8 Days Uganda Rwanda safari
This 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari is an amazing primate and wildlife adventure that starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda. The safari will take you to 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 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari will also take you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park where you will be able to spend one hour with the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in their natural habitat.
Highlights of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 2: Uganda chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 5: Uganda Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 7: Golden monkey/Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Day 8: Departure to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
On day 1 of the 8 Days Uganda Rwanda safari, depending on your location in Kigali on the first day of 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey at Kibale Forest National Park passing via the Katuna border in Kabale. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the traditional homesteads, local people, beautiful scenery, views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, and tea plantations among others. Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Chimpanzee trekking,
On the 2nd day of the 8 Days Uganda Rwanda safari, after an early breakfast on the second day of the 8 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 8:00 am 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, and vervet monkeys, and view some bird species, mammals, and plant species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which allows you to learn about their behaviors, and 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, and tea plantations, and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on the third day of the 8 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 hogs, elephants, bushbucks, lions, leopards, and hyenas, and 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, and 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 4: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on the fourth day of the 8 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 the 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, upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking experience,
After an early breakfast on the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will carry a 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 chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, baboons, bird species, mammals, and 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 behaviors, and 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 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 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 an en-route lunch and enjoy great views of the scenery, and rolling hills among others. Upon arrival at Volcanoes national park, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Day 7: Gorilla/Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla/golden monkey trekking experience
On the seventh day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will have an early breakfast, carry your lunch box, and later meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a gorilla/golden monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorilla family/group is located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to spot other primates like red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and different bird species among others and once the mountain gorillas 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, behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, resting, breastfeeding, grooming young ones, take photos and record videos.
After the one hour with the mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide to go for an interesting 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 8: Departure to Kigali
On the last day of the 8 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, 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 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Tour includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Lion tracking experience
- Golden Monkey trekking permit
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- 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.
