Safari Highlights
- Uganda Gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi forest
- Mount Bisoke hike in Volcanoes NP
- Golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes NP
- Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale forest
- Track Rhinos on foot
- Spot the Big 5 & Big Cats
- Unlimited game drives
- Boat ride on kazinga Channel
- Boat cruise on the Nile River
- Visit Murchison Falls National Park
- Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Visit Lake Mburo National Park
- Relax at Lake Bunyonyi
- Search for tree-climbing lions
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer from Kigali to Musanze
Our guide/ driver will pick you up from your Hotel at 8:30 am in Kigali and your day starts with a visit to the genocide memorial site.
Afterward depart for a 2-hour drive to Musanze, the second largest town in Rwanda, with its stunning backdrop of five volcanic mountains – The Virungas.
On reaching Musanze, you will visit the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.
In the evening, you will visit the Dian Fossey museum and the Musanze local market.
Lodge: The Garden Place Hotel
Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner
Day 2: Mount Bisoke Hike in Volcanoes National Park
Reaching the Kinigi Park Offices by 7:00 AM just in time for the morning briefing and registration before proceeding to the head trail – the Mt Bisoke hike starting point. With packed lunch and hiking gear.
With your guides and porters start hike to the top of this volcano, enjoy lunch uphill before retrieving the starting point; meet up with your guide for drop off at either your hotel.
Lodge: The Garden Place Hotel
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After an early morning breakfast, you will transfer to the park headquarters early enough to be briefed about the code of conduct while with the golden monkeys. This will be followed by entering the forest in search of the gorillas in the forest. Meet and stay with the golden monkeys for one hour.
Later proceed to Kigali where you will be dropped off at the Airport to catch your flight to Entebbe. (Flight cost not included in the quoted price).
Lodge: Entebbe Airport Guesthouse
Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 4: Entebbe to Murchison Falls National Park
After your early morning breakfast drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park via the Rhino Sanctuary where you will have an opportunity to trek Rhinos. There are 15 Rhinos which were reintroduced after their extinction in the 1970s through poaching.
A local ranger guide will lead you on foot to an up-close encounter with the rhinos and it may take about 1 and half hours. Proceed to Masindi Town for lunch and later continue to Murchison Falls National Park arriving at your lodge late afternoon.
Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Fort Murchison
Day 5: Game drive & Boat cruise on the Nile River – Murchison Falls
Arise very early in the morning for your game drive on the northern bank of the River Nile in your open-roof vehicle which will give you an excellent opportunity to view and photograph the diverse wildlife. Your guide will help you spot elephant,lion, cape buffalo, Roth child’s giraffe, hartebeest, waterbuck, oribi, bushbuck, bohor reed buck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard.
After lunch, go for a boat cruise upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just few of meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’, marvel at the schools of hippos, crocodiles and over the 17km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob.
This is also the zone of many birds, species like goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelicanbee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. After taking shorts of the photogenic Murchison Falls, you may choose to continue to the top of the falls, where you will have the amazing view of the falls!
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Fort Murchison
Day 6: Murchison Falls to Kibale Forest National Park
After your morning breakfast, begin your journey to Kibale Forest National Park. Drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside passing through traditional homesteads, farms and Tea Estates. You will have a stopover for lunch en-route. You will arrive at you lodge in the late afternoon. Check in at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking – Cultural Village Walk in Bigodi
This morning go in search of chimpanzee near Kanyanchu. Chimps live in communities of about 100 individuals; learn about the physical and behavioral aspects we share in common. Check out more primates such the golden monkey, olive baboons, red Colobus, white and black Colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabey and blue monkeys.
Later explore the atmospheric village of Bigodi accompanied by one of our professional English-speaking field-guides.
The walk will take up to 3 to 4 hours depending on the pace of the group. According to your interests, you will first visit a traditional healer who will happily share his knowledge about spirits, herbs, plants and local medicines.
Secondly, the visitors will visit the homes of elderly men and women who tell interesting stories about birth, marriage, ceremonies, clans and their traditional life. Learn more about the history and issues that they face as a developing community of rural Uganda. Along the way, you will also be given the chance to experience the Ugandan school system, visit a local church and Bigodi’s trading centre, a hub of rural life and activity. The field-guides are ready to answer any questions during the walk.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
Day 8: Kibale Forest to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast at your lodge before you proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range. Your expert driver guide will take you through the game park where you might spot some animals. Upon arriving at your lodge, you will enjoy a hot lunch and later in the afternoon go a game drive in the park.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Irungu Forest Lodge
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game drive and Boat cruise
After a cup of coffee, begin the day with a game drive in the Kasenyi plains that may lead you to see bush buck, Uganda Kob, topi, Defassa waterbuck, and Cape buffaloes, Lions, elephants and many more.
You will later return at the lodge for a late breakfast, relax as you wait for lunch. In the afternoon, you will enjoy an afternoon boat ride along the Kazinga Channel for a wide view of yawning hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, various bird species such as red chest, papyrus Gonolek, pink backed pelicans, malachite kingfishers, yellow crown, water thick-knee, yellow-billed stork, shoe bill stock among others.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Irungu Forest Lodge
Day 10: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi impenetrable Forest
Have breakfast then set off for Bwindi NP through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park – famously known for its resident tree-climbing lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70% though sometimes they are really hard to spot (most especially when they’re down in the grassland looking for prey).
Hoping you get the chance to spot them, the sight will be spectacular! Continue to Bwindi National Park. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda; harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked on 9 days Uganda gorilla trekking safari & primates.
Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants. With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check in your accommodation, relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla trekking experience the following day.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Bakiga Lodge
Day 11: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest & Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After an early breakfast depart to the starting point for briefing about your Uganda gorilla trekking Safari adventure after which you will be led by experienced gorilla trackers on the slopes of the volcanoes. You will start from the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the gorilla tracking begins. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is amazing, and the beauty of the gorilla forest and its inhabitants are fascinating. It is a humbling experience to stand just meters from man’s distant cousins as they eat rest, play and bond with their young ones.
Follow the mountain gorillas in the impenetrable forest, and discover their natural habitual and the many species they share it with. You are allowed an hour with the gorillas before sloping down back to your lodge.
Later transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Day 12: Transfer from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast transfer to Lake Mburo, the ‘Zebra magnet’. Leave Lake Bunyonyi and continue driving through the hilly areas. Arrive in the park and have lunch at the lodge before heading for an afternoon game drive for view of Zebras, Topis, Warthogs, cape buffaloes and impalas.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Lodge: Rwakobo Rock
Day 13: Lake Mburo National Park to Entebbe
Rise early for a short drive to the Rwonyo Park headquarters.
This has often been a good chance of seeing hyenas coming back to their dens, hippos walking back to the water, you will see buffalo, zebra, impala and topi and with a bit of luck maybe even a sitatunga, an antelope rarely seen living in the papyrus swamps.
After your early morning activities, return the lodge for a late breakfast and check-out. We then bid farewell to the park’s friendly staff as we depart for Entebbe. En route we will stop at the Equator for photographs and ‘polar-water experiment’, then local community crafts shops and fruit markets. We will be in Entebbe in the evening.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch