12 Days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari
12 Days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari
This 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari is an interesting primate tour that starts from Kigali Rwanda and ends in Kampala Uganda. The safari will take you to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda where you will be able to engage in an exciting gorilla, golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour. The 10 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari will also take you to Bwindi impenetrable national park and Kibale forest national park where you will have a face to face encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitat. During the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will also visit Queen Elizabeth national park and Murchison falls national park where you will enjoy great views of abundant wildlife species including buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, giraffes, oribi, hippos, Nile crocodiles, warthogs among others during the game drives and boat cruise
Highlights of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 7: Morning game drive, afternoon boat cruise
Day 8: Transfer to Kibale forest national park-Bigodi swamp walk
Day 9: Chimpanzee habituation experience
Day 10: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 12: Departure to Entebbe via Ziwa rhino sanctuary
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Depending on location on the first day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and later go for a short city tour in Kigali where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial centre, Art centres, Kimironko market among others. After the city tour, you will have lunch and later start the journey to Volcanoes national park with stunning views on the way. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience
Gorilla trekking
After an early breakfast on the second day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, birds, colourful butterflies, different plant and tree species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record videos.
After the one hour with the gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking and Iby’iwacu cultural tour
Golden monkey trekking
After an early breakfast on the third day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of golden monkey trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a habituated golden monkey family to trek and an experienced park guide. Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the golden monkeys are located. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, birds, colourful butterflies, different plant and tree species among others. Once the golden monkeys are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, habits, watch them feed, jump up in trees, take photos and record videos.
After the one hour with the golden monkeys, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will go for an exciting Ibyi’wacu cultural tour in the neighbouring communities where you will be able to learn about the local people’s culture, lifestyle, way of living, listen to their ancient stories, taste their local beer, food, enjoy their traditional performances among others. After the cultural tour, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After a relaxed breakfast on the fourth day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park passing via Katuna border in Kabale. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and then proceed to Bwindi national park. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on the fifth day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the mountain gorillas and also conversant with different gorilla trekking trails. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species, plants among others and once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to observe their behaviours, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, breastfeeding, grooming young ones, take photos and record videos. After the one hour encounter with the gentle giants, you will drive back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
On the sixth day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to view the famous tree climbing lions which will be lazily lying up in acacia/ fig tree branches if you are lucky. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will have lunch and then continue the journey to the park with great views of the beautiful landscape, countryside, Kigezi hills, terraced farmlands among others. Upon arrival in Queen Elizabeth national park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will be able to spot different animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, waterbucks which will be grazing in open savannah plains, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas which will be looking for a morning hunt, view bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water channel that connect lake Edward and lake George. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours, you will be able to view large herds of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks drinking water along the shores, view water birds like hornbills, cormorants, fish eagles, king fisher’s among others. After the boat ride you will meet up with your driver guide to return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Kibale forest national park-Bigodi swamp walk
On the eighth day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kibale forest national park with views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, tea plantations among others and upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for an interesting swamp walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to view different primates, bird species, animals among others. After the swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Chimpanzee habituation experience
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on the ninth day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the Kanyachu park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated an experienced park guide and start trekking in the forest in search of chimpanzees. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one area to another in search of food. During trekking you will be rewarded with views of other primates like l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, views of different bird species among others. once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment which helps you to watch them feed, play, fight, hunt, rest, observe their behaviours, take photos and record videos.
Day 10: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After breakfast on the tenth day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Murchison falls national park which is located. It’s a whole day journey and on the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, tea plantation, Rwenzori Mountains, views of the crater lakes among others. Upon arrival in Murchison falls national park, you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on the eleventh day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive where you will be rewarded with stunning views of animals like giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, lions, leopards, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeest among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Afternoon boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be able to view animals like elephants, antelopes, buffaloes which will be drinking water along the shores, view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view aquatic bird species like hornbills, cormorants, king fishers, bee-eaters, fish eagles among others. After the interesting boat cruise you will return back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Departure to Entebbe via Ziwa rhino sanctuary
On the Last day of the 12 days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari, you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Entebbe. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and a stopover at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking where after you will continue the journey to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe International airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise depending on your schedule.
End of 12 Days Uganda Rwanda primates and wildlife safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking
- Lion tracking experience
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off in Kampala/Entebbe
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
