12 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari

12 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari

This 12 Days Uganda Rwanda safari involves visiting the very best travel destinations in Rwanda and Uganda for the primate experience. The safari starts from Uganda and ends in Kigali Rwanda but can be changed to start from Rwanda. The first stop will be Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, followed by Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Mgahinga National Park for gorilla trekking.

Visitors will then cross to Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park for golden monkey tracking, cultural visits, the Nyungwe national park and the Kigali tour. Murchison Falls is the largest national park in Uganda. It is the only park where you can spot all the big five mammals. Before reaching the park, you will stop at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for a chance to track white rhinos. Other activities in the park include visiting the tops of the falls, a game drive, and a launch cruise. From there, you will transfer to Kibale National Park. Kibale is arguably the best place to track primates in East Africa.

There are 13 species of primates in the park, including chimpanzees. After Kibale, you will be transferred to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth is the most visited national park in Uganda. It is home to tree-climbing lions, beautiful landscapes, gorges and crater lakes. While at the park, you will go for two game drives and a launch cruise. From Queen Elizabeth, the journey will continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This UNESCO World heritage site is home to the largest population of mountain gorillas. Your main activities in Bwindi will be gorilla trekking and visiting the Batwa pygmies.

The first stop in Rwanda is at the Volcanoes National Park. This is Rwanda’s most visited national park and while there, you will register for the golden monkey track.  After completing all the activities, the driver will take you to Nyungwe forest national park for yet another great encounter with the chimpanzees and a canopy walk in one of Africa’s oldest rainforests. Thereafter, drive to Kigali and depending on your schedule, go for the city tour, which includes visiting the genocide memorial center in Kigali, the main city market, the presidential palace Museum, and artisan shops. After the city tour, the driver will take you to your hotel or to the airport for departure.

Safari Highlights

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park—Rhino tracking and Top of the falls visit

Day 2: Morning game drive—boat cruise, game drive and birding

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park—Nature walk at Bigodi swamp

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and visit the community in Bigodi in the evening

Day 5: Kyambura Gorge chimpanzee trekking – Afternoon/evening boat cruise

Day 6: Morning game drive/birding—transfer to Kisoro

Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park – Rwanda

Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National park – Community tour

Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park

Day 11: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk

Day 12: Kigali city tour and departure

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park—Rhino tracking and Top of the falls visit

Upon arrival at Entebbe airport/Depending on your location in Entebbe, you will meet your driver guides and depart to connect to Murchison falls national park. It’s about a 6-7 hour drive with an en-route stop at Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking and an en-route lunch. Upon arrival in the afternoon with en-route birding, enter via Kichwabanyobo gate and connect to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Sambiya River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge/Twiga Safari Lodge/Nile Safari Lodge

Day 2: Morning game drive—boat cruise, game drive and birding

After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will go for a morning game drive in the northern part of the park, where we find most of the animals. The time spent on a game drive depends on the availability of the animals. Expect to find animals including the Elephants, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, Lions, Leopards, Hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, Oribis, waterbuck, and warthogs, just to mention a few.

After lunch, connect for the 2-hour boat trip at the bottom of the falls with an evening game drive and birding. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park—Nature walk at Bigodi swamp

Wake up early and set off to transfer to Kibale forest national park with lunch en route to Fort portal town. It is a 7-8 hour drive, arriving in Kibale national park late afternoon. proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee forest guest house for a mid-range option or Isunga lodge for a budget option

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and visit the community in Bigodi in the evening

Have an 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 795 km² National Park contains one of the most beautiful and varied tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. This is the place for a number of forest wildlife, most especially 13 species of primate coupled with chimpanzees.

After trekking, you will have lunch and then visit Bigodi wetland where you will experience a lot of birdlife and unspoiled nature. Thereafter, proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park which is about a 3-hour drive. Dinner and overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge for the luxury option, Parkview Safari Lodge for a Mid-range option, or Pumba Safari Cottages for a budget option

Day 5: Kyambura Gorge chimpanzee trekking – Afternoon/evening boat cruise

You will have breakfast and connect to Kyambura Gorge for chimpanzee tracking. the search for the chimpanzees takes about 2-5 hours depending on the location of these creatures, finding the chimpanzees is not guaranteed; however, the rangers will do their best to find them for you. You will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence when found.

Enjoy your lunch and then go for a launch cruise where you will spot various water animals like Hippos and crocodiles; the cruise will also enrich you with various water birds. Connect for an evening game drive in the Kasenyi area for animals like the elephants and buffaloes, and on a lucky day, you may encounter the lions and leopards. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge for the luxury option, Parkview Safari Lodge for a Mid-range option, or Pumba Safari Cottages for a budget option

Day 6: Morning game drive/birding—transfer to Kisoro

In the morning after breakfast, connect in the Kasenyi area for a morning game drive to find some of the park residents before you embark on your journey to Kisoro. It’s 5-7 hours depending on your trekking sector. You will have lunch en route, arriving in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Travellers’ Rest Camp for a budget option or Lake Mulehe Safari lodge for mid-range option

Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Enjoy an 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 gear, including trekking sticks, good hiking shoes and stockings for tucking in, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, and a raincoat or jacket, to mention but a few. Gorilla trekking 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 are tracked daily. Upon finding them, you will be allowed to spend an hour viewing and taking photos of these gentle primates before you descend back. After trekking, return to the lodge for check-in, relaxation and dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park – Rwanda

Have an early morning breakfast, check-out and transfer to cross to Rwanda via the Cyanika border to connect to Musanze—the base town for Volcanoes national park. Connect to your reserved lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Muhabura for budget/Le Bambou Gorilla lodge for mid-range

Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National park – Community tour 

After breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the golden monkeys. Volcanoes national park is also home to the fascinating Golden monkeys; the park shares borders with Virunga national park in Congo. After a briefing by the park officials, connect to start your search for the Golden monkeys, hiking over the volcanic terrains in search of the monkeys in the bamboo forest. It may take you 2-6 hours to find them depending on their location and you will be given 1 hour to spend with them while taking pictures before returning to your lodge.

Later in the afternoon/evening, drive to Ibya’ cuwa cultural village to have an experience of Banyarwanda culture and tradition, relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park

After breakfast, you will set off to Nyungwe National Park. It’s a 7-8 hour drive via the rolling hills of Rwanda and Lake Kivu with lunch en route. This park is best known for its inhabitants of primate species like the chimpanzees and plus owl-faced and colobus monkeys and canopy walk. Upon arrival in Nyungwe late afternoon, connect to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Gisakura Visitor centre for budget/Nyungwe Top View hotel for mid-range

Day 11: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk

Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. Once you find the chimpanzees, spend an hour taking pictures and videos.  You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.

After lunch, you will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk—a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s-eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before nightfall, you will return to the lodge for dinner as above. Dinner and overnight at hotel as above

Day 12: Kigali city tour and departure

After breakfast, embark on your journey to Kigali city, which is about a 7-hour drive with en-route stops for sightseeing and lunch. Depending on the time, visit the king’s palace museum and visit the genocide memorial site and depending on your departure flight time, you will be dropped off at Kigali airport for your onward flight back home.

End of 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari