“Hiking through the thick, verdant, rainforest ”
11 Day Safari Tour - Journey to the Jungle of Rwanda and Uganda
Kigali, Ruhengeri, Rwanda; Rushaga sector, Lake Bunyonyi, Kasese district, Fort Portal area, Uganda
Safari Tour in Rwanda and Uganda
This trip will take you to the mountain gorillas, and chimpanzees, and on a game drive. Hiking through the thick, verdant rainforest to eventually come across the gorillas in their natural habitat is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Actual trek times can vary, as these are wild animals, after all.
Key information
- Starting point: Kigali, Rwanda
- Ending point: Entebbe, Uganda
- English (services of an English-speaking driver/guide included)
- Park entry fees are included in the package
Highlights
- 1 morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park on Day 7
- 6 distinct animal viewing experiences
- Participants will encounter mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, hippos, elephants, lions, and Uganda kob
- Gorilla trekking in Uganda, Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda
- Golden monkeys in Rwanda
- Game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Boat ride at the Kazinga Channel
- 10 nights accommodation
Styles
10 activity days
Group size: 1-32 participants
Airport transfer included:
Kigali International Airport (Kanombe Airport)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
07:00
Check-out Time:
07:30
- Chez Lando [Rwanda]
- Fatima Hotel [Rwanda]
- Rushaga Havens [Uganda]
- Overland [Uganda]
- Warujojo Safari Lodge [Uganda]
- Chimpanzee Forest Lodge [Uganda]
Program
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to hotel for overnight
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by a representative from Oikos Safaris. Thereafter, your driver/guide will transfer you to your hotel for overnight.
- Overnight at Chez Lando hotel or similar (bed and breakfast)
Day 2: Kigali city tour then transfer to Ruhengeri
This morning after breakfast, you will drive to Kigali town for a city tour where you will get to know Rwanda’s most beautiful and amazing city. You also get to learn about the country’s culture and history by visiting the cultural and historical sites of Kigali.
Kigali is Rwanda’s capital city and was named by Doctor Richard Kandt in 1907, the first colonial governor of Rwanda. The city is built on several hills and valleys, thereby gaining the title “the land of a thousand hills” or hilly city. Places of interest include the Genocide Memorial Centre, Presidential Palace Museum, and Nyamata Church Genocide site, to mention but a few. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in town.
Later in the afternoon, you will drive to Ruhengeri. The two-hour drive through the rolling hills of Rwanda takes you via the base of the magnificent volcanoes of the Virunga mountain range. You will arrive at the hotel for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
- Overnight at Fatima hotel or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 3: Golden monkey tracking and optional activities
This morning after breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken on a golden monkey tracking experience. This rare species is listed as endangered, and there are currently two troops of the monkeys which have been habituated to be visited by tourists in the park, both of which number around 80 members.
The golden monkeys live in the bamboo vegetation towards the base of the volcanoes and have overcome their initial shyness to accept their daily visit by researchers and tourists. You will trek to find the golden monkeys in a similar way to the gorilla trek - in a small group of no more than eight people, and you can spend one hour with the monkeys once you find them. They are very sprightly creatures, leaping from tree to tree, which is really entertaining, if a little difficult to photograph! We recommend setting your camera to a fast shutter speed to allow for low light in the dense undergrowth and to better your chances of capturing the golden monkeys on camera.
- Overnight at Fatima hotel or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
This morning after breakfast, you will drive to the Rwanda and Uganda border at Cyanika and then head to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for two nights. This forest is home to over half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Interacting with these gentle giants is one of the most moving experiences that Africa has to offer and should not be missed!
The ancient rainforest of Bwindi spans 321 sq km and boasts 90 mammal species, including a range of primates, as well as 23 Albertine Rift endemic bird species, including the African green broadbill, the bar-tailed trogon, and many others. Relax in the evening and get ready for the following day’s gorilla tracking.
- Overnight at Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 5: Gorilla tracking
This morning you will set off for gorilla trekking. Hiking through the thick, verdant rainforest to eventually come across the gorillas in their natural habitat is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Actual trek times can vary; these are wild animals after all. If time permits, there are a diverse range of activities unique to Bwindi that you can participate in during the afternoon.
- Overnight at Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation
This morning after breakfast, you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi (“place of many little birds”) is the perfect place to stop for a break. The serene lake is rumored to be the deepest in Africa, reaching depths of 900 meters. The lake stretches around 25 km in length and 7 meters wide, with 29 islands scattered throughout.
Although it can be very tempting to just sit by the water and soak up the sun, there are many different activities available, including a boat ride to the different islands, bird watching, and zip lining, to mention but a few.
- Overnight at Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort or similar (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park for two nights. This park boasts one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game park or reserve in the world. Uganda’s second-largest national park, Queen Elizabeth spans 1,978 sq km and has everything from open savannah to rainforest.
Queen Elizabeth National Park has over 100 mammal species and an astounding 606 bird species, making it a premier safari destination. Arrive in the evening and overnight at your lodge.
- Overnight at Warujojo Safari Lodge or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 8: Game drives and afternoon boat trip on Kazinga Channel
In the morning, you will have a game drive to the Kisenyi area to look for lion prides and other wildlife like the Uganda kob, before returning to the lodge for breakfast. In the afternoon, take a cruise along the Kazinga Channel, home to one of the largest concentrations of hippopotamus, as well as herds of elephants, buffalo, and other wildlife that come to drink from the river.
The Kazinga Channel also attracts a tremendous variety of bird species, including the African eagle, open-billed stork, and pied kingfishers.
- Overnight at Warujojo Safari Lodge or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, you will proceed to Kibale Forest for two nights. Kibale is home to an extraordinary thirteen species of primates, including chimpanzees, red colobus, and L’Hoest monkeys. Kibale National Forest has also recorded over 355 bird species, and a range of other mammals, including the elusive forest elephant.
- Overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 10: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi swamp walk
After breakfast at the lodge, you will go for chimpanzee tracking along the network of forest trails. Seeing habituated chimps squabbling and swinging from the trees is an exhilarating experience. Later in the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, which is rich in bird species, vegetation, and wildlife.
This is also a great opportunity to support local tourism initiatives which benefit social and economic development in the area.
- Overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge or similar (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for outbound flight
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Entebbe International Airport for your flight home.
Location
Murchison Falls National Park is located near Pakwach in northern Uganda.
Food
All meals as stated in itinerary.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- 10 nights accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- Services of an English-speaking driver/guide
- All airport transfers
- Drinking water while on safari
- All ground transportation in a comfortable safari vehicle
- Boat trip on the Kazinga channel
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Park entry fees
What's not included
- Flights and visa fees
- All expenses of a personal nature
- Optional activities
- Golden monkey trekking fees of USD 100
- Gorilla tracking 800 USD
- Chimpanzee tracking 250 USD
- Golden Monkeys 100 USD
How to get there
Recommended Airports
KGL
Kigali International Airport (Kanombe Airport)
8 km
Transfer included
Airport: Kigali International Airport (Kanombe Airport)
Airport transfer included: Kigali International Airport (Kanombe Airport)
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 21% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookAllSafaris.com. All major credit cards supported.
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