Uganda Rwanda
& Primates

14 nights and 15 days

With Gorilla and Chimp Trekking

GBP 4,495
twin share

GBP 4,895
single room

Without Gorilla and Chimp Trekking

GBP 3,895
twin share

GBP 4,295
single room

2026 Dates:

18th February to 4th March
26th July to 9th August

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What’s included

Airport transfers on the date of scheduled arrival and departure
All road transport in a private 4x4 vehicle
Knowledgeable, English-speaking guides throughout the journey
Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
Meals as indicated
Gorilla trekking permit (1 per person)
Chimpanzee trekking permit (1 per person)
Park entry fees and conservation permits
Bottled water and soft drinks during transfers and game drives
Volunteering activities and project contributions at Uganda Lodge and Umusambi Village
Vamoos app with all the information you need for your tour

What’s not included

International or domestic flights
Any personal trips or activities
Additional meals or snacks
Alcoholic drinks & extra beverages
Tips & Personal expenses
Travel insurance - Compulsory for this trip. Please purchse travel insurance at the time you book the trip.
Visa - Any personal visa which may be required for this trip.

Uganda and Rwanda (15 days)

This one is top of the bucket list for many travellers. Tracking gorillas in Bwindi is not just a fantastic opportunity; it’s also a privilege. Sitting in the company of these magnificent animals and watching them for an hour is a memory that will last a lifetime. Our tour includes meaningful voluntary activity at the Uganda Lodge in Ruhanga and at the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association helping with the feeding and care of endangered grey crowned cranes. To top all that, we visit Lake Mburo, Akagere National Park and a women’s cooperative in Kigali. And did we mention tracking chimps? This is truly an authentic and immersive experience and one that you’ll only get with EVA Travel.

If you are planning to come a day early, we can arrange a visit to Mabamba Marsh where you can track and see shoebill storks in their natural environment as well as many other species of Ugandan birds.

If you would like to do the tour but do not feel able to undertake either the gorilla or chimp trekking, which can involve walking on uneven ground for up to 3 hours (with breaks) then please select the options "without Gorilla and Chimp Treks" on the booking page.

Before you book this tour, be aware that you will be travelling in 2 underdeveloped countries and while we do our utmost to provide the highest level of service available, some of the conditions and facilities will not be the same as in a developed nation.

Highlights

Spend an unforgettable morning tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and an hour in their company in the wild
Trek chimpanzees in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, home to one of Africa’s oldest rainforests
Volunteer for three days at Uganda Lodge, supporting education, healthcare, and community projects
Visit Umusambi Village with the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association and help care for rescued grey crowned cranes
Explore Akagera National Park on safari, with the chance to see the Big Five and diverse birdlife
Gain insight into Rwanda’s history at the Kigali Genocide Memorial
Join a cooking class at the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre and learn how women’s cooperatives are creating new opportunities
Discover Uganda’s Lake Mburo by boat and on foot, with close encounters of zebras, hippos, and antelope

Why join this trip?

Why Join This Trip?

Make a Difference: Your participation supports ethical wildlife conservation, social care projects, and locally-owned tourism initiatives
Travel with Purpose: Experience these countries and their people, animals, and ecosystems in a way that uplifts and protects what makes them unique
Unforgettable Memories: From dawn safari drives to riverside wildlife sightings, this journey is packed with powerful, perspective-shifting moments

Giving Back

This journey includes several opportunities to contribute to local projects and conservation. In Uganda, we spend three days at Uganda Lodge, a community initiative providing education, healthcare, and training for up to four hundred children. Volunteers can assist in classrooms, help with non-medical tasks in the clinic, or join practical projects around the lodge.

In Rwanda, we support the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association at Umusambi Village, helping to care for rescued grey crowned cranes and contributing to habitat restoration. We also spend time with the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre in Kigali, where education and enterprise initiatives are empowering women to build more secure futures. Together, we aim to ensure that your journey leaves a positive impact on both people and wildlife.

Before you book

Day 1 - Arrival in Entebbe

You’ll be met at the airport by the EVA Travel team and driven to our accommodation in Entebbe roughly 15 minutes away. The De Rain eco hotel is set on the shores of Lake Victoria and the lush gardens filled with wildlife can be enjoyed on a guided tour.

You are free once you arrive to relax, wander around the front shore of Lake Victoria or perhaps take a short taxi ride to the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe. If you wish to arrive a day early, we can book your accommodation and transport. You might like to take a dawn drive to see the birdlife including shoebills in the nearby Marsh for an additional fee.

Meals: Welcome Dinner

Accommodation: De Rain Eco Resort, Entebbe or similar

Day 2 - Lake Mburo

After breakfast we set off for Lake Mburo National Park, a journey of around four and a half hours. This park is unique in Uganda for being home to zebra, impala, and eland, and it also shelters buffalo, leopard, and hyena. With no elephants or lions, it is one of the best places for a walking safari, giving us the chance to experience the landscape on foot while learning from our guide about tracks, plants, and smaller wildlife. We arrive at our lodge with views over the savannah and enjoy dinner as the sun sets.

Accommodation: Hyena Hill guest house, Lake Mburo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 - To Ruhanga and Uganda Lodge

We begin the day with a morning boat ride on Lake Mburo, where hippos wallow at the water’s edge and fish eagles patrol overhead. After lunch we travel to Ruhanga and check in at Uganda Lodge, a community-based project that will host us for the next few days. The atmosphere is welcoming and lively; you might find yourself playing football with the children or helping with the evening cow milking before we gather for a shared dinner.

Accommodation: Uganda Lodge, Ruhanga
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 to 6: Volunteering at Uganda Lodge

Uganda Lodge is an amazing project operated by an NGO run by local man Denis Friday and supported by a UK Charity run by Ann McCarthy. The Lodge is home to almost 400 children, some who live here permanently and others who stay for school term and return home during holidays.

In addition to the school, the Lodge also supports the McNeil Medical centre just across the road. There are additional projects in the training centre for hairdressing, dressmaking and weaving- all projects designed to enable a sustainable living for the students as they get older and leave.

During your 3 days of volunteering, you can choose to stick with one activity for 3 days or switch around as you please

If you choose the school, you will be working alongside a teacher mainly teaching English, but other options such as art or crafts are also welcome. This is a really lovely opportunity to get to know the children better and impart some of your knowledge.

Assisting in the McNeil Medical Centre is an option that appeals to many people regardless of their background. You can help with non-medical tasks such as administration, labelling pill packets or basic cleaning. The Medical Centre is very basic but there is a full time doctor and nurse on site at all times.

If neither of these areas are what you are looking for, there is plenty to do around the Lodge. They actually have a list of tasks that need to be accomplished such as painting the front of the building, finishing the murals or working in the coffee plantation and many more volunteering areas that you can engage in.

We will agree the volunteer tasks on a daily basis, but you are sure to find something fun and fulfilling to do while you are here.

Accommodation: Uganda Lodge, Ruhanga
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 -Farewell to Ruhanga & Onwards to Bwindi

After heartfelt goodbyes to Denis and the Uganda Lodge community, we set out on the (very) rocky roads to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and check into the Lodge which has breathtaking views over the mountains and into the valleys. You can rest and enjoy the scenery here in preparation for gorilla tracking the next day. Or if you want to immerse yourself in the community, you have the option to visit he school that was built by Anita Rackerby in memory of her mother and spend some quality time with the children before our dinner.

Gorilla tracking is optional on this tour and if you don't feel this is something you want to do, your tour fee will be reduced by 800 usd and you will be able to spend a full day in the local school working alongside the teachers. There is also an option to visit the Batwa Pygmies in Bwindi if you would prefer to spend a day there instead of tracking or volunteering in the school

Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Mountain Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 - Gorilla Tracking or Community Visits

Today is a day of choice. Those trekking gorillas set out early, joining a small group with expert trackers to locate a gorilla family in the forest. The trek may take from one to six hours, but the reward is an unforgettable hour observing these powerful yet gentle animals in the wild.

For those not trekking, options include volunteering at the local school or spending the day with the Batwa Pygmy community, learning about their culture, crafts, and traditional skills.

In the evening, no matter where you have spent the day you will have dinner in the Lodge and enjoy the stunning sunset over Bwindi Forest and share your excitement about your day.

Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Mountain Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9 - Crossing into Rwanda

We leave the dense Bwindi forest today for Rwanda. Although Rwanda has been marred by civil war and genocide, it is now a peaceful country whose parks, wildlife and natural beauty cannot be overstated. This is a travel day, so you can prepare for the journey with a book or movie on your device.

On arrival at the Rwanda–Uganda border, you’ll be warmly welcomed by your new driver-guides, who will accompany you on a comfortable transfer to your accommodation in Kigali. The drive from the border should take about 2 hours depending on traffic in Kigali.

Accommodation: Chez Lando Hotel, Kigali
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10 - Kigali Genocide Memorial & Akagera

In the morning we visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, an important and moving site that honours the victims of the 1994 genocide and shares stories of resilience. Most of us will have heard about the genocide but don't have a full understanding of how or why it came about. This visit will give you the full story but more importantly it demonstrates how Rwanda has risen from this disaster as a strong, proud nation. They no longer refer to Tutsi or Hutu, every one is a Rwandan- a great lesson in peacemaking,

After this reflective visit, we drive to Akagera National Park in Rwanda’s east. The change in scenery is striking: rolling hills give way to open plains, lakes, and wetlands that are home to an incredible variety of wildlife. Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills and it's easy to see why it gets its name.

Accommodation: Akagera Transit Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 11- Safari in Akagera

We spend the day on safari in Akagera, Rwanda’s only savannah park and home to the Big Five. Lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo roam alongside giraffes, zebras, hippos, and countless antelope. As with all safaris, there are no guarantees of sightings, but our guides are skilled in spotting wildlife and more importantly want to make your safari the most exciting it can be. With both woodland and wetland habitats, the park is also excellent for birdwatching.

Before we start the safari, there will be a short briefing from a Rwandan Wildlife Authority guide who will give us some additional insight into how the Park was affected during the genocide but more importantly, how much work has gone into recognising the human-wildlife conflict and finding ways to protect the wildlife while ensuring the local people find sustainable ways of living.

We return in the evening to Kigali and will share stories and pictures from the day’s sightings over dinner.

Accommodation: Chez Lando Hotel, Kigali
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12 - Umusambi Village & Nyungwe Forest

Today we start your morning at RWCA’s Umusambi Village with an unforgettable experience! Meet the passionate RWCA team, take part in feeding the disabled cranes and get hands-on in the tree nursery helping to restore Rwanda’s habitats. Enjoy a private tour of the sanctuary and discover the beauty of the Grey Crowned Cranes, majestic birds once nearly lost to extinction.

In the afternoon, we take on a 4 hour drive to Nyungwe National Park, where we anticipate an unforgettable journey into one of Africa’s oldest rainforests in preparation for the Chimpanzee trek.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13 - Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe

We start early for a guided chimpanzee trek through Nyungwe’s dense rainforest. The experience of tracking and observing these fast-moving primates is very different from gorilla trekking — exciting, challenging, and highly rewarding. Along the way we may also encounter colobus monkeys and a variety of bird species. In the afternoon we drive back to Kigali for our final nights.

Accommodation: Chez Lando Hotel, Kigali
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 14 - Women’s Cooperative & Farewell Meal

Our last full day begins with a visit to the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre. After shopping for fresh produce in the local market, we take part in a cooking class, learning to prepare traditional Rwandan dishes before sharing the meal together. A tour of the centre shows how literacy, sewing, and craft projects are helping women to support their families and strengthen the community. In the evening, we come together for a farewell dinner to celebrate the journey we’ve shared.

Accommodation: Chez Lando Hotel, Kigali
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner

Day 15 - Departure

After breakfast we will arrange your transfer to Kigali International Airport for onward flights.

The trip ends with memories of close wildlife encounters, time spent in local communities, and the warm hospitality of Uganda and Rwanda.

Meals: Breakfast

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