18 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari
Day 1:
Airport Transfer- Gtarama/Butare Road
You will be met by your driver /guide at Kanombe International Airport on arrival . Who will drive you to Kigali the Capital City of Rwanda. Visit St Famillie church near Kigali that featured in the Hotel Rwanda film and continue to Butare. Lunch stop will be on the way on the road to Butare or at Hotel Credo where you will be staying a night. and proceed to visit the Murambi genocide site . Stay night a night here. Or can stay night in Kigali
Day 2: Gitarama to Ruhengeri
Morning if you did not visit Murambi memorial site then will be done this morning before proceed to Ruhengeri. This is the one of the genocide sites where people and mostly children were killed – place in the church where people were killed inside having taken refugee here for safety, and proceed to Ruhengeri and check in hotel ,dinner and overnight.
Day 3 :
De Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast visit the park headquarters for clearance and guides to carry out golden monkeys tracking. There are families that have been fully habituated and are being visited by many tourists. These Monkeys share this forest with gorillas. Afternoon visit the surroundings of Ruhengeri, for communities that were recently resettled, women groups and craft places like the weaving of baskets. Dinner and overnight .
Day 4 :
De Volcanoes National Park Gorilla trekking
After breakfast with packed lunch you will be driven to the park headquarters where the local guides will lead you to the very family you will track gorillas. Tracking gorillas seeing them is fascinating. The time taken and the terrain vary according to the movement of these gentle giants. The thrill of meeting them face-to-face takes away the pain of some times long and arduous trek. Enjoy a close view of these primates as they undergo their daily activities. You will particularly enjoy the young ones as swing from branch to branch while the sliver back patrols to ensure the safety of the entire family.
Hoping that you come out early, in the afternoon will be driven to Lake Burera and Ruhondo up in the hills for sight seeing and natural walks. Dinner and overnight stay at Gorilla Nest Hotel.
You will need to carry long pants like jean type, sturdy shoes to help you hiking steep and slippery slopes, long sleeved shirts and blouses to protect your bodies from thorns and itching plant. You may not rule out raining on you and at least a rain coat is needed to protect your bodies and any equipment carried along with you like cameras. Also carry insect repellants and sun cream
Day 5:
De Volcanoes National Park Karusoke Reserch Station
After breakfast visit the Karisoke Gorilla Research Centre which Dian Fossey set up – the author of “Gorillas in the Mist” documentary – the famous iron lady , the famous primatologist, who fought to make sure that the surviving gorillas could still survive by protecting their habitats,. Return to your hotel. Then time allowing drive to towards Gisenyi and visit the Ross orphanage home.(you have deferred to visit this place) So will mix with the communities by taking walk and get to know how they earn living. (deliver the donation you have) can take village walk and see the communities around. Return to Ruhengeri. Dinner and overnight at Volcanoes Virunga Lodge
Day 6:
De Volcanoes National Park Gorilla trekking/optional or will be Rest Day
Morning after breakfast with packed lunch, you will again be driven to the park offices for 2nd gorilla encounter. You will be allocated different family to track. Your will then be off from the park offices to begin your adventure. A briefing from your local guide and then it’s off! The time taken and the terrain varies (2- 8 hours) this depends on the movement of these gentle giants. Each encounter is different and has its own rewards. Return to your hotel and check out to cross into Uganda . Dinner and overnight stay at Kisoro Travelers Rest hotel .
Day 7:
Kisoro to Lake Bunyonyi
Morning visit lake Mutanda for sightseeing and hidden caves and python Island before proceeding to Lake Bunyonyi. After lunch proceed to Kabale as you enjoy the terraced hills of Kigezi. Will Stop in Kabale town before proceeding to Lake Bunyonyi to visit one of the cultural centers in Kabale for the Bakiga people culture with some unique art display. Drive to Bunyonyi, take boat ride to one of the hidden Islands on lake Bunyonyi. Dinner and Overnight
Day 8:
Bunyonyi – Queen Elizabeth national park
Morning take a boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi to the Islands seeing a different bird species and other local community activities. View undulating terraced hills that make part of this country beautiful scenery once known as the Switzerland of Africa. Explore different islands for bird watching. Take part in the community activities while enjoying spectacular sight seeing of terraced hills of Kigezi highlands. After boat ride check out to proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park (appx.6 hours drive) Dinner and overnight at Mweya .
Day 9:
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Early morning, carryout game drive to catch-up with the early risers and predators returning to their hideouts. You are likely to meet grazing hippos, elephants, lions, spotted hyenas and leopards, bushbuck, waterbuck and stripped jackal, and of-course the several warthogs.
After lunch take boat cruise on Kazinga channel connecting lake George and Lake Edward viewing different game lion, elephant, buffalo that throng the banks of the channel and many more plus plenty of bird life. Dinner and overnight .
Day 10:
Queen Elizabeth National park
After breakfast, you will go for Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge where you will see not only the chimpanzee but also other primates like the colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys plus baboons. Visit the Maramagambo forest for nature walk and later proceed to Kibale for dinner and overnight.
D11:
Kibale Forest National Park –
After breakfast visit Kanyanchu the park headquarter offices for your chimpanzee tracking where you will see other primates like the colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys plus other primates that share this forest with chimpanzees. The park also hosts over 320 species of birds including the yellow spotted nectar, yellow rumped tinker birds etc. It also has colorful butterflies; over 250 species have been spotted. For nature lovers, the dense forest is still intact you can see trees of different species. Track chimps in their natural habitat. Kibale Forest National Park is believed to have most concentration of primates in the world. Over 12 different species of primates including chimps in this park have been recorded. Enjoy a lot plant life with tall tropical tree species.
Afternoon visit Bigodi swamp for natural walk. Visit the surrounding villages interacting with locals exploring the eco-tourism activities in the area like tea estates.
Day 12:
Kibale to Kabwoya Game Reserve
Morning after breakfast drive to Kabwoya Game Reserve. Visit different fishing villages on Lake Albert.. Mix with different communities and enjoy the sight seeing of the Great Rift valley and the escarpments.
Day 13:
Kabwoya to Murchison Falls
Morning take game drive or natural walk. After lunch proceed to drive to Murchison falls national park . Drive in one of the remotest parts of this country enjoying different forest environment and other savannah woodland vegetation plus communities along the road stop where you find local market to mix briefly with local people. Arrival will be a in the evening enjoy nice views of the blue Congo mountains on clear days. You will settle and overnight.
Day 14.
Murchison Falls National Park
Early morning take game drive looking for wildlife. Murchison Falls is the largest national park in the country and harbors different flora and fauna. Your game drive in the morning with a local guide who will assist you to sight wild game in the northern bank of River Nile where concentrations of game are in common sight of elephants, giraffes, antelopes, lions leopards hyenas and many bird species are a common sight. After lunch in the afternoon go for a boat cruise on the famous River Nile up to the bottom of falls viewing variety of game that throng along banks of the river. Chances of sighting the shoe bill stork are many though not a guarantee and many more bird species continue up to the bottom of the falls where you will see animals like schools of hippos, crocodiles and many species of birds dinner and overnight.
Day 15.
Murchison Falls National Park – Kampala.
After an early breakfast, drive to the “Top of the falls” for a breathtaking sight point where the raging Nile waters forces its way through a rocky gap barely six meters wide. This is the point where the Nile River explodes through a narrow gorge and cascades down to become a placid river. Continue to Kampala with a picnic/packed lunch enroute. Will then drive to Nakasongora Rhino Ranch. With guide will take guided game drive to view the rhinos. Rhinos used to be in our national parks until the end of 1970s when they were all poached and went into extinction. They are being bred to be reintroduced into the wilderness once again. After will continue the drive to Kampala. Dinner and overnight.
Day 16:
Kampala Jinja
This morning will drive to Jinja early in the morning. Visit the source of River Nile before embarking on full day White water rafting which starts around 9.00am. Bujagali falls site will be slipped over after few minutes of starting rafting. On your way to Jinja will just stop at Mabira Forest- because time will not allow you to take walk in this nature forest and on your way back it will be late to do anything. After rafting a barbecue will be served before you are driven back to Kampala at your Hotel in Kampala for dinner and overnight. In the evening time allowing will be taken to Ndere cultural Center for entertaining with local dances and drama.
Day 1 7:
Kampala
Visit cultural centers in Kampala and around – include Kasubi tombs, Religious establishments, Uganda museum, Namugongo Christian shines where converts were burnt live in 1886. After proceed to Entebbe. Dinner and overnight in
Day 1 8:
Ngamba Island /Airport Transfer
Morning will transferred to the Pier, take boat Ngamba Island orphanage chimp island for chimpanzee viewing at platform and learning much about these distant cousins of ours. Depending on the number o of people booked on this day will determine the type of boat to use. Will be back by 2.00pm Will again be picked from the pier by your guide to your hotel for dinner washing. At around 7.30 pm will be transferred to the airport for your home bound flight. END OF SAFARI
Pease note the safari cost will include:
- meals and accommodation at full board
- full time safari driver/guides,
- park entry fees, game drives, boat/ launch trips, forest guiding walks, all activities mentioned while on safari in the itinerary
- applicable Government Taxes.
- 4×4 wheel drive vehicle with gas
- Airport transfers.
- Gorilla permits
- 2chimp permits- Kyambura and Kibale
- USA citizens do not pay Visa to Rwanda and in payment is requested will be met directly
- Re entry visa into Uganda from Rwanda
- Other border crossing fees
- Visit to Lake Bunyonyi
- Visit to Jinja – white water rafting
- Visit to Ngamba Island
- Drinking bottled water
Excluded are:
- Drinks, your bar bills, phone calls, personal insurance and any other services of a personal nature like souvenirs tips and laundry etc.
Tipping: Is done at ones description depending on ones satisfaction and is not mandatory.
