17 Days Uganda, Rwanda & Kahuzi Biega Safari
Day 1: Arrival in Uganda, transfer to hotel.
Depending on your time of arrival at Entebbe International Airport, transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay at Best Western Hotel (Midrange) or Cycad Hotel (Budget).
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
You will have an early breakfast before beginning your long drive to Murchison Falls National Park, with a detour at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking and lunch in Masindi. Proceed to Murchison Falls, arriving in the afternoon, and drive to the top of the Falls for a close-up look of the famous ‘Murchison Falls.’
This is Uganda’s biggest park, comprising about 4000 square kilometres, and one of the most stunning in Africa. Known for its amazing falls, the park also boasts rough savannah, deep woods, and spectacular fauna. Check in to your accommodation, relax, have dinner, and spend overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge (Midrange) or Parkside Safari Lodge (Budget).
Day 3: Morning Game Drive, Afternoon Boat
A full day of game watching in Murchison begins with a morning game drive in search of elephants, buffalo, giraffes, antelope, lions, leopards, and jackals. If chance is on our side, we could see one of Murchison’s rare cheetahs.
In the afternoon, you will take a boat to the bottom of the 43-meter-high waterfalls. This is also an excellent chance to see some of Murchison’s 460 bird species, including the shoebill stork and the goliath heron. You will also observe one of Africa’s most dense hippo and crocodile populations. Dinner and stay at Pakuba Safari Lodge (Midrange) or Parkside Safari Lodge (Budget).
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
You’ll eat breakfast and then drive to Kibale. En way, you will see the Amabere Ganyinamwiru stalagmites and waterfalls at Fort Portal, as well as the crater lakes. Have lunch and go to Kibale, arriving late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at Chimpundu Lodge (Midrange) or Chimpanzee Guesthouse (Midrange).
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Take an early breakfast, go to a briefing, and then begin monkey trekking. Kibale Forest National Park is a top safari site in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Kibale National Park, which covers 795 square kilometres, has one of Uganda’s most magnificent and diverse expanses of tropical forest. This is home to a variety of woodland fauna, most notably 13 species of ape combined with chimps.
After the walk, you will eat lunch. Later, travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Dinner and sleep at Elephant Hub (Midrange) or Bush Lodge (Budget).
Day 6: Lion Tracking Experience/Game Drive, Launch Cruise
After breakfast, you will go for an early morning breakfast to catch up on the lion tracking adventure, followed by a game drive safari. Expect to see a variety of creatures, including elephants, lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, and Uganda kobs.
Next, you will visit Omwani Women’s Coffee Cooperative for a coffee plantation tour, where you will learn about the many phases of coffee production before returning to Mweya for lunch. After lunch, you will have an afternoon boat trip on Kazinga Channel to see hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, and a variety of water birds. Dinner and overnight stay at Elephant Hub (Midrange) or Bush Lodge (Budget).
Day 7: Transfer to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, we will transfer you to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest through the Ishasha sector, providing you with a close-up view of tree-climbing lions. Continue to Bwindi, stopping for lunch along the way, and arrive in the evening to check in and relax at the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Haven Lodge (Midrange) or Buhoma Community Rest Camp (Budget).
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking
After an early morning meal, you will be taken to the park headquarters for training before being instructed to explore the jungle with the park rangers leading the hunt for the gorillas. This will take you around 2–8 hours, depending on the gorilla’s activity in the wild; you will meet and remain with the gorillas for no more than an hour before returning to the lodge to relax. You will have dinner and spend the night at either Buhoma Haven Lodge (Midrange) or Buhoma Community Rest Camp (Budget).
Day 9: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Ibyi’wacu Village Tour.
Wake up for your transfer to Volcanoes National Park. The route passes through lovely countryside and people’s houses, with breathtaking vistas of the Virunga Volcanoes. Upon arriving in Ruhengeri, check into your preferred accommodation for lunch. Later in the evening, you will go to Ibyi’ wacu village for a cultural tour, where you will get the opportunity to dance and sing with the popular intore dance company while learning more about Rwandan culture. Dinner and overnight stay at Tiloreza Volcanoes Eco Lodge (Midrange) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget).
Day ten: Golden monkey tracking and ecological hike to Twin Lakes.
After an early morning meal, go to the park headquarters for a briefing before hiking into the jungle in search of golden monkeys. Tracking golden monkeys offers vistas of other primates, like black and white Colobus monkeys and Olive baboons, among others. In the afternoon, take a nature walk to the Twin Lakes. Dinner and overnight stay at Tiloreza Volcanoes Eco Lodge (Midrange) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget).
Day 11: Transfer to Lake Kivu for an afternoon boat cruise.
Before checking out of your accommodation and driving to Gisenyi for your Lake Kivu excursion, wake up at leisure for breakfast. This is a 2-3 hour road trip. You will travel directly to Lake Kivu for a boat tour and lunch on the lake’s banks. Enjoy the wind and sights while reading a book or swimming.
You will then be connected to your hotel in Gisenyi, where you will eat dinner and spend the night. Dinner and overnight stay at Gorilla Kivu Lodge (Midrange) or Paradise Malahide (Budget).
Day 12: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
After breakfast, travel for around 6-7 hours to Nyungwe Forest National Park, stopping for lunch along the way. It is a gorgeous journey that passes through people’s houses and various hills in Rwanda, the nation of a thousand hills. Arrive throughout the afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange) or Gisakura Visitor Centre (Budget).
Day 13: Tropical Waterfall Hike and Canopy Walk.
Have breakfast at your lodging and then drive to the park headquarters. Nyungwe National Park offers about 19 paths to explore. Today, you will go on a tropical waterfall walk, with the option of visiting either Isumo or Ndambarare waterfalls, depending on your preference. Hiking expeditions typically last 3-4 hours, depending on the path and your speed. In the afternoon, you will go on a canopy walk in the forest or watch different monkeys from the top of the jungle. Dinner and overnight stay at Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange) or Gisakura Visitor Centre (Budget).
Day 14: Coffee tour.
Wake up in the morning and enjoy a relaxing breakfast at your resort. You’ll then check out and meet with your driving guide. If you desire, you can take a coffee trip to Huye Mountain Coffee Cooperative and see coffee estates. You will also be guided through the full coffee-making process in Rwanda, and your trip will close with a delicious cup of Rwandan coffee. Return to your accommodation for lunch and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.
Later, have dinner and spend the night as described above. Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel (Midrange)/Gisakura Visitor Centre (Budget)
15: Transfer to Bukavu with optional visit to the Lwiro Sanctuary.
After breakfast at your lodge, you will check out of your accommodation and meet your driver. You will travel for approximately an hour to the Congo border at Cyangugu, where you will check in with immigration and then meet our Congo driver guide. Drive to your accommodation in Bukavu in time to check in and have lunch. If you choose, you may take an extra excursion to Lwiro Sanctuary, where you will see orphaned and rescued chimps and other monkeys. Alternatively, you may take an extra trip to Bukavu town, which includes visits to historical and cultural landmarks.
Dinner and overnight stay at the Panorama Hotel Bukavu.
16: Lowland Gorilla Trek at Kahuzi Biega National Park and Cross to Cyangungu.
In the morning, you will go on a thrilling adventure: following lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park. Tacking lowland gorillas is an incredible experience; lowland gorillas differ from mountain gorillas in that they are larger. Tracking lowland gorillas typically takes 1-4 hours. Lowland gorillas live in larger groups than mountain gorillas; you will not regret your safari efforts once you have met the beautiful gorillas! After your gorilla hike, you will have lunch and pass back into Rwanda via the Cyangugu border, arriving in time to check in at your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay at the Comoran Hotel (Budget) or Emeraude Kivu Hotel (Midrange).
Day 17: Transfer back to Kigali and depart.
Wake up at leisure and eat breakfast at your hotel. Today, you will drive back to Kigali, stopping for lunch and seeing the King’s Palace in Nyanza and the National Museum in Butare. Drop-off will be at your preferred accommodation in Kigali City or at Kigali International Airport if you have a late-night flight home.
End of Safari.
Includes:
• Airport Pick up in Entebbe/Kampala and drop-off in Kigali
• Gorilla permits
• Dian fossey trek
• Chimpanzee permit
• Canopy walk
• Park entrance fees
• game drives
• Congo Visa
• Coffee tour
• Boat cruise
• Golden Monkey Permit
• 4X4 Safari vehicle and fuel
• Full-time English-speaking Guide/Driver.
• All accommodations as indicated in the itinerary
• All meals as indicated in the itinerary.
• Bottled drinking water while on safari.
Excludes:
• Air tickets.
• PCR Tests in Rwanda and Congo
• Optional Activities
• Visa fees
• Personal expenses such as telephone calls, email, laundry, beverages or meals not indicated in the itinerary, portage, and wait staff gratuity.
