenic Kigezi highlands drive
- Bwindi rainforest gorilla trek
- One hour with gorillas
- Official gorilla trekking certificate
Day-by-Day 3-Day Discounted Low-Season Uganda Gorilla Safari from Kigali
Itinerary
- Day 1: Start your 3Day Low season Uganda gorilla safari from Kigali
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenatrable National Park
- Day 3: Drive back to Rwanda/Kigali International Airport
Detailed 3-Day Discounted Low-Season Uganda Gorilla Safari from Kigali
Day 1: Start your 3-Day Low-Season Uganda Gorilla Safari from Kigali
Your guide will meet you at your Kigali hotel or the airport in the morning, and you will head north toward the Ugandan border. Depending on which sector of Bwindi your permit is booked for, you will cross at either Cyanika or Katuna. Once your guide helps you clear immigration, the road winds straight into the steep, terraced green hills of southwestern Uganda. You will stop for a relaxed hot lunch along the way and pull over at a few viewpoints overlooking Lake Mutanda and the Kigezi highlands. By late afternoon, you will reach your lodge right on the edge of the forest—plenty of time to check in, have dinner, and lay out your boots and rain gear for the morning.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast, your driver will take you to the park headquarters to meet the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. They will walk you through forest safety rules and assign you to a specific gorilla family. From there, you step onto the trail with your ranger and trackers, following fresh signs through thick vines and muddy ridges. Depending on where the family slept the night before, the hike takes anywhere from two to six hours. The moment you find them, the effort pays off: you get one full hour watching a silverback keep watch, mothers tending to their infants, and young ones tumbling through the brush just meters away. Afterward, you hike back out, pick up your trekking certificate, and spend a quiet afternoon resting at the lodge.
Day 3: Drive Back to Rwanda / Kigali International Airport
Enjoy a slow breakfast on your final morning while watching the mist clear off the Bwindi forest canopy. Once you pack up and check out, your guide will drive you back south toward the Katuna or Cyanika border post. After clearing customs, you will cross back into Rwanda and stop for lunch along the way as you wind through the countryside. You will pull back into Kigali by mid-to-late afternoon, with plenty of time for your guide to drop you at your hotel or directly at Kigali International Airport for your flight home.
Tour Includes
ü 🦍 Discounted Uganda gorilla permit
ü 🚙 Private 4x4 safari vehicle
ü 🧑✈️ Professional English-speaking driver-guide
ü 🏨 Two nights lodge accommodation
ü 🍽️ All daily safari meals
ü 🎟️ All national park fees
ü 💧 Bottled drinking water onboard
Tour Excludes
- ✈️ International flights to Kigali
- 🛂 Rwanda and Uganda visas
- 🛡️ Personal travel medical insurance
- 💵 Porter fees and tips
- 🍷 Alcoholic and soft drinks
- 🧳 Personal items and laundry
- 🎭 Optional Batwa cultural visit
