15-Day Volcanoes Circuit
Duration: 15 days
Trails: T2 trails
Distance: 10 - 15 km / 6 - 9 mi per day
Ascent per day: 500 - 1000 m / 1640 - 3281 ft ascent per day
> Discover the Virunga massif and explore Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo
> Unforgettable encounter with the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Golden Monkey in Parc National des Volcanos and with the chimpanzees in Kibale National Park
> Hike the magnificent Nyiragongo and Sabinyo Volcanoes
The Volcano and Primate Safari takes you to one of the very few places to see endangered mountain gorillas, combines primate viewing with a classic savannah safari, hiking the magnificent volcanoes, gives you a good balance between vehicle, boat and walking activities and not leaving out the excellent birding experience and the scenic beauty.
This action-filled excursion will take you also to Mgahinga National Park where you will trek up Mount Sabinyo 3,645m one of the region’s inactive volcanoes. You will have the opportunity to get up close to another endangered species, the Golden Monkey in its natural habitat of bamboo forest. Local tribesmen will pilot dug-out canoes as we traverse Lake Mutanda.
Bwindi impenetrable forest home to one of the richest ecosystems in Africa. Mountain Gorillas are one of the world’s most endangered apes. It is estimated that there are only about 880 left throughout the world. Almost half of them can be found in Uganda, and populations can also be found in neighboring Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Virunga Mountains, which are a chain of volcanoes along the northern border of Rwanda, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The mountain range consists of eight major volcanoes. Most of them are dormant, except Mount Nyiragongo 3,462 meters (11,358 ft) and Mount Nyamuragira 3,063 meters (10,049 ft), both in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Recent eruptions occurred in 2006 and in January 2010. Mount Karisimbi is the highest volcano at 4,507 meters (14,787 ft). The oldest mountain is Mount Sabinyo, which rises 3,634 meters (11,923 ft.) above sea level.
Itinerary
Day
1
Pick You Up At Kigali International Airport (Rwanda)
Arrival at Kigali International Airport and transfer to your accommodation. Depending on the time of arrival there is the possibility for a city tour.
Heaven Boutique Hotel
Day
2
Kigali city tour and genocide visit, Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, we will start the city tour and visit Rwanda’s genocide memorial for the ancient history of the Tusi and the Hutu people of Rwanda. We will visit a coffee plantation and have various side trips on a scenic 2 hour drive through the Rwandan countryside to the Ruhengeri township in the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes.
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Day
3
Karisoke Research Center for a Cultural Experience
Today we have various options on offer. You can watch the golden monkeys, visit Mt. Visoke or visit the Karisoke Research Center. This afternoon we will continue exploring the cultural highlights of this area and visit the Iby Iwachu Cultural Centre. We will watch cultural dancing and have an informative experience about traditional local medicine. This cultural group was formed by pygmies and ex-poachers and we will listen to their side of the story after abandoning these illegal practices.
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Day
4
Musanze to Gisenyi - Lake Kivu
After breakfast, you will have a transfer to Gisenyi town which is located on the shores of Lake Kivu. Here there is time for swimming, fishing or a boat cruise. The cruise will provide you with a spectacular view of the Kibuye and Gisenyi towns.
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Day
5
Cross to DRC – Hike Mount Nyiragongo
Depart Gisenyi early morning to cross the DRC border, clearing with customs and then proceed directly to Kibati Patrol post. The start post for the Nyiragongo volcano climb. Today is the real adventure when you spend a day hiking the living volcano Nyiragongo. The 4-5 hour hike through the lush rainforest takes you to the spot where the volcano erupted in 2002.
Volcano Nyiragongo
Day
6
Mount Nyiragongo to Mgahinga National Park
After breakfast, we will start the descent of Mt. Nyiragongo. Back down, you will be picked up by our driver and we proceed to the border Uganda.
Gahinga Lodge
Day
7
Mount Sabinyo Climb – 3669m
After breakfast, we proceed to Mgahinga National Park headquarters for the briefing of today: climbing Mount Sabinyo. Mt. Sabinyo, at 3,669m, takes about eight hours to cover the 14km round trip, with a steep ridge up to the peak. This trek will be of course conducted in the company of your Nkuringo Walking Safari guide.
Gahinga Lodge
Day
8
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
After breakfast, you can either drive or hike across beautiful landscapes and local communities. A great opportunity to experience authentic village life (9km – 2/3 hours). Upon arrival at Lake Mutanda you “settle” in a dugout canoe for 1.5-2 hours. Enjoy the relaxed cruising across the lake and the beautiful panorama. Meet with your vehicle and drive to Nkuringo.
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Day
9
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
After breakfast, at around 7:45 am, with packed lunch and drinking water you will be transferred to the National Park Head Quarters for the briefing on the dos and the don’ts while you are with the gorillas. You then continue to the forest for the start of the actual gorilla tracking. The beauty of this rain forest is spectacular. The area offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time is taken to follow the movements of these great primates. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savored. Many find it to be a rare and moving opportunity. The tracking can take place at Nkuringo or at Rushaga (1 hr drive from Nkuringo), as per the gorilla permits obtained. Upon return, you can relax at the lodge or stroll around the community centre. There is also the possibility to drive up to the “Top of the World” - the name given to the football field, high up in the village which offers amazing views over the peaks and forests around Nkuringo. A great way to stretch your legs after the gorilla tracking and to enjoy a sundowner.
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Day
10
Community tour, Buniga Forests (encounter with the Batwa)
After a hearty breakfast, enjoy birding in Nombe Pocket Forest – it was part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and it is still quite impenetrable, however it was cut off from it as people needed more land to live on and cultivate. It can be reached on foot (approx. 1 hour to go and 2 hours to come back) or by vehicle and the visit lasts approx. 2 hours, depending on the interest of guests. In the afternoon stroll down to the Buniga Forest Trail Walk, an informative project run by USAID and the local Batwa Community. The Batwa tribe was forced to leave their home in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in 1991 when it was declared a UNESCO Heritage site for gorillas only. They had been living in the forest as nomadic hunter-gatherers for millennia, in perfect balance with the flora and fauna around. Moving out and suddenly living in communities with a completely different way of life has proven to be a huge challenge. They now survive as best as they can and earn a living explaining their previous life in the forest and their rich heritage. Continuation of the walk through the community to visit the traditional herbalist and the blacksmith.
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Day
11
Hike across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park
After a very early breakfast, drive along the Nteko Ridge till the junction of the Ivy River Trail with the forest (7 km) and then start the unforgettable hike across the forest (13km - 4-5 hours).
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a vast unique natural reserve - monkeys, duikers, bush pigs and some of Bwindi's world-renowned bird species plus many butterflies can be sighted. If you are very lucky you may even encounter gorillas! Once part of a much larger forest that included the Virunga Volcanoes in neighboring Rwanda, the park is nowadays an ecological island within a sea of villages and farmland, its conservation importance is immense. The emphasis of this activity is for your walking guide to share his knowledge of the forest with you, it is not simply an A to B hike. The trail is also an important footpath for local people, particularly on market days, traveling from Nkuringo and Nteko to Buhoma, on the northern boundary of the park. There is no road through Bwindi so vehicles driving between the two locations have an incredible 170 km bone jarring journey taking 6 to 8 hours. Upon arrival at the park headquarters in Buhoma, meet with the vehicle and departure to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The southern area of Ishasha is notably recognized for its resident ‘tree-climbing’ lions that are an exceptional attraction and one of the highlights of all safaris taken within the park. The lions can be spotted hanging on branches of huge fig trees whereas the Uganda Kob (which is the major food to these lions) graze on the plains below.
Kasenyi Safari Camp
Day
12
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Full day dedicated to game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and to the boat trip on the Kazinga Channel - the 36 km waterway which connects Lake George and Lake Edward which allows special viewing of game and birds on the river banks, as the boat passes through pods of hippos. Crocodiles have only recently been seen in the Channel, they disappeared for 8,000 years after they were eliminated from Lake Edward by toxic ash from local volcanoes. QENP is one of Uganda’s oldest parks being formed officially in 1952. The park was initially known as ‘Kazinga National Park’ before it was renamed in 1954 to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. QENP hosts 95 species of mammals, more than any other park in Uganda, and 619 bird species, the second-highest of any park in Africa – the sixth-highest of any park worldwide.
Kasenyi Safari Camp
Day
13
Queen Elizabeth and Kibale National Park
Game drive through the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park and continuation to our lodge in Kibale National Park via the town of Fort Portal. In the afternoon we trek to the ‘Top of the World’ to enjoy fantastic views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, tea plantations and local villages.
Primate Lodge
Day
14
Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
Morning chimpanzee trek. The density and diversity of primates in Kibale National Park is the highest in the whole of Africa. The most well-known of its 13 species are the chimpanzees, our closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 chimpanzee population of this threatened primate is Uganda’s biggest. Additionally, Kibale is home to the uncommon I’Hoest’s monkey as well as East Africa’s biggest population of the endangered red colobus monkey. The black & white colobus, red tailed monkey, blue monkey, olive baboon, grey cheeked mangabey, bush baby and potto are among the other primates.
Afternoon excursion to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a great example of a community-based approach to natural resources management which can be of good economic benefit to the local residents living within the area and to the tourism industry. This sanctuary is a paradise for bird watchers - skilled birders can spot up to 50 new species on a bird list. At today 138 species of birds have been recognized within the sanctuary, among the Great Blue Turaco. Bigodi is also regularly visited by a diverse number of primate species from the nearby national park.
Primate Lodge
Day
15
Kibale National Park to Entebbe
After Breakfast, proceed with your driver for a 6hour drive to Entebbe, various stops en route for photographic opportunities and visiting local markets along the road. Transfer to your accommodation at Papyrus Guesthouse. Relax in your room. Transfer to the airport in time for the evening flight out.
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Jan Bakker
This trek is operated by
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