A gorilla and wildlife safari gives you the best of East Africa in one trip. First, you hike into the rainforest to spend an hour with mountain gorillas. Then you head out onto open savannah to look for elephants, lions, buffaloes and antelopes on game drives. At Roots Tours & Travel, we combine Bwindi or Volcanoes National Park with classic wildlife parks in Uganda and Rwanda. As a result, you see two very different sides of Africa without a long or complicated journey.
Below, you will find the best parks to pair with gorilla trekking, ideas for routes and practical tips.
To start, browse a few of our most popular trips that mix primates with game drives.
What can you do in a week? On our 7 day Uganda primates and wildlife tour, quite a lot. First, you hike through Kibale Forest National Park to spend time with wild chimpanzees. They are habituated, so they don’t mind some company. Next, you visit the Uganda kob mating grounds
Our 3 day Akagera safari is the easiest way to enjoy classic African savannah in Rwanda. You start in Kigali with a city tour. Then, you head east to Akagera National Park for a full day of game drives and a boat cruise on Lake Ihema. Finally, you return to
Our 5 day Uganda safari from Kigali combines mountain gorillas and classic big game in one rewarding trip. First, you track gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Then, you enjoy game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you may spot lions, elephants and Uganda kob. Finally, a boat cruise
Our 7 day Uganda gorilla safari combines mountain gorillas with classic savannah wildlife in one week. You look for chimpanzees in a hidden gorge, cruise the Kazinga Channel and search for tree-climbing lions in Ishasha. Then you trek gorillas in Bwindi, unwind at beautiful Lake Bunyonyi and finish with zebras
Our 8 day Uganda family safari packs the very best of the Pearl of Africa into one easy, well-paced trip. You track rhinos on foot, cruise the Nile to the foot of Murchison Falls and look for chimpanzees in a hidden gorge. Then you search for tree-climbing lions, meet mountain
Gorilla trekking is the highlight of most trips to Uganda and Rwanda. However, the trek itself takes one day, and you only spend one hour with the gorillas. So, it makes sense to add a few days of classic safari. In fact, the contrast is part of the magic. One day you are in a misty, green forest. A day or two later, you are watching a herd of elephants on a wide, golden plain.
In addition, combining both helps you get more from your travel time. The gorilla parks lie in the south-west of Uganda and the north-west of Rwanda. Several great savannah parks are on the way, so you can plan a smooth loop with no wasted days.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular partner for Bwindi. It sits just north of the gorilla forest, so the two parks fit together easily. Here, you can enjoy game drives on the Kasenyi plains, where Uganda kob, buffaloes and elephants are common. Better still, a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel brings you close to hippos, crocodiles and many water birds. In the southern Ishasha sector, you may also find lions resting in fig trees.
Lake Mburo is the closest savannah park to Kampala and Entebbe. For this reason, it makes a perfect stop on the way to or from Bwindi. The park is home to zebras, impalas, elands, topis and giraffes. Since there are no elephants or lions to worry about, you can also try walking safaris and horseback rides here. Read more on our Lake Mburo park guide.
Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest national park. It lies in the north-west, so it suits longer trips. Here, the Nile squeezes through a 7 m gorge and thunders down the falls. Game drives on the northern bank often reveal giraffes, elephants, buffaloes and lions. Moreover, a launch trip up the river to the base of the falls is one of the best boat safaris in Africa.
If you trek gorillas in Rwanda, Akagera National Park is the natural partner. It lies in the east of the country, so you can easily pair it with Volcanoes National Park via Kigali. Akagera is Rwanda’s Big Five park, with lions, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes and leopards. You can also take a boat trip on Lake Ihema to see hippos and birds. Find out more on our Akagera National Park page.
We have several ready-made tours that already join both experiences. For example:
Of course, every trip can be changed. We can add extra nights, upgrade lodges or include other activities, such as chimpanzee trekking in Kibale.
There is no single right way to plan this kind of trip. Still, a few routes work especially well:
First, secure your gorilla permit, because everything else is built around it. Permit prices are set by the wildlife authority and change from time to time, so we will confirm the current rate when you enquire. For official park updates, visit the Uganda Wildlife Authority. You can also read our guide to buying gorilla permits.
Next, think about timing. The dry months from June to September and December to February are the most popular. During these months, forest trails are firmer and animals gather near water. Nevertheless, the wet months bring green scenery, fewer visitors and great birding.
Finally, pack for two climates. You will need waterproof layers and sturdy boots for the forest, plus light clothes and a hat for the savannah. Tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a free, tailor-made gorilla and wildlife safari for you.
Love to Travel? We are the whole Tool & Box that you need. At Roots Tours & Travel Uganda we look forward to speaking to you!