8 Days Uganda Rwanda safari
8 Days Uganda Rwanda safari
This 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari tour is an amazing primate and wildlife safari that starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda. The safari will take you to different destinations in Uganda and Rwanda including Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Bwindi impenetrable national park and Kibale forest national park in Uganda where you will be able to engage in an adventurous gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey trekking experience where you will have a face to face encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys in their natural environment. The 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari will also take you to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will be able to enjoy views of different wildlife species including elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, lions, leopards, hyenas, hippos, Nile crocodiles among others during the game drives and boat cruise on Kazinga channel.
Highlights of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Morning game drive, boat cruise and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking experience and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 8: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Depending on location on the first day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide from your hotel or airport who will brief you about the safari and then go for a short city tour in Kigali where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial Centre, Art Centre’s, 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 and Iby’iwacu cultural tour
Gorilla trekking
After an early breakfast on the second day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will carry your 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 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, colorful butterflies, different plant and tree species among others. Once the 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 behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, 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 to go for an exciting Ibyi’wacu cultural tour in the neighboring 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 3: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Golden monkey trekking
After an early breakfast on the third day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda 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 start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park with en-route lunch on the way. Upon arrival in Bwindi national park, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda 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 behaviors, 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 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
On the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions and then proceed with en-route lunch. After lunch, you will continue the journey and upon arrival in Bwindi national park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience, afternoon boat cruise and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience
After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive/ lion tracking experience 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 transfer to Kibale forest national park with great views of the beautiful landscape, tea plantations, crater lakes among others. Upon arrival in Kibale forest national park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking experience and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the Kanyachu park headquarters for a chimpanzee habituation 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 5 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.
After chimpanzee trekking, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for lunch where after you will go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi wetland. During the nature walk, you will be able to spot different primates, bird species, plant and tree species among others. After the Bigodi swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Departure to Kigali
On the last day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kigali with en-route lunch on the way. Upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali International airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise.
End of 8 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey permit
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Park entrance fee/game drives
- Boat cruise
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off in Kigali
- 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.
