Our 16 Days Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Safari is one of the long safari itineraries that we have carefully designed for our clients looking to have an extended stay in Rwanda and Uganda. During this 16 Days Rwanda and Uganda safari, you can expect to encounter Mountain gorillas in Uganda’s famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, track chimpanzees in both Rwanda and Uganda, do golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes national park, track lions in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park. Enjoy guided game drives and boat cruises in some of the best savannah national parks in Uganda, visit Top of the Falls in Murchison Falls National and trek rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda. This safari begins in Kigali city, Rwanda and ends in Kampala/ Entebbe in Uganda.
Highlights for 16 Days Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trek and Canopy Walk.
Day 3: Colobus Monkey Trekking and Optional Tea Tour
Day 4: Transfer to Gisenyi- Evening Boat Cruise on Lake Kivu
Day 5: Optional Coffee Tour & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and Ibyiwacu Village Tour.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking and Optional Visit to Karisoke Center
Day 7: Golden Monkey Trek
Day 8: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park- Uganda
Day 9: Gorilla Trek in Bwindi and Optional Batwa Cultural Tour
Day 10: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Evening Game Drive
Day 11: Lion Tracking Experience/ Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise
Day 12: Drive to Kibale National Park (Approximately 3 hours)
Day 13: Chimpanzee Trek and Optional Bigodi Swamp Walk
Day 14: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 15: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Day 16: Rhino Trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Drive to Kampala.
Detailed Itinerary for 16 Days Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
In the morning, you will be picked by the driver from your hotel in Kigali and drive southwards to Nyungwe forest National Park. You will have a stopover in Butare, where you will visit the national museum of Rwanda, the king’s palace in Nyanza with lunch enroute. Dinner and overnight t your preffered hotel/lodge.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trek and Canopy Walk.
On the 2nd day of your 16 Days Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari, Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing before entering the forest, searching for the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are easy to spot, as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimp tracking usually takes about 3 hours. You will then have your packed lunch and later return back to base where you will meet up with your driver guide.
After having your packed lunch, you will embark on a guided nature walk along the famous canopy walkway bridge- 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 about below you there after connect to your accommodation to spend the evening at leisure. This hike takes only 2 hours. Later transfer back to your lodge/hotel for dinner and overnight same as above.
Day 3: Colobus Monkey Trekking and Optional Tea Tour
Have breakfast early in the morning and meet up with your driver guide. You will then drive to the park headquarters where you will be briefed for your colobus monkey trek. Trekking begins at 8am in the morning and can last between 4-6 hours or more depending on their location. After your colobus monkey trek, you will drive back to your lodge for hot lunch and then spend the rest of your afternoon at leisure.
After lunch, you can do an optional tea tour where you can visit Gisakura Tea estate. Immerse yourself in the tea making process from start to finish and indulge your taste buds as you sip a hot cup of Rwandan made tea. Later return back to your lodge for dinner and overnight same as above.
Optional Activity: Tea Tour
Day 4: Transfer to Gisenyi- Evening Boat Cruise on Lake Kivu
After having your breakfast at the hotel, you will transfer to Gisenyi arriving in time for lunch at the hotel and later you will enjoy an evening boat ride on Lake Kivu. Later return back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Optional Coffee Tour & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park and Ibyiwacu Village Tour.
After having breakfast in the morning, you will meet your guide and drive to Volcanoes national park. You can do an optional coffee tour where you will visit Kinunu washing station in Gisenyi. Take a tour of the coffee plantations and processing plant and you will also get to taste a cup of Rwandan made coffee. Enjoy the beautiful views as you traverse the countryside arriving in Volcanoes NP in the afternoon in time for lunch.
You will embark on a cultural tour to Ibyiwacu village aka ‘The Gorilla Guardians Village’ where you will get to interact with the locals and watch dance and singing performances from the local dance troupe. If you still wish to explore more, you can do other optional activities such as visiting the Elle DeGeneres Campus for the Dian Fossey Fund where you will be taken on a tour of the campus facilities including the classrooms, laboratories and exhibition hall. Dinner and overnight stay.
Optional Activities: Coffee Tour at Kinunu Washing Station, Visit Elle DeGeneres Campus for the Dian Fossey Fund
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking and Optional Visit to Karisoke Center
The fifth day of this 16 Days Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari highlights a gorilla trekking activity. Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the RBD officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This experience of gorilla tracking is a once in a life time adventure. The rangers will lead you deep into the forest in search for the Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about 1 hour. The activity in Rwanda can take 3-5 hours since the gorillas move up and down.
This is an awesome and exciting moment. En route there are a lot of chimpanzees and other types of the primates such as the monkeys, birds and so more. Return for lunch at the Lodge and in the afternoon, you may embark on an optional visit to the Karisoke research center where you can visit the Dian Fossey Museum and also the graves of the Late Diane Fossey, an American primatologist who was murdered because she was protecting these endangered mountain Gorillas. Return for dinner and overnight stay.
Optional Activity: Karisoke Centre
Day 7: Golden Monkey Trek
After breakfast on the sixth day of your 16 Days Rwanda and Uganda Safari, you will go for golden monkey tracking. This activity also takes like 2-3 hours in the Virunga forest. Later return back to your lodge for early lunch and spend the rest of your evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at same lodge as above.
Day 8: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park- Uganda
Have breakfast at your lodge and then meet up with your driver guide. You will embark on a 5-6 hours drive from Ruhengeri to Bwindi Impenetrable national park in Uganda. Have lunch en-route with a brief stopover along the way for you to take a few pictures of the beautiful sceneries. Arrive in Bwindi in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 9: Gorilla Trek in Bwindi and Optional Batwa Cultural Tour
After an early morning breakfast, you will depart with your packed lunch and proceed to the park headquarters for briefing and take to the forest for gorilla trekking! Your child can spend that time at the hotel or in the company of a guide as they visit around. Gorilla Trekking can take an hour or four depending on the movement of the gorillas.
The time remaining after visiting the gorillas can either be spent relaxing and remembering the trek or you can do an optional trek to visit local Batwa communities in the area. Dinner and overnight at stay.
Day 10: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Evening Game Drive
After having breakfast at your lodge, you will meet your driver guide and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda which is about 4 hour drive. Enjoy a scenic drive on your way to the park with lunch en route. Arrive in the park later in the evening and check into your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Lion Tracking Experience/ Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise
Set off after having breakfast to the Kasenyi area as early as 5:00 am to prepare for the Lion tracking experience, here you will get an opportunity to get close to a pride of lions. This is a 2-hour activity. fascinating game drive where you will be able to view great numbers of animals including the savannah elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, and antelopes including the Oribis, Uganda kobs, and waterbucks to mention a few.
In the afternoon, you will go for an afternoon boat trip along the Kazinga channel. During the boat trip, you will enjoy watching the densely populated hippos along the lake, crocodiles, and other animals like elephants, buffaloes, and bird species on the banks. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above.
Day 12: Drive to Kibale National Park (Approximately 3 hours)
Have breakfast in the morning and meet up with your driver guide. You will embark on about 3 hour’s drive to Kibale National Park. Arrive in Kibale national park in the evening and check into your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at your preferred lodge.
Day 13: Chimpanzee Trek and Optional Bigodi Swamp Walk
Wake up early and drive to the park’s briefing point by 7 am. You will trek with chimpanzees in the park starting at 8 am with the trek taking about 4 hours with an hour with the chimpanzees once you have located a group.
After your chimp trek, you will have lunch at your lodge and rest. If you still wish to explore more, you can do an optional visit to Bigodi Swamp where you will get to see a variety of bird species including the prehistoric Shoebill Stork. Dinner and overnight stay same as the previous night.
Day 14: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park
Have breakfast in the morning and meet up with your driver guide. You will embark on about 6 hours drive to Murchison Falls National Park with lunch en route. Arrive in Murchison falls national park later in the afternoon and check into your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at your preferred lodge.
Day 15: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will cross the ferry for a morning game drive on the Northern bank. The activity takes about 3-5 hours and is able to view a variety of wildlife including elephants, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, lions, Hartebeest, Uganda kobs, Oribis, and waterbucks. After the drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon go for a boat cruise along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfishers, cormorants, and bee-eater.
You will drive to the top of the falls and get an up-close view of the world’s most powerful waterfalls (Murchison falls). You will enjoy seeing the falls at different points and finally, when you reach at the top of the falls, you will be amazed and eventually forget about the tuff hike. After spending a good time at the top of the falls, you will meet your driver who will transfer you back to your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at as above.
Day 16: Rhino Trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Drive to Kampala.
Have breakfast at leisure and then reconnect with your driver guide. You will then have a stopover for rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary which will take approximately 1-2 hours depending on where the rhinos are located. After your rhino trek, you will have lunch and then proceed with your drive back to Kampala with drop off at a hotel of your choice or directly at Entebbe International Airport if you have an evening flight to board back home. End of Tour!
