12 Days combined Uganda Rwanda safari
The 12 Days combined Uganda Rwanda safari is an amazing safari that starts in Entebbe Uganda and ends in Kigali, Rwanda. The safari will take you to different national parks in Uganda and Rwanda, including Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Park, Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, and Akagera National Park.
During the safari, you will be able to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and golden monkeys during gorilla, chimpanzee, and golden monkey trekking. You will also be able to view different animals, like buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, rhinos, giraffes, and elands, among others, during the game drives and boat cruise.
Highlights of the 12 days combined Uganda-Rwanda safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 2: 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: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 7: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Day 8: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk
Day 10: Transfer to Akagera national park
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 12: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Depending on your location on the first day of the safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide from Achieve Global Safaris, who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Kibale National Park. On the way, you will have lunch en route and enjoy beautiful views of the landscape, tea plantations, crater lakes, and Rwenzori mountain peaks, among others. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After an early breakfast on the second day, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a chimpanzee trekking briefing at Kanyachu Visitors Center. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide, which takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
During the trek, you will be able to view other primates, such as black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and olive baboons, and once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat. This experience helps you learn more about their behaviors and habits, and allows you to watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, and take photos and record videos.
After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for lunch, whereafter you will check out to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. The journey takes about 2 to 3 hours and upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel
On the third day of the safari, you will have an early breakfast at the lodge and then meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park, where you will be able to spot different animals, like lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, hyenas, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bushbucks, and waterbucks, among others, and different bird species.
After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch and later go for an interesting boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, which starts at around 2:00 p.m. During the boat ride, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos in water, view Nile crocodiles basking on the banks, see other animals drinking water along the shores, and spot aquatic bird species, among others. After the boat ride, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
You will have a relaxed breakfast on the fourth day of the safari, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way, you will have a stopover in the Ishasha sector for a short game drive where you will be able to spot the tree-climbing lions lying in acacia tree branches and other animals in the park.
After the game ride, you will have lunch en route, then proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and upon arrival, check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi national park
After an early breakfast on the fifth day of the safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge with your packed lunch to transfer to the park headquarters for the gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle in search of the habituated gorillas with experienced park guides and park rangers.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 2–7 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, birds, and plant and tree species among others and once the gorillas are located, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their habitat, which allows you to learn about their behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, and groom young ones, and take photos and record videos to show people back home. After the encounter with the gentle giants, you will return back to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
On the sixth day of your safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. On the way, you will have en route and also enjoy views of the rolling hills, terraced farmlands, and banana plantations, among others. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
After an early breakfast on the seventh day, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a golden monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the habituated golden monkeys with a park guide and park rangers.
Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park takes about 2 to 5 hours, depending on where they slept the previous night, and once they are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour, which gives you a chance to watch them play, feed, jump up tree branches, take photos, and record videos.
After the one hour with the golden monkeys, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch, whereafter you will go for an exciting Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people in the neighboring communities, learn about their culture and way of living, visit their traditional homestead, listen to their ancient stories, and enjoy their traditional performance, among other things. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
On the eighth day of the safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Nyungwe Forest Park. You will have lunch en route, enjoy beautiful views of the landscape and plantations, and upon arrival, check into your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
After an early breakfast on the ninth day, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the chimpanzee and during trekking, you will be able to view other wildlife species and birds.
Once the chimpanzee family has been located, you will be able to spend an hour with them, which allows you to watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos, and record breathtaking moments.
After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and later go for a wonderful canopy walk, a 70-meter-high suspended bridge on a 160-meter-long walkway. During the guided canopy walk, you will enjoy great views of the park and Lake Kivu and spot different animals, primates, bird species, butterflies, and reptiles, among others. After the canopy walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Akagera national park
On the tenth day of the safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Akagera national park. On the way, you will have lunch en route and enjoy stunning views of the scenery and landscape. Upon arrival at Akagera National Park, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema
After an early breakfast on the eleventh day 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 able to spot different animals like buffaloes, elands, giraffes, lions, leopards, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, impalas, reedbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, and warthogs, among others.
After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch, after which you will go for an intriguing boat cruise on Lake Ihema, where you will be able to spot hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, aquatic bird species, and other animals along the shores, among others. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Departure to Kigali
On the last day of the safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kigali. Upon arrival you will go for a short city tour where you will visit the genocide memorial center, art centers, and Kimironko market, among others.
After the city tour, you will have lunch and then transfer to Kigali International Airport, where you will be dropped off for your departure flight or at any other location of your choice.
End of 12 Days combined Uganda-Rwanda safari.
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit @ $800pp
- Chimpanzee trekking permit @ $250pp
- Golden monkey trekking permit @ $100 pp
- Rwanda chimpanzee permit
- Canopy walk
- Park entrance fees/game drives
- Boat cruise
- Cultural tour
- 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
