12 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari

12 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari

12 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari

12 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari takes you to Akagera national park, Nyungwe national park and Volcanoes national park. You will visit Rwanda’s primate and wildlife viewing destinations respective. Volcanoes national park is Rwanda’s home ofr the endangered mountain gorillas. However, you will visit Diana Fossey hike. Akagera national park is located in the eastern part of Rwanda in the savannah areas good for wildlife experience especially to see the big five game. Enjoy remarkable game drives for animals such as Buffaloes, Antelopes, Elephants, Giraffes, Leopards, Hyenas, lions, rhinos to mention a few. Other excursions in Rwanda include visiting Community tour, Kigali city.  

Cross to Uganda for Bwindi forest gorilla trekking, Bwindi Impenetrable national park is one of Uganda’s oldest national park with diverse rainforest of over 25,000 years ago and contains about 400 plant species. Bwindi Impenetrable national park inhabits half of the remaining endangered mountain gorillas in the world and it is divided into 4 sectors including; Buhoma sector which is the oldest trekking sector, Rushaga sector which has the largest number of gorilla families, Ruhija sector and finally Nkuringo sector. Bwindi forest also shelters some species of mammals including the forest elephants and the different species of antelopes. The park is also rich with different bird species including Albertine Rift endemics. End your safari with a visit to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation. which is deepest lake in East Africa with 44 -900 meters deep and with about 29 islands. When you think of a place to relax and chill after gorilla trekking before going back home, Lake Bunyonyi is the best place because of its cool weather and freshness of the breeze. Lake Mburo national park and Bunyonyi safari comprises of visits to Lake Mburo national park which smallest savannah national park with most of the antelope species and also one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. 

Highlights of the Safari

  • Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and transfer to Akagera national park
  • Day 2: Morning game drive and boat cruise 
  • Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
  • Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy walk
  • Day 5: Transfer to Musanze
  • Day 6: Golden Monkey tracking – Volcanoes national park 
  • Day 7: Transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park
  • Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience 
  • Day 9: Explore Lake Bunyonyi
  • Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park
  • Day 11: Game drive and boat cruise 
  • Day 12: Transfer to Kampala/Departure

Detailed itinerary 

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and transfer to Akagera national park

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport with your morning confirmed booked flight or Depending on your location in Kigali, you will be met by your safari driver who will be your guide throughout the trip, meet and greet, pack your luggage in the safari vehicle and Volcanoes national park. It’s a 2-3 hours’ drive from Kigali to Akagera national park

Arrive at the park and depending on time of departure from Kigali, you will check-in your lodge, have lunch and enjoy an evening game drive. Before nightfall, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay

  • Luxury option: Ruzizi tented camp
  • Mid-range option: Akagera game lodge
  • Budget option: Dereva hotel

Day 2: Game drive and Lake Ihema boat cruise.

After a morning breakfast, you will embark on your morning game drive around the park for a rewarding wildlife views. Expect to encounter the Big five including the Lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cape buffaloes and the recently introduced Rhinos along with other animals including; giraffes, warthogs, waterbucks, zebras, hyenas and different antelope species. Expect to also see over 500 species of birds. The game drive may last for about 3-4 hours. Return to lodge for lunch and relax as you wait for the next activity. 

In the afternoon, the driver will pick up for a boat cruise on Lake Ihema-the second largest lake in Rwanda after Lake Kivu. The boat trip exposes you to plenty of wildlife on the lake shores which come to cool off and drink water including hippos, buffaloes, huge crocodiles and birds such as malachite kingfisher and fish eagle. After the amazing boat trip, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay

Day 3: Transfer to Nyungwe forest national park

After enjoying your delicious breakfast, embark on your journey to Nyungwe forest national park which is a 6-7 hours’ drive from Akagera national park via Kigali city, visit the Kigali museum before you proceed to Nyungwe forest. Upon arrival in Nyumgwe forest, connect to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge

  • Luxury option: One and Only Nyungwe House
  • Mid-range option: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
  • Budget option: Gisakura Visitors Centre

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos before you drive back to your lodge for lunch.

Connect for a canopy walk. You will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk-a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees; you will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving below you. Dinner and overnight stay at provided lodge as above

Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes national park

After breakfast, meet your guide and embark on your journey to Volcanoes national park. It’s a 7-8 hours’ drive with en-route and stops for sightseeing in Kibuye given the beauty of the rolling hills of Rwanda. Upon arrival, precede to check-n your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay

  • Luxury option: 5 Volcanoes Gorilla lodge/ Bisate Lodge
  • Mid-range option: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge 
  • Budget option: Hotel Muhabura  

Day 6: Golden Monkey trekking

After early morning breakfast, drive back to the park headquarters for briefing about the endangered golden monkeys and be allocated a group. Connect to the tracking starting point and enter the forest to search for the rare golden monkey. This activity can take about 1-5 hours and is done at closer view of the other primates in the park like the red tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys among other. After viewing the rare golden monkeys for an hour while taking pictures and studying their behaviours, return to the base and meet your drive back to the lodge. 

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park

After breakfast, embark on your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable national park crossing via Cyanika border close to Kisoro town in Uganda. It’s a 5-6 hours’ drive with en-route lunch then proceed to your booked accommodation Ruhija sector of Bwindi forest. Upon arrival at the lodge, check-in for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay

  • Luxury option: Ruhija Gorilla lodge 
  • Mid-range option: Trekkers Traven lodge 
  • Budget option: Bakiga lodge

Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience

After an early morning breakfast, drive to the park headquarters at 7 :00 am for briefing about the park and its habitants and also you will be advised on your expectations during trekking and be allocated a gorilla family to trek. Bwindi impenetrable national park has the world’s largest population of the mountain gorillas with four different sectors with each having more than three gorilla families.  After briefing, drive to the starting point of the trek and enter the forest with your provided armed range guides to search for the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking may take about 2- 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla up and down the hilly jungle, and on meeting them, stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour, before you descend back to the starting point where your driver will be waiting for you to return and relax at the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

12 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari
Gorilla trekking Safari (12 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari)

Day 9: Explore Lake Bunyonyi 

After having breakfast, connect to explore the lake on a boat trip and visit some of the interesting islands. Lake Bunyonyi comprises of 29 islands especially the punishment island and the lake is the best place of relaxation. Later afternoon, explore the zip-lining experience at Lake Bunyonyi. Relax at the lake shore with great views of the hills. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park

After breakfast at your lodge, meet your guide and transfer to Lake Mburo national park. It’s about 5 hours’ drive with en-route stop in Mbarara town for lunch and visit some of the attractions in Mbarara as you proceed to your booked lodge in the park. Enjoy en-route evening game drive before you connect to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight stay at

  • Budget option – Eagles Nest Lodge
  • Mid-range option: Mpogo Safari lodge 
  • Luxury option: Mihingo Lodge 

Day 11: Morning game drive and boat cruise 

Early morning after breakfast, head out for in search for the early risers on a good day you may spot the lions and the leopards are actually rarely seen and it will be by luck to find them. Do not forget to carry your camera in order to keep all your memories forever intact and also to ensure not to miss out a detail on your amazing game drive and find animals such as the Impalas, Zebras, Waterbucks, Oribi, buffaloes, Giraffes to mention a few. 

Later afternoon, enjoy a boat trip on Lake Mburo to find some birds and animals. Expect to find the crocodiles and other water birds. The boat trip takes 2 hours. Later evening, spend your day at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above. 

Day 12: Transfer to Kampala/Departure

After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Kampala as your last destination for this safari. It’s a 4-5 hours’ drive with en-route lunch and visit the Equator for the equator experiment. Upon arrival in Kampala/Entebbe, your safari guide will drop you at allocation you advise or better still be dropped at Entebbe international airport of you have a flight.

End of the 12 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari

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