12 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari Tour – DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY

Day 1: Transfer to Akagera National Park & have an evening game drive

Welcome to Rwanda!  On this 1^st day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife we will officially welcome you to Rwanda the Land of a thousand hills. After having your breakfast at the lodge you will proceed to the lounge where you will be met and welcomed by your Prime safaris guide. You will be picked up early in the morning from your hotel at 8:00 am.

You will start this incredible Rwanda Uganda safari with an exploratory Kigali city tour drive, which gives you a unique opportunity to explore the sights and sounds of Kigali as you traverse this pristine and clean capital of Rwanda.

You will later embark on your 100km or 2-3 hours’ drive to Akagera Game Park. This drive will take you through Rwanda’s countryside and as you progress you will realize a change from Rwanda’s notorious rolling hills to the expansive savannah plains of Akagera which are home to a wide variety of savanna wild animals. You settle for lunch at your lodge and later go for a thrilling game drive in the undisturbed savannah plains of Akagera national park.

You will get an opportunity to see some of the wild game as you drive through the different tracks of the park including sightings of the African bush elephants, Masaai giraffes, Leopard, Impala, Buffaloes, Waterbucks, Oribi, Eland, reedbuck, Roan antelope, bushbucks, Lions, Black Rhinos among others. You will afterward drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

The Highlight Of The Day: A Warm Welcome To Remarkable Rwanda.

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Upmarket: Magashi Tented Camp/ Ruzizi Tented Camp.
• Midrange/ Moderate: Akagera Game Lodge
• Budget/Basic: Akagera Rhino Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: Approx.180km or 3-4 hours

Activities & Services

• Transfer to Akagera Park
• Evening game drive

Day 2: Enjoy a morning game drive and a sunset boat cruise on Lake Ihema

Day 2 of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife will start with breakfast and a cup of Rwandan coffee after which you will be off for a full day of exploring the plains of Akagera.

First, you will get to engage in a spectacular morning game drive experience.

During this game drive you will come to realize that the habitats of this park are different and thus, every stretch comes with a unique landscape which in turn gives you an insight into the diverse wildlife that exists here. You will enjoy sightings of the African bush elephants, Masaai giraffes, Leopard, Impala, Buffaloes, Waterbucks, Oribi, Eland, reedbuck, Roan antelope, bushbucks, Lions, Black Rhinos among others.

After about 4 hours of exploring the savanna parts of the park, you will return to the lodge and have lunch then in the evening; you will transfer to Lake Ihema where you will engage in a soothing sunset boat cruise. During this boat cruise, you will be in for a stunning encounter with a wide variety of wild water dwellers such as hippos and the Nile crocodiles.

If the day has been largely clear, watch the sun as it sets on this lake creating a picturesque moment that will forever be imprinted in your memories. You will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

The Highlight Of The Day:  Amazing Wildlife & Amazing Scenery Viewing.

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Upmarket: Magashi Tented Camp/ Ruzizi Tented Camp.
• Midrange/ Moderate: Akagera Game Lodge
• Budget/Basic: Akagera Rhino Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast Lunch & Dinner

Optional Activities

• Visiting the rhino sanctuary here
• Birding

Day 3: Transfer From Akagera to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Therefore, our amazing adventure in Akagera national park unfortunately ends, but we still have a myriad of adventures planned, so let us go for them!

You will wake up at 6:30 for breakfast after which you check out of the lodge on this day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife and embark on a 315km or 7-8 hours journey from Akagera National Park to Bwindi National Park which is found in southwestern Uganda.

During this road trip, you surely cross from the savanna plains of Akagera which are actually an extension of the Tanzania wilderness plains into the rolling hills of Rwanda that have had this country referred to as the Land of a thousand hills. You proceed to Uganda after lunch and cross the border at Kyanika after which you drive through the rolling Kigezi high lands towards your lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for dinner and an overnight stay.

The Highlight Of The Day: Big5 Game & Wildlife Viewing.

Accommodation

• Top Notch / Exclusive: Gorilla Forest Camp/ Buhoma Lodge
• Luxury/ Up market: Haven Lodge Buhoma
• Mid-range/ Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
• Budget/ Basic: Trekkers Tavern Ruhija

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance &time: Approx. 370 or 6 -7 hours

Activities & Services

• Transfer to Bwindi

Day 4: Do Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable NP & do a community walk

You will wake up to the melodic twittering of several of the 350 birds of Bwindi as they sing to the new day dawn and have a really heavy breakfast that is served at 6:30 am. With your packed lunch in hand, you will transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the epic gorilla trekking adventure you’re about to undertake.

After this briefing, you will set off into the jungle on your search for the gorillas in the lead of a very skilled armed ranger guide who will also help you make sense of the numerous attractions that you will find along the search for the gorillas and these include several of the 350 bird species that have made this park an incredible birding destination to many birders on their Uganda birding adventure.

Several other primates such as Black and White colobus monkeys, and L’Hoest monkeys might also come your way and some of the 27 Lizard species like the three-horned chameleons can be spotted.

On seeing the gorillas, you have a full hour with these magical beings to watch them as they go about their daily lives, and if you’re lucky you might get to see the young gorillas break the 7-meter rule as they get closure to you to have you incorporated in their games. After the full hour of contact with these gorillas transfer back to the park center where you get awarded a Gorilla tracking certificate for your tracking efforts.

After trekking the gorillas visit the local Batwa communities and have a first-hand experience of how this small community of people has managed to live side by side with these giant beasts for over 1000 years. While here you will see how these guys used to hunt and use some of the trees and leaves from these forests to treat several of their ailments. After the Batwa encounter, you will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

The Highlight Of The Day: Mountain Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Forest.

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Up market: Gorilla Forest Camp/ Buhoma lodge
• Mid-range/ Moderate: Mahogany Springs lodge/Havens Lodge
• Budget/ Basic: Trekkers Tavern Ruhija

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services

• Gorilla trekking
• Community walk

Optional Activities

• Nature walk
• Birding

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & have a game drive in the Ishasha sector

After an early breakfast on the lodge deck and a short walk around the lodge (fantastic for dramatic Forest photographs) on this day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife, we will say our goodbyes to the wonderful staff at the lodge and set off to our next exciting destination of this wonderful safari.

We embark on the day’s journey further north towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is a 2 to 3-hour drive with incredibly scenic views en route to the Ishasha sector part of the park.

On arrival here, you will engage in a stunning game drive in this sector while you search for the tree climbing lions that have made this park and particularly this sector a must-visit place for numerous African safari adventurers who are interested in having encounters with these rather unique lions as they usually find them taking a mid-morning rest while lodging their bodies in between tree branches.

After your game drive which lasts between 3-4 hours, transfer to a convenient lodge in this park sector for your lunch break which also helps you stretch your body for a while before you then embark on the remaining part of your journey further northwards to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

We will check in at our lodge to freshen up and enjoy dinner around a campfire tonight. Just sit back with a drink in hand, listen to the amazing stories of other travelers around you, and just enjoy the time under the vast Ugandan sky. Then we are off to our rooms for a night’s sleep on

Highlight Of The Day: Encountering The Tree Climbing Lions of Ishasha.

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Up market: Mweya Safari / Mazike Valley Lodge
• Mid-range/ Moderate: Enganzi Game Lodge/ Elephant Plains Safari
• Budget/ Basic: Pumba Safari Lodge / Bush Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: Approx. 140- 240 or 6-8 hours

Activities & Services

• Transfer to Queen Elizabeth Park
• Game drive in Ishasha

Day 6: Do morning game drive in the Kasenyi sector, afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise

After having breakfast on the 6^th day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife at 6:00 am, you will start off the day with a spectacular game drive to the savannah landscapes of Queen Elizabeth National Park for a 3- 4 hour morning game drive exploring the park’s rolling savannah landscapes dotted with counts of wild game including the big four of the big five like lions, leopards, buffaloes, and elephants, antelope species like waterbucks, Kobs, bushbucks among others, jackals among other wild game. The stretch to Kasenyi and the Mweya peninsular offers you the best of these.

You settle for lunch at Tembo restaurant in the Mweya peninsular for a picnic lunch as you have your lunch while glancing at the sprawling savanna grassland plains of Queen Elizabeth Park after which you gather at the Mweya jetty to embark on a thrilling boat cruise on the 45km long Kazinga Channel.

The cruise takes 2 hours with the possibility of encountering aquatic species such as Nile Crocodiles and Hippos not forgetting other wild game that tends to congregate on the channel shores to consume water.

At the end of your boat cruise, you will have another miniature game drive along the channel track as you drive to your lodge in Kibale National Park for dinner and an overnight stay.

The highlight of the day: The 45 km Game Viewing & Scenery Viewing Boat Cruise On The Kazinga Channe.

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Up market: Mweya Safari Lodge / Mazike Valley Lodge
• Mid-range/ Moderate: Enganzi Game Lodge/ Elephant Plains Safari
• Budget/ Basic: Pumba Safari Lodge / Bush Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services

• Game drive in Kasenyi
• Boat cruise along the Kazinga channel

Optional Activities

• Nocturnal walk in Kibale National Park enables you to encounter some of the nocturnal creatures such as Bush babies, Night jars, Tree hyrax, Ginet & Mongoose

Day 7:  Do Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest and another evening game drive.

The morning of this 7^th day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife kicks off with an amazing breakfast served at 6:30 am with a single aim of energizing for the thrilling chimpanzee trek that’s ahead of you. You will be transferred by your prime safari guide to the Kalinzu forest where you get to go through a short briefing about the entire chimpanzee trekking experience.

Embark on a primate walk led by a park ranger guide as you search for these great humans of the wild, the chimpanzees, you will be amazed by how much in common we do have with these great apes as they laugh, hug and kiss just like humans do and also look after the young ones.

Besides the chimpanzees, you should also not miss out on the sightings of several other primates that call this forest their home and these include the black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, and Grey monkeys. After the chimpanzee encounter which lasts an hour of pure enjoyment return to the park center.

From here, you will return to your lodge to have a lunch break then later on in the evening when the scorching sun has successfully reduced its intensity you will venture out onto the Kasenyi plains for another round of game drive so that you maximize your chances of seeing all the savanna wild game that exists here.

At the end of this game drive, you will return back to your lodge where you will have dinner and an overnight stay.

The highlight of the day: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu.

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Up market: Mweya Safari Lodge / Mazike Valley Lodge
• Mid-range/ Moderate: Enganzi Game Lodge/ Elephant Plains Safari
• Budget/ Basic: Pumba Safari Lodge / Bush Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services

• Chimpanzee trekking
• Evening game drive

Optional Activities

• Afternoon birding session in the park
• Hot air ballooning safari experience
• Predator tracking
• Cultural encounters
• Nocturnal walk in the forest

Day 8: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. Hike the Ndali Kasenda Crater field commonly known as the top of the world.

After an early breakfast on the lodge deck and a short walk around the lodge (fantastic for dramatic Forest photographs) on this day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife, we will say our goodbyes to the wonderful staff at the lodge and set off to our next exciting destination of this wonderful safari.

We will embark on the transfer to Kibale National Park driving along the Rwenzori Mountains 157km about 2 – 3 hours’ drive. Upon arrival in Kibale Area, you embark on the hike to Ndali Kasenda Crater Lake field to gain impressions of the crater lakes including Lake Nyabikere and Nyinabulitwa before retiring to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

 The Highlight Of The Day: Traditional People’s Homesteads, & Kasenda Crater Lakes Scenery Viewing.

Accommodation

• Top-notch / Exclusive: Kyaninga Lodge/ Ndali Lodge

• Luxury/ Up market: Crater Safari Lodge/ Primate Lodge Kibale
• Mid-range/ Moderate: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House- Cottages
• Budget/ Basic: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House-Main House/ Kibale Forest Camp- Tents

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: Approx. 157km or 3-4 hours

Activities & Services

• Transfer to Kibale
• Ruboni community walk

 

Optional Activities

• Afternoon birding session in the park
• Cycling in Mpanga tea estate
• Nocturnal walk in the forest

Day 9: Engage in a chimpanzee trekking experience and visit the Bigodi wetland sanctuary

After breakfast, we will gather at the Kanyanchu Tourism Centre in Kibale to do our Chimpanzee tracking activity which begins promptly at 8 am. The encounter commences with a briefing from the excellent park rangers who will be our guides for the activity. After the briefing, we head to the forest in search of the man’s closest relative.

The activity lasts about 3 to 4 hours and over the years has had a 95% success rate of seeing some of the 1,450 individuals in Kibale. The chimps have been fully habituated and thus offer you an opportunity to draw quite close to them and take pictures. Viewing them as they munch fruit, swinging in trees, socializing, patrolling, mating, and making hooting calls is an unforgettable experience that you will treasure forever.

You have a full hour to enjoy these precious creatures and you are free to take as many photos as you wish!. After our amazing Chimpanzee trek, we will return to the starting point where we will enjoy our packed picnic lunch and catch our breaths after all the excitement.

After lunch, the fun doesn’t stop, as we visit the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a famous successful community tourism initiative where we have a chance to walk in the swampy habitat that has become known as the “bird paradise”, as we have the chance to see some special species here and also undertake this community thriller.

You will take part in the coffee-making process right from the planting process, harvesting red ripe coffee berries, sun drying process, then coffee pounding and finally making your own cup of coffee that is freshly brewed from the coffee that’s grown by these locals.

After our exciting day, we will head back to our camp to freshen up. Then we will have dinner together and reminisce about our wonderful day and amazing time so far in Uganda. Then we’re off to bed for a good night’s rest, because tomorrow another superb national park awaits!

The highlight of the day: Trekking & Seeing Chimpanzees

Accommodation

• Top-notch / Exclusive: Kyaninga Lodge/ Ndali Lodge

• Luxury/ Up market: Crater Safari Lodge/ Primate Lodge Kibale
• Mid-range/ Moderate: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House- Cottages
• Budget/ Basic: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House-Main House/ Kibale Forest Camp- Tents

Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services

• Chimpanzee trekking
• Bigodi wetland community walk

Optional Activities

• Afternoon birding session in the park
• Cycling in Mpanga tea estate
• Nocturnal walk in the forest

Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park for an evening game drive here.

The morning of this day kicks off with an amazing breakfast at 8:00 am before you get to embark on a 205km or 3-4 hours’ drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Along the way to the park, you will make a stop at Igongo cultural hotel where you will dine on a sumptuous traditional buffet and if you wish, you can try out the local Eshabwe mayonnaise-like source which is a delicacy in this part of Uganda.

You proceed to the Park after lunch having chances of sighting several long-horned cattle that are kept by locals in this area. Upon getting inside the park, you commence with your afternoon game drive here which puts gives you an encounter with several of the wild mammals of the whispers of the wild including plain Zebras, Rothchild giraffes, Eland antelopes, and Cape Buffaloes, Hippos, and many others during this game drive.

At the end of this activity on this day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife, you will transfer to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.  

The highlight of the day: Seeing Diverse Wildlife Species In Lake Mburo. 

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Up market: Mihingo Safari Lodge/ Matana Tented Camp

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: Approx. 240km or 4-5 hours

Activities & Services

• Transfer to Lake Mburo
• Evening game drive in Mburo Park

Optional activities include

• Game walk safari
• Evening boat cruise
• Biking safari experience
• Birding

Day 11: Engage in a morning game walk/drive and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

Today you will wake up at 7:00 am for breakfast after which you will embark on a stunning game walk through the enchanted plains of Lake Mburo National Park.

During this game walking safari experience, you will have an opportunity to get a close-up encounter with numerous wild mammals of this park as you enjoy a nature walk among these animals. Some of the animals you will meet during this walking safari experience include Impalas which can only be found here in Uganda.

After about 2 hours of exploring this park on this day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife,   you will begin your 199km or 4-5 hours transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. You can have a stop at the African monolith tree of life Kabale outside where you will have your lunch break before you make that final transfer to reach Lake Bunyonyi.

Upon arrival, you will be dazzled by the amazing scenery created by the tranquil waters of this lake together with its interspersed 29 islands that will definitely take your breath away.

Upon your arrival, you will engage in a stunning boat ride on this lake as you explore several of its 29 islands which have a quite ear-catching local story behind them. At the end of this ride, transfer to your lodge here for dinner to be served later on and an overnight stay.

The highlight of the day:  An Amazing Moring Wame Walk In Mburo And A Visit to Lake Bunoyonyi

Accommodation

• Luxury/ Up market: Birds nest @ Bunyonyi

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: Approx. 199 km or 4-5 hours

Activities & Services

• Enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi

• Game walk safari

Other optional activities you can choose to do on this day include

• Evening boat cruise
• Biking safari experience
• Birding
• Cultural encounters with the Ankole people

Day 12: Engage in a community hike and transfer back to Kigali

The 12^th day of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour with Gorillas Trekking & Wildlife begins as the sky starts to lighten and the morning choruses of birdsongs awaken you. You will wake up to a relaxing cup of Ugandan coffee which you will drink as you enjoy the beautiful views of the lake at the Lodge.

After this, you will embark on a hike to the top of the world point here which takes you 2200meters above sea level and if you manage to get to the top your efforts will be rewarded with spectacular views of the entire Lake Bunyonyi which will forever be imprinted in your memory.

After this hike, set off for a community tour as you visit some of the local schools here where you get to meet the local students who are striving for a better future, if it’s fine with you, you can donate a few scholastic items to the school to enable these students to have a comfortable stay in school.

From the school visit, you will transfer back to your lodge for lunch after which you will, unfortunately, pack your bags, check out of this wonderful lodge and commence on your return journey back to Kigali and have a city tour, Some of the major attraction sites you will visit during your city tour include the Kigali genocide memorial.

A visit to this memorial gives you a unique insight into what really happened during the darkest 90 days of Rwanda during the 1994 Rwanda genocide in which over 1 million people lost their lives during a bloody massacre between the Hutus and the Tutsis- the 2 major tribes in Rwanda.

From the genocide memorial, make your way to the Kimironko market center and encounter day to day local Rwandese try to earn a living by selling a wide variety of stuff ranging from crafts, food items, and clothes. This will be a good place for you to buy a souvenir to commemorate this trip.

From here, your next stop will be at the Inema art gallery. While here you will have a chance to meet local artists who try to inspire this nation through crafting art pieces with a big story and grand vision message to tell.

The highlight of the day: Taking on a tour in the cleanest, safest, and quietest city with a well-maintained infrastructure system. Africa’s most beautiful city is a great scene for any visitor. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Drive distance & time: Approx. 130km or 3-4 hours

Activities and Services

• Transfer to Kigali
• Community hike

End of the 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour

12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour –SAFARI  INCLUSIONS

  Full time English professional safari driver guide

  4×4 safari van/ 4×4 Safari land cruiser with poop up roof for game viewing with functional A/C

  Full board accommodation

  Gorilla & chimpanzee trekking permit fees

  Boat cruise fees

  Wi-fi Internet on board the safari vehicle

  Bottled water

12 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour – SAFARI  EXCLUSIONS

  International &domestic flight fees

  Visa fees

  Laundry services

  Items of personal nature

  Gratuities and tips

  Other beverages/ drinks

Other extras not mentioned in the itinerary above