13 Days Great Apes and Wildlife Safari of Rwanda and Uganda

Tour overview

This 13-day great apes and wildlife safari of Uganda and Rwanda starts in Kigali and ends in Entebbe. The trip begins from Volcanoes national park and while there, you will have a great time meeting with the mountain gorillas! You will continue to Mgahinga gorilla national park where you will have a great time meeting the gentle giants. The park will continue to Queen Elizabeth national park is the most visited park in Uganda. With a geographical area of 1,978 square Km (764 sq. mi), the park is famous for its abundant wildlife including 90 mammal and 600 bird species. Big mammals include elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hippos and chimps among others. The journey will continue to Kibale national park which is a home to chimpanzees and considered the best place to track wild chimpanzees on earth. You will proceed to Murchison falls national park which is Uganda’s largest savannah national park. While on this trip, you will track you these black and white Rhinos at Zziwa rhino sanctuary. This sanctuary was established mainly to protect these rhinos from danger and poachers.

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali international airport.

Upon arrival, you will be met and greeted by our friendly driver guide who will brief you and take you through your trip plan. He will then transfer you to the hotel for relaxation and dinner.
Accommodation: Onomo hotel Kigali (Midrange)/ Gloria hotel (Budget)
Meal plan: Bed & breakfast

Day 2: Kigali city tour and transfer to Volcanoes.

After breakfast, you will transfer to Kigali for a city tour. You will visit to Gisozi genocide memorial museum where you will learn more about the history of genocide memorial and how it went throughout the country. You will also visit the Belgium museum and learn more about Rwanda’s culture.  After the city tour, you will have lunch and then transfer to Volcanoes national park where you will check in at the lodge upon arrival.
Accommodation; Five volcanoes (Midrange)/ Da Vinci lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 3: Gorilla trekking at Volcanoes national park

On this day, you will have a great time meeting with the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park! After a tasty breakfast, you guide will pick you from the lodge. You will head for briefing by ranger guides at 7:30 and at 8:30am with packed lunch. You will start the trek to hunt for the gorillas and after finding them you will spend with them a maximum of 1 hour. This walk can take 4-5 hours depending on where you meet the gorillas. The park is steep, it is a real hiking and being physically fit is recommended. After trekking, you will return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation;) Five volcanoes (Midrange)/ Da Vinci lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 4: Transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park

After breakfast at the hotel, you will cross to Mgahinga gorilla national park via the Cyanika boarder. Upon arrival, you will check-in at the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the evening, you could go for the Batwa trail where the Batwa guides will explain to you how they used to be in the forest before it was gazetted to a national park, hunting techniques, their songs and dance, and more ways of life. For sure visiting these people will not be a loss in your life.
Accommodation: 1koro hotel (Midrange)/ Traveler’s rest hotel (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 5: Gorilla Trekking at Mgahinga

Well prepared with your packed lunch, cameras, water, rain jackets, long pair of trouser and hiking boots and other gear, you will assemble for briefing time at 8:00 am, find the rangers that will inform you about gorilla tracking the great adventure and experience! The time taken to encounter these peaceful primates is impulsive for it may take1-5 hours.
Nevertheless, on encounter, one may be forced to say, it is stunning!!!! After the adventure certificate rewards will be successful given out every trekker. After the trek, you will return to the lodge for relaxation.
Accommodation: 1koro hotel (Midrange)/ Traveler’s rest hotel (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park with evening game drive

After breakfast, you will checkout of the lodge and drive to Queen Elizabeth national park. This national park is famous for a variety of wildlife and chimpanzee species. This famous conservation area is bordered by Lake Edward in the south west an in the north east, it’s bordered by Lake George. This park was named after queen Elizabeth the second and it has a variety of animal species including the impalas, kobs, forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, tree climbing lions, and the cape buffaloes. This national park is also filled with many volcanic calderas which harbor many flamingos on several seasons.
Accommodation: Aardvark safari lodge (Midrange)/ Bush lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Queen Elizabeth national park wildlife

Day 7: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise.

Arise early enough and after breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive where you will see various animals like elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, lions among others. After having your lunch at the lodge, you will transfer to Ishasha to see the famous tree climbing lions which can only be sighted at Queen Elizabeth in the Ishasha sector. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will do the afternoon set out for boat cruise on Kazinga channel where you will see various of animals like crocodiles, hippos, water bucks, buffaloes as well as birds like the storks, king fishers among others.
After breakfast, you will checkout of the lodge and drive to Queen Elizabeth national park. This national park is famous for a variety of wildlife and chimpanzee species. This famous conservation area is bordered by Lake Edward in the south west an in the north east, it’s bordered by Lake George. This park was named after queen Elizabeth the second and it has a variety of animal species including the impalas, kobs, forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, tree climbing lions, and the cape buffaloes. This national park is also filled with many volcanic calderas which harbor many flamingos on several seasons.
Accommodation: Aardvark safari lodge (Midrange)/ Bush lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 8: Transfer to Kibale forest national park

After breakfast you will checkout of the lodge and drive to Kibale forest national park. You will be able to enjoy am impressive sight of the legendary “mountains of the moon” which you will clearly see on the road to fort portal. You will as well pass through many traditional villages as you enjoy local people carrying out agriculture.
You will as well enjoy fort portal which is in the foot hills of mountain Rwenzori filled with tea plantations filled with tea plantations, after enjoying this platform of green tea, you will continue to Kibale forest national park which is one of the great rain forests in Africa. This forest is mainly famous for around 13 primate species with chimpanzees being the main tracked chimpanzees. The other primate species include the golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, as well as the bird species. The park is also next to Bigodi wetland which is managed and own by the local people in the area, this place is famous for primate watching as well as birding.
On arrival at the park, you will check into your lodge for relaxation.
Accommodation:  Turacco treetops (Midrange)/ Kibale forest camp (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 9: Chimpanzees Trekking

Early in the morning, after breakfast at the camp, continue chimpanzee tracking in the forest. At Kibale forest, there is 90% of finding these unique relatives of ours and it is the most popular place for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda, here though there are plenty of hills, walking isn’t difficult if you are in shape. Lunch, in the evening, go for bird watching at Bigodi wetland sanctuary. This starts from the visitor centre at Kanyanchu. Bigodi is home to about 200 species of birds as well as butterflies and eight different species of primates including the grey-cheeked Mangabey all these if lucky might be seen along the trail. Dinner and overnight as above.
Accommodation:  Turacco treetops (Midrange)/ Kibale forest camp (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

chimpanzee trekking 

Day 10: Transfer to Murchison Falls national park with top of the falls visit

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel, you will drive to Murchison falls where you will hike to the top of the falls which will give you beautiful views of these waterfalls. You will gaze at the Nile River which is the longest river in the world, it’s forced through a small gap which is just 7m wide and it flows 43 meters down making it look very beautiful to the viewers.
Accommodation: Tilenga safari lodge (Midrange)/ Heritage safari lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Enjoy your breakfast at your hotel, after proceed to search for the wildlife species on a game drive. You will get a chance to view many species including; the giraffes, lions, elephants, buffaloes, birds and many more. The guide will take you back to the lodge to have your lunch at the lodge as you prepare to enjoy a boat cruise on the Nile River. This boat will allow you get close to the water animals which include over 4000 hippos as well as the Nile crocodiles. The Nile has got many stunning bird lives which is also enjoyed while taking your boat trip; these include; the bee eaters, colored king fishers, shoebill stork, grey throated and the yellow billed birds.
Accommodation: Tilenga safari lodge (Midrange)/ Heritage safari lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Full board

Day 12: Transfer to Kampala via Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking

After breakfast, you will checkout of the lodge and drive to Zziwa rhino sanctuary with an en route lunch. Upon, you will track you these black and white Rhinos. This sanctuary was established mainly to protect these rhinos from danger and poachers.
After rhino tracking, you will continue to Kampala for an overnight stay and dinner.
Accommodation: Onomo hotel (Midrange)/ Namirembe guest house (Budget)
Meal plan: Bed & breakfast

Day 13: Transfer back to Entebbe airport

After breakfast, you will checkout of the lodge and transfer to Entebbe international airport for your flight back home.

Inclusions
•    Transport
•    English speaking guide
•    Accommodation
•    Meals as mentioned above
•    2 gorilla permits
•    1 chimpanzee permit
•    Game drives
•    Boat cruises
•    Park entrance fees
•    1 Rhino permit
•    Top of the falls hike
•    All transfers

Exclusions
•    Visa fees
•    Air ticket
•    Tips & gratuities
•    All items not mentioned in the itinerary
•    Personal expenses