11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda Detailed itinerary Safari

Day 1 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Transfer from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Make a stop at Uganda Equator crossing Kayabwe & traditional lunch stop at Igongo Cultural Center en route

Have breakfast at your place of stay and embark on the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park which is 417km about 7 hours’ drive. You drive for 77km before making a stop at Uganda Equator crossing Kayabwe to have an encounter with the sun’s way. You take crazy photos with one leg in one hemisphere and another leg in another hemisphere. You can also perform water experiments to justify the geographical divide between the north and south hemispheres. You retreat from the stop and embark on the drive to Queen Elizabeth NP. You make a stop at Igongo cultural Center for traditional lunch 12km to Mbarara town where you enjoy the tastefully and freshly served African cuisine. Continue on the drive enjoying the scenic views of Bunyaruguru crater before arriving in Queen Elizabeth NP in the evening for relaxation, dinner and over night.

Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Enganzi Game Lodge,Budget / Basic: Pumba Safari Cottages,Wild Camping

Day 2 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Undertake a wild game viewing / game drive encounter in Queen Elizabeth NP & afternoon boat cruise along the 45km Kazinga Channel

Connect to the Park at 7am early after breakfast to explore the amazing wild game spread in various parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive along the Kasenyi tracks down to the wildlife mating ground offers you possibilities of exploring a range of game including the African elephants, Cape Buffaloes, lions, leopards, Uganda Kobs, water bucks, Bush bucks, Spotted Hyena, Side stripped Jackal, vervet Monkey, Olive Baboon among other wildlife. Retreat from the 3 – 4 hour encounter and connect to the lodge for lunch and relaxation, in the afternoon you connect to Mweya jetty for an afternoon bat cruise along the 45km long Kazinga Channel. The boat cruise offers you an opportunity to view of the world’s concentration of Hippos and the sights of Nile crocodiles. Retire from the activity; do a game drive along the channel track as you connect to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Pakuba Safari Lodge,Budget / Basic: Heritage Safari Lodge,Wild Camping

Day 3 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Do morning chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura & afternoon nature / forest walk in Maramagambo forest

After breakfast connect to Kyambura gorge to catch up with the chimpanzee trekking experience at 8am. Upon arrival, you embark on the briefing and then eventual trekking experience. Hiking through the 100m deep gorge covered with lush mature tropical forest that is proudly thriving below sea level is amazing. You have one hour of full direct encounter with the chimpanzees as you see them munch fruit, roll themselves on the tree branches, copulate, patrol and socialize with option of taking as many photos as you wish. The activity tends to last 2 – 5 hours after which you connect back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, you embark on the forest hiking in the Maramagambo forest exploring the amazing forest landscapes with lush flora, fauna and birds. The forest trail exposes to the Crater Lake fields and also to the Bat cave where you encounter thousands of bats hanging upside down in their natural habitat, Retreat from the encounter for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Gorilla Mist Camp,Budget / Basic: Broadbill Forest Camp,Wild Camping

Day 4 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Transfer to Ishasha sector and undertake the whole day game drive in search of tree climbing lions and other wildlife

After breakfast you will drive to Ishasha sector, on arrival you will go for a game drive, where you might spot tree climbing lions, and other animals like elephants, Buffaloes, monkeys, antelope species, baboons and birds among others. Connect to the lodge for lunch and relax. In the afternoon, you also undertake a drive in the Ishasha sector to explore the magical wild game in detail. Retire for dinner and overnight

Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Ishasha Wilderness Camp,Midrange / Standard: Ishasha Jungle Lodge,Budget / Basic: Savanna Resort,Wild Camping

Day 5 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Do a coffee plantation tour en route

After breakfast you will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. En route in Kanungu, you undertake coffee plantation tour to explore the local way of coffee planting and harvesting, the significance of coffee to the community, the cultural attachments that the local people attaché to coffee including the use of it to administer friendship among other aspects before continuing to Bwindi arriving in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Gorilla Mist Camp,Budget / Basic: Broadbill Forest Camp,Wild Camping

Day 6 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Do gorilla trekking and attend to the Batwa and Bakiga performances at the lodge

After breakfast, connect to the respective gorilla trekking region in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park depending on where you have the permit to catch up with briefing at 8am by the Uganda Wildlife Authority Park rangers after which you head to the mist in search of the critically endangered apes – the mountain gorillas. The gorilla trekking duration is unpredictable as gorilla movements cannot be determined. However, it usually ranges from 2 – 8 hours inclusive of one hour direct encounter with gorillas. The direct encounter with these ancient apes at a 7m distance offers you an opportunity to view them forage, socialize, penetrate the dense jungles of the impenetrable forest and demonstrate their powerful might for the sake of silver back and interact with you in a friendly basis. The camera space is the only thing to limit you when it comes to taking photos. From the encounter, you connect back to the lodge for relaxation. In the evening, you attend to the traditional dance performances of the local Batwa and the Bakiga including storytelling, citations and their impressive energetic dances. Retire for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Gorilla Mist Camp,Budget / Basic: Broadbill Forest Camp,Wild Camping

Day 7 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Transfer to Rwanda – the Land of a thousand hills, do boat cruise along the twin lakes & connect to Volcanoes National Park

After a relaxed breakfast, embark on the transfer to Rwanda – Volcanoes National Park crossing at Chanika boarder post. You drive along the scenic Virunga Mountains which is a chain of eight (8) mountains arising from DRC through Rwanda to Uganda. Upon arriving in Ruhengeri area, you embark on the tour to the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera where you can undertake a boat cruise for amazing sightseeing and have a local touch with the local fishermen. Retire to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Upmarket / Luxury: Mount Gorilla View Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Hotel La Palme,Budget / Basic: Muhabura Hotel,Camping

Day 8 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Undertake gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and transfer to Gisenyi (Lake Kivu)

Gather at Kinigi Park headquarters in the morning to catch up with gorilla trekking briefing at 8am. The earlier arrival offers you an opportunity to enjoy the magical local performances of the Banyarwanda people and a warm cup of Rwandan Coffee all at a zero cost. At 8am, gorilla families are allocated and briefing in your respective gorilla families in groups of eight follows after which you head to the trail heads to begin the trekking. Volcanoes National Park shelters the Rwandan side of the Virunga massif and thus features sections of mountainous landscapes that might be challenging to trek. But most groups dwell in the lower slopes of the Volcanoes though others thrive in raised altitudes. The activity takes 2 – 8 hour’s inclusive of one hour direct encounter with the gorillas. You encounter the gorillas, forage, the young ones playing, the mothers caring for their young and the silverbacks standing in might control of the group. You are in the company of the ranger guides who will give you a themed interpretation about the gorillas and their surroundings, feel free to ask more questions of clear understanding and you are free to take as many pictures as you can provided the flash is off. Retire from the activity and embark on the transfer to Gisenyi (Lake Kivu) 110km about 2 hours’ drive. You arrive in the afternoon; relax on the Gisenyi beaches where you have an option of engaging in recreational boat cruise, swimming or a range of water sports including kayaking, catamaran and wind surfing among others before retiring for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation(click on a particular accommodation to view more information about it): Upmarket / Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel,Midrange / Standard: Hotel Gorillas Lake Kivu,Budget / Basic: Paladise Malahide,Camping

Day 9 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Drive along the Congo Nile divide trail

 

After breakfast, embark on the transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park 294km about 7 – 8 hours’ drive passing along the Congo Nile divide trail with amazing sceneries of the water catchment area of these two rivers and the magical views of Lake Kivu. The resort towns of Kibuye and Cyangungu allow you to explore the resort life of the local people. Arrive in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation>(click on a particular accommodation to view more information about it): Upmarket / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel,Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse,Wild Camping

Day 10 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Undertake chimpanzee trekking in the morning and Nyungwe Canopy walk in the afternoon

After breakfast, embark on the chimpanzee trekking encounter in the Nyungwe forest at 8am. You take time to explore the impressive chimpanzee Species that thrive in Nyungwe along with other 12 Primate Species including largest grouping of colobus monkeys in the whole of Africa. The forest also stands as the largest montane forest that dates back to the prehistoric era thus with diverse flora and fauna not forgetting the counts of birds. From the 2 – 5 hour chimpanzee experience with on hour if direct chimpanzee encounter, you connect back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, you embark on the transfer to Uwinka visitor center for an afternoon canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest. The first of its kind on East Africa and the third in Africa which offers you an opportunity to explore the lush forest canopy dotted with counts of primates like black and white colobus along with butterflies and birds. The canopy walk takes about 2 hours. From the activity, you connect to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation>(click on a particular accommodation to view more information about it): Upmarket / Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge,Midrange / Standard: Nyungwe Hill Top View Hotel,Budget / Basic: Gisakura Guesthouse,Wild Camping

Day 11 of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda: Transfer back to Kigali. Visit the King’s Palace at Nyanza and the Ethnographic Museum at Butare.

Have breakfast and transfer back to Kigali 268km about 6 hours’ drive. You make a stop in and the Butare to visit the ethnographic Museum in Butare where 100, 000 artifacts are gathered to represent the history and heritage of Rwanda. You also tour the King’s Palace at Nyanza to explore into the ancient monarchy as a form of governance in Rwanda. You explore the magical hut where King Musinga and King Rudahigwa stayed, the impressive Inyambo cows which were royal cows, the royal equipment including those that were used in the daily living of King Rudahigwa. You settle for lunch in Butare and connect to Kigali to mark the end of the safari.

End of the 11 Days Gorilla Self Drive Tour Uganda Rwanda