12 Days Uganda-Rwanda Primates Safari
This 12 Days Uganda-Rwanda safari involves visiting the very best travel destinations in Rwanda and Uganda for the primates experience. The safari starts from Uganda and ends in Kigali Rwanda but can be changed to start from Rwanda. The first stop will be in Uganda’s Murchison falls national park, then to Kibale National park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking. Visitors will then cross to Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park for a golden monkey tracking, cultural visits and Nyungwe national park and Kigali tour. Murchison Falls is the largest national park in Uganda. It is the only park where you can spot all the big five mammals. Before reaching the park, you will stop at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for a chance to track white rhinos. Other activities in the park include visiting the top of the falls, a game drive and a launch cruise. From there, you will transfer to Kibale National Park. Kibale is arguably the best place to track primates in the East Africa. There are 13 species of primates in the park including chimpanzees. After Kibale, you will be transferred to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth is the most visited national park in Uganda. It is home to tree climbing lions, beautiful landscape, gorges and crater lakes. While at the park, you will go for two game drives and a launch cruise. From Queen Elizabeth, the journey will continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This UNESCO World heritage site is home to the largest population of mountain gorillas. Your main activities in Bwindi will be gorilla trekking and visiting the Batwa pygmies.
The first stop in Rwanda is at the Volcanoes National Park. This is Rwanda’s most visited national park and while there, you will register for the golden monkey tracking. After completing all the activities, the driver will take you Nyungwe forest national park for yet another great encounter of the chimpanzees and canopy walk in one of Africa’s oldest rainforest. Thereafter, drive to Kigali and depending on your schedule, go for the city tour which includes visiting the genocide memorial Centre in Kigali, the main city market, the presidential palace museum and artisan shops. After the city tour, the driver will take your hotel or to the airport for departure.
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park – Rhino tracking and Top of the falls visit
Day 2: Morning game drive – boat cruise, game drive and birding
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park – Nature walk at Bigodi swamp
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and visit the community in Bigodi in the evening
Day 5: Kyambura Gorge chimpanzee trekking – Afternoon/evening boat cruise
Day 6: Morning game drive/birding – transfer to Kisoro
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park – Rwanda
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National park – Community tour
Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
Day 11: Chimpanzee trekking and Canopy Walk
Day 12: Kigali city tour and departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park – Rhino tracking and Top of the falls visit
Upon arrival at Entebbe airport/Depending on your location in Entebbe, you will meet your driver guides and depart to connect to Murchison falls national park. It’s about 6-7 hours’ drive with en-route stop at Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking and en-route lunch. Upon arrival in the afternoon with en-route birding, enter via Kichwabanyobo gate and connect to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Sambiya River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge/Twiga Safari Lodge/Nile Safari Lodge
Day 2: Morning game drive – boat cruise, game drive and birding
After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will go for a morning game drive in the northern part of the park where we find most of the animals. The time spent on a game drive depends on the availability of the animals. Expect to find animals including the Elephants, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, Lions, Leopards, Hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, Oribis, waterbuck, warthogs just to mention a few.
After lunch, connect for the 2 hours’ boat trip at the bottom of the falls with an evening game drive and birding. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park – Nature walk at Bigodi swamp
Wake up early and set off to transfer to Kibale forest national park with lunch en route in Fort portal town. It is a 7-8 hours’ drive arriving in Kibale national park late afternoon, proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee forest guest house for mid-range/Isunga lodge for a budget option
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and visit the community in Bigodi in the evening
Have early morning breakfast and go for briefing and start Chimpanzee trekking. Kibale Forest National Park is one of the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Kibale’s 795km2 National Park contains one of the most beautiful and with the most varying tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. This is the place to a number of forest wildlife, most especially 13 species of primate coupled with chimpanzees.
After trekking, you will have lunch and then visit Bigodi wetland where you will experience a lot of birdlife and unspoiled nature. Thereafter, proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park which is about 3 hours’ drive. Dinner and overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge for the luxury option/Parkview Safari Lodge for a Mid-range option/Pumba Safari Cottages for a budget option
Day 5: Kyambura Gorge chimpanzee trekking – Afternoon/evening boat cruise
You will have breakfast and connect Kyambura Gorge for a chimpanzee tracking, the search of the chimpanzee takes about 2-5 hours depending in the location of these creatures, finding the chimpanzees is not guaranteed however, the rangers will do their best to find them for you. You will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence when found.
Enjoy your lunch and then go for a launch cruise where you will spot various water animals like Hippos and crocodiles, the cruise will also enrich you with various water birds. Connect for an evening game drive in the Kasenyi area for animals like the elephants, buffaloes and on a lucky day, you may encounter the lions and leopards. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge for the luxury option/Parkview Safari Lodge for a Mid-range option/Pumba Safari Cottages for a budget option
Day 6: Morning game drive/birding – transfer to Kisoro
In the morning after breakfast, connect in Kasenyi area for a morning game drive to find some of the park residents before you embark on your journey to Kisoro. Its 5-7 hours depending on your trekking sector. You will have lunch en-route, arriving in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Travellers’ Rest Camp for budget/Lake Mulehe Safari lodge for mid-range option
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for a briefing by the ranger guides before entering the forest in your trekking gears including trekking sticks, good hiking shoes and stocking for tacking-in, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, and a raincoat or jacket to mention but a few. Gorilla trekking is no different from other trekking parks that is trekking takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas as they roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day however the rangers will be able to find them as they tracked daily. On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour as you view and take photos of these gentle primates before you descend back. After trekking, return to the lodge for check-in, relaxation and dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park – Rwanda
Have early morning breakfast, check-out and transfer to cross to Rwanda via Cyanika border to connect to Musanze – the base town for Volcanoes national park. Connect to your reserved lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Muhabura for budget/Le Bambou Gorilla lodge for mid-range
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National park – Community tour
After breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for briefing about the golden monkeys. Volcanoes national park is also a home to the fascinating Golden monkeys, the park shares boarders with Virunga national park in Congo. After briefing by the park officials, connect to start your search of the Golden monkeys, hiking over the volcanic terrains in search of the monkeys in the bamboo forest. It may take you 2-6 hours to find them depending on their location and you will be given 1 hour to spend with them while taking pictures before to return to your lodge.
Later afternoon/evening, drive to Ibya’ cuwa cultural village to have an experience of Banyarwanda culture and tradition, relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park
After breakfast, you will set off to Nyungwe forest national park. It’s a 7-8 hours’ drive via the rolling hills of Rwanda and Lake Kivu with en-route lunch. This park is best known for its habitant of primates species like the chimpanzees and plus owl-faced and colobus monkeys and canopy walk. Upon arrival in Nyungwe late afternoon, connect to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Gisakura Visitor centre for budget/Nyungwe Top View hotel for mid-range
Day 11: 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. You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.
After lunch, 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 about below you. Before night fall, you will return to the lodge for dinner as above. Dinner and overnight at hotel as above
Day 12: Kigali city tour and departure
After breakfast, embark on your journey to Kigali city, which is about 7 hours’ drive with en-route stops of site seeing and lunch. Depending on time, visit the king’s palace museum, visit the genocide memorial site and depending on your departure time flight, you will be dropped off at Kigali airport for your onward flight back home.
End of 12 Days Uganda-Rwanda Primates Safari
