14 Days Uganda- Rwanda Safari : This an exciting safari that takes you to the Pearl of Africa – Uganda and to the Land of a Thousand Hills – Rwanda. On this combined Uganda Rwanda Safari , u will explore some of the best Safari Destinations in these countries
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Arrival – transfer to Kibale national park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 3: Transfer to Mount Rwenzori to start your hike
Day 4: Descend from the mountain – transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 5: Morning game drive/Lion tracking – afternoon boat cruise
Day 6: Another Morning game drive/Lion tracking and Ishasha game drive
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park – Batwa community tour
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 9: Explore Lake Bunyonyi – transfer to Kisoro
Day 10: Mount Sabinyo hike – Mgahinga national park
Day 11: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 12: Golden monkey trekking – Visit Ibya wacu cultural village
Day 13: Full explore Lake Kivu – Gisenyi
Day 14: Transfer to Kigali – Kigali city tour – Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – transfer to Kibale national park
Upon arrival at Entebbe international airport at 10 am, meet your driver to transfer to Kibale forest national park. It’s about 6 hours’ drive with en-route lunch. Upon arrival late afternoon, connect to your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Kibale forest Lodge for budget/ Chimpanzee Forest Lodge for mid-range
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Have early morning breakfast, go for briefing and start Chimpanzee trekking. Kibale Forest National Park is one of the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Kibale’s 795km2 National Park contains one of the most beautiful and with the most varying tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. This is the place to a number of forest wildlife, most especially 13 species of primate coupled with chimpanzees. Tracking takes about 2-5 hours’ depending on the location of the chimpanzees. On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour with them taking pictures, videos and enjoying them. Return to the lodge for lunch. Later afternoon, and visit the Bigodi wetland for a birds and primates. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 3: Transfer to Mount Rwenzori to start your hike
Climb to Nyabitaba Camp (2650m) –
After early breakfast, transfer to Mount Rwenzori which is about 2 hours’ drive from Kibale national park. Upon arrival at the park, connect for a briefing about your mountain climbing experience. Meet your guides and porters and embark on your hike passing through farmlands to the park boundary beyond which it follows a think forest along the Mubuku River. Crossing its Mahoma River tributary before starting the long, steep climb up to the massive ridge to reach Nyabitaba Hut for a night break.
Day 4: Descend from the mountain – transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After breakfast at the camp, descend back to Nyakalengija, the starting point. You may first reach the Mahoma Lake, which is the largest lake on the mountain before you start your hike back to the starting point. The hike may take about 5-6 hours. Upon arrival, meet your safari driver and connect for lunch en-route before you proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park. Upon arrival, check-in at your booked lodge for relaxing, dinner and overnight stay at Bush Lodge for budget/ Aardvark Safari Lodge for mid-range
Day 5: Morning game drive/Lion tracking – afternoon boat cruise
After breakfast early morning, go for a morning game drive at Kasenyi area where you will spot a good number of wildlife including Elephants, Buffaloes and all species of antelopes. Return to the lodge for lunch. Later afternoon/evening, connect for a launch cruise on Kazinga Channel where you will spot various water animals like Hippos and crocodiles, the cruise will enrich you with various water birds. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above.
Day 6: Another Morning game drive/Lion tracking and Ishasha game drive
After breakfast, go for yet another game drive to find some of the missed animals and also do a lion tracking experience where you are guaranteed to view the lions, enjoy en-route game drive at Kasenyi area where you will spot more of the animals.
Thereafter, drive to Ishasha sector of the park. It’s about 2 hours’ drive, upon arrival, connect for a game drive to find some of the missed animals and chances of spotting the tree climbing lions and other animals. Later afternoon, check-in at your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Ishasha Jungle Lodge for mid-range/Enjojo Game Lodge for budget
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park – Batwa community tour
After breakfast, embark on your journey to Bwindi forest national park. It’s 4-5 hours depending on your trekking sector. Considering that you will trek in Ruhija sector, upon arrival, connect to your booked lodge for lunch. Later afternoon, visit the Batwa community and learn about the way of life of the Batwa community. Dinner and overnight at Broadbill Forest Camp for budget/Gorilla Mist Lodge for mid-range
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience
Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for a briefing by the ranger guides before entering the forest in your trekking gears including trekking sticks, good hiking shoes and stocking for tacking-in, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, and a raincoat or jacket to mention but a few. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is no different from other trekking parks that is trekking takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas as they roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day however the rangers will be able to find them as they tracked daily. On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour as you view and take photos of these gentle primates before you descend back. After trekking, meet your safari guide and return to the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 9: Explore Lake Bunyonyi – transfer to Kisoro
After breakfast, connect to Lake Bunyonyi, taking about 2 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, connect for a boat trip on the lake. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest lake in East Africa and Bilharzia free lake for human consumption in different activities like swimming. Explore the lake on a boat trip and visit some of the interesting islands. Bunyonyi comprises of 29 islands especially the punishment island. After lunch, transfer to Kisoro. It’s about 2 hours’ drive and upon arrival, check-in at your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Traveller’s Rest Hotel for budget/Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge for mid-range
Day 10: Mount Sabinyo hike – Mgahinga national park
You will have breakfast and transfer to the park office to meet the park guides for briefing and set off for the Mount Sabyinyo hike in Mgahinga National Park. The round trip is 6 – 8 hours, depending on one’s fitness. Mount Sabyinyo is an extinct volcano meaning it cannot experience a volcanic eruption. The level of difficulty can be put at difficult because of a very uneven terrain with craters, sharp ridges, vegetation. The mount has three peaks and hikers aim to conquer all the three; however some hikers may decide not to trek to all the three. After the hike, you shall retreat to the lodge for the overnight.
Day 11: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and transfer to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. It’s about 4-5 hours’ drive crossing via Cyanika border. Upon arrival in Musanze, have en-route lunch and explore Musanze by visiting the Dian fossey museum and other sites. Connect to your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge for mid-range/Hotel Muhabura for budget
Day 12: Golden monkey trekking – Visit Ibya wacu cultural village
After early morning breakfast, drive back to the park headquarters for briefing about the endangered golden monkeys and be allocated a group. Connect to the tracking starting point and enter the forest to search for the rare golden monkey. This activity can take about 1-5 hours and is done at closer view of the other primates in the park like the red tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys among other. After viewing the rare golden monkeys for an hour while taking pictures and studying their behaviours, return to the base and meet your drive back to the lodge.
Later afternoon, visit Iby’wacu Cultural Village-a Non-Profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood based projects. It’s a rewarding place where you will be guided around the place as you enjoy the Kinyarwanda traditions including the Intore dance, traditional ceremonies and a guided community walk. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 13: Full explore Lake Kivu – Gisenyi
After breakfast, explore Lake Kivu on a boat ride and chill at the lake and beach side. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Kivu Gorilla Lodge for mid-range/Paradise Malahide Hotel for budget
Day 14: Transfer to Kigali – Kigali city tour – Departure
After breakfast, check-out at leisure before check-out time and connect to Kigali city. Upon arrival, explore Kigali city on a city tour and visit the Kigali genocide memorial and Kimoromko market and other attractions in Kigali city. Later evening, check-in at Des Mille Collins Hotel for day use before you transfer at 10 pm to Kigali airport for your onward flight back home, marking the end of your safari.
