Safari & gorilla tracking in Rwanda & Uganda

Kigali City

Day 1: Welcome to Rwanda!

On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by our guide who will transfer you to your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.

Akagera National Park

Day 2: Spot Animals in Akagera National Park

After an early breakfast, you will go for a morning game drive at Akagera National Park. The park is about two hours away from Kigali and is a savannah park with elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, and recently introduced lions. Today, you'll take a game drive in search of these animals.

In the afternoon, you will go for a nature walk.

Diane Fossy Hike In Volcanoes National Park

Day 3: Find Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park

After an early breakfast, you will leave for Volcanoes National Park to hike to Diane Fossey's tomb. Volcanoes National Park is best known as a sanctuary for the region’s rare mountain gorillas. Visitors flock here to experience a face to face encounter with these intriguing creatures. 

With this hike, you will learn about Diane Fossey's passion and love for the Mountain Gorillas and about the beginning of "gorilla tourism."

Mgahinga National Park

Day 4: Sleep at the Base of Volcanoes

After breakfast, you will transfer to Kisoro and check into your hotel. This road trip is quite enjoyable as you will be able to enjoy the beautiful hills and scenery en route.

Kisoro is situated near the base of the Virunga volcanoes, near Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. This small town is primarily used as a base for excursions into the surrounding mountains and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which are famous for being one of the only places on earth where you can witness mountain gorillas in the wild. The area is home to an astonishing abundance of wildlife, including 11 different species of primates, lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, buffalos, and zebras, and countless bird species.

Mgahinga National Park

Day 5: Search for Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga National Park

After an early breakfast, you will head to the Mgahinga National Park headquarters where your Golden Monkey trek will start with a briefing from the rangers. Golden Monkey tracking is usually a few hours' affair as its easier to find monkeys than Mountain Gorillas.

Along the way, you will see the different types of monkeys, birds, and flora and fauna of the volcanoes.

Kisoro

Day 6: Tour the Crater Lakes of Kisoro

After breakfast, you will go for a tour of Kisoro where you will visit different crater lakes like Lake Chahafi, Lake Kayumba, Lake Murehe, and end with Lake Mutanda where you will check in at Lake Mutanda Resort for the night.

Lake Mutanda is a small freshwater lake sandwiched between the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the Virunga Mountains. Here, visitors can look forward to gorilla tracking, bird watching, lake lounging, volcano hiking, and paddling in a traditional dugout canoe.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Day 7: Track Gorillas

With a packed breakfast, you will head out for your Gorilla trek to visit the Gorillas.

Gorilla tracking is a captivating, unforgettable experience, which more than repays the efforts needed to reach Bwindi and to trek through the forest. Gorilla tracking can be challenging and you must be reasonably fit.

Lake Bunyonyi

Day 8: Canoe Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast in Bwindi, you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi where you will check into a guest house and have lunch.

After lunch, you will go for a tour of Lake Bunyonyi in a canoe and enjoy the view of its beautiful scattered islands. The lake is well known for its great variety of birds of all sizes and is surrounded by green hills covered with agricultural terraces, which define the look of the region.

Lake Mburo National Park

Day 9: Discover the Animals at Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast in Lake Bunyonyi, you can take an optional nature walk or choose to relax by the lakeside.

In the afternoon, transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Renowned for its impressive biodiversity, Lake Mburo National Park shelters almost 70 mammal species and over 300 avian species in its forests, swamps, and grasslands. This spectacular landscape features open plains of savannah interrupted by rocky ridges, forested gorges, and lush dense woodlands. Crocodiles, hippos, and a myriad of water birds are found in and around the five lakes, of which Lake Mburo is the largest. 

Ishasha Sector Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 10: Look for Tree Climbing Lions in Ishasha

After your early morning game drive in Lake Mburo, you will head to Ishasha, which is famous for the tree climbing lions. Lunch will be served en route.

Upon arrival, check in at the Ishasha Jungle Lodge and in the evening go on an Ishasha game drive where you may see tree climbing lions among many other animals.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 11: Animals of Uganda

After breakfast in Ishasha Jungle Lodge, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. On arrival, set out for an afternoon game drive.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the country's most popular parks. Volcanic craters, grassy plains, tropical forests, and giant lakes are connected by a channel that is inhabited by abundant hippos. The park has almost 100 types of mammals and 606 different bird species, including the peculiar shoebill. The Kasinga Channel alone is said to contain the world's largest concentration of hippos, and other wildlife includes buffalo, the rare aquatic sitatunga antelope, giant forest hogs, Uganda kob, Defassa waterbucks, and elephants.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 12: Cruise on the Kazinga Channel

Today you will take an early morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Keep an eye out for all the animals you missed the previous day.

After lunch, you will go on a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel where you will be sure to see many hippos, buffalo,  and elephants on the shore, along with different types of birds.

Kibale Forest Park

Day 13: Take a Nature Walk in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Today after breakfast, you will enjoy a nature walk in Queen Elizabeth National Park taking the time to explore the enchanting landscapes and wildlife. Some of the places you will visit are the shady Maramagambo Forest, Mweya Peninsula with its scenic views, and Ishasha River, where you may spot a variety of forest and savannah species as well as have a unique opportunity to get closer to hippos - on foot!

After lunch, you will transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.

Kibale Forest

Day 14: Find Birds in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

After breakfast in Kibale Forest, you will go chimpanzee tracking and in the afternoon, you will visit Bigodi Swamp.

The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a community development enterprise located on the fringe of Kibale National Park where guided tours are conducted along a path through the wetlands along the boardwalk trails. Bigodi is a birder's paradise with 138 bird species having been identified there, including the crowd pleaser, the Great Blue Turaco. The sanctuary is also home to 8 primate species including the black and white colobus, red colobus, mangabey, redtail, vervet, and L’Hoest.

Murchison Falls Park

Day 15: Visit Uganda's Largest National Park

After breakfast in Kibale Forest, you will transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Lunch will be served en route.

Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest National Park. The Nile River flows through the middle of the park, creating the impressive Murchison Falls which is the park’s major attraction. The landscape features dense rainforest, beautiful savannah, and a variety of abundant wildlife. Visitors can enjoy prime game-viewing along the Buligi Circuit. The forests are home to numerous primates, including chimpanzees, and near the river, buffalo, elephants, and Rothschild-Giraffes.

Murchison Falls

Day 16: Hike to the Top of Murchison Falls

Today in Murchison Falls National Park, wake up to an early morning game drive. During the drive, you will have the highest chances of spotting the large predators of Murchison Falls National Park

In the afternoon, hike to the top of the falls. This hike is paired with a boat cruise on the Nile to the base of the falls. The boat leaves you at the base where you will set off for a 45-minute guided hike. While on this hike, you will have a great time watching rolling hills, different types of vegetation, birds, and you will hear the thunderous roars of the falls. 

Murchison Falls

Day 17: Float on the Nile

After breakfast, go for another early morning game drive and in the afternoon enjoy a Murchison Falls boat ride.

On the boat ride, along the river, there are thousands of hippos, enormous crocodiles, And amazing bird life. If you're lucky you may catch sight of the rare shoebill. This boat trip will bring you from Paraa to the delta where the Victoria Nile enters Lake Albert. Enjoy the excellent game viewing and bird-watching opportunities.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Day 18: Find Rhinos in Ziwa

Today, you will visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will see Rhinos en route to Kampala.

The Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch are comprised of a 70-square-km expanse of pristine wilderness. This exceptionally beautiful savannah and wetland area is home to Uganda’s only wild Rhinoceros, with as many as 19 southern white rhinos roaming the sanctuary.

Kampala City Tour

Day 19: Explore Kampala

Today you will have an extensive tour of Kampala where you will get to see Buganda Kingdom Palace, the Uganda Museum, the Kabaka's Lake and Religious sites like the Namugongo shrine and the Bahai Temple.

Entebbe International Aiprort

Day 20: Goodbye, Africa!

Today, you will transfer to Entebbe International Airport for your flight back home. We hope you had an amazing trip and wish you pleasant travels.