Gorillas, chimps & the road beyond

Gorilla tracking in Bwindi or Mgahinga, chimpanzees in Kibale, and cross-border runs into Rwanda — plus the birding, fishing and cultural days in between.

Gorilla tracking is the long leg of any Uganda trip and the one thing that genuinely cannot be arranged at the last minute. Permits are dated, capped and expensive; high-season dates go months ahead. We check what is actually available before we quote you a plan built on it.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale is easier to secure and, for many people, the better hour. Mgahinga adds golden monkeys and a volcano to climb if you have the days.

From the south-west, Kigali is a straightforward border run, which makes a Uganda–Rwanda trip a sensible piece of routing rather than two separate holidays. Birding, fishing, horse riding and festival planning fill the days between — tell us what you are into.