12 DAYS BEST OF UGANDA & RWANDA SAFARI

Our representative will pick you up from the hotel and proceed to Kibale National park. On arrival, you can go for an optional Fort Portal Tour.

Journey: 4+ hrs   

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Budget: Kibale Forest Camp/Midrange: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse/Luxury: Turaco Treetops

Take an early breakfast before your primate tracking adventure in the forest. As you search for Kibale’s resident chimpanzees, keep an eye out for other primates such as grey-cheeked mangabeys along with l’Hoest’s, red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys. 

In the afternoon you can choose between two optional activities. Either spend more time with the local communities and learn more about their day-to-day lives on a Community Walk or go deeper into the forest on a Swamp Walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is home to 8 primate species, over 200 bird species, butterflies, and various reptiles. For bird lovers, the highlight of the afternoon is spotting the beautiful great blue turaco. Please let us know which walk you prefer at the time of booking.

You can opt for the Chimp Habituation experience instead of tracking. This entails spending all day with the chimps as they get acclimated to the presence of humans. The activity takes up to 6 hours with a maximum of 6 tourists per group. The best months are March, May, and November when traffic in the park is very low. This costs $250 per person. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Budget: Kibale Forest Camp/Midrange: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse/Luxury: Turaco Treetops

After breakfast, we head to Queen Elizabeth National Park passing through the Crater lakes region (depending on road conditions) and enjoying views of the mystical Rwenzori mountain ranges. The journey from Kibale national park to Queen Elizabeth national park is short and therefore you will arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. After lunch, have a relaxed afternoon looking forward to the next day’s activities or have a short evening game drive.

An alternative optional excursion today is the Kyambura Gorge hike. This is also known as the “The Valley of Apes”, which is located in Kyambura Wildlife Reserve. the gorge itself spans 11 km and is 100 meters deep. The Kyambura River flows through this thick “underground forest” connecting to the Kazinga Channel. This unique landscape is an excellent refuge from the savannah's predators above and is the reason that the chimpanzees have made their home here. Excellent hiking trails can be found within the forest.

Journey: 3+ hrs 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 

Accommodation: Budget: Bush Lodge / Midrange: Baboon Safari Resort / Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge

Enjoy your early morning breakfast and meet your guide who will drive you around the park. Pass via the Kasenyi trail where you will be in a position to observe game like warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, elephants, lions together will several species of birds. Head back to your lodge or hotel for lunch and relax before traveling back for the afternoon boat ride along the Kazinga Channel. Look out for Elephants, buffalos, hippos, and Nile crocodiles crammed at the banks, birds such as fish eagles, marabou storks, weaver birds, and lots of water birds. We hope you didn’t forget the pair of binoculars back at home. Afterward, we take a leisurely game drive en route to your lodge or hotel for dinner.

A lion tracking experience is possible this morning. Queen Elizabeth is the only National park in Uganda that offers this activity. The activity is only open at the northern sector (Kasenyi plains) of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Get close to the lions in their natural habitat, unlike standard game drives. It involves following lions closely to learn about their behavior, natural habitat, and feeding habits. The activity is led by experienced and knowledgeable researchers from the Uganda Carnivore Program. By paying to take part in Lion tracking, tourists can to a worthwhile wildlife conservation initiative.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Budget: Bush Lodge /Midrange:  Baboon Safari Resort /Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge

We drive through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park en route to Kisoro.

Please note that if we track Gorillas in Nkuringo or Rushaga sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a different route and accommodation will be used. If you would like to explore the Ishasha sector, we can add an extra day to the itinerary. 

During Game Drives along the Northern circuit, you can see Topi herds, Kobs as well as great buffalo herds grazing. The Southern circuit of the Ishasha sector becomes the focus in the search for tree-climbing lions. This is because of a host of well-spaced big fig trees, among the 47 species recorded in Uganda. Edward flats is an off-circuit area off the beaten track and the remotest game track here. It is gifted with nature ranging from great breeding herds of Elephants and also a home for passage migrants in the bird world as millions of songbirds, storks, waders, and raptors pass by here. Continuing towards the Ishasha river can yield hippo sightings

Our destination Kisoro is a perfect base for gorilla trackers, lake loungers, volcano hikers, and bird lovers as well as those looking for a mystical place in nature. Lake Mutanda, Lake Chahafi, Lake Mulehe, Lake Kayumbu, and the Virunga mountains make for magnificent views

Journey: +4 hrs   

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Budget: Bwindi Cultural Center /Midrange: Silverback Lodge/Luxury: Buhoma Lodge 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – the home to half the world’s mountain gorillas. The Bwindi impenetrable forest is also UNESCO World Heritage Site hosting numerous tree species, birdlife, primates, mammals, insects, etc. 

After breakfast, in the company of an experienced park ranger, you will be tracking the whereabouts of one of the nine habituated family groups who live in the park. Depending on the location of the gorillas on any given day the walk can take anything from 2 to 7 hours. Once the family of gorillas has been located, settle into your surroundings and enjoy the hour you have to quietly observe these fascinating primates whose habits and mannerisms remind us so much of our own. It is real hiking and being physically fit is recommended.

Unlike Gorilla trekking that limits one’s interaction with the gorillas to only an hour, Gorilla Habituation allows a person 4 hours in the company of the gorillas. Also, one spends a little bit more -US$1500 for each person needing to do the Habituation experience dissimilar from the US$700 paid for gorilla trekking.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner 

Accommodation: Budget: Bwindi Cultural Center /Midrange: Silverback Lodge/Luxury: Buhoma Lodge

The following Optional excursions are not all be possible today since we have a transfer to Kigali.

 Please let us know if you would like an extra day added to the itinerary to experience the following attractions. 

• Buhoma Community Village Walk provides guests with an opportunity to support the local community whilst enjoying visiting various interesting places as you follow a walking trail through the village. Highlights include the traditional healer, banana brewery, and Mukono Primary school where you may interact with the children.

• Bwindi Community Hospital was established in 2003 and has grown from small beginnings to become an essential service provider for the immediate communities and much of the surrounding areas too, caring for more than 100 000 individuals. Visit it to learn how it is helping to improve the quality of many lives.

• Ride 4 a Women was set up in 2009 to support local women struggling at home with issues associated with HIV, domestic violence, and poverty. Visitors are invited to view the women working at the local center – sewing, weaving, and learning new skills for making a living and helping towards education for their children.

• Batwa Cultural Experience is a full-day experience provided by the Batwa Development Program allowing one to see, understand and participate in the lifestyle of the Batwa when they lived in the forest and depended upon their hunting and gathering skills for their daily needs.

• Bwindi Forest Walk can be undertaken with an Uganda Wildlife Authority guide to allow you to hike along the trails and enjoy the forest flora, fauna, and wildlife such as monkeys at proximity. A popular choice is a 3-4-hour hike to the waterfall.

• Hike across Bwindi Forest. This hike from Buhoma (Northern sector) to Nkuringo & Nteko (Southern sector) has two hiking trails, the ivy river trails (4-5 hrs) and the Kashasha River Trail (6-7 hrs). There is no road in the forest so the vehicle will make a 170km journey and wait on the other side. (4 hours) Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a vast, unique natural reserve with troops of monkeys, duikers, bush pigs, and some of Bwindi's world-renowned bird species roaming under the forest's canopy. On some occasions, hikers may meet the chimps or gorillas on the trail.

• Bird Watching can be done around the lodge and walks in the forest with local qualified guides. This forest area has recorded over 350 bird species. Of particular interest are the 23 species endemic to the Albertine Rift and at least 14 recorded nowhere else in Uganda

• Butterfly Watching in the forest with Bwindi being home to over 200 species, some of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley

• Volcano Hikes: Virunga Mountains, is a volcanic range along the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. There are a total of 8 mountains; Mt Muhabura (4127m), Mt Sabinyo (3674m), Mt Gahinga (3474m), Mt Bisoke (3711m), Mt Karisimbi (4507m), Mt Mikeno (4127m), Mt. Nyamuragira (3058m), Mt Nyiragongo (3470m). 

• Golden monkey tracking. These small monkeys are fast and live in groups of about 30 individuals or more roaming over a large territory in the virunga volcanoes. This activity is done at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

• Boat Rides: Explore one of the lakes and the islands in traditional dug-out canoes or Motorized boats. Kayaks and paddleboards can be hired too.

Journey: 2 -3 hrs

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 

Accommodation: Budget: Inzu Lodge / Midrange: Kivu Lodge/ Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

Lake Kivu in the west of Rwanda is surrounded by magnificent mountains and has deep emerald green waters covering a surface area of 2,700 km2. It is Rwanda’s largest lake and the sixth largest in Africa.

Spend the afternoon relaxing at the lodge or take a walk along the long stretch of beach just outside the property. 

Other optional activities include; 

• Kayaking on the Lake, 
• visit the Nyamyumba Hot Springs,
• Hike the Congo Nile Trail (227km)
• Fishing (Half Day)
• Primate safari at Gishwati-MakuraNational Park (Half Day)
• Hike the Nyiragongo Volcano (2 Days)

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 

Accommodation: Budget: Inzu Lodge / Midrange: Kivu Lodge/ Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

After breakfast, we go for the Kigali City Tour and explore sites like the Kandt Museum, Presidential Museum and Kigali Genocide Museum. Proceed west to Nyungwe Forest, passing through the town of Butare, about 135km from Kigali. Here you can visit Butare National Museum displaying a range of ethnographic objects that will give you an insight into the rich traditional life and culture of the country.

Journey: 5 – 6 hrs  

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 

Accommodation: Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse / Midrange: Top View Hill Hotel/ Luxury: One & Only Resort

Nyungwe Forest has 310 bird species, 26 of which are endemic to Rwanda. The forest is incredibly biodiverse with 13 known primate species in residence, from colobus monkeys, mangabeys, blue monkeys, and chimpanzees.

Follow an experienced guide into the forest to observe these fascinating creatures at a close range. Watching them interact with each other and go about their daily routine of grooming, playing and foraging is an incredible experience. 

Option activity: The forest canopy walks is a network of suspension bridges that will lead you on a 1.5-hour walk over a deep gorge, through beautiful and lush vegetation and different animal habitats.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 

Accommodation: Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse / Midrange: Top View Hill Hotel/ Luxury: One & Only Resort

Depending on your time of flight, there is a chance to do some last minute souvenir shopping in Kigali or a city tour before departure. If you wish to extend your stay in the country, we can make arrangements. End of Safari

Journey: 5- 6 hrs

Meal Plan: Breakfast & Dinner 

Accommodation: Not included