13 Day Gorilla, Chimp and Wildlife Safari

We are proud to offer this trip of a lifetime–a 13-day gorilla and wild animal experience in Rwanda and Uganda. We’ll get up close to silverback gorillas and their families, chase chimps through a thick forest, go on a land and river safari where lions, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, cape buffalo, warthogs and and hundreds of other species call home. The natural environment we’ll be traveling through is a mix of dense woodlands, mountains, savannah, wetlands, rivers, lakes and we’ll take a boat to one of Africa’s great waterfalls.

We’ll also have a chance to explore and support local women-in communities of indigenous people and participate in some of their daily activities.  

Click here to view the full itinerary and download a brochure 

Please note: NextTribe members receive $100 discount on this trip. Click here to become a member. 

Permits to see the mountain gorillas are extremely hard to secure. We are thrilled to have reserved 13 spots, but because of high demand we have to have commitments before Dec. 15, 2025 or we will lose our allotments. Because we are making non-refundable payments for permits, your deposit is non-refundable and non-transferrable. We hope you understand.

Please know that you will not only be experiencing a rare opportunity to connect with our closest relatives (and other women on the trip who share your enthusiasm for nature, wildlife, and exploration), you will also be helping fund protection of the primates and humans in the region.

Mountain gorillas and tourism are inextricably linked. Arguably, neither has a future without the other. The annual revenue earned directly from gorilla tourism is an important component of funding conservation and management of the parks, as well as local and national economies.

1. The comfort and care provided by our local partners, who make sure that everyone gets a chance to see, experience, and photograph whatever interests them most.
2. The number of “pinch myself” moments that happen almost every day on this trip, from our encounters with the animals (particularly the gorillas!) to our conversations with fascinating local women.
3. How incredibly beautiful Rwanda and Uganda are: not only the landscape but the people, too.
4. Surprisingly mild weather on most of the trip (at least that’s how it was in 2025). And so few mosquitos. We were expecting hordes of them!
5. The ability to have an extreme adventure while traveling in affordable luxury and ease. Yes, some of the roads are rough but the drivers are professionals who know how to navigate them, and how to spot wildlife from a mile away!

This will be Jeannie Ralston’s first trip to Rwanda and Uganda–though she went on safari in Tanzania and Kenya several years ago (with her sons, as pictured above)–and had a surprising reaction to her experience. “I knew I would love seeing the wildlife. But on the day we were leaving I sobbed because I would miss the people so much–all the wonderful, warm, open-hearted people I met.”

Visiting the gorillas is on her bucket list and she would have gone on our Gorilla trip in June 2025 but her son’s wedding occurred at the same time. (Girl’s got priorities straight.) So she’s beyond excited to have this chance in 2026 with a group of fun, adventurous women–and is sure that she’ll fall in love with the locals all over again.

Nkuringo Safaris, a licensed tour operator, offers unforgettable, safe, intimate, and authentic Uganda & Rwanda wildlife experiences. The company specializes in custom gorilla trekking tours, honeymoon holidays, cultural encounters, and private and group adventures to suit your travel preferences.

Nkuringo Safaris has been offering sustainable and innovative private gorilla tours and wildlife safaris in Uganda and Rwanda since 2007. Our team of experienced travelers is always ready to push themselves out of their comfort zones to better understand the fascinating world around us. We aim to provide active experiences so transformative that our guests will never want to have an African adventure in any other way.

Experience the thrill of exploring Africa’s amazing wildlife on holiday with a knowledgeable and trusted tour operator. Venture off-the-beaten-path into ancient rainforests where gorillas and chimpanzees live in harmony. With Nkuringo Safaris, you immerse yourself in the rich diversity of a region, meet its people and cultures, and collect new experiences that will transform your life.

For this trip, we require all of our travelers to purchase travel insurance including evacuation coverage

Travel insurance can be a helpful and valuable resource to pack! It can protect the investment of your trip and you while traveling.

We partner with Wanderwell, a Certified B Corporation travel insurance provider that makes it as simple as possible by not overwhelming you with options. They offer just a few modern, benefit-packed trip protection plans that can cover the most common travel perils related to trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, travel Medical Expenses, baggage & personal effects, Emergency Medical Evacuation, and more.

Click here to create quotes and purchase a plan through Wanderwell from our partner page. To set up a phone call, email support@gowanderwell.com 

While most travel insurance policies cover evacuation, you may want to consider extra coverage for this trip. Our partners at Global Rescue can help you with this!

The deposit for this trip is non-refundable. After February 5th, 2026 Next Tribe will be unable to refund your payments for this trip. We strongly urge you to consider this when purchasing your travel insurance.

YOUR DEPOSIT:
Your initial deposit in non-refundable and reserves your spot on a trip. Unlike other NextTribe trips, the deposit on this trip cannot be transferred to another trip.

YOUR BALANCE:
Full payment for your retreat is due 4 months prior to the start of the trip. (Feb. 5, 2026) At 4 months prior to your trip, there are no refunds for any reason. If you must cancel within this 4 month period, you will need to contact your travel insurance company for reimbursement.

CHANGES TO TRAVEL:
We will make every effort to operate all trips as advertised, however all itineraries are subject to change. We reserve the right to alter or make reasonable substitutions as deemed necessary.