This 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking is Discounted during low-season months of April, May, and November unlocks discounted Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permits at $600 instead of $800, paired with reduced lodge rates and quieter trails across both national parks. Over five days, your route connects the misty rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with the open savannah plains and waterways of Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will spend one morning tracking mountain gorillas on foot, search the Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions, and cruise along the Kazinga Channel past dense concentrations of hippos, crocodiles, and elephants before returning to Rwanda for your outbound flight.
Tour highlights
Discounted low-season gorilla permits
Short road transfer from Kigali
Scenic drive across Kigezi highlands
Bwindi mountain gorilla trekking experience
One hour with habituated gorillas
Ishasha sector tree-climbing lion search
Kasenyi plains sunrise game drive
Kazinga Channel wildlife boat cruise
Hippo pods and shoreline elephants
Rwenzori mountain foothills scenic views
Day by day5-Day low-season Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari from Kigali
Day 1: Start your 5-Day low-season Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari from Kigali
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 5: Drive back to Kigali International Airport
Day 01: Start your 5-Day Low-Season Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari from Kigali
Your safari guide will pick you up from your hotel or Kigali International Airport in the morning to begin the scenic drive north toward the Ugandan border. Depending on your assigned trekking sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you will cross via either the Cyanika or Katuna border post. After clearing immigration and customs formalities, you will continue winding through the terraced green hills and volcanic landscapes of southwestern Uganda, often called the Switzerland of Africa. You will stop along the way for a hot lunch and panoramic photo breaks overlooking Lake Mutanda or the Kigezi highlands. By late afternoon, you will reach your forest lodge near the park boundary, where you will check in, enjoy dinner, and prepare your hiking gear for tomorrow's gorilla trek.
Day 02: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast, your driver will transfer you to the park headquarters for a mandatory briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers regarding trekking rules and forest safety. You will then step into the dense, ancient rainforest alongside your ranger guide and trackers to search for your assigned habituated mountain gorilla family. The hike can take anywhere from two to six hours across steep, muddy ridges and thick undergrowth, depending on where the gorillas nested the previous night. Once your group locates the family, you will spend one full hour observing them at close range as silverbacks guard the troop, mothers nurse infants, and juveniles play in the vines. Afterward, you will hike back to the trailhead to receive your trekking certificate before returning to your lodge for a relaxed afternoon and dinner.
Day 03: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Following breakfast at your Bwindi lodge, you will depart the misty highlands and drive north toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. Your route passes through the famous Ishasha sector, the southern region of the park known for its population of tree-climbing lions. Your guide will conduct an en-route game drive here, scanning the branches of large fig and acacia trees where lions frequently rest during the heat of the day, while also watching for herds of elephants, Uganda kobs, and topis on the savannah. You will enjoy a picnic or lodge lunch along the way before continuing north into the main Kasenyi plains region of the park. By late afternoon, you will arrive at your safari lodge near the Mweya peninsula or crater lakes area, settle into your room, and enjoy dinner overlooking the wilderness.
Day 04: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
You will wake up early for a sunrise game drive across the Kasenyi plains, the primary breeding ground for Uganda kobs and a prime hunting territory for big cats. Traveling in your pop-up roof 4x4 vehicle, you will search for lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, Cape buffaloes, elephants, and warthogs as the morning sun warms the savannah. After returning to the lodge for lunch and a brief rest, you will head down to the pier for a two-hour afternoon boat safari along the Kazinga Channel. This natural waterway connects Lake Edward and Lake George, drawing massive concentrations of wildlife to its banks. From the water, you will photograph large hippo pods, basking Nile crocodiles, herds of elephants cooling off along the shore, and dozens of resident waterbird species before returning to your lodge for dinner.
Day 05: Drive Back to Kigali International Airport
On your final morning, you will enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your lodge while taking in the last views of the Rwenzori mountain foothills and savannah plains. You will then check out and begin the return road journey south toward Rwanda, crossing back through the Katuna or Cyanika border post. Your driver-guide will assist with border clearance procedures and ensure you have a comfortable stop for lunch en route as you travel back through Rwanda's rolling hills. You will arrive in Kigali in the late afternoon or early evening, where your guide will drop you off directly at Kigali International Airport in time for your evening departure flight or at your preferred city hotel, marking the end of your five-day Uganda primate and wildlife safari.
Tour Includes
ü 🦍 Discounted Uganda gorilla permit
ü 🚙 Private 4x4 safari vehicle
ü 🧑✈️ Professional English-speaking driver-guide
ü 🏨 Four nights lodge accommodation
ü 🍽️ All daily safari meals
ü 🎟️ All national park fees
ü 🚤 Kazinga Channel boat cruise
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 extra safari activities
