Our 21-day tour uncovers beautiful Uganda and Rwanda. In the savannahs and rainforests of East Africa, we can see mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and many birds. This tour takes you to Uganda and Rwanda’s top national parks, including Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Nyungwe National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.
Arrival at Entebbe Airport. Your guide will pick you up and take you to the hotel for relaxation. If you arrive early, you can go on a shoebill excursion and enjoy a canoe Day ride on the Mamba swamp, where you can search for the unique shoebill stork and other visitor bird species.
Accommodations:
Included: Airport Transfer
After breakfast, depart for Murchison Falls National Park. Stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track the White Rhino. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the only place in Uganda where you can see the White Rhino in the wild. Proceed to Murchison Falls National Park. If time allows, we can visit the top of the falls.
Accommodations:
Included: Rhino tracking, visit to the top of the falls
After an early morning breakfast, we shall head for a 4–5-hour game drive on the northern bank of the Nile. Expect to see elephants, Rothschild giraffes, Jackson hartebeest, lions, oribis, waterbucks, and various Savannah woodland birds. After lunch, we shall depart for a three-hour Boat launch trip upstream towards the bottom of Murchison Falls and hike to the top. You will see hippos, Nile Crocodiles, and plenty of birdlife. You might also see elephants drinking at the water's edge. Return to the Lodge for Dinner and Overnight.
Accommodations:
Included: Game drive, boat trip, hike to the top of the falls
After breakfast, we drive to Kibale National Park. After checking in, you can take an optional walk around the community. Kibale National Park is a spectacular rainforest best known as the Primates Capital of the world. The forest hosts 13 primate species such as chimpanzees, baboons, black and white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, and L’Hoest monkey, among others. Birds such as the great blue turaco can be found here.
Accommodations:
Optional: Community walk
After breakfast, you will meet your fellow trackers at the Kibale National Park Headquarters, where the park ranger and guides brief you about the activity and give you instructions on how to follow during the trek in the forest. You will see a variety of monkey species, such as the red-tailed monkeys and white and black colobus monkeys, among others. When you spot the chimpanzees, you can see them for one hour while taking photos and short videos with non-flashlight cameras.
Optional: In the afternoon, we will take a nature walk in the Bigodi wetland, which will take us through the swampy area to the community. You will participate in interesting local activities, such as a coffee experience, banana winemaking, and visiting the traditional healer.
Accommodations:
Included: Chimpanzee tracking
Optional: Bigodi Swamp Walk
After having breakfast, we will drive from Kibale to Semuliki National Park while we enjoy the beautiful views of the crater lakes along the way. We will visit the famous Sempaya Hot Springs found in Semuliki National Park. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight. Semuliki National Park is a unique place and the only lowland jungle in East Africa, which is part of the Congo ecosystem.
Accommodations:
Included: Visit Sempaya Hot Springs
Have breakfast and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing the Equator. Proceed to the lodge and prepare for a game drive in the afternoon. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most visited national park and one of the best places for game viewing. Animals to expect include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, and many hippos and crocodiles.
Accommodations:
Included: Game drive
After a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains, return to the lodge for lunch and prepare for a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel in the afternoon. You will see various birds and animal species, including buffalos, hippos, crocodiles, and elephants. Return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodations:
Included: Game viewing, Boat cruise
In the morning, after having breakfast, we drive through to the southern part of the park known as the Ishasha Sector. It is also possible to track the chimpanzees in the Kyambura Gorge or Karinzu forest reserve. You can also do a nature/forest walk in the Maramagambo forest to visit the bat caves. We will do a game drive in Ishasha, searching for the unique tree-climbing lions. Ishasha is the home of several prides of the world’s unique tree-climbing lions. Topis are also found in the Ishasha Sector.
Accommodations:
Included: Game drives
After a relaxed breakfast, we drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha Sector, famous for its unique tree-climbing lions. Enjoy the drive and journey through the beautiful scenery and stop over at fresh markets en route to your accommodation for relaxation.
Accommodations:
Included: Search for tree-climbing lions
Early departure with your ranger guides in search of one of the world’s most interesting, endangered animals, the Mountain Gorilla. You will spend one hour with one of your closest relatives. Coming up close to endangered Mountain Gorillas in the forests of Uganda is a thrilling lifetime experience that surely ranks on most people’s travel bucket lists. Trekking at a high altitude through dense forests and up steep terrain can be challenging, especially in the African heat, but the hour you get to spend with these gentle giants is worth every step. Only eight guests may visit one gorilla family at a time - one trek per day/ family. Gorilla Tracking - is managed entirely by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, with a head ranger, security personnel (armed as a precaution against wildlife, etc.) and trackers, with optional porters – who walk with the guests until a family is located. Once the gorillas are found, the rangers only take the guests closer to the gorillas – and your viewing time commences – which is one hour. Porters are from the local communities and are rotated for revenue sharing, which goes directly to them. It is recommended that at least one porter be hired per person trekking. Fees are usually additional to your tour and paid directly.
Accommodations:
Included: Gorilla permit and transfers
Today, you can do one optional activity in Bwindi: a forest walk to the waterfalls, Visit the Batwa pygmies or a birding walk. In the afternoon, drive to Lake Mutanda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Lake Mutanda is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Uganda. When you are in Mutanda on a clear day, you can see the three volcanoes in the distance and their reflection in Lake Mutanda. You can do an activity such as a boat ride on the lake, walk along the lake or to the local people, swim in the crocodile-free Lake Mutanda, or relax at the lodge.
Accommodations:
Wake up for an early breakfast, visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, go for golden monkey tracking, or climb one of the volcanoes. The hike takes about eight hours, depending on your physical strength and speed. Participants must carry plenty of drinking water, warm clothing, and rain gear because it can rain anytime during the hike. More about the Virunga Mountain Ranges: There are three volcanoes, each with its uniqueness. Mount Sabyinyo is the most challenging. However, it allows you to be in three countries (Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) simultaneously and can be hiked only via the Uganda side. Mount Muhabura is the tallest and has a crater lake on top. Mount Gahinga has a swap. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is part of the Virunga Volcanoes and borders Rwanda’s famous Volcanoes National Park. After Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the second place in Uganda where mountain gorillas can be tracked. It is also home to the golden monkeys, a species of the Blue Monkey. This national park is dubbed “where gold meets gold”. Return to your lodge for relaxation and an overnight stay.
Accommodations:
Included: Choose an activity from golden monkey tracking, climbing a volcano
Drive to the island-dotted Lake Bunyonyi, where you can relax or go for birding. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the deepest and most beautiful lakes in Uganda. It is at an altitude of 2,000 m and was formed by multiple volcanic eruptions. 29 islands beautify it.
Accommodation:
Drive from Uganda to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is one of four locations in the world where visitors can track mountain gorillas (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo). It is part of the Virunga Mountains, which cover the three countries.
Accommodations:
Optional: Visit the pygmies
Today, you can choose to go second-gorilla tracking in Volcanoes National Park, go golden monkey tracking, visit Dian Fossey’s Grave, climb a volcano, visit the Twin Lakes, Lake Ruhondo, and Lake Burera, or take a nature walk in the national park. Please note that all the activities are optional.
Accommodations:
After breakfast, we shall drive to Kibuye, on the shores of Lake Kivu, where you can relax. You can walk along the lake, visit the neighbouring village, or explore the lake on a boat. (All activities are optional)
Accommodations:
Wake up for breakfast and drive to Nyungwe National Park. Upon arrival, you can walk around the lodge to see monkeys and birds (Optional). Nyungwe Forest National Park is East Africa’s largest forest, home to 13 monkey species, including chimpanzees, Angolan Black Colobus Monkeys, mona monkeys, and owl-faced monkeys.
Accommodation:
Early morning Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park. You can expect to see other primates such as vervet monkeys, mangabey species, birds, and butterflies.
Accommodation:
Included: Chimpanzee tracking
Today, you will go to one of the following activities: A nature walk or birdwatching along the forest boundaries, make the Irebero primate walk to spot birds and monkeys, enjoy the canopy walk, do the Imbaraga waterfall trail to see the 4 waterfalls with great views.
Accommodation:
Included: 1 of the following activities: nature walk, bird watching, primate walk, canopy walk, waterfall trail
After a relaxing breakfast, we embark on a drive to Kigali, with stops at some cultural sites and museums en route. We then do a city tour and later transfer to the airport for your outbound flight.
| Price | Mid-range | High-end |
|---|---|---|
| Per person | $10,970 | $12,989 |
| Single room surcharge | $2,170 | $3,260 |
The prices are based on 2 people sharing a room. A single room surcharge applies for clients who would like to stay in single rooms.