11 Days Uganda Rwanda Tour
The 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour is an extraordinary tour that starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda. The safari will take you to different destinations in Uganda and Rwanda including Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale forest national park, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake in Uganda. During the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will be able to engage in game drives and boat cruise where you will be able to view different animals including elephants, waterbucks, lions, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, Nile crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, topi, oribi, bushbucks among others. You will also engage in an adventurous gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey trekking experience where you will get an opportunity to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and chimpanzees in their natural environments.
Highlights of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat ride
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Day 10: Dian fossey hike
Day 11: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kigali
Depending on your arrival time at Kigali International airport on day 1 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Kigali for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
After breakfast on day 2 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will check out of the hotel and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale Forest National Park also known as the primate capital. It’s a full day journey and on the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy amazing views of the Rwenzori Mountains, tea plantations, crater lakes among others. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After an early breakfast on day 3 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and transfer to Kanyachu visitors Centre for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the chimpanzees which takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you a chance to learn more about their habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, take photos and record videos.
After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park. Upon arrival, you will go for an optional evening game drive where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, lions, leopards among others. After the evening game drive, you will connect to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 4 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive/ lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will have great views of the sunrise, big four mammals which are lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, other animals like waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, views of different bird species among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise, after lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise along Kazinga channel a 40km long channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs drinking water along the banks, view water birds among others. You will also be able to see the fishermen along the shores preparing their fishing gears for night fishing, take beautiful pictures among others. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on day 5 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way, you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions which will be lazily lying in acacia/fig tree branches if you are lucky. After the game drive in Ishasha sector, you will have en-route lunch and then proceed the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park, upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 6 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will carry packed lunch and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle which takes a whole day and during trekking, you will have views of mammals, other primates, different bird species among others. Once the gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend four hours with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, playing, grooming young ones, observe their behaviours, take photos and record the breath-taking moments.
After the encounter with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla habituation, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat ride
On day 7 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest fresh water lake in Uganda. Upon arrival, you will go for an amazing boat ride where you will be able to explore the islands, enjoy great views of the scenery, highlands, terraced farmlands, animals, different bird species among others. After the boat ride, you will drive to the lodge for lunch where after you will either spend the rest of the day at leisure or engage in optional activities like Zip lining, cultural tour, nature walk among others. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
After breakfast on day 8 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Volcanoes national park via Katuna border in Kabale or Cyanika border in Kisoro. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
On day 9 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will have an early breakfast and meet up with your driver guide go for an interesting golden monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 2 to 5 hours. During trekking you will be able to different bird species, other primates among others and once the golden monkeys are found, you will be able to one hour with them in their environment where you will watch them feed, play, jump up in tree branches, take photos and record videos to show people back home.
After golden monkey trekking, you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer to the lodge for lunch where after you will go for an optional Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, learn about their culture, history, lifestyle, way of living, visit their homesteads, enjoy their traditional performances among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Dian Fossey hike
After an early breakfast on day 10 of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kinigi park offices for a briefing about Dian Fossey hike. After the briefing, you will be allocated an experienced park guide and drive to the starting point to start the hike. During Dian Fossey hike, you will be able to view different wildlife species including forest buffaloes, elephants, primates like golden monkeys, view different bird species, enjoy beautiful views of the Virunga ranges among others. The Dian Fossey hike takes about 1 to 3 hours depending on your level of fitness and when you reach the camp site, you will be able to see the grave of Dian Fossey that is next to that of her favorite gorilla digit and many other gorillas. You will take pictures and later start descending back to the starting point which takes about 1-2 hours and upon arrival, you will meet up with your driver guide to return to the lodge for lunch where after you will spend the rest of the day at leisure, dinner and overnight.
Day 11 Departure to Kigali
After a relaxed breakfast on the last day of the 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kigali. Upon arrival, you will go for a city tour where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial Centre, Kimironko market, Museums, art centers among others. After the city tour, you will have lunch and then your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of convenience.
End of 11 days Uganda Rwanda tour
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Lion tracking experience
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips and others
