6 Days Double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking

The 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking in Uganda is a special primate tour that will allow you to meet the magical mountain gorillas from two different national parks and seeing the beautiful golden monkeys. This tour will take you to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park which is famously known as a home to the highest number of the endangered mountain gorillas in the world for the first mountain gorilla trekking safari and Mgahinga gorilla national park where you will engage in a second mountain gorilla trekking tour and golden monkey encounter as well as exploring Lake Mutanda one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa.

Highlights of the 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Meet and greet and transfer to your booked hotel in Entebbe city

Day 2: Entebbe town – Drive to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park (Rushaga sector)

Day 3: First mountain gorilla trekking experience – Drive to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Day 4: Second mountain gorilla trekking experience – Spend your evening relaxing

Day 5: Golden monkey tracking – Explore Lake Mutanda with a boat canoeing tour

Day 6: Mgahinga gorilla national park – Return to Entebbe international airport

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Meet and greet and be transferred to your booked hotel

Upon your arrival at Entebbe international airport the Uganda’s main airport, you will be warmly met by our company representative plus the safari guide who will be waiting for you from the airport guests’ waiting lounge for meet and greet and then drive you to your booked hotel in Entebbe town to check in, freshen up yourself and later meet again with our company representative and safari guide to go through your tour itinerary and set up the pick-up time the following day, have dinner and an overnight.

NB; Later, if times allows, go for an evening sunset boat cruise on Lake Victoria the Africa’s largest water body and second largest fresh water body in the world and shared by three countries (Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya). The sunset boat cruise on Lake Victoria takes 2 hours that are made of relaxation moods and making you get used to the Uganda’s beautiful environment and accommodative climate before starting your great primate encounter safari. The cruise will take you across the equator line, some beautiful islands in Lake Victoria and you will be able to spot several water birds. So, if you wish to do a sunset cruise on the Lake Victoria, we would request you to inform us and we arrange for you because it has to be booked in advance.

Accommodation option; Via Via Guest House (Standard), 2 Friends Beach Hotel (Mid-range), Protea Hotel Entebbe by Marriott (Luxury)

Meal plan; Dinner

Day 2 of the 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking,

wake very early in the morning at (0600hrs) to prepare yourself, have your travel bag well-ranged, be served breakfast, check out of the hotel, meet your safari guide at the hotel reception to start your drive at Bwindi impenetrable forest national park (Rushaga sector) at 0700hrs. The drive to Rushaga sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park takes approximately 9 to 10 hours’ and made of several stops at different interesting places so, your first stopover will be at Kayabwe equator line which is thought to be the line that is separating the planet into northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. While at the Equator landmark, you will watch the water experiment watch the water experiment to witness how forces move differently on each side of the planet for example on the northern hemisphere, water moves clockwise and on the southern hemisphere, it moves anti clockwise. At the sun rises and sets quickly, temperatures and weather conditions and largely the same throughout the year.

It is said that when you stand at the equator line, your body weight is reduced by 3 kilograms due to the reason that there is no gravitation pulls. Therefore, while at Kayabwe equator Landmark, you will be able to prove this right or wrong after you have done the experiment. You will have a chance to take some memorial photos while spreading your legs in each side of the planet, have a cup of coffee and then proceed with your drive to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park with another stopover at Igongo cultural center where you will have refreshments, lunch, visit the museum which is one of the best heritages sites in the western Uganda. Thereafter lunch, continue with the journey through the spectacular views of the rolling and terraced hills, farmlands, homesteads, beautiful scenery to the park where you will arrive in the evening to check in at your booked lodge to freshen up, relax, and have dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation option; Rushaga Gorilla Haven’s Lodge (Standard), Rushaga gorilla Lodge (Mid-range), Gorilla Safari Lodge (Luxury).

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 3: Bwindi impenetrable forest national park – Mountain gorilla trekking – Transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Day 3 of the 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking, rise up very early in the morning at (0600hrs) to dress up in the recommended mountain gorilla trekking style, get all your required gadgets such as binoculars, cameras, extra camera battery and others you would wish to carry, pack up your luggage, be served heavy breakfast, have your packed lunch boxes, check out of the lodge and then meet your safari guide to transfer to the park information headquarters to meet other guests for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during mountain gorilla trekking, expectations of mountain gorilla trekking and how to behave in the presence of the mountain gorillas once you have come across them. You will be given a gorilla family to track plus UWA ranger and guide to take you through the forest in search of your allocated mountain gorilla family. We would recommend you to carry enough drinking water to keep your self-hydrated. The time spent while searching for the mountain gorilla trekking is not known but it can take about 45 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food and your walking speed. While search for the mountain gorillas, you may encounter other wildlife species since the park is a home to over 120 mammals such as other primate species like the l’hoest monkeys, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, other mammals like forest Elephants, buffaloes, Sitatunga, duikers and spotting several bird species, plant species among others which will make your walk so interesting. When you encounter the mountain gorillas, you will spend an hour with them and this will be the most interesting part your forest tour to look into the red eyes of the magical mountain gorillas fully in their natural habitat. You will learn more about their lifestyle, behaviors, watching mothers grooming their playful babies, seeing the giant silverback. During your time with the mountain gorillas, you will be free to take as many photos to record videos as you would wish but you have to ensure that your camera is flash less not to spoil your great day. After you fully enjoyed the mountain gorillas, return to the park starting point you will be awarded a certificate for participating in mountain gorilla trekking and as appreciation of your support towards the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas after, meet your safari guide, enjoyed your packed lunch and other refreshments and then start your drive to Mgahinga gorilla national park which is approximately 2 hours’ drive.  When you arrive at Mgahinga gorilla national park, check in at your booked lodge and when spend your evening relaxing, be served dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation option; Lake Chahafi Lodge (Budget), Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Lake Mutanda Resort (Luxury)

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 4: Mgahinga gorilla national park – Second mountain gorilla trekking experience – Spend your evening relaxing

Day 4 of the 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking, also wake up early morning to prepare yourself, get all your mountain gorilla trekking required equipment, enjoyed your fantastic heavy breakfast, get your packed snacks, meet your safari guide and then depart for your second mountain gorilla adventure tour. While at the park information center, you will be briefed by park warden or rangers about the details the gorilla family in Mgahinga, what you need to have during mountain gorilla trekking, what to expect, and how to act while with the magical mountain gorillas. Mgahinga gorilla national park has one habituated mountain gorilla family which is called Nyakagezi family and it used to migrate Volcanoes national park of Rwanda and even Virunga national park of DR Congo but is now permanently stationed in Uganda. The time you will spend while searching for the mountain gorillas is difficult to be determined because it highly depend on the movements and location of the mountain gorillas but it may take between 45mins to 6 hours so, you have to be fully prepared for anything and the more time you spend in the forest, the more chances to spot other interesting wildlife species and to fully enjoy the nature. Mountain gorilla trekking involves a lot of physical activity depending on the location of the mountain gorillas so, you have to be mentally prepared and physically fit but you will never get tired due enjoying the breathtaking views of the Virunga Volcanoes and pristine African forest. Meeting two mountain gorilla families from two different national park and spending two full hours will award you with an exclusive experience of the gentle giants than those one that done single gorilla tracking. You will be explore how the mountain gorillas from different environments behave. After you have completed your second mountain gorilla trekking experience, return to the park information center to pick your reward of a certificate, have some refreshments and then return to your lodge to have lunch, freshen up, spend your afternoon relaxing while memorizing on tour great moments during mountain gorilla trekking.  Dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation option; Lake Chahafi Lodge (Budget), Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Lake Mutanda Resort (Luxury)

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 5: Mgahinga gorilla national park – Golden monkey tracking – Explore Lake Mutanda

Day 5 of the 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking, rise up very early in the morning at 0600am to dress up well, pick your camera and binoculars, have breakfast, get your packed snacks, meet yours safari guide and then drive to the Mgahinga gorilla national park information center to be for the pre golden monkey tracking about the guidelines to follow during the forest walk in search for the golden monkeys, what to expect and how to behave once you have met these beautiful primates, be allocated a family of the golden monkeys to track and a park guide who is well conversant with golden monkey trails and then start the forest walk in search for the golden monkeys. Similarly to mountain gorilla trekking experience, the time spent when before meeting the golden monkeys is not known but can take about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location and movements of your allocated family. Golden monkeys are very mobile and very fast when moving from one place to another while searching for food through the bamboo forest zone. When searching for the golden monkeys, you many spot other species found in the forest such as several bird species, unhabituated mountain gorillas, forest elephants among others and your forest guide will give you much information about everything that you will encounter which will make your tour more adventurous.  Once you encounter the beautiful golden monkeys, you will stay with them for a maximum of one hour while enjoying how they spend their day, learn about their feeding habits, behaviors, enjoy seeing them playing while jumping up in the tree branches among others and you will be free to take as many photos as you would wish. Thereafter spending an hour with the golden monkeys return to the starting point to meet your safari guide, have some refreshments and then drive back to your lodge to have lunch, freshen yourself, relax and later early evening go to explore Lake Mutanda one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa. While at Lake Mutanda, you take a dugout canoe boat to visit some beautiful islands in the lake such as the skeleton island which was used to punish criminal people by isolating them to this island to death. While at Lake Mutanda, you may decide to swim since it is free from bilharzia and it does not have dangerous aquatic animals so, it is extremely safe for swimming. After canoeing, you may decide to visit one of the surrounding communities to Lake Mutanda. Dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation option; Lake Chahafi Lodge (Budget), Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Lake Mutanda Resort (Luxury)

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 6: Mgahinga gorilla national park – Drive back to Entebbe international airport / Kampala

Today the last day of your 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking, wake up at your best time, pack your bag, be served breakfast, check out of the lodge and then meet your safari guide to start your drive back to Entebbe international airport or Kampala. On your way, you will have a stopover at Igongo cultural center to have lunch and then proceed with the journey straight to Entebbe international airport to prepare for your return flight. This will be the end of your   6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking. Your safari guide will drop you at Entebbe international airport for your return flight or at any place of your choice.

The inclusions of the 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking;

Return airport transfers (Pick and drop off)

Private ground transport for 6 days using either safari Land-cruiser or Safari van (4WD and full time air-conditioned)

Private English speaking safari guide for 6 days (Other languages can be arranged at an extra cost)

Private standard/mid-range/luxury accommodation on full board (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) for 5 night an extra night/s can be arranged on request

Fuel for 6 days

Bottled mineral water and en-route meals throughout the tour

All government taxes

2 mountain gorilla trekking permit per person (Bwindi impenetrable forest national park + Mgahinga gorilla national park)

1 golden monkey permit per person

A stopover at Kayabwe equator landmark

A stopover Igongo cultural center

Boat canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi

The exclusions of the 6 Days double mountain gorilla experience and golden monkey tracking;

Extra accommodation

International and domestic flights

Optional activities not included on the itinerary

Personal travel insurance

Tips

Personal expenses like cigarettes, laundry services, buying souvenirs and gifts, telephone calls, hiring a porter, among others.

Alcoholic and soft drinks (Beers, Sodas, Wine, and juice at the lodge)