8 DAYS UGANDA AND RWANDA SAFARI

This 8 days Uganda and Rwanda Safari is a combined Uganda and Rwanda safari taking you on a safari visit to the best safari destinations where you will encounter mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and other wildlife species including lions, leopards, hippos, elephants and many birds.

This safari starts from Kigali – Rwanda “arriving at Kigali International airport” and ends in Entebbe City – Uganda “flying out from Entebbe International airport”.

Day 1: arrival and transfer to Nyungwe forest

Upon arrival at Kigali International airport or after breakfast at your hotel in Kigali City, you will be warmly welcome by our safari guide and after a short briefing about the safari and what to expect you will transfer to Nyungwe Forest.

If you have an early flight, you will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial center, Kimironko market and other sites.

Have dinner and stay overnight.

Accommodation: One & Only Nyungwe House – Luxury, Nziza Eco Lodge – Midrange.

Meal plan: Lunch and dinner

Day 2: chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park’s head to the park’s headquarters for briefing about chimpanzee trekking, a head ranger will take you through the do’s and don’ts, then hike into the forests of Nyungwe looking for chimpanzees. As you trek through the forest you will be alerted of where they are by their melodic voices and you will spend one hour in their presence while watching them play on tree branches and taking care of each other’s. Unlike mountain gorillas, you can freely take pictures and videos. Return to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon you will go for a canopy walk on a high suspended metallic walk way above the forests of Nyungwe.

During the canopy walk you will watch several species of birds and primates such as olive baboon, black and white colobus monkeys among others.

Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3: transfer to volcanoes national park and visit the local community “Gorilla Guardian’s Village”

Transfer to Volcanoes national park, you will arrive in Musanze in time for lunch, check into your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon you will go for a visit to the Ib’iwacu Village for an encounter with the local Rwandese people. During the visit you will get a deeper insight into the lifestyle, cultures and traditions of the local people, taste some of the local dishes and be entertained by local dances and drama. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Le bamboo gorilla lodge – midrange and 5 Volcanoes Lodge – Luxury.

Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4: golden monkey trekking and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Wake up early and head to the park for briefing about the rules and regulations to follow on golden monkey trekking which will be passed you to a senior ranger. Head into the forests of volcanoes looking for golden monkeys found in the bamboo forests, you will spend one hour watching the beautiful olive baboons playing bamboo trees and looking for bamboo shoots among others.

Return to your lodge for lunch, checkout and embark on a journey to Uganda – Bwindi impenetrable national park with border crossing at Katuna. Arrive in the park in the evening, check into your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge – Luxury and Buhoma Haven Lodge – Midrange.

Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5: mountain gorilla trekking

Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park’s headquarters for briefing about mountain gorilla trekking, you will be grouped into 8 people, be assigned a gorilla group to trek and head into the forests of Bwindi looking for mountain gorillas.

After 4-6 hours of trekking, you will be able to look the gorillas, depending on the family you are trekking. When you find the gorillas you will spend one hour in their presence while taking pictures and observing their human nature and actions such as taking care of their young ones and the silverback guarding the group.

Return to the park’s headquarters to collect your gorilla trekking certificates, meet your guide and head to either your lodge for an evening of relaxation or a visit to the Batwa people for a culture experience. Have dinner and stay overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6: transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park and afternoon game drive

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park through the Ishasha Sector where you will tree climbing lions lounging on tree branches. Head to your lodge for check-in and lunch, in the afternoon you will return to the park for an extensive game drive exploring the Kasenyi plains and spotting a variety of wildlife including leopards, African elephant, African buffalo, Ugandan kob, hippopotamus, topi, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog, Nile crocodile, leopard, spotted hyena, chimpanzee among others. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation option: Elephant plains – Luxury, Elephant hab – midrange.

Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7: morning game drive and afternoon boat ride on Kazinga Channel

Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park for another game drive searching for more animals which you might have missed on the previous game drive. Return to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon you will head to the Kazinga Channel for a boat ride, you will enjoy watching large concentrations of hippos, elephants, crocodiles and several bird species including herons, egrets among others. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Meal plan: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8: transfer back to Kampala with a stopover at the Equator

Depart for Kampala with a stopover in Mbarara for lunch and at Kayabwe for pictures at the equator and getting a chance to stand in both Northern and Southern Hemisphere at once.

You will be dropped off at Entebbe International airport for your flight back home.