15 Days Uganda Rwanda safari
This 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari is an amazing primate and wildlife adventure that starts from Kampala Uganda and ends in Kigali Rwanda. The safari will take you to Kidepo valley national park, Murchison falls national park where you will be able to view different animals including buffaloes, lions, elephants, leopards, waterbucks among others, Kibale forest national park also known as the primate capital where you will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees, Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, lions, leopards, warthogs, hippos among others during the game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga channel. The 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari will also take you to Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake in Uganda, Bwindi impenetrable national park and Volcanoes national park where you will be able to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in their natural environment.
Highlights of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to the hotel in Entebbe
Day 2: Transfer to Gulu/Kitgum-rhino tracking
Day 3: Transfer to Kidepo valley national park-afternoon game drive
Day 4: Morning game drive and Karamojong cultural tour
Day 5: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale national park
Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 9: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 11: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat cruise
Day 13: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 14: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Day 15: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe
Depending on your location in Kampala on the first day of 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Entebbe for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Gulu via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
After breakfast on day 2 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, our driver guide will pick you up from the hotel and start the journey to Kidepo valley national park. It’s a full day journey and to cut the journey short you will have a stopover in Gulu town. On your way you will have a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking. After rhino tracking you will continue the journey with en-route lunch where after you will proceed the journey with spectacular views of the beautiful landscape, homesteads, local people among others. Upon arrival in Gulu town you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Drive to Kidepo national park-afternoon game drive
On day 3 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to continue the journey to Kidepo national park. The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive and on your way you will enjoy great views of the landscape, hills, Karamojong manyatas, seasonal rivers among others and upon arrival you will check into the lodge and have lunch.
After lunch you will go for an afternoon game drive where you will get an opportunity to take beautiful pictures and enjoy great views of sunset, animals like giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, zebras, lions, waterbucks, bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive and Karamojong cultural tour
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 4 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will meet up with your driver guide and go for a morning game drive in Narus valley a permanent water body in Kidepo valley national park that attracts large concentrations of wildlife species. During the game drive you will be able to view different animals like lions, cheetahs, leopards, bush duikers, jackal, buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks, giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, bird species like ostriches, Kori bustard, yellow barbet, dark chanting goshawk, purple heron, yellow billed shrike, little green bee-eater, Karamoja apalis among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Cultural tour,
After lunch you will go for a cultural tour where you will visit the Karamojong people that live near Kidepo valley national park. During the cultural tour you will interact with the local people in the community which gives you an opportunity to know more about their lifestyle, culture where you can marry many wives depending on the number of cattle you own, learn about their way of living, visit their homesteads which are known as manyattas, enjoy traditional performances in form of dances and songs, listen to ancient stories among others. After the cultural tour you will meet up with your driver and transfer to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After breakfast on day 5 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Murchison falls national park. On your way you will have great views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, farmlands among others and upon arrival you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you will enjoy views of the waterfall, beautiful scenery, water splashes, listen to roars of the waterfall among others. From the top of the falls, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 6 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to see animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, elephants, Jacksons hartebeest, giraffes, waterbucks among others grazing in the open savannah plains, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas before they go back to their hiding areas, view different birds among others. After the game drive you will return back to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. During the boat ride which takes about 2 hours you will have spectacular views of the beautiful scenery, hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes along the shores, water birds like kingfishers, bee-eaters, cormorants, fish eagles among others. After the boat cruise you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale national park
After breakfast on day 7 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kibale national park in western Uganda. It’s a whole day journey and on the way you will have en-route lunch and stunning views of the traditional homesteads, local people, beautiful scenery, views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, tea plantations among others. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 8 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be grouped into 6 people, allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who will lead you into the forest during trekking. Chimpanzee trekking is an interesting activity that starts at 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food especially during the dry season. During trekking you will be able to see other primates like red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, view some bird species, mammals, plants species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, play, fight, hunt, mate, take photos and record the moments. After the one hour with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer to the lodge for lunch.
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After lunch you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will enjoy great views of the crater lakes, tea plantations and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 9 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will have great views of animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, giant forest hog, elephants, bushbucks, lions, leopards, hyenas, views of different bird species among others. After the fascinating game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise which is carried out on Kazinga channel a 40km long channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake Gorge. The boat ride starts at around 2:00 pm and rewards you will breath-taking views of large concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in water, views of elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes along the shores, water birds like kingfishers, fish eagles, hornbills, cormorants, bee-eaters among others. After the boat cruise which takes about 2 hours you will drive back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on day 10 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park via Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions lazily laying up in tree branches during the game drive if you are lucky. After the game drive, you will have lunch and then continue to Bwindi impenetrable national park and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking experience,
After an early breakfast on day 11 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing you will start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide who is well conversant with gorilla trekking trails. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 2 to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species like l’hoest monkeys, baboons, bird species, mammals, different plant and tree species among others. Once the gorilla family is located you will be able to spend one hour with the gorillas where you will get an opportunity to watch them carry out their daily activities, learn about their behaviours, habits, take photos and record the breath-taking moments to show people back home. After the one-hour experience, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and return back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat ride
On day 12 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest fresh water lake in Uganda. upon arrival you will go for an amazing boat ride where you will be able to explore the 29 islands, enjoy stunning views of the highlands, terraced farmlands, water birds among others. After the boat ride, you will drive to the lodge for lunch where after you will spend the rest of the day relaxing at the lodge or engage in optional activities like zip lining, guided nature walks, cultural tour among others.
Day 13: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
After breakfast on day 13 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Volcanoes national park. On the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy great views of the scenery, rolling hills among others. Upon arrival in Volcanoes national park, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
After an early breakfast on day 14 of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will carry your lunch box and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a golden monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will be allocated a habituated golden monkey group to trek and an experienced park guide who is conversant with trekking trails in the forest. Trekking of golden monkeys in Volcanoes national park takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where they are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. Once the golden monkeys are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environments which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their habits, behaviours, watch them play, feed, jump up in tree branches take photos and record videos.
After golden monkey trekking, you will return to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide to go for an exciting Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, learn about their culture, way of living, enjoy their traditional performance among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 15: Departure to Kigali
On the last day of the 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to Kigali. Upon arrival, you will go for a short Kigali city tour where you will be able to visit the genocide memorial center, Kimironko market, art centers among others. After the city tour, you will have lunch and later your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali international Airport for your departure flight/ drop of at your hotel depending on your schedule.
End of 15 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Tour includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Lion tracking experience
- Rhino tacking
- Top of falls drive
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Karamojong cultural tour
- Professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
