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7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari, Gorillas, Chimpanzee, Golden Monkeys, Wildlife & Community Tours

7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari – SAFARI OVERVIEW

This fabulous 7 days Uganda Rwanda safari is a 6-night, 7-day safari in Uganda and Rwanda tour, offering a golden chance to meet the 3 iconic primates – Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Golden monkeys – and explore other wildlife, the local communities, and beautiful scenery of these wonderful east African countries.

Your 7 days Uganda Rwanda safari starts from Entebbe Uganda. From the, you go chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest, which is known as the Primate Capital of the World, having a population of 1500 chimps and many other primates.

Next, explore Queen Elizabeth Park with its amazing selection of big game species, including four of the Big Five and tree-climbing lions. Take a leisurely boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, and go gorilla trekking in Uganda in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: just some of the several reasons to visit Uganda.

Then cross the border into Rwanda and Volcanoes National Park. Here, you will trek unique golden monkeys, with options to trek gorillas again, hike to Dian Fossey’s grave, or climb Mount Bisoke. Your 7 days Uganda Rwanda safari ends in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali City tour where you visit the genocide memorial to get insight into the dark history of this fascinating country.

This 7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari can be tailored to your interests; just let us know what your plan is and we will work with you to create a tour package that meets your needs.

7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari – PRIME SAFARI ACTIVITIES

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest
Bigodi Village Walk to learn about rural life and traditions from locals
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Track tree-climbing lions
Comfortable scenic drive from Uganda to Rwanda
Track the unique golden monkeys
Visit Ib’Iwachu Cultural Village
Explore Kigali city, visit the genocide memorial, and see local art

7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari – FEATURED SAFARI DESTINATIONS

Day 1: Kibale National Park & Bigodi Community

Day 2 & 3: Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 5 & 6: Volcanoes National Park & Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

Day 7: Kigali City & Genocide Museum

7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari – SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS

Day 1: Drive to Kibale National Park & Afternoon Bigodi Village Walk. Optional Bigodi Wetland Swamp Walk.

Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest. Drive to Queen Elizabeth Park.

Day 3: Morning game drive in Kasenyi & afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. En route Game Drive in the Ishasha Sector in Search of Tree-Climbing Lions.

Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi. Travel to Rwanda & Volcanoes National Park.

Day 6: Golden monkey tracking & Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village visit. Optional Gorilla trekking, Mount Bisoke Hike, or Dian Fossey Tomb Hike.

Day 7: Drive to Kigali for a City Tour & Genocide Museum Visit. Airport Drop off.

7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari – DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY

Day 1: Drive to Kibale National Park, Afternoon Bigodi Community Village Walk. Optional Bigodi Wetland Swamp Walk

Your exciting 7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari begins today at 7 am.

Your tour drive shall pick you up from your accommodation in Kampala or Entebbe and embark on a drive of about 5 hours (326km) west to Kibale Forest National Park, which is known as the “Primate Capital of the World”.

Drive through Uganda’s beautiful green countryside, arriving in Fort Portal town for lunch. Fort Portal sits in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon and is known for its many tea plantations.

From this lovely town, continue to Kibale and check into your lodge, before going on a 3-hour walk in the nearby Bigodi Village, a hub of Uganda’s rural life and activity. In the company of a local guide, you’ll learn everything about the traditional customs and lifestyle of the inhabitants.

You’ll follow the village path and visit a traditional healer and homesteads, and listen to the storytelling of wise elderly men and women as to what they face as a developing community in rural Uganda. En route, you’ll also be given the chance to experience the Uganda school system.

Optional Bigodi Swamp Walk

Alternatively, you may decide to go for a 3-hour guided Swamp Walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.

The sanctuary is an award-winning local community operated by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED). It is aimed at protecting the local environment while advancing health, education, and economic growth in the wider local community

On your swamp nature walk, you will likely see several kinds of monkeys, including Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus, Red Tailed, Grey Cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, L’Hoest’s, Vervet, and Blue Monkeys. The area also boasts over 200 bird species, including the colorful Great Blue Turacos.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Crater Safari Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge

Midrange: – Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse-Cottage/Kibale Forest Camp

Budget: – Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse /Kibale Forest Camp

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time:

Activities & Services:

Drive to Kibale

Bigodi Village Walk

Day 2: Do Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale Forest. Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Your day two of 7 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari begins at 6.00 am with a hearty breakfast at the lodge. You then transfer to Kibale National Park Visitor Centre by 7.00 am for a briefing about the sensational guided chimpanzee trek ahead.

At 8.00 am, embark on a 2-6 hour trek through the gorgeous forest, reputed for having Africa’s greatest diversity and concentration of primates. Kibale hosts over 1500 Chimpanzees and offers more than 95% chances of seeing these, intelligent, endangered great apes – our closest living relatives in the animal world.

On the chimp trek, learn about the captivating habits and social activities of these apes and gain insights into current efforts to protect them. Also look out for the great variety of other primates, including Baboons, Mangabeys, Black-and-white colobus, Red-colobus, Red-tailed, Blue, Vervet, and L’Hoest’s monkeys. There are also over 370 bird species and a variety of rare butterflies.

You spend an hour with the chimps and then return to the starting point for a pleasant picnic lunch. Then, take a beautiful slow drive southwest to your lodge in Queen Elizabeth Park for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Kyambura Gorge Lodge /Mweya Safari Lodge,

Midrange: – Enganzi Game Lodge/Bush lodge/Kasenyi Safari Camp

Budget: – Pumba Safari Cottages

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time:-

Activities & Services:-

Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest
Drive to Queen Elizabeth Park
Afternoon game drive

Day 3: Enjoy A Morning Game Drive In Kasenyi Plains & Afternoon Boat Cruise On The Kazinga Channel

After an early breakfast on day three of your 7 days Uganda Rwanda safari, go on a thrilling morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

A UN Biosphere Reserve, this 1978km² park is Uganda’s leading and most scenic game park. It is situated on the Great Rift Valley floor and has diverse ecosystems, including rolling savanna grassland, tropical rainforests, sparkling lakes, and fertile wetlands, which makes it a habitat for over 610 birds and 95 mammal species.

You’ll explore the vast grasslands of Kasenyi, the park’s most popular game viewing circuit thanks to the resident herds of Uganda kob and the lions that prey on them.

You’ll also keep your eyes out for Cape buffalos, African Elephants, Giant Forest Hogs, Leopards, Spotted Hyenas, Waterbucks, Bushbucks, Side-stripe Jackals, Common warthogs, and a variety of birds.

After the game drive, head back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxing 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which is home to some of the world’s largest concentrations of hippos, huge Nile Crocodiles, Elephants, and a plethora of water birds.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Kyambura Gorge Lodge /Mweya Safari Lodge,

Midrange: – Enganzi Game Lodge/Bush lodge/Kasenyi Safari Camp

Budget: – Pumba Safari Cottages

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services:-

Morning game drive
Afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise

Optional Activities:-

Chimp trekking Kalinzu Forest/Kyambura Gorge
Lion tracking
Night game drive

Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi. En Route Game Drive in Ishasha In Search Of Tree-Climbing Lions

Your 7 days Uganda Rwanda safari starts with a relaxed breakfast at the lodge. After breakfast, embark on a 4-7 hour drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park with a picnic lunch along the way.

En route, you will also take a short game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park’s southern sector (Ishasha) to spot the famous tree-climbing lions. Depart the park and drive through the beautiful undulating hills of southwestern Uganda as you make your way to the great Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bwindi is a true African jungle.

There is about 1063 mountain gorilla left on Earth and half of them live in the ‘Impenetrable Forest’ of this 321-square-kilometer park. Bwindi also has over120 other mammal species, 321 bird species, 250 species of butterflies, and almost 1000 species of flowering plants.

You’ll arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Haven Lodge Buhoma/Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma Lodge

Mid-range: – Gorilla Mist Camp/Agandi Uganda Eco-Lodge/Ichumbi Lodge

Budget: – Trekkers Tavern

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 218km or 4-7 hours

Activities & Services:-

Track tree-climbing lions
The scenic drive to Bwindi

Day 5: Mountain Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi. Travel to Rwanda & Volcanoes National Park For Relaxation

After a good breakfast at 6.30 am today, drive to the park offices for a briefing. At 8.00 am, embark on a relatively difficult, but unforgettable guided trek of about 2 to 8 hours deep into the dense misty jungle alongside a local park ranger guide for a wildlife encounter of a lifetime, and meet a family of rare mountain gorillas.

Spend one hour watching these beautiful endangered apes. Observe as their go about their daily life, unworried about their admirers, grooming each other, eating bamboo shoots, relaxing, and, often in the case of babies and juveniles, playing. It is truly astonishing to see how similar they are to their human cousins.

After your time with a gorilla, enjoy a picnic lunch in the lush rainforest and return to the park offices, where you will be awarded a gorilla trekking certificate.

You then drive from Uganda to Rwanda via the Cyanika border. Enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Kigezi Highlands dubbed the Switzerland of Africa and the rolling hills of Rwanda, ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills. You’ll reach your lodge in Musanze town near Volcanoes National Park for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge/Virunga Lodge

Midrange: – Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Budget: – Muhabura Hotel

Meal Plan: – Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – 132km (3-4 hours).

Activities & Services:-

Scenic drive from Bwindi to Musanze
Visit Iby’Iwacu Village

Day 6: Golden Monkey Tracking & Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

Volcanoes NP is the oldest national park in Africa and protects a part of the glorious Virunga Volcanoes, a chain of 8 free-standing volcanoes that are spread along the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. The park hosts unique golden monkeys, endangered mountain gorillas, endemic plants, birds, and butterflies.

On day six of 7 days Uganda Rwanda safari, trek to see the Golden Monkeys. and Listen to these lively, curious primates in the lower parts of the bamboo forests. The trek to see them is relatively easy. Once you find them, you have up to one hour to watch their delightful antics, as they leap from branch to branch.

Return to the lodge for lunch and leisure. Visit vibrant Iby’Iwacu Village In the evening to learn more about Rwanda’s traditional rural culture and way of life.

Visit the village with a local, hear local songs, see different traditional dances, and visit a healer and the king’s palace.

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Bisate Lodge/Virunga Lodge

Midrange: – Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Budget: – Muhabura Hotel

Meal Plan: – Lunch & Dinner

Drive Distance & Time: – 116km/2-3 hours

Activities & Services:-

Scenic drive to Volcanoes
Visit Iby’Iwacu Village

Optional Activities:-

Gorilla trekking
Dian Fossey Tom hike
Mount Bisoke Hike

Day 7: Drive to Kigali for a City Tour & Airport Drop Off

After a relaxed breakfast at your lodge today, stretch your legs among the colorful shops of the Musanze tour ahead of your next trip.

Later this morning, begin a slow drive of about a 3-hour drive to Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, the cleanest and safest city in Africa, nestled against picturesque hills. You can explore some of the following sites on the Kigali city tour:-

Kigali Genocide Memorial to discover more about the heartbreaking history of this fascinating country.
Inema Arts Center – serves as an inspiration in Rwanda to create exposure for Rwanda’s artistic community. You can shop here for souvenirs; art, crafts, and jewelry as gifts to bring home.
Break for lunch at the Hotel des Mille Collines, which became renowned for harboring 1,268 people during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994.
Kimironko Market – one of Kigali’s biggest. Meet the local vegetable vendors and try your bargaining power at the fruit and succulent stands.