The 12 Days Rwanda-Uganda safari combines the major highlights of the two countries including primate trekking, wildlife viewing, and cultural experiences. Gorilla trekking is the major attraction in this safari and it can be done in either Rwanda or Uganda or both depending on your interest and budget.
Other experiences include chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, game drives, nature walks and cultural encounters. This tour can start in either country depending on your travel arrangements and safari interests and it can still be customised to suit all your needs.
Safari Highlights
Gorilla trekking
Chimpanzee trekking
Golden monkey tracking
Game drives
Boat cruise
Nature walk
Top of the falls experience
Rhino tracking
Cultural experience
City tour
Trip Summary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali & city tour
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes national park & cultural experience
Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
Day 4: Golden monkey tracking & transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 5: Second gorilla trek (optional)
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park & afternoon game drive
Day 7: Game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Day 8: Transfer to Kibale national park and afternoon nature walk
Day 9: Chimpanzee tracking & Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
Day 10: Transfer to Murchison Falls national park & top of the falls experience
Day 11: Game drive & boat cruise to the bottom of the Falls
Day 12: Rhino tracking at Ziwa & departure
Detailed itinerary – 12 Days Rwanda-Uganda safari
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and city tour
Arrive at Kigali International Airport (KGL) and meet your driver guide. Transfer to your booked hotel for check in and relaxation. Depending on your arrival time and how you physically feel, you may opt for a city tour around Kigali. Some of the key sites to check out include the Kigali Genocide Memorial where you can pay tribute to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and also learn about the country’s history and culture. Other places you may visit include a local market and Inema Arts Centre. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Kigali.
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes national park and cultural experience
After early breakfast, embark on a scenic drive to Volcanoes national park in northwest Rwanda. This journey takes you through Rwanda’s “Land of a Thousand Hills” with stunning views rolling hills, plantations and local communities. Arrive and check into your lodge near Volcanoes national park. After relaxation, you may go for an optional cultural experience around the park.
Visit the Gorilla Guardian Village (formerly Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village) for a breathtaking cultural immersion. Enjoy Rwanda’s traditional music and dance performed by the talented Intore dancers, storytelling, local activities and learn more about the country’s history and traditions. Dinner and overnight at your lodge near Volcanoes national park.
Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
After early breakfast, transfer to park headquarters at Kinigi for a briefing on gorilla trekking. You will also be divided into small groups and assigned a gorilla group to visit. Enter the forest to look for your assigned gorilla group led by a team of experienced guides and rangers.
This trek may take from 1-6 hours depending on the location and movement of gorillas in the forest. Upon reaching gorillas, spend a full hour in their presence observing them in their natural habitat in a truly magical and unforgettable experience. At the end this breathtaking experience, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.
Day 4: Golden monkey tracking and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Early breakfast and transfer to Volcanoes national park for another primate experience, golden monkey trekking. After briefing, enter the forest to meet these playful and endemic primates in their natural habitat. They are usually found in the bamboo forests of the park. Observe these beautiful and endangered primates play and interact for a full hour. Return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, begin your drive to Bwindi impenetrable national park, crossing the border from Rwanda into Uganda. Check into your lodge within or near the park for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Second gorilla trek (optional)
Enjoy your second gorilla trekking experience or the first if you didn’t do one in Rwanda. This offers a chance to meet another habituated gorilla group in a different habitat. Bwindi has over 20 habituated gorilla groups and the park protects half of the world’s mountain gorillas. After trekking gorillas, return to the park headquarters and collect your gorilla tracking certificate before returning to your lodge for relaxation and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park and afternoon game drive
After breakfast, embark on scenic drive to Queen Elizabeth national park, enjoying stunning views of rolling hills and local communities. Enter the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth national park for a chance to see the unique tree-climbing lions in Ishasha. Lookout into the branches of the fig trees where these predators usually hide to spot their prey. Proceed to your accommodation while enjoying a game drive through the park spotting other wildlife along the way.
Day 7: Game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Enjoy a morning game drive in the wildlife-rich Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth national park. Lookout for a variety of wildlife species including buffaloes, elephants, leopards, Uganda kobs and more. In the afternoon, go for a relaxing and rewarding boat cruise on Kazinga Channel which connects Lake George and Lake Edward. Encounter large herds of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and a variety of waterbirds along the Channel.
Day 8: Transfer to Kibale national park
After breakfast, enjoy another scenic drive on your way to Kibale national park, the “Primate Capital of the World.” The journey offers stunning views of crater lakes, rolling hills, plantations and local communities. Arrive and check into your accommodation near Kibale national park for dinner and overnight as you get ready for a chimpanzee tracking encounter in the morning.
Day 9: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
Early breakfast and transfer to park headquarters for a briefing on chimpanzee tracking. Enter the forest and meet a large a community of habituated chimpanzees. Spend a full hour observing these intelligent primates interacting in their natural habitat. After the experience, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the late afternoon, visit the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for nature walk and more primate experience. Encounter other primate species such as the L’Hoest monkey, blue monkey and colobus monkey as well a variety of bird species.
Day 10: Transfer to Murchison Falls national park and top of the Falls experience
Early breakfast and embark on a long scenic drive to Murchison falls national park, in the northwest of Uganda. The journey offers stunning views of Uganda’s countryside including rolling hills, plantations and local communities. Upon entering the park, head straight to Murchison Falls for a breathtaking top of the falls experience. Witness how the Nile River squeezes through a narrow gorge to create the powerful and magnificent Murchison Falls. Drive to your lodge and check in for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Game drive and boat cruise on the Nile
Enjoy a morning game drive in the northern bank of the Nile where you will encounter a variety of wildlife including lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, and antelopes. In the afternoon, go for a scintillating boat cruise on the Nile to the bottom of the falls. You will encounter hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of waterbirds on this cruise. Dinner and overnight at your accommodation.
Day 12: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and departure
After breakfast, embark on your drive to Kampala/Entebbe for your departure flight. En-route, visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for an on-foot rhino tracking experience. This is the only place where you can rhinos in the wild hence making your Big Five list in Uganda complete. Proceed to Entebbe for your departure flight or overnight stay depending on your travel arrangements.
Important considerations for the 12 Days Rwanda-Uganda safari
Gorilla permits and chimpanzee permits should be booked and secured at least 6 months in advance through a credible tour operator. Rwanda’s gorilla permit cost $1,500 per person while a chimpanzee permit cost $250 per person. A golden monkey permit is sold at $100 per person. In Uganda, the gorilla permit is sold at $800 person while the chimpanzee permit is sold at $250 per person.
The best season for gorilla tracking and other wildlife safaris in Rwanda and Uganda is the dry period between June to September and December to February. This is because the trails are drier and easier to trek while gorillas also tend to move freely in the forest hence easy to find. However, gorilla trekking tours and other wildlife safaris in Rwanda take place throughout the year. Note that it can also rain at any time, especially in the montane rainforests of Volcanoes national park hence the need to carry the relevant gear.
Your tour operator will also cater for your transport, accommodation and guiding services. Ensure to communicate to your operator in case you have any health concerns that may require special attention.
Some of the most important gear to pack for a gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda include sturdy hiking boots, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, gardening gloves, and a camera with extra batteries. Gorilla trekking can be physically demanding and therefore you need a reasonable level of fitness to hike through dense montane rainforests. The minimum age allowed for gorilla tracking in both Uganda and Rwanda is 15 years.
You will need a visa for both Uganda and Rwanda. Consider applying for the East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV). This covers both countries and Kenya for a single fee.