4 Days Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trekking In Uganda

Pure Africa Tour guide will pick you up from your hotel/Residence and after set off to Bwindi. You will journey through terraced hill of northern Rwanda to arrive to Cyanika border. You will cross to Uganda and proceed to lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation Options:

Budget: Standard rooms at Lake Mutanda

Middle-range: Lake Mutanda Resort, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge.

Luxury: Mgahinga Lodge

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m. The park takes its name from “Gahinga” the local word for the piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.  As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey. Mgahinga is home to over 76 mammals, a bird checklist of over 180 species including the 14 endemic Albertine rift.

NOTE: It can rain anytime in the mountains.  We encourage you to carry a rain jacket, waterproof hiking boots, gardening gloves for protection against stinging plants.  Wear Long trousers and long-sleeved sweaters or shirts. Don’t forget the camera

The trek starts with an 8:00 AM briefing where the Ugandan Wildlife Authority ranger guide will share about the code of conduct in the park. You will then be allocated a gorilla family to trek after which you will start off gorilla trekking these gentle giants as directed by the rangers. The hike can sometimes be tough and anywhere from 1 hour to 8 hours depending on where the gorillas will be on a specific. But when you them; your journey will be well worth the effort.  You get to hear the gorillas communicating with one another, watch them play, feed, jump from different tree branch to another, and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant called Silverback. You are allowed an hour with the gorillas watching them from six meters before returning to the base station.  Return back to the lodge for lunch and an evening at leisure.

Accommodation Options:

Budget: Standard rooms at Lake Mutanda

Middle-range: Lake Mutanda Resort, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge.

Luxury: Mount Mgahinga Lodge

At 7 am, you will meet with your driver guide and drive to the park reception. You will go through same formalities as for gorilla trekking, at 8 am, you will start the trekking which usually last one hour once you found the monkeys. Golden monkeys are a unique species that is endemic to this part of the world and mostly live in highland bamboo due to their diet restricted to this habitat and this makes the trek easier compared to mountain gorillas. The monkey’s “golden” name comes from the reddish-gold fur on its back, which is in striking contrast to the black coloration of its feet, legs, and tail. After the encounter with the monkeys, you will go for lunch and later drive to Lake Bunyonyi for a breathtaking canoe ride on the second deepest Lake in Africa.

Lake Bunyonyi has been named one of the safest lakes in Africa; it has no crocodiles, hippos, or risk of bilharzia. The lake encircles 29 islands, each overflowing with stories, Akampene, Bwama, and Njuyeera being the famous. Legend has it that it was considered shameful to be unmarried and pregnant in Uganda. Therefore, the head of the family, usually the father, would take an unmarried, pregnant woman to inhabited Akampene in a canoe and leave her there to die from either hunger or drowning in their attempt to swim home.

Accommodation Options:

Budget: Mgahinga Rest

Middle-range: Arcadia Cottages Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Bunyonyi Resort, Bird Nest Resort

After a relaxed breakfast, checkout the lodge and transfer to Kigali. After lunch, you will transfer to the airport for departure.