Our 17-day Uganda & Rwanda Safari Adventure takes you through iconic landscapes and rich wildlife. Experience savanna safaris in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, plus lush rainforest encounters in Kibale, Bwindi, and Volcanoes National Parks. Enjoy gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey spotting, cultural experiences, and more. Relax at Lake Kivu and end with a city break in Kigali.
What is the Safari About?
Explore the unique fly-in gorilla trekking adventures in the East African country of Uganda
Highlights
- Arrive in Entebbe, and enjoy a welcome.
- Track rhinos, explore Murchison Falls.
- See chimpanzees, visit Bigodi Wetlands.
- Trek gorillas, and experience Batwa culture.
- Relax at Lake Kivu, explore Kigali.
Get Day-to-Day Idea
Explore the unique fly-in gorilla trekking adventures in the East African country of Uganda
Get a warm welcome into Uganda - The Pearl of Africa by your driver guide and later, a briefing about what your long luxury 17-day Uganda and Rwanda safari tour is all about. After, you will be transferred to a comfortable hotel to retire for the night.
Meal Plan: Dinner.
Drive Time: 10 Minutes.
Stay
Entebbe Forest Lodge - Luxury- Facility
Hotel No. 5 Boutique Hotel - Mid-Range- Facility
Boma House - Standard Facility
After a hearty breakfast in Entebbe, begin your journey to Murchison Falls National Park, home to the world’s most powerful waterfall.
Along the way, stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a 2-hour rhino tracking experience. Here, you’ll also spot Uganda kobs, Defassa waterbucks, hippos, and bushbucks in their natural habitat.
Enjoy lunch at Kabalega Dinners, then continue your scenic drive to the park. Arrive in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay, ready for the next day’s adventure.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Driving Time: 6 hours.
Stay
Nile Safari Lodge Luxury Facility
Twiga Safari Lodge Mid-Range Facility
Pakuba Safari Lodge Standard Facility
Start your day with an early 6:30 am game drive through the northern tracks of Murchison Falls National Park. Over three hours, keep an eye out for giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, antelopes, warthogs, and diverse bird species roaming the savanna, woodlands, and grasslands.
Return for lunch and relaxation, then set off on a scenic boat safari along the Victoria Nile. Cruise to the base of Murchison Falls, spotting hippos, crocodiles, and water birds along the riverbanks. Take in the powerful waterfall views before beginning a 45-minute hike to the top, where you'll witness the thundering falls up close.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Stay
Nile Safari Lodge Luxury Facility
Twiga Safari Lodge Mid-Range Facility
Pakuba Safari Lodge Standard Facility
Get ready for a morning breakfast in Kibale Forest National Park, a lush equatorial rainforest straddling Uganda, located in Kabarole district, Western Uganda. Your journey to Kibale takes you via Hoima City to Fort Portal, known as a strikingly designated tourism city of Uganda that rests in the Western Region of the country, for a lunch break and then embark on your drive to explore the enchanting Crater Lakes around the park, then after you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Travel Time: 7 Hours.
Stay
Papaya Game Lodge Luxury
Tabebuia Resort- Mid-Range
Turaco Tree Tops – Standard
A special day in Kibale starts with a briefing on chimpanzee-tracking rules after breakfast. Tracking chimpanzees in Kibale begins at 8:00 am, with a guide leading a group of 6 pax to see the chimp community in the wild.
This will take 2-4 hours and includes one hour with chimpanzees in the Kibale forest- take as many pictures as you can and return with a deep understanding of the behaviours of these massive apes. In addition, many other primates will be sighted, including Colobus, l’hoest, and vervet monkeys, as well as birds.
Lunch at the lodge, and after, you will transfer to Bigodi Wetland for a guided nature walk. Bigodi Swamp is endowed with 8 primate species, about 138 bird species and other mammals, the majority of which will be sighted on a nature walk here.
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Visiting the nearby local community, where you will learn about the locals- their foods, artefacts, traditional dances and traditional dressing. You will then retire to the Lodge for your meal and overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Stay
Papaya Game Lodge Luxury
Tabebuia Resort- Mid-Range
Turaco Tree Tops – Standard
Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda's most popular parks. Queen Elizabeth National Park lies in the western region of the country. You will have lunch on arrival at a lodge and have ample time to chill, then set off for an evening game drive to see the diversity of wildlife.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Travel Time: 3 Hours.
Stay
Kyambura Gorge Lodge- Luxury
Buffalo Safari Lodge- Mid-Range
Enganzi Game Lodge- Standard
Start your day early with a hot cup of tea or coffee, then meet your driver for a 6:30 am lion tracking experience in the Kasenyi section of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Guided by researchers and trackers, follow lions using radio signals from collars placed around their necks. Unlike regular game drives, this unique experience allows off-road tracking, helping you get closer to these big cats.
After the adventure, return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, set off for a 2–3-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Enjoy the peaceful ride as you spot hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of aquatic birds along the water's edge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Stay
Kyambura Gorge Lodge- Luxury
Buffalo Safari Lodge- Mid-Range
Enganzi Game Lodge- Standard
Begin your day with the morning breakfast and transfer to Bwindi National Park. It’s no secret that Bwindi is home to more than the world’s surviving population of mountain gorillas. It has over 20 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Forest National Park.
Afternoon: Visit the Batwa Culture Community.
The Batwa Experience was created by the displaced Batwa pygmies to educate their children and to share their amazing heritage and traditions with the world. Since 1992, the Batwa have been unable to live in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, their ancestors’ home. Yet they have not forgotten the old ways.
Step back in time to see how the Batwa lived for millennia in the Bwindi, one of the most beautiful jungles on earth and home to the famous mountain gorillas.
Enjoy an incredible day hike in the rain forest with Batwa guides, see how the Batwa lived and hunted, learn about medicinal plants, and watch for animals and birds.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Travel Time: +4 Hour Drive
Stay
Ishasha Wilderness Camp Luxury
Enjojo Lodge- Mid-Range
Begin your day with the morning breakfast and transfer to Bwindi National Park. It’s no secret that Bwindi is home to more than the world’s surviving population of mountain gorillas. It has over 20 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Forest National Park.
Afternoon: Visit the Batwa Culture Community.
The Batwa Experience was created by the displaced Batwa pygmies to educate their children and to share their amazing heritage and traditions with the world.
Since 1992, the Batwa have been unable to live in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, their ancestors’ home. Yet they have not forgotten the old ways.
Step back in time to see how the Batwa lived for millennia in the Bwindi, one of the most beautiful jungles on earth and home to the famous mountain gorillas.
Enjoy an incredible day hike in the rain forest with Batwa guides, see how the Batwa lived and hunted, learn about medicinal plants, and watch for animals and birds.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Travel Time: +4 Hour Drive
Stay
Gorilla Forest Camp- Luxury
Mahogany Springs- Mid-Range
Gorilla Leisure Lodge- Standard
After breakfast, you will head to the Park Headquarters for the mandatory registration and briefing before starting the gorilla trek. After 30 minutes of entertainment from the local community group, you will be introduced to the trekking rules and regulations by the Park Ranger, grab a walking stick, wear a mask and start the walk through Bwindi Forest.
Be prepared to walk for 1-6 hours while sighting different primates, remarkable tree species, colourful birds, and butterflies before finally coming across the Giant Apes. You will have the most unforgettable hour of your life observing them go about their daily routines and taking photos.
Having had your fill of the forest and spent time with the mountain gorillas, it is now time to have lunch and rest for the remainder of the afternoon.
Return to the lodge for a short relaxation and embark on a waterfall hike with a ranger guide. The Munyaga waterfall trail starts from the Park office and ends at the magnificent Munyaga waterfall. The walk to and from the waterfall takes about three hours and is a good way to practice or cool down a day after the gorilla tracking. Back to lodge for dinner & overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Stay
Gorilla Forest Camp- Luxury
Mahogany Springs- Mid-Range
Gorilla Leisure Lodge- Standard
Enjoy breakfast, then drive to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda via the Cyanika border. Enjoy photo opportunities as you drive along the winding roads in southern Uganda. You will arrive at your lodge in time for lunch, or it will be a picnic en route.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Travel Time + 4 Hours
Stay
Virunga INN- Luxury
5 Volcanoes- Mid-Range
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge- Standard
Golden monkeys are found in the Virunga volcanoes, shared by Uganda, Rwanda, and the DR Congo. After a brief from the ranger guides, you will start your hike in search of the golden monkeys. You will be joined by enforcement officers to help if you encounter buffalo, which can be dangerous. The golden monkeys are generally more active than the gorillas, and you will follow them as they move to feed. Just like gorilla trekking, you are only allowed to spend 1 hour with the golden monkey before you start your descent back.
In the afternoon, you will enjoy a rewarding cultural encounter within the Gorilla Guardians ‘Village. Visit a traditional healer and learn about plants used to treat common ailments; go through banana beer brewing; be entertained by traditional dances; visit the local school; and visit the King’s Palace replica, among others.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Stay
Virunga INN- Luxury
5 Volcanoes- Mid-Range
Mountain Gorilla View Lodge- Standard
After this experience, drive to the beautiful Lake Kivu. Visit the former Imbabazi orphanage and learn about their work. Continue to your hotel along Lake Kivu. Relax at the lakeside in the evening, sipping away at your favourite drink.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Stay
Cleo Kivu - Luxury
Serena Kivu Hotel- Mid-Range
Paradise Kivu Resort- Standard
Have a lazy morning, then take a boat ride on Lake Kivu. Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime boat cruise expedition in Kibuye to witness one of nature’s most incredible displays. From a two-hour trip to a full-day adventure, we can design the perfect experience for you. Charter a private cruise and design the itinerary of your dreams, complete with a captain and crew who will cater to every detail of your experience. A sunset cruise entertaining loved ones aboard a luxurious boat.
In the afternoon, you will engage in kayaking on Lake Kivu for about 2 hours. Later, back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Stay
Cleo Kivu - Luxury
Serena Kivu Hotel- Mid-Range
Paradise Kivu Resort- Standard
After breakfast, your tour guide will transfer you to Kigali, where you will have a city tour exploring the city's highlights before retiring to your hotel.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Travel Time: 7-Hour Drive
Stay
Kigali Marriott – Luxury
Hotel des Mille Collins – Mid-Range.
Onomo Hotel – Standard
Begin the day with a morning breakfast and then embark on your full-day Kigali city tour as you explore more of the city’s top historical and cultural sites. The tour will include visits to the Kigali Genocide Memorial for insight into the country's genocide history, and to art and craft galleries for stylish African footwear and clothing. Visit Innema Art Gallery and the Kimironko local market to buy souvenirs.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Stay
Kigali Marriott – Luxury
Hotel des Mille Collins – Mid-Range.
Onomo Hotel – Standard
We do hope you had an amazing time exploring the beauty of Uganda and Rwanda. Thank you for choosing to spend your time and money contributing to these countries. Your driver will take you to the airport for your flight home. You will say farewell to the Pearl of Africa on this day. Have breakfast and meet at the Lobby for a briefing before beginning the short journey to Kigali Airport.
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Travel Time: 20 Minute Drive
Inclusion and Exclusion
Includes
- Meet & Greet Service, Airport transfers
- Transportation by a 4x4 Safari Jeep
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
- One Gorilla permit per person to be secured and paid for in advance, US$ 700.00
- Kibale Chimpanzee permit US$ 200.00
- One Golden Monkey permit costs US$100 in Rwanda Per Person
- Guardian Gorilla Village
- Visit Lake Kivu (boat & kayaking experience)
- Full-Day Kigali City Tour, Crater Lakes visit & top of the World
- Services of an English-speaking Driver/guide
- Bwindi Community visits/Batwa.All Park fees
- Waterfall hike in Bwindi
- Sundowner Experience in Ishasha sector- Queen Elizabeth1 Game drive in Ishasha sector searching tree climbing lion
- Boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth1 Evening Game Drive in Kasenyi, Queen Elizabeth
- Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth
- Hike to the top of the falls in Murchison Falls
- 1 Game Drive in Murchison Falls
- Boat Cruise in Murchison Falls
- Ziwa Rhino Tracking Experience
- En route lunches.Bottled drinking water and Coke Zero
- All government taxes
- Our assistance.
Exclusion
- Domestic and international flights
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Visa Fees
- Cigarettes
- Tips
- Souvenirs
- Any other items of a personal nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
The itinerary typically includes accommodation, park fees, guided game drives, gorilla trekking permits, transportation, selected meals, and visits to major wildlife and cultural destinations in Uganda and Rwanda.
Yes, gorilla trekking is one of the main highlights of the itinerary, usually taking place in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Volcanoes National Park, depending on the safari route.
Travellers may see mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, and a wide variety of bird species across different national parks and reserves.
The best time is during the dry seasons, from June to September and December to February, when wildlife viewing and trekking conditions are generally more comfortable.
Yes, most travellers require visas. Many visitors choose the East Africa Tourist Visa, which allows travel between Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya under a single visa arrangement.
