10-Day Uganda Gateway tour from Kigali
This 10 days Uganda gateway tour from Kigali is an extraordinary adventure that starts from Kigali Rwanda and ends in Entebbe, Uganda. The safari will take you to the most visited destinations in Uganda, including Bwindi impenetrable national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Kibale forest national park and Murchison falls national park.
During the safari, you will be able to engage in a gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experience where you will spend time with the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their habitat. You will also engage in game drives and boat cruises where you will be able to spot different animals like buffaloes, lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, oribis, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hippos, and Nile crocodiles, among others.
Highlights of the 10 days Uganda gateway tour from Kigali
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel
Day 6: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 8: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 9: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
Day 10: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to the hotel in Kigali
Depending on your arrival time at Kigali International airport on the first day of the safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide, who will brief you about the safari and then transfer you to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on day 2 of the safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a short Kigali city tour where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial center, Kimironko market among others. After the city tour, you will start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park with en-route lunch on the way and beautiful views of the rolling hills, farmlands, and landscape, among others. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park
On day 3 of the safari, you will have an early breakfast, carry your packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas, which takes about 2 to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas slept the previous day.
During trekking you will be able to view other primates, birds, and plant and tree species among others and once the gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat, which gives you a chance to learn more about their behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos.
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After an early breakfast on day 4 of the safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park. You will have lunch en route and a stopover in the Ishasha sector, where you will be able to view the tree-climbing lions and other animals like buffaloes, elephants, and antelopes, among others. Upon arrival in Queen Elizabeth national park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
On day 5 of the safari, you will have an early breakfast at the lodge and then meet up with your driver’s guide to go for a morning game drive in the park, where you will be able to spot animals like lions, leopards, hyenas, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, and different bird species.
After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch, whereafter you will go for an interesting boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, a water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George.
During the boat cruise, you will be able to view large herds of hippos in water, view Nile crocodiles along the shores, aquatic bird species and other animals like warthogs, buffaloes, elephants, and waterbucks, among others, drinking water along the water banks. After the boat cruise, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park
After breakfast on day 6 of the safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for another morning game drive in the park where you will look out for some of the animals that you might have missed during the previous game drives.
Later, return to the lodge for lunch, and then check out to transfer to Kibale Forest National Park, which takes about 2 to 3 hours to drive. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
On day 7 of the safari, you will have an early breakfast at the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters at Kanyachu Visitors center for a chimpanzee trekking briefing.
After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide in search of the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on where they are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
You can spend an hour with the chimpanzees in their habitat, where you can observe their behavior and watch them feed, play, rest, hunt, and breastfeed.
After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for lunch and later go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi wetland where you will be able to spot different bird species, primates, and beautiful butterflies and visit the local communities and craft shops, among others. After the Bigodi swamp walk, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After a relaxed breakfast on day 8 of your 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 the way, you will have lunch en route and enjoy stunning views of the scenery, tea plantations, and Crater Lakes, among others. Upon arrival in Murchison falls national park, you will drive directly to the top of the falls, where you will enjoy views of the powerful waterfall. Later, transfer to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast on day 9 of the safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in the park, where you will be rewarded with views of animals like buffaloes, elephants, Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbucks, oribi, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, giraffes, and warthogs, among others.
After the game ride, you will return to the lodge for lunch, whereafter you will go for a wonderful boat cruise to the bottom of the falls, where you will be able to view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, antelopes, buffaloes and elephants along the shores, and water birds like kingfishers, bee-eaters, fish eagles, hornbills, cormorants, among others. After the boat cruise, you will drive back to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 10: Departure to Kampala via Ziwa rhino sanctuary
On the last day of the safari, you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kampala. On the way, you will have lunch en route and a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking. From the sanctuary, you will proceed to Kampala, arriving in the early evening. Upon arrival, your driver-guide will drop you off at Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight or at any other location of your choice.
End of 10 days Uganda gateway tour from Kigali.
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit @ $800pp
- Chimpanzee trekking permit @ $250pp
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise
- Rhino tracking
- Top of falls drive
- Full board Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
- Meals at the lodge and en-route (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Full-time English-speaking driver guide
- Pick up and drop off in Kampala/Entebbe
- 4WD safari Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water during the safari
Tour excludes
- All Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses like buying soft and alcoholic drinks, souvenirs, crafts, telephone calls, laundry services, and hiring a porter, among others.
- Tipping and gratuities
