Chimpanzees, mountain gorillas and golden monkeys all live in the forests along the Albertine Rift, where Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo meet. With the right route you can see all three in a single trip. Here are the three ways we put it together, depending on your time, budget and where you fly in.
Route 1: All-Uganda (8–9 days)
Entebbe → Kibale → Queen Elizabeth → Bwindi → Mgahinga
Start with chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, then cross Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives and a Kazinga Channel boat trip. Trek gorillas in Bwindi’s southern sectors (Rushaga or Nkuringo), then continue to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where golden monkeys live in the bamboo zone on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. This is the best-value route: Uganda’s gorilla permit is US$800, and golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga is just US$60 (or US$100 for the longer golden monkey habituation experience).
Route 2: All-Rwanda (5–6 days)
Kigali → Nyungwe → Volcanoes National Park
Track chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest in the south-west, famous for its canopy walkway, then drive north to Volcanoes National Park for gorillas and golden monkeys, which you can see on back-to-back days from the same lodge. It’s shorter and very comfortable, but it costs more: Rwanda’s gorilla permit is US$1,500.
Route 3: Cross-border (7–8 days)
Kigali → Volcanoes (golden monkeys) → Bwindi (gorillas) → Kibale (chimps) → Entebbe
Fly into Kigali, see golden monkeys in Volcanoes, then cross into Uganda and trek gorillas in southern Bwindi at Uganda’s lower permit price. Continue north to Kibale for chimps and fly home from Entebbe. It’s the most varied of the three, and it avoids driving back on yourself.
Tips for any route
- Book gorilla permits first. They’re the hardest to get and fix the rest of the dates.
- Minimum ages differ: 15 for gorillas and 12 for chimpanzees in Uganda. Golden monkey tracking is open to younger children, so ask us for the current rule.
- For cross-border trips, check your visa. We’ll advise on the current rules for your passport.
- Bring rain gear whatever the season. These are rainforests.
Tell us your dates and where you’d like to fly in and out, and we’ll recommend the best of the three.
