8 Days Rwandan -Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by your driver/guide. Stop for coffee in the city, thereafter You will drive to Volcanoes National Park. you may be able to enjoy a complimentary Kigali city tour before traveling to northern Rwanda, visiting the Kimihurura market and the Kigali Genocide Museum. After a 2-hour drive from Kigali to Ruhengeri/Musanze, we will visit the Iby’iwacu Cultural Experience (also known as Gorilla Guardians Village) in Kinigi. We’ll then be treated to a guided nature walk around Volcanoes National Park.

We will start the day with a golden monkey trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park. This primate is native to the high-altitude forests of the park. Once we have seen their playful interactions, we will head out of the park and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. The transfer to Bwindi National Park will go through the Rwanda-Uganda border at Cyanika.

Day 3 is another day for trekking into the wilderness to spot the rare local animals. You will head to the Bwindi National Park gate immediately after breakfast to get a briefing about the gorilla trek. The national park guide will conduct the presentation that covers the basics of what to expect during the gorilla trek and instruct you on how to behave in order to ensure the safety of guests and the animals.

You will then embark on your tracking adventure, making your way through the rainforest until you find a family of mountain gorillas. The gorilla trek can take from 3 to 6 hours on average, depending on how far the gorillas are inside the forest. It could last longer, so be prepared just in case! Rest of the afternoon at leisure.

We will start the journey in the morning from Bwindi National Park and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The tour will take us through the stunning landscapes of western Uganda and we’ll arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park in the late afternoon. Our first activity will be to drive through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, popularly known for the tree-climbing lions. Unlike their counterparts at the Kasenyi plains, the lions at Ishasha have found a way to climb the fig trees to enjoy the warm temperatures. While the sighting of the tree-climbing lions is not 100% guaranteed, a stopover at Ishasha is worth a visit!

We will start the day with an early morning breakfast at the lodge. Afterward, we will proceed to the famed Kasenyi Plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park to spot various species of wild animals. The Kasenyi Plains are in the vast savannahs of the Albertine Rift in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It will be a morning full of adventure! Expect to encounter lions, herds of buffalos, elephants, Uganda kobs, topi, and bushbucks.

While spotting the ‘big five’ in the park is not guaranteed, on a lucky day, you may sight leopards to make it the ‘big four’. We will return to the lodge for lunch and a quick break before joining the Kazinga Channel boat cruise for an afternoon of wild game viewing. We’ll have the chance to spot crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, and a wide range of bird species on the channel waters.

​In the morning we will drive to Murchison Falls Park via Fort Portal Crater Lakes, perhaps Uganda’s most iconic sight. These volcanic craters formed some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and they provide an idyllic backdrop to the extensive hiking trail network in the area. Here, you will be able to enjoy the amazing views of western Uganda’s tea farmlands and plantations. If the weather is good, we’ll get a chance to spot the Rwenzori Mountain Escarpment in the distance. After a day full of spectacular views, we’ll check in to the lodge and relax.

Wake up to an exhilarating start to the day as we embark on a game drive in the park to spot elephants, lions, giraffe, and other wildlife. This Murchison Falls safari does not stop on the land because, in the afternoon, we will take a relaxing boat trip on the iconic River Nile where, if we’re lucky, we’ll have a chance to see crocodiles, hippos, and an array of rare birds. We will see for ourselves the point where the River Nile joins Lake Albert, which is one of the major highlights of this trip.

Feel the immense power and force of the falls as the spray hits your face and you listen to the deafening roar of the water. At the end of the boat trip, we will hike the famous ‘Top of the Falls’ where we have spectacular views of the Murchison Falls along the Nile River, a perfect photo opportunity for the budding photographers. We will return to our lodge for dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Our adventure begins at 7am when we will transfer to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, home to the only wild rhinos in Uganda. Rhinos became extinct in Uganda in the early 1980s and the Ziwa site is being used as a breeding site for black and white rhinos. During our 2 hours at the sanctuary, we will see these creatures roaming around the 7,000 hectares of land and see their daily interactions. As we leave the rhinos behind, we will proceed to Entebbe, arriving late afternoon for your evening flight back home.