16 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo Safari
16 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo safari will take you to Africa’s most celebrated gorilla trekking destinations in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Bwindi Forest gorilla trekking experience is the most exciting place and activity for any travelers to Africa.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is located in the southwestern part of Uganda, close to the Rwanda-Uganda border at the edge of the Rift Valley. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of Uganda’s oldest national parks, with a diverse rainforest of over 25,000 years ago and containing about 400 plant species.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park inhabits half of the remaining endangered mountain gorillas in the world and it is divided into 4 sectors, including the Buhoma sector, which is the oldest trekking sector; the Rushaga sector, which has the largest number of gorilla families; the Ruhija sector; and finally, the Nkuringo sector.
Bwindi Forest also shelters some species of mammals, including the forest elephants and the different species of antelopes. The park is also rich with different bird species, including Albertine Rift endemics. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the western part of Uganda, offering the great experience of different antelope species.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to the tree-climbing lions in Uganda. The park is occupied by 2 great lakes—Lake Edward and Lake George—which meet at a channel commonly known as the Kazinga Channel.
Queen Elizabeth National Park has plenty of animals and other experiences to be enjoyed while on your stay in Uganda ranging from wildlife, culture, and boat cruises to nature walks for bird watching and chimpanzee trekking.
In Rwanda, this trip features visiting Volcanoes National Park, which is a home of the endangered mountain gorillas and Nyungwe Forest National Park, which, on the other hand, is a home to the wild chimpanzees and other primates of Nyungwe Forest.
While in Congo, the trip features visiting Mount Nyiragongo, which is the active volcano on the Virunga Mountains with active boiling lava. This 16-day trip will start and end in Kigali, Rwanda, simply because Rwanda is the nearest place to access all the national parks.
It also requires an earlier arrival in Rwanda before you cross to Uganda to Bwindi Forest. It’s important to note that the Democratic Republic of Congo is not an East African country and therefore note that your Rwanda visa expires immediately when you cross into Congo so you will have to reapply for another while at the border and find it ready after the tour.
Safaris: Highlights of the 16 Days Uganda Rwanda-Congo Safari
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
- Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
- Day 3: Lion tracking/game drive and afternoon boat cruise.
- Day 4: Chimpanzee/primate tracking and evening game drive/community tour
- Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
- Day 6: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 7: Transfer to Ruhengeri (Rwanda) and cultural walk
- Day 8: Golden monkeys tracking and transfer to Lake Kivu
- Day 9: Transfer to Goma, Congo
- Day 10: Nyiragongo Hiking
- Day 11: Descend Nyiragongo & transfer to Gisenyi
- Day 12: Explore Lake Kivu
- Day 13: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
- Day 14: Chimpanzee tracking and waterfalls walk
- Day 15: Canopy walk and Transfer to Kigali
- Day 16: Kigali city tour – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
On the 1st day of your 16 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo safari, upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our safari guide and be dropped at your hotel in Kigali. You may explore a bit of Kigali city depending on your arrival time.
Dinner and overnight stay at Des Mille Collins Hotel for mid-range/ Step town Motel for budget/Marriott Hotel for luxury
Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
You will wake up quite early, have breakfast and depart for your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is the second largest Ugandan national park after Murchison falls national park and it’s about a 7-8 hour drive from Kigali City, crossing the Katuna border and having lunch en route in Kabale town.
Proceed to the park and arrive there late afternoon; you may visit the crater lakes before you proceed to your lodge for check-in.
Dinner and overnight stay at Parkview Safari lodge for Mid-range/Pumba cottages for Budget/Kyambura lodge for luxury
Day 3: Lion tracking/game drive and afternoon boat cruise.
Wake up as early as 6:00am, have lunch and connect for a lion experience. Here you will get an opportunity to get close to a pride of lions without the struggle during the game drive.
You will also be able to spot other animals like the available ones like the buffaloes, leopards, elephants and the different species of antelopes.
Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will go for a launch cruise along Kazinga Channel, where you will get an opportunity to see a number of bird species, hippos, crocodiles and the different land animals coming to drink from the lake shores. Return and relax at lodge as above
Day 4: Chimpanzee/primate tracking and evening game drive/community tour
After breakfast early in the morning, you will depart for chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park in either Kalinzu or Kyambura Gorge with your tracking gear.
The walk generally takes around 2‐5 hours. After the activity, return to your lodge to rest as you spend the evening entertained by the local people around the park or drive for another game drive for the animals you missed.
Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
On the 5th day of your 16 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo Safari, after breakfast, check out of the lodge and transfer to Bwindi, driving via the Ishasha sector for an opportunity to spot the tree-climbing lions en route, and then embark on your 4-5 hour journey to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi National Park.
Arrive in the park late afternoon and connect to your lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Haven Lodge, Agandi Uganda lodge for mid-range, Bakiga lodge for budget, or Buhoma Lodge for luxury
Day 6: Gorilla trekking experience
Have breakfast and transfer you to park offices for a briefing about mountain gorilla trekking by a local guide. The time taken is usually between 2 and 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. Meeting the gorillas unexpectedly is one of the most captivating lifetime experiences.
You will have a chance to observe and take pictures at very close range. You will observe adults feeding and groaning among themselves. After an hour with the long-awaited gorillas, your guide and rangers will lead you back to the starting point, where your driver will readily be waiting to transfer you back to the lodge for a restful evening.
Day 7: Transfer to Ruhengeri (Rwanda) and cultural walk
After early morning, after breakfast, depart Bwindi for Rwanda. You connect to the Cyanika border to proceed to Volcanoes National Park with lunch en route.
Later in the evening, you will take a cultural walk to Iby’iwachu Cultural Village, a non-profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through the provision of conservation incentives and supporting community enterprise development and livelihood-based projects.
It’s a rewarding place where you will be guided around the place as you enjoy the Kinyarwanda traditions, including the Intore dance, traditional ceremonies and a guided community walk. Retreat and return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at 5 Volcanoes Gorilla lodge for luxury, Le Bambou Gorilla lodge for mid-range, or Hotel Muhabura for budget
Day 8: Golden monkeys tracking and transfer to Lake Kivu
After early morning breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing from the park warden about the endangered golden monkeys. After connecting to the tracking starting point, enter the forest to search for the rare golden monkey. This activity can take about 1-5 hours and is done at a closer view of the other primates in the park, like the red-tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys among other. After viewing the rare golden monkeys for an hour while taking pictures and studying their behaviors, return to the base and meet your driver.
You will have lunch then drive northwest to Gisenyi. Check in to your lodge to rest. Dinner and overnight stay at Palm garden resort for budget, Paradise Malahide for mid-range, or Kivu Serena Hotel for luxury
Day 9: Transfer to Goma, Congo
On the 9th day of your 16 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo safari, after breakfast, depending on the agreed time with the Congo guide, you will be transferred to the Gisenyi border to cross to Goma in Congo.
From there you will check in at the tourism border at the Grand Barrier to get a volcano permit and thereafter transfer to your hotel where you will relax for the evening. Dinner and overnight stay at Linda Hotel for budget or mid-range/ Lac Kivu for luxury
Day 10: Nyiragongo Hiking
You will depart your hotel in Goma early in the morning and report to Bukima to start your Nyiragongo hike with an overnight stay at the summit, where you will enjoy exciting views of the lava lake.
Day 11: Descend Nyiragongo & transfer to Gisenyi
You will descend Nyiragongo back to Bukima by 11am and depart Congo to cross back to Rwanda in Gisenyi for the tour. Connect to check in at your lodge, have lunch and rest for the day. Dinner and overnight stay at Paradise Malahide for mid-range/Kivu Serena Hotel for luxury
Day 12: Explore Lake Kivu
After breakfast, explore Gisenyi town and do some water activities, enjoying the sandy shores and taking boat trips to the island of the lake, doing a town tour and relaxing at the shores as you enjoy the breeze. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 13: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
After early morning breakfast at the lodge, you will embark on your journey to Nyungwe National Park. This is a 5-6 hours’ drive to Nyungwe National Park with lunch en route. Nyungwe Forest is the oldest and largest rainforest in East Africa. Arrive in the park and connect to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel (mid-range)/Gisakura Visitors Centers for budget
Day 14: Chimpanzee tracking and waterfalls walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe Forest. The chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos. You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.
After lunch, you will return for a forest walk to the waterfalls. Return to the lodge to rest. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 15: Canopy walk and Transfer to Kigali
On the 15th day of your 16 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo Safari, have breakfast and connect for a canopy walk—a walking trail that will take you to walk on a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees.
You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s-eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Thereafter, embark on a 7-hour drive back to Kigali city with en route visits to the Nyanza king’s palace, the Rwanda National Museum in Huye and the Murambi genocide museum. Arrive in Kigali late evening and connect to your hotel to rest. Dinner and overnight stay at Des Mille Collins Hotel for mid-range/ Step town Motel for budget/Marriott Hotel for luxury
Day 16: Kigali city tour – Departure
Wake up at leisure, have breakfast and drive out of the hotel and visit the craft shops and the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Have lunch and connect to the airport for your return flight to your next destination.
End of the 16 Days Uganda Rwanda-Congo Safari
