This 8 days Rwanda and Uganda luxury safari from Kigali is meant for those people interested in safari but can only get flights in through Kigali or fancy shorter drives and those staying in Rwanda. Also, with the current price of the gorilla permit in Rwanda, Uganda is now a preferred destination for gorilla tracking. This trip gives shorter drive times and will give you a feel of both Uganda and Rwanda while on the trip. It will take you to some of the national parks of Uganda with visits to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzees, with the last day to spend around Lake Bunyonyi to relax after the safari.
Itinerary for 8 Days Rwanda and Uganda luxury Safari
DAY 1: Pick up from Kigali Airport/Lodge to start your 8-day gorilla, game, and chimpanzee safari through Kigali.
You will be picked up from Kigali International Airport/any hotel in Kigali to start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Genocide Museum and Kigali city tour if time allows. The journey is very scenic and will take you through a country of a thousand hills to the Pearl of Africa. You cross over to Uganda at Katuna or Chanika border for a stop at Kabale town (Katuna) or Kisoro (Chanika) before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for overnight.
DAY 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You will wake up early in the morning and head to the park headquarters to join other clients for a briefing about dos and don’ts while with mountain gorillas on your habituation experience. After briefing, you will start your trek into the forest guided by researchers and guides. During your trek, you may encounter several birds, other animals, and primates in the forest, and once you have found the gorillas, you will spend four hours with them and return back to the lodge for overnight. You will have an opportunity to listen and observe researchers doing their work of habituating gorillas, and if possible, you will be called upon to participate by collecting samples, naming group members, making calls, and so much more.
DAY 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, you will depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park located in western Uganda, arriving in time for lunch at Elephant Hab Lodge. This will be followed by a short relaxation and an evening game drive in the savannah plains of Kasenyi, where wild animals like buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, and big cats such as lions and leopards can be spotted depending on your luck. Return to your lodge for overnight.
DAY 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
This morning you will head back to the plains of Kasenyi for a morning game drive to try to find what you could have missed the previous day. Lunch will be served at the lodge, and after that, you will head to the jetty along the Kazinga Channel for the afternoon private boat cruise. This cruise offers you chances of viewing animals like hippos, water birds, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, and many other wildlife that flock to the channel for drinking water.
DAY 5: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale National Park
After an early breakfast drive to the northern bank of Queen Elizabeth National Park (Kasenyi) area in search of the wild animals, which include elephants, buffalos, wild cats, savanna birds, and different species of antelopes such as water buck, Uganda kobs, and others. After lunch you will drive to Kibale Forest National Park, arriving at your lodge in the evening.
DAY 6: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale foREST naTIONAL pARK
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park headquarters at Kanyakyu to join other trekkers for a briefing and eventual chimpanzee trekking. You will be led by a well-trained ranger/guide who will take you for a guided primate walk inside Kibale Forest National Park. This forest provides an opportunity to visit one of the habituated communities/parts of chimpanzees and spend an hour with them observing and taking photographs. Kibale National Park is home to 11 other primate species coupled with forest birds. After your chimpanzee trek, you will drive to Bigodi Village for a wetland walk that was designed to benefit the local community living around Kibale Forest National Park. Return to the lodge for overnight.
DAY 7: Depart Kibale Forest National Park for Lake Bunyonyi.
Drive from Kibale Forest National Park; you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi to break the long journey to Kigali and relax after the lodge tour. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the three lava-dammed lakes, which was formed when lava flowing from one of the volcanoes blocked a river channel, and water was forced to flow back, hence filling the space to create Lake Bunyonyi. Bunyonyi locally means small birds due to the abundance of small birds in this area. Lake Bunyonyi is said to be the deepest lake in Uganda and the second deepest in East Africa. A person visits Lake Bunyonyi for its beauty and is one of the best places to relax after your long safari.
DAY 8: Optional canoeing or hiking activities around the lake and transfer back to Rwanda to end the trip.
After breakfast, you are free to admire the beauty of the lake and its surrounding hills. You will have a choice of either taking a canoe ride on the lake to explore different islands with exciting history. You will, for example, visit Punishment Island, where girls who would produce babies out of legitimate traditional marriage would be dumped and left to die. This is a whole day activity, and you will surely enjoy it. Alternatively, you can hike one of the hills around Lake Bunyonyi. Encounter Africa Safaris supports some projects so those who want to do something on their tour can go for volunteer work. After any of the optional activities, drive to Katuna Border and head for Kigali with either a late flight or post-tour hotel on your own arrangement.
8 Days Rwanda and Uganda luxury Safari INCLUDES:
- Airport transfers
- Transportation in our safari vehicle
- English-speaking driver/guide allowance
- Gorilla permits, one per person to be paid for in advance
- Chimpanzee permits, one per person to be paid for in advance
- Kigali City Tour
- Enroute lunch
8 Days Rwanda and Uganda luxury Safari EXCLUDES:
- Uganda and Rwanda Visas
- Porter fee while trekking in Parc National des Volcanoes
- Beverages
- Laundry
- Mineral water
- Tips, among other personal nature requirements