11 Days Uganda – Rwanda Tour

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe and Transfer to Kampala

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda and transfer to Kampala, the country’s capital, for refreshments, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Dinner and Overnight: Sheraton Kampala Hotel or Fairway Hotel

Day 2: Transfer from Kampala to Kibale Forest National Park

Early in the morning, you will head to Kibale Forest National Park, known for its families of habituated chimpanzees. The journey will allow you to visit the Nakayima tree if time allows. It’s an ancestral shrine for the Baganda traditionalists, believed to be over 400 years old. You may have lunch in Mubende or Fort Portal, enjoying the backdrop of the Rwenzori mountains. You can visit the Tooro King’s palace and the Amabeere caves if time permits. Then, you’ll proceed to Kibale Forest National Park for dinner and overnight.

Dinner and overnight stay: Primates Lodge or Turaco Treetops Lodge, or Kibale Forest Lodge

Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

In the morning, after breakfast, you will gather at the park headquarters for a briefing about chimp tracking by a senior park ranger. The trek through the forest, known as the ‘Primate Capital of the World,’ will reward you with sights of chimpanzees and other primate species. The other primates you can see include blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, bush babies, and others. The forest’s rich bird population will provide a beautiful musical backdrop. After the trek, you will have lunch and go for a guided walk through the Bigodi Swamp, managed by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development Organisation. You can spot many of the 137 bird species, butterflies, and rich vegetation here. You may support the community by donating or buying a souvenir. Later, you will depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, enjoying views of the Rwenzori snow peaks.

Dinner and Overnight:  Mweya Lodge or Buffalo Safari Lodge, or Enshama Game Lodge

Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will go for a game drive in the open savannah covered with acacia trees along the Kasenyi plains, on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley. Expect to see lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, elephants, buffaloes, kobs, hippos, waterbucks, and bushbucks. After the game drive, you will have lunch at the lodge and then embark on a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The channel is a narrow band of water connecting Lakes Edward and George. This cruise offers a chance to see Africa’s largest hippo and crocodile populations and other mammals and birds at the water’s edge. Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via Ishasha Sector

After breakfast, you will drive through the Ishasha Plains, searching for tree-climbing lions, a population unique to this area. It is impressive to see these lions resting on top of fig trees. You will have lunch en route and continue to Bwindi, arriving in the evening.

Dinner and overnight: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge or Four Gorillas Lodge, or Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge

Day 6: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a World Heritage Site, is home to more than half of the world’s last surviving mountain gorillas. After an early breakfast, you will report to the park headquarters with your packed lunch. You’ll then be briefed by a senior park guide before starting your trek in one of Africa’s oldest forests. The trek can take from one to six hours or more, through rough terrain at high elevations. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of seeing the gorillas is invigorating.

The forest is home to 120 species of mammals, 346 species of birds, 202 species of butterflies, and 163 species of trees. Once you find the gorillas, you will spend an hour monitoring their behavior, taking pictures, and recording videos. After, you’ll return to the park headquarters, and then get your gorilla trekking certificate. Depending on the time available, you’ll have a chance to embark on a Batwa cultural experience. You’ll learn about the strong attachment these people have to the forest. Their cultural performances and the different skills they possess will fascinate you. You’ll have dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Day 7: Bwindi, Uganda – Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

On this day, you will travel by road for about three hours via Kisoro to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The journey offers views of beautiful terraced hillsides and high, forested hills. You will pass through deep-farmed valleys, reminiscent of driving through central Europe. Dian Fossey, the eminent primatologist, described this area as “great, old volcanoes towering up almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest.”

Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel or Davinci Gorilla Lodge, or Isange Paradise Resort

Day 8: Gorilla Tracking in Volcanoes National Park

Early in the morning, you will drive to the park headquarters for a briefing by the guides of Parc des Volcans before starting your gorilla trek. This national park protects the Rwanda sector of the Virunga Mountains, home to rare mountain gorillas and a rich mosaic of ecosystems. Tracking the gorillas through the forest on the slopes of the Virungas is a magical experience. You might get to the gorillas and spend an hour with them before returning to the base for a late lunch. Tracking can take a full day, especially when wet and muddy. The mountain gorillas are part of a worldwide population of just 480 individuals. Experienced guides will accompany you, using their knowledge to locate the gorillas. Once the gorillas are found, you will spend a maximum of one hour with them.

Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel or Davinci Gorilla Lodge, or Isange paradise Resort

Day 9: Dian Fossey Hike/Golden Monkey Tracking

On this day, you have options. You can choose to trek the Golden Monkeys (optional, US$100 per person). Alternatively, you can partake in a trek to the grave of Dian Fossey and the remains of the Old Karisoke Research Station (optional, US$90 per person). It is recommended to pre-book these options to ensure availability. The Dian Fossey trek is for those who loved the book or movie “Gorillas In The Mist.” You will follow in her footsteps to her grave and the graves of poached gorillas, including Digit, her favorite gorilla. For a more leisurely experience, trekking to the Golden Monkeys is recommended. Watching these unique primates play in the forest is mesmerizing. After tracking the Golden Monkeys, you can visit the Iby’Iwachu community. You’ll have a chance to taste their dishes, dance their traditional dances, and participate in their daily life activities.

Overnight at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel or Davinci Gorilla Lodge

Day 10: Transfer to Kigali for a city tour

After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive back to Kigali. In Kigali, you will have a brief city tour and visit the Genocide Museum. It was opened in 2004 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. The museum offers a moving and important understanding of Rwanda’s history and the resilience of its people. You’ll also visit the Kimironko market so that you can experience Rwandan local life. Depending on time, you may also visit the Inema Arts Center for a local Arts experience.

Overnight: Governor’s Residence or Hotel Des Mille Collines, or Five to I’ve Hotel

Day 11: Departure

After breakfast, you can do some last-minute shopping before your guide transfers you to the airport for your departure.

End of 11 Days Uganda – Rwanda Tour