18 Days Uganda & Rwanda gorilla tour, wildlife safaris, African culture & nature walking trips
Safari Highlights
The 18 days Uganda - Rwanda Safari will make you experience the true African wildness. This Safari will take you to unspoiled corners of Uganda and Rwanda. Expect to have big game drive as you spot for some of the Big 5; African lion, Elephant, Buffalo, and Leopard. Take Boat trips to explore more of the prolific birdlife and animals, primates trekking, Gorilla tracking in Uganda and Rwanda, Cultural walks, Forest walks, excellent bird watching, Mountain hikes, and photography among others. You will also have city tours in Kigali (Rwanda) and Kampala (Uganda). This tours starts and ends at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
Day 1: Arrival in Kampala
Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport, your Tour Guide / our company representative will be waiting for you. He will transfer you to Holiday Express Hotel / Kampala Forest Cottages for dinner and over night.
Day 2: Kampala - Murchison Falls National Park
Take early breakfast and depart for Murchison Falls National Park. We shall take a short excursion to the top of the falls before you check in at the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge / Red Chili rest camp.
Day 3: Game Drive and Boat trip in Murchison Falls National Park
This is the day to explore the best of Murchison Falls Park. After a cup of tea / coffee in the morning, we shall embark on a game viewing drive in the park that will reward you with animals like elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, Uganda kobs, Oribis and waterbucks. Return to the lodge for full breakfast as we wait for lunch. We shall later proceed for an afternoon launch cruise to the bottom of the falls. You will see a variety of crocodiles and hippos basking along the shores, many buffaloes and Elephants having a drink, plus birds on the river banks like kingfisher, cormorants, bee-eater and the rare shoebill stork. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Murchison Falls - Kibale Forest National Park
Take early breakfast and connect to Kibale forest while enjoying the scenic beauty of the Western arm of the rift valley and the Butiaba escarpments, have lunch in Fortportal town and reach Kibale in late afternoon. Check-in Ndali lodge or primates lodge, relax in the evening as we wait for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Kibale Primates trekking and Bird watching
Wake up early morning and go search for chimpanzees in the Kibale forest. This will enable you see other primates the colobus monkeys, Mangabeys, baboons, Red tailed monkeys, the L'Hoests monkeys, Bush-babies and many more. You will move with a guide who will make your walk informative and productive making it interesting. The Guide will provide information on both flora and fauna. Then return for lunch and in the afternoon, go for a nature walk to Bigodi sanctuary for plenty of birds and rare fauna and flora. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge /Primates lodge.
Day 6: Cultural Excursion in Pygmy Villages
This will be the day to visit the pygmies in the pygmy villages located near the Ituri Rainforest. Weshall start our drive early with packed lunch, which will take us 2-4 hours. The visit to the villages has proven to be an appealing cultural experience. You take a tour to the Hot Springs from where you will visit the Pygmies. You will transfer back to Fort portal for dinner and overnight at Hotel.
Day 7: Toro Cultural Tourand Connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have early breakfast and take a short excursion to Karambi Royal tombs including many cultural groups such as the Burungu community which is rooted in Traditional Toro culture that will entertain you with music, dancing and story telling. Later in the afternoon, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park with game viewing enroute. For Dinner and over night at Mweya Safari Lodge or Simba safari camp.
Day 8: Game Drive and Boat trip in Queen Elizabeth National park
After a cup of tea/coffee, you will go for an early morning game drive along Kasenyi track and Queens mile in the park and expect to see Lions, Elephants, cape buffalo, Warthogs, leopard, hyena, mongoose, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, Topi and lots many small animals and birds. Return to the lodge for late reakfast, relax as we wait for lunch, after which we shall enjoy the unique afternoon 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of Hippos, Nile crocodiles and many animals are seen drinking at the water's edge. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous with well over 610 resident species. Return for dinner and over night at your lodge.
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth - Ishasha sector - Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Early morning after breakfast, depart for Bwindi, through the Ishasha sector in the southern part of the park; here expect to see the famous tree climbing lions as they rest up in the large forest trees, reach Bwindi Forest by late after noon, dinner and overnight stay in Kitandara Camps or Buhoma Bandas.
Day 10: Bwindi Gorillas Tracking Excursion
After early breakfast, we shall proceed to park offices with packed lunch for a briefing about the Dos and Don'ts while with gorillas. Tracking can take 2-9 hours depending on their movements. You will stay with these Giant apes for 1 hour for observation and photography. If the evening is free, we can take a cultural walk to nearby Batwa communities. Dinner and overnight stay in Kitandara Camps or Buhoma Bandas.
Day 11: Cross to Rwanda Parc National Des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park)
After breakfast, depart for Rwanda for another gorilla tracking excursion. Crossing Rwanda border requires $60 visa fee (for those who require Visa), arrive at the Gorilla Nest resort or Kinigi Guest House by late afternoon. Your guide will brief you about the gorilla trek for the next day as you wait for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Rwanda Gorillas in the Mist
An early breakfast after which you proceed to Kinigi park station for a 30 minutes briefing about Gorilla tracking, then continue on for the trek with packed lunch and water. If time allows, you take an excursion to Dianne Fossey graves. Return for dinner and over night at the lodge
Day 13: Golden Monkey trekking - Kigali Genocide Memorial Site
After breakfast, you will proceed Golden Monkey tracking and later after lunch, connect to Kigali for a city tour with visits to the Genocide memorial sites, cultural museum, curio markets and the Kimironko fruits markets where you have a chance to meet the local people and choose your fruit basket. Dinner and overnight stay in Hotel Gorillas / Kigali Serena Hotel.
Day 14: Transfer to Uganda (Lake Bunyonyi)
After breakfast you will leave Kigali and drive to Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda. Dinner and overnight at the camp or Arcadia Cottages
Day 15: Lake Bunyonyi Excursion - Boat Ride
Early breakfast will be followed by a nature walk in the morning and in the after lunch you will go for a boat ride to one of the neighboring islands. Dinner and overnight at the Camp or Arcadia Cottages.
Day 16: Lake Bunyonyi - Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park, arrive by lunch time. You will proceed for an afternoon boat trip on Mburo Lake, an excellent place for birding. Other animals include Hippos crocodiles. Dinner and overnight at Rwonyo Camps or Arcadia Cottages.
Day 17: Game Viewing Drive - Kampala
Wake up early for a cup of tea/coffee and embark on a morning game drive to catch up with early raisers and predators returning to their hideouts. Retire for full / late breakfast and thereafter, drive to Kampala with game viewing enroute, stop at the Equator for photography, enter Kampala by late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Holiday Express or Kampala Forest Cottages.
Day 18: Departure
Depending on the flight schedule, you can take a city tour in Kampala- visit Kasubi Tombs, Bahai Temp, or Nakasero fruit market before connecting to Entebbe International Airport for your scheduled flight.
END OF THE TOUR
The tour quotation Includes:
- Gorilla and Chimpanzee tracking permits
- Ground transport in a comfortable 4WD safari van equipped for game viewing, photography and touring
- Full board accommodation
- All park entrance fees to include government taxes
- Full time English speaking professional driver/guide
- All tour activities as detailed in the itinerary
- Bottled water while on safari
- Airport transfers
The tour quotation excludes:
- Tips
- Laundry services
- Beverages/Drinks
- International flights
- Visas
- Items of a personal nature
-Optional activities and any other extras not detailed in the above itinerary
