5 Days Gorilla and Mountain / Volcanoe Hike

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, meet and greet with our representative for a transfer to your accommodation unit where you will have dinner and spend the Night. Overnight stay at Boma Guest House or similar. Meals: Dinner Activities: Airport pick up

Wake up early and after breakfast prepare for a departure to Kisoro. This full day’s drive will take us through interesting features enroute like at the Uganda equator line where we will break off for photo shots and interact with a few indigenous Ugandans selling crafts. You may opt to carry out an experiment (at an extra charge paid directly) to confirm your position at both the north and South Pole simultaneously. We continue our journey through winding roads dotted with fresh fruit market stalls at some points, not missing out the jolly kids patrolling their home land and may be quick to wave with a smile saying hello. We continue past Lake Mburo National Park and then to the Ankole Land famous for its long horned cattle, where we will break for Lunch. We will then continue to Kisoro through the picturesque Kabale –Kisoro road past terraced hills and lush green forest galleries. Arrive in the evening and check in at your accommodation unit for dinner and overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Activities: Equator, Full day drive Lodge: Travellers Rest or similar

The Virungas are a chain of eight volcanoes which dot the borders of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Three of the conical peaks are in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: We choose to hike one of the three volcanoes: Muhavura (4,127m) is the highest of the peaks in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The name Muhavura means guide in the local dialect, and the Batwa (pygmy tribe of hunter-gatherers who were the forest’s “first people) used to look for its high peak to help orient them in the forest. Muhavura has a crystal clear crater lake about 36m wide at its summit. The top commands panoramic views far into Uganda, Rwanda and along the length of the Virunga chain Mount Gahinga (3,474m) is the smallest of the Virunga volcanoes. It is named after the local practice of tidying the volcanic debris that clutters local farmland into neat cairns – or Gahinga. It’s swamp filled crater is around 180m wide. Sabinyo (3,669) means old man’s teeth, a reference to its jagged summit which is dissected by deep gorges and ravines. Three countries that share the Virungas – Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo – meet on the highest of Sabinyo’s stumpy peaks. All three volcanoes in this park can be summited, taking a full day each. Views from the peaks are well worth the effort - taking in Rwanda, DR Congo, the Virungas, the Rwenzoris, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Lake Edward. Later drive to the base of Bwindi Forest for your overnight stay in preparation for the next day’s gorilla encounter. Activities: Volcano summit hike Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and Dinner Lodge: Gorilla Valley Lodge or similar

After an early breakfast, report at the National Park headquarters to meet your guides for the day. After completing the park formalities, embark on a once in a life time experience of tracking mountain gorillas. These massive primates are extremely rare, with less than 700 living today and more than half (about52%) found in Uganda. You will get within meters of the family, and be privileged to spend an hour amongst them. Watch them as they groom each other and as the juveniles delightfully swing from figs to figs in a playful way. The trekking may be fairly strenuous; up to six hours or longer at a relatively high altitude. We encourage for your own enjoyment to make sure that you are perfectly fit and healthy. It is important to bring good hiking boots, long trousers, gloves for protection against stinging nettles, rain coats and water proof bag for your cameras and other sensitive items. Later drive back to your accommodation unit for Dinner and overnight stay Activities: 1 Gorilla Trek Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner Lodge: Gorilla valley Lodge or similar

We depart after early breakfast and head back to Kampala arriving Late evening. Be dropped at your hotel or transfer to the airport for your onward flight (please note that flight must be about 00:00hrs and beyond, otherwise we recommend and overnight stay in Entebbe on this day. Activities: Airport transfer/ overnight Entebbe Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch