12 days Uganda Rwanda Safari Adventure

This 12-day Best of Uganda and Rwanda Safari is an exceptional journey that starts in Kampala, Uganda, and ends in Kigali, Rwanda. The safari includes visits to several top destinations in both countries. In Uganda, you’ll explore Murchison Falls National Park, where you can see the Big Five, including rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, as well as lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes during game drives and a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. Next, you’ll connect to Kibale Forest National Park to spend time with chimpanzees. The safari also takes you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, offering views of abundant wildlife such as buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, hippos, Nile crocodiles, and warthogs. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you’ll have a face-to-face encounter with endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The journey continues to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale and culminates in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, where you’ll spend time with golden monkeys

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kampala

Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe international airport on day 1 of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Kampala for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park

After breakfast on day 2 of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda safari, our driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to start the journey to Murchison falls national park which is the largest national park in Uganda. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive and on the way you will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking where after you will continue the journey with another stopover in Masindi town for lunch. After lunch you will proceed to Murchison falls national park and upon arrival you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you will be able to view the waterfall, enjoy water splashes among others. From the waterfall, you will drive to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

After an early breakfast on day 3 of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive where you will be rewarded with stunning views of animals like giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, lions, leopards, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeest among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be able to view animals like elephants, antelopes, buffaloes which will be drinking water along the shores, view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view aquatic bird species like hornbills, cormorants, king fishers, bee-eaters, fish eagles among others. After the interesting boat cruise you will return back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale national park

After breakfast , you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale forest national park which is located in western Uganda. It’s a whole day journey and on the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, tea plantation, Rwenzori Mountains, views of the crater lakes among others. Upon arrival in Kibale national park, you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Chimpanzee trekking,

After an early breakfast , your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the Kanyachu park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated an experienced park guide and start trekking in the forest in search of chimpanzees. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one area to another in search of food. During trekking you will be rewarded with views of other primates, views of different bird species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment which helps you to watch them feed, play, fight, hunt, rest, observe their behaviors, take photos and record videos. After the one hour encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. On the way you will enjoy spectacular views of the scenery, landscape and upon arrival in the park you will go for an evening game drive where you will be rewarded with views of animals like elephants, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs among others which will be going back to their resting areas. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cru

After an early breakfast on day 6 of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will be able to spot different animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, waterbucks which will be grazing in open savannah plains, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas which will be looking for a morning hunt, view bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water channel that connect lake Edward and lake George. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours, you will be able to view large herds of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks drinking water along the shores, view water birds like hornbills, cormorants, fish eagles, king fisher’s among others. After the boat ride you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

On day 7,you will enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to view the famous tree climbing lions which will be lazily lying up in acacia/ fig tree branches. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will have lunch and then continue the journey to the park with great views of the beautiful landscape, countryside, Kigezi hills, terraced farmlands among others. Upon arrival in Bwindi impenetrable national park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

After an early breakfast on day 8 of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda safari, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the mountain gorillas and also conversant with different gorilla trekking trails. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 8 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species, plants among others and once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to observe their behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, breastfeeding, grooming young ones, take photos and record videos. After the one hour encounter with the gentle giants, you will drive back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – boat ride

After breakfast on day 9 of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest fresh water lake in Uganda. Upon arrival, you will go for an amazing boat ride where you will be able to explore the 29 islands, view different bird species, beautiful scenery, terraced farmlands among others. After the boat ride, you will drive to the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 10: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

After breakfast on day 10 of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda with en-route lunch and great views of the rolling hills, beautiful scenery, traditional homesteads among others. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 11: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour

On day 11, you will have an early breakfast, carry your lunch box and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a golden monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on where the golden monkeys are located. Once they are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to watch them feed, breastfeed, play, jump up in tree branches, take photos and record videos.

After the one hour with the golden monkeys, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for an interesting Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, learn about their culture, tradition, visit their homesteads, farmlands, taste their local dishes, local beer, enjoy their traditional performance among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Departure to Kigali

On the final day, enjoy a relaxed breakfast before checking out of the lodge and meeting your driver-guide for the transfer to Kigali. Upon arrival, embark on a city tour, visiting the Genocide Memorial Centre, art crafts, Kimironko Market, and other notable sites. After the city tour, have lunch before your driver-guide drops you off at Kigali International Airport for your departure flight or at a location of your choice.

End of safari.

• Park fees 
• Gorilla permits (One per person)
• All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
• All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
• A professional driver/guide
• All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
• All Taxes/VAT
• Roundtrip airport transfer
• Meals(As specified in the itinerary)
• Drinks (As specified in the itinerary)