Herd of zebra on the East African savanna

Sample trips & pricing

Four starting points. Every trip is built around you.

The itineraries below are real trips we run, with real per-person pricing, so you have an honest sense of what an adventure costs before you ever email us. They're starting points, not fixed packages. Every trip is privately guided by Sam, runs with just your party, and is shaped around the parks, the pace, and the lodging tier you want. Tell us what you're after and we'll build yours.

Prices are per person, based on two or more people traveling together. They scale with your choice of lodging (value to high-end), the season, group size, and the gorilla and chimpanzee permits each country charges. We'll give you a firm quote once we know your dates and what you'd like to see.

10 Days · Uganda

The Western Circuit

Uganda's greatest hits in one trip: the raw power of the Nile, gorillas and chimps, tree-climbing lions, and the deep calm of the southwest.

From $5,700 per person
  • Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
  • Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest
  • Murchison Falls game drive & Nile boat cruise
  • On-foot rhino tracking at Ziwa Sanctuary
  • Ishasha's tree-climbing lions & the Kazinga Channel
  • Lake Bunyonyi & an Equator stop on the way home
View the day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1 — Arrival in Entebbe

    Land at Entebbe International Airport, where Sam meets you, and transfer to your hotel for rest and a trip briefing. Optional stops at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens or the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre if time allows. Overnight near Entebbe.

  2. Day 2 — Ziwa rhinos & Murchison Falls

    Drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided on-foot trek to see Uganda's only wild rhinos, then continue to Murchison Falls National Park and the top of the falls, where the Nile squeezes through a seven-meter gorge. Overnight in the park.

  3. Day 3 — The Nile & savanna wildlife

    Sunrise game drive on the northern bank for giraffes, elephants, lions, and Jackson's hartebeest, then an afternoon launch cruise to the base of the falls, watching for hippos, Nile crocodiles, and the elusive shoebill stork. Overnight in the park.

  4. Day 4 — Journey to the primate capital

    A scenic drive south toward Fort Portal through villages and tea plantations, with views of the Rwenzori Mountains — the "Mountains of the Moon." Overnight near Kibale.

  5. Day 5 — Chimpanzees & community life

    Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest, home to more than 1,500 chimps, followed by a walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary — a community project famous for the Great Blue Turaco and eight other primate species. Overnight near Kibale.

  6. Day 6 — Crater lakes & the Kazinga Channel

    Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park and take an afternoon launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel, often a trip highlight for its huge concentrations of hippos and birdlife. Overnight in the park.

  7. Day 7 — Tree-climbing lions & the Bwindi ascent

    An early game drive across the Kasenyi plains, then south to the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree-climbing lions, before continuing into the misty hills of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Overnight near Bwindi.

  8. Day 8 — The gorilla encounter

    After a morning briefing, head into the forest for gorilla trekking — demanding at times, and for many travelers the most profound wildlife experience on Earth. If time allows, visit a local Batwa community to learn about their forest culture. Overnight near Bwindi.

  9. Day 9 — Lake Bunyonyi

    Drive to Lake Bunyonyi, Africa's second-deepest lake and bilharzia-free, so it's safe for swimming. Tour its 29 islands by dugout or motorized canoe and take in the terraced hills. Overnight at the lake.

  10. Day 10 — The road home

    Depart for Entebbe with a stop at the Equator in Kayabwe for photos and last-minute souvenirs, then drop-off at the airport for your evening flight.

5 Days · Rwanda

Rwanda Primate Safari

Rwanda's two great primate parks in one loop — chimpanzees and a forest canopy walk in Nyungwe, mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in the Virungas.

From $5,350 per person
  • Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
  • Golden monkey trekking in the bamboo forest
  • Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest
  • Nyungwe's 160m suspended canopy walkway
  • The Kigali Genocide Memorial & the Lake Kivu route
View the day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1 — Kigali to Nyungwe

    Arrive at Kigali International Airport and begin with a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a moving site that gives essential context for Rwanda's history. Then a scenic five-to-six-hour drive south to Nyungwe through tea plantations and terraced hills. Overnight near Nyungwe.

  2. Day 2 — Chimpanzees & the canopy walk

    An early briefing and chimpanzee trekking at dawn, when the chimps are most active, with one hour observing them once they're located. In the afternoon, cross the canopy walkway — a 160-meter bridge suspended 70 meters above the forest floor. Overnight near Nyungwe.

  3. Day 3 — Scenic transfer to the Virungas

    A relaxed start, then the drive north along the shores of Lake Kivu, one of Africa's Great Lakes, to Volcanoes National Park. Overnight near the park.

  4. Day 4 — The gorilla encounter

    Transfer to the park headquarters at Kinigi, where you're assigned a gorilla family and a ranger. The trek can last anywhere from one to six hours depending on where the gorillas are. You're allowed exactly one hour with them — for many travelers, a life-changing experience. Overnight near the park.

  5. Day 5 — Golden monkeys & departure

    Return to the park for golden monkey trekking — playful, copper-colored primates of the bamboo forest that are much easier to find than gorillas — then the three-hour drive back to Kigali for your departure flight.

3 Days · Rwanda

Rwanda Gorilla Express

A focused, high-impact gorilla trip. Volcanoes National Park is only about three hours from Kigali, so this short trip wastes none of your time.

From $3,750 per person
  • Mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
  • Golden monkey trekking in the Virungas
  • A cultural village visit run by reformed poachers
  • The Kigali Genocide Memorial
View the day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1 — Kigali to Musanze

    Start in Kigali with a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, then a scenic drive north toward Musanze through the "thousand hills" and their terraced farmland. Arrive at your lodge near the park and prepare your gear for the trek. Overnight near the park.

  2. Day 2 — Gorillas & local culture

    An early transfer to the Kinigi headquarters, a briefing, and your gorilla family assignment, then a two-to-six-hour trek into the forest for your one hour with the silverbacks, mothers, and infants. In the afternoon, visit the Gorilla Guardians cultural village, run by reformed poachers, for archery, traditional medicine, and the Intore dance. Optionally tour the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's campus. Overnight near the park.

  3. Day 3 — Golden monkeys

    Head back to the park for golden monkey trekking — endemic to the Virungas and famously flashy with their gold coats — before returning to Kigali for your flight home or a final night in the city.

3 Days · Uganda

Murchison Falls & Rhino

A short, dramatic safari from Entebbe to the thundering Nile, with a stop to track wild rhinos on foot along the way.

From $1,340 per person
  • On-foot rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
  • Northern-bank game drive for lions, elephants & giraffes
  • Nile launch cruise to the base of Murchison Falls
  • The hike to the top of the falls
View the day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1 — Entebbe to Murchison via Ziwa

    An early departure from Entebbe to beat Kampala traffic, with a drive north through the Luwero Triangle to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided two-hour trek to see Uganda's only wild southern white rhinos. Lunch on the Gulu highway, then into Murchison Falls National Park for dinner and your overnight stay.

  2. Day 2 — Game drive & the Nile

    An early game drive on the northern bank — lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffalo, Rothschild's giraffes, and antelope — followed by an afternoon launch cruise from Paraa to the base of the falls and a guided hike to the top, where the Nile forces through its narrow gorge. Overnight in the park.

  3. Day 3 — Final sightings & return

    A short second game drive in the morning, then the six-to-seven-hour drive back to Entebbe, arriving by evening.

What every price includes

Sam as your private guide for the whole trip, airport pickup and drop-off, all in-country ground transport, park entry fees and your gorilla and chimpanzee permits, lodging, and the activities listed in each itinerary.

Not included: international flights, visa fees, travel insurance, gratuities, and personal expenses. We'll spell out the exact inclusions in your quote so there are no surprises.

Want something different?

These four are just a starting point. We run Rwanda-only, Uganda-only, combined, and Tanzania-extension trips, and Sam can build a birding-focused itinerary if that's what you're after. Tell us your dates, your budget, and what you most want to see, and we'll design the trip around you.

Plan Your Trip

Email Dan, our US-based coordinator, with your dates and what you'd like to see, and we'll send you a custom itinerary and quote.

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