6-Day Nature Walk and Gorilla Trekking Safari

You will take an early morning flight from Entebbe to Kisoro. In Kisoro, you'll join the walking guide on a guided walk through village communities and terraced gardens and stop at the calm shores of Lake Mutanda. At lake Mutanda, you'll join the fishermen on a canoeing experience across the volcano lake in traditional dug-out canoes. The relaxing ride drops you off for another garden walk to meet your driver uphill.

Your butler will ensure you are up and about by 7:00 am with a packed lunch, the right trekking gear, drinking water, and a walking stick. The Uganda gorilla trekking excursion briefing starts at 7:30 am at the visitor's centre. 8:00 am: Your tracking guide and two gun-bearing rangers will lead you and six other tourists into the rainforest to find a habituated gorilla group. Time spent tracking the gorillas is relative, but once you find them, you can observe them for about an hour at a 10 meters distance. Alternatively, you can observe the gorillas for about four hours if you book a gorilla habituation pass. Your time in the forest can not be pre-determined as every day differs from the previous. However, most trekkers are out of the jungle by 2:00 pm with a satisfactory grin. We recommend a massage at the lodge spa when you return and a relaxing evening.

The fourth day of this short Uganda gorilla trekking safari has some optional activities to keep you active. Otherwise, you can chill at your forest cottage for a relaxing holiday. Stay back at the lodge and relax, read a book, join a cooking class or take a walk around the property and talk to some locals. Go back into the mysterious jungle to meet with the gorillas for a second time. Maybe join the rangers for the habituation experience that gives you more time with the gorillas. But remember, you must have pre-booked the trekking permit. Drive down to Lake Mutanda for a traditional dug-out canoeing experience with some of the most enchanting views on the volcano lake. Forest walk either on a Batwa Forest Trail or the Circular Trail through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; this time not for gorillas but everything else ethereal about the jungle. Go on a sundowner picnic on top of the world with 360-degree spellbinding views of the hilly landscapes. It's a walking distance from the lodge. Stay back at the lodge and relax, read a book, join a cooking class or take a walk around the property and talk to some locals. Go back into the mysterious jungle to meet with the gorillas for a second time. Maybe join the rangers for the habituation experience that gives you more time with the gorillas. But remember, you must have pre-booked the trekking permit. Drive down to Lake Mutanda for a traditional dug-out canoeing experience with some of the most enchanting views on the volcano lake. Forest walk either on a Batwa Forest Trail or the Circular Trail through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; this time not for gorillas but everything else ethereal about the jungle. Go on a sundowner picnic on top of the world with 360-degree spellbinding views of the hilly landscapes. It's a walking distance from the lodge.

At 8:00 am, you will join the walking safari guide on the trail starting either from the lodge (Kashasha Trail) or a few miles off (Ivy River Trail). Giant ferns, trees, millions of butterflies, birds, forest elephants, chimpanzees, monkeys, bush pigs, and even leopards could cross your path on this trail. Your guide will be sure to maintain the slowest person's pace and allow you to immerse yourself in the untamed wilderness deeply. The forest trail you will walk is one of the oldest human trails on the continent. They commercially connected Nkuringo-Nteko villages on the elevated south of Bwindi to Buhoma village on the lower north of the prehistoric rainforest. You may bump into some natives making the journey to the other side. However, you have two gun-bearing rangers to protect you from aggressive animals and other unknowns. You find a resting hut somewhere in the forest to rest and have your packed lunch before you continue to Buhoma. In Buhoma, about 800 meters from the exit gate, you will check into an idyllic forest cottage with a warm fireplace, sumptuous dinner, and out-of-this-world views of the jungle you just conquered. Spend a night here and catch your flight back to Entebbe the following day.

You will catch an 8:00 am domestic flight from Kihihi Airport (an hour's drive from Buhoma) to Entebbe International Airport on the shores of Lake Victoria. The flight takes about an hour, flying over Uganda's most beautiful landscapes and Lake Victoria.