The hiking trips listed below take you through breathtakingly beautiful valleys and across mysterious lakes, over heavily cultivated slopes and deep into ancient rainforests of Uganda and Rwanda. Experienced guides from all of the region’s ethnic groups ensure that you get a cultural insight like no other, and partake in adventure tourism par excellence.
Would you like to trek into the villages and camp and dine with rural families? Or do you prefer luxurious lodges? The Gorilla Highlands Trails, a transboundary system of guided trips, offers both. The routes can be adjusted, reversed and sped up with cars, bicycles and motorbikes. Overnight stays are usually spent in our spacious tents; however, accommodation upgrades are often possible.
Whatever option you choose, you will spend as much time as possible with local people, basking in their warm hospitality and easy-going nature. Giving them a source of income and pride is in fact a crucial aspect of these treks!
We have been developing the Gorilla Highlands Trails since 2005. In 2010 the Rwanda Development Board added an entirely different dimension to what is possible in the region — the signposted Congo Nile Trail. As the routes have been connected, it is now possible to start walking in Rwanda’s Rusizi (close to Congo’s Bukavu), hike across western and northern Rwanda and finish your adventure in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park three weeks later!
DR Congo Update, September 2026: National parks in eastern DR Congo are closed and an ebola epidemic is ongoing in the north-east. Travel in Rwanda and Uganda is unaffected.
Kivu Life Dive (2-Day Hike on the Congo Nile Trail) /Rwanda/
The Congo Nile Trail can fill anything from a day to a fortnight; this two-day taster is one of many ways to walk it.
- experience Rwandan daily life as it exists nowhere else
- try the best coffee tour on the Trail
- meet the ladies who connect fishing markets to other settlements
- learn about traditional and modern beekeeping
- enjoy lunch at Mama Nelly’s local kitchen
- chat with a traditional healer
- gaze at the international business of sand
- sleep at the most picturesque beach of the Trail
Valley of No Living (2-Day Trek Between Bunyonyi & Bwindi) /Uganda/
- see three lakes and countless views
- visit most untouched upcountry areas
- hike through the Valley of No Living
- befriend the indigenous Batwa “Pygmies”
- dig into gratifying lunch at Mutanda Lake Resort
- open your soul to the rainforest magic of Bwindi
Mama Bena’s Bonus (2-Day Canoe & Hike on Bunyonyi) /Uganda/
- spend a full day dugout canoeing on a phenomenal lake
- partake in the homely hospitality of Mama Bena
- island-hop through flora and fauna, history and legends
- feast at a mountaintop picnic with volcano views
- admire exceptional cultural dancers high in the hills
- experience a field craft shop open just for you
- enjoy a hearty final meal at Edirisa
Mother of All Treks (3-Day Canoe & Hike on Bunyonyi) /Uganda/
- spend a full day dugout canoeing on a phenomenal lake
- camp at two unforgettable village homestays
- island-hop through flora and fauna, history and legends
- feast at a mountaintop picnic with volcano views
- admire exceptional Buhinga cultural dancers
- experience a field craft shop open just for you
- try traditional craft making
Three Upland Lakes (4-Day Hike Between Bunyonyi & Bwindi) /Uganda/
- take in rarely captured 360º views of Bunyonyi
- meet a traditional healer and a craftmaker
- experience the island hospitality of Provia’s Homestay
- cross Echuya Forest Reserve with Batwa “Pygmies”
- camp on a cliff overlooking Lake Kayumbu
- change your perception of the culture of coffee
- overnight at Lake Mutanda’s former Punishment Island
- explore the national park activity options of Bwindi
Transborder Trek (7 Modular Days Between Bunyonyi & Kivu) /Uganda, Rwanda/
- enjoy the first five highlights of Three Upland Lakes
- sample the best from Lake Burera’s motorboat cruise
- spend a night on a backpacker paradise island
- visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus with a Dian Fossey exhibit
- explore the bounties of Volcanoes National Park
- stay at the incredible home of Rosamond Carr
- mingle with Rwandan cowboys
Ultimate Hike (7 Modular Days at Bunyonyi, Mgahinga & Bwindi) /Uganda/
- enjoy all the highlights of Three Upland Lakes
- trek through golden fields of wheat just beneath majestic volcanoes
- sample superb activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- get a look into the famous Sagitwe caldera
- traverse the dense woods of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Please schedule a call or leave us a message to learn more about these itineraries, express your needs and share your wishes.
Choosing us supports pioneering non-profit initiatives by
Gorilla Highlands Experts.
