This is one of the best adventure safari combining the top highlights of touring Uganda and Rwanda. This trip combines gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking and game viewing allowing visitors to have the incredible experience of seeing chimps and birds in different habitats, seeing chimps in two different parks of Rwanda and Uganda, with each park offering its unique attractions.
Trip Highlights
This safari starts in Kigali, Rwanda and finishes in Entebbe, Uganda.
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: Kigali Tour
Arrive Kanombe airport, met by our smiling guides. Greet and transfer to Kigali. [Approximate driving time: ½ hour] Time permitting, go for a tour of the city (optional). This includes a visit to a genocide memorial and a visit to the local general goods market and the craft centre. O/N: Hotel chez Lando (Budget) / Mille Collines Hotel / Serena Hotel Kigali or Radisson Blue Hotel (Luxury).
Day 2: Kigali – Butare – Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast you will depart for Butare the second largest city of Rwanda and is regarded as the intellectual city of Rwanda. It hosts the National Museum, several academic (University) and research institutions. On your way to Butare you will visit Nyanza (currently Nyabisindu) the former Mwami’s palace (King’s palace) and the seat of the feudal monarchy. The palace has been reconstructed to its 19th century state and shows a traditional dome that can be compared with the Kabaka’s palace of Buganda. You will visit the National Museum there, which, is one the well set-up if not the finest ethnographic museum of East Africa. It’s a good source of information on the cultural history of Rwanda and the region. O/N: ORTPN Gisakura Guest House / Nyungwe House (Luxury)
DAY 3: Chimpanzee Tracking in Nyungwe Forest
In Nyungwe Forest: Go chimp tracking and birding. There are different beautiful trails available and the superb waterfall trail of Gisakura is probably the most rewarding. The hiking time is 2 up to 3 hours and is a very enjoyable hike accessible to everybody! If you missed the Angolan Colobus you can have another try near to the tea factory where another troop is hosted. Nyungwe Forest is the only place in Africa where troops of 300 black-and-white colobus monkeys (Angolan Colobus) can be seen jumping in the trees! In the afternoon, go for a canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest. O/N: ORTPN Gisakura Guest House (Budget) / Nyungwe House (Luxury)
DAY 4: Nyungwe to Parc National des Volcans
Travel to Volcanoes National Park via Gisenyi. Drive north to Kinigi, a town located at the foothills of the Virunga Volcanoes. Enjoy the drive through the rolling hills for which Rwanda is well known. [Approximate driving time: 6 hours] O/N: Muhabura Hotel or Virunga Hotel(Budget) / Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (Midrange) / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Luxury)
DAY 5: Parc National des Volcans
After breakfast you will report at the ORTPN headquarters where you will go for golden monkey tracking in the Volcanoes. After the trek, have lunch at the lodge. After lunch travel to the nearby Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Along the way, have a brief stopover at the beautiful Twin lakes of Bulera & Ruhondo. This vintage point offers an excellent view of the Virunga chain of Volcanoes can be seen while there depending on weather conditions. Overnight at Kisoro Travelers Rest (Midrange) / Mount Gahinga Lodge (Luxury)
DAY 6: Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park
Early departure for Ntebeko. At the ampitheatre, get briefed about gorilla tracking in Mgahinga National Park. Led by a guide, embark on a gorilla trek in Mgahinga Forest. The time spent on the gorilla trek in unpredictable given that the search for these great apes depend on their movement. After the gorilla trek, return to the lodge for lunch. Overnight at Travelers Rest (Midrange) / Mount Gahinga Lodge (Luxury)
DAY 7: Travel to Queen Elizabeth Park
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the most bio-diverse national parks in Uganda. This National Park is a UNESCO World Biosphere and has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world! Almost 100 mammal species and a remarkable 606 bird species can be found. Elephants, Lots of hippos, the elusive giant forest hog and the handsome Uganda Kob all regularly sighted. O/N: Simba Safari Camp / Bush Lodge (Budget) / Buffalo Safari Lodge or Enganzi Lodge (Midrange) / Mweya Safari Lodge or Katara Lodge (Luxury)
DAY 8: Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth Park
Go for a morning game drive in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. After the game drive go back to the lodge for mid-morning breakfast and lunch. In the afternoon go for the launch cruise along the Kazinga channel. The boat rise is rewarding with sightings of a diversity wildlife including schools of hippos, crocodiles, and many bird species that can be seen on the shores of the lake. O/N: Simba Safari Camp / Bush Lodge (Budget) / Buffalo Safari Lodge or Enganzi Lodge (Midrange) / Mweya Safari Lodge or Katara Lodge (Luxury)
DAY 9: Wildlife Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Go for another morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Look out for the early risers. Have Lunch. Go for an evening game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Overnight at Simba Safari Camp / Bush Lodge (Budget) / Buffalo Safari Lodge or Enganzi Lodge (Midrange) / Mweya Safari Lodge or Katara Lodge (Luxury)
Day 10: Lake Bunyonyi
Travel to Lake Bunyonyi, the Switzerland of Africa, one of the most beautiful scenic areas in Uganda. You will have lunch in Kabale town after which you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at Bunyonyi Overland Resort (Budget) / Arcadia Cottages (Midrange) / Bunyonyi Bird Nest Lodge (Luxury)
Day 11: Full Day Excursion at Lake Bunyonyi
Breakfast will be served early morning and after you will go for the boat tour on the lake to one of the islands. The lake has almost 38 small islands and each was named according to the bird species that reside on the island. Go for an evening scenic view of the most beautiful lake in the region. Overnight at Bunyonyi Overland Resort (Budget) / Arcadia Cottages (Midrange) / Bunyonyi Bird Nest Lodge (Luxury)
DAY 12: Travel Back to Kigali
Leave for Kigali in Rwanda. Finalise boarder arrangements at the Katuna border. [Approximate driving time: 6 hours] Drop off at the hotel or Kigali Airport.