The trip takes you to see wildlife including the mountain gorillas in both Uganda and Rwanda in their natural habitat. Go for game drives, nature walks and boat rides.
UGANDA AND RWANDA GORILLA TREKKING SAFARI IN BRIEF
Day1- Arrive at Entebbe International Airport- Pick up and drop off at Hotel . BB.
Day 2-Travel to Murchison falls Np , Visit the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary Have lunch and the top of the falls- BLD
Day 3- Game Watching safari drive Have lunch – Indulge in an afternoon Boat ride along the River Nile BLD
Day 4- Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest –Kaniyo Pabidi and transfer to Hoima- Village walk BLD
Day 5 – to Fortportal – Visit the Tooro Palace and Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru- Have lunch Visit the crater lakes BLD
Day 6- Chimpanzee tracking and Nature walk in Bigodi BLD
Day 7- Transfer to Queen Elizabeth Np- Visit the Crater lakes and Katwe salt mines BLD
Day 8- Wildlife watching safari in Queen Elizabeth have lunch, Boat ride along the Kazinga Channel BLD
Day 9 – Transfer to Bwindi Np – BLD
Day 10 Gorilla Tracking Tour in Uganda BLD
Day 11- Transfer to Kigali and then later transfer to Ruhengeri- Musanze BLD
Day 12- Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda if tracking ends early , visit to the twin Lakes of Ruhundo and Bulera BLD
Day 13- Transfer to Kabale, Visit the local museum, afternoon Canoe ride to the punishment Island BLD
Day 14- Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park and nature walk in the salt lick area BLD
Day 15- Game drive in lake Mburo Np – There is an optional horse riding safari at an extra cost – Transfer to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1- Arrive at Entebbe International Airport- Pick up and drop off at Hotel. BB.
A tours representative from AA SAFARIS & TOURS LTD will pick you up from the airport, brief you about the tour and transfer you to your hotel in either Kampala or Entebbe. You will be briefed about the package after which you will be left to rest as you enjoy and rehearse for your Uganda and Rwanda gorilla safari.
Dinner and overnight at
Luxury accommodation: Sheraton Hotel and Serena Hotel/ Imperial Botanical Beach hotel In Entebbe
Mid range accommodation: Grand Imperial Hotel/ Cassia Lodge / The Boma Guest house
Budget accommodation: Holiday Express hotel/ Central Inn Hotel .
N.B – Remember to ask for an early morning call because the next day requires an early morning start .
Day 2-Travel to Murchison falls Np , Visit the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary Have lunch and the top of the falls- BLD
Take your early morning breakfast . Your guide from AA SAFARIS & TOURS LTD will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to Murchison Falls National Park. The drive will take you via Kawempe or Kasubi through the Luwero or Hoima road to Masindi. Take a stopover at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino Tracking . After have lunch and then proceed to the top of the Murchison falls – a beautiful view for those who love taking pictures! View how the longest river Nile explodes through a narrow ravine from a 100 meter gorge to a 35 meters wide gorge.
Murchison falls National Park is one of Uganda’s Largest National game parks and the only one where the River Nile – Longest river in Africa runs . It was launched under the British Colonial rule in 1952 and was renamed by the Late Idi Amin Dada {ruling president of Uganda between 1970-1979 } as Kabalega National park . He named it so because he never wanted it to have its colonial name “Murchison falls ” for since he had taken power, he was insecure that any place with a colonial name would be re taken by colonialists so he renamed it Kabalega Falls. It was safe to visit until in the 1990s when Kony rebels attacked the northern Part of Uganda . However , since their seizure of fire, Murchison falls Np has for the last 8 years been safe to visit and it is one of the commonly visited places amongst Uganda’s wildlife national parks only second to Bwindi Impenetrable national park .
The park is a home to over 76 kinds of mammals and commonly seen are Girraffes, Elephants , Buffaloes, Warthogs, spotted Hyenas, leopards, side stripped Jackals, a pride of Lions if the savannah grass is not very high among others. Above 450 Bird species have been recorded in Murchison falls that include water bird, raptors and the legendary shoebill stork. While Reptiles include,snakes which are usually see in bird beaks when they fly, huge Nile Crocodiles and savannah Monitors. Murchison falls Np is also home to primates and monkeys that can be found in Budongo forest . These include;Chimpanzees, Bush babies, Al hoest Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, red tailed monkeys among others.
You will later transfer to your lodge for dinner and over night at ;
Budget – Red Chilli
Standard – Sambiya River lodge or Budongo Eco lodge
Luxury – Paraa Safari Lodge or Nile Safari Camp
Day 3- Game Watching safari drive Have lunch – Indulge in an afternoon Boat ride along the River Nile BLD
Arise early , prepare your selves and drink a warm cup of coffee or tea in order to warm your body up for the morning game watching safari in search for the early riser. You will search for buffaloes, elephants, Rothschild giraffes, Kobs, water-bucks, oribi, lions, hyena, a leopard if lucky and the birds. Returns to the lodge relax until lunch time. After lunch, head for a Boat ride along Victoria Nile to the bottom of the falls. The Boat ride along the River Nile takes three hours. The Murchison Falls are an astounding flaunt of the supremacy of scenery. Expect to see the Nile crocodiles, hippos, bird species and buffaloes, elephants drinking along the Nile. Return to the lodge of dinner and overnight.
Day 4- Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest –Kaniyo Pabidi and transfer to Hoima- Village walk BLD
After breakfast,head to Kaniyo Pabidi for briefing about chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest.you will walk under mature old tree species and you will be able to view a number of bird species like puvel’s illadopsis, the chocolates-backed Kingfisher, the white-thigh horn bill, the chocolates-backed Kingfisher which cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa. Have breakfast and transfer to Hoima.Dinner and overnight at
Budget Hoima Kolping Hotel
Standard- Hoima Kontik Hotel / African Village Hotel
Day 5: Transfer to Fort Portal and a city tour
Have breakfast and head to Fort Portal. Go for a city tour and visit the Amabere Ganyinamwiru which is a limestone place full of stalagmites and stalactites. These are traditionally known as the breasts of Nyinamwiru the mother of the first king of Bachwezi. Visit also the crater lakes in the area. Dinner and overnight at
Budget -Primates Lodge cottages/ Rwenzori View Guest house
Moderate – Nyinabilitwa Country resort
Luxury – Kyaninga Lodge / Primates Lodge Tents / Ndali lodge/ Mountains of the moon Lodge
Day 6- Chimpanzee tracking and Nature walk in Bigodi
Start the day with an early breakfast and then transfer to the park headquarters for briefing. After briefing you will be advise of the you group you will join and the your guide will lead the way for the search of chimpanzees. The trekking time ranges between 2 to 4 hours. The walk trough this rainforest of Kibale will be guided and informative as you search for Man’s Closest Relative. On meeting the chimpanzees you are allowed to spend 1 Hour following them and then later return to the starting point. You will have lunch and then later in the afternoon go for a walk in the Bigodi wetland. If you are a bird lover this is another paradise on earth.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have breakfast and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park famous for a number of wildlife like the hippos, buffaloes, elephants, kobs and a number of bird species. Visit the crater lakes like Lake Katwe famous for salt and continue for lunch. Have lunch at the lodge then head to the Kazinga channel for the boat cruise that may give you the opportunity to see Crocodiles, Hippos, water birds and land mammal at the waters edge. Dinner and Overnight at
Budget – Simba safari lodge / Bush Lodge
Moderate – Ihamba Lodge / Hippo Hill camp
Luxury -Mweya safari Lodge / Katara Lodge
Day 8: Game drive and launch cruise
Early morning, after breakfast, go for a game drive and view the early raisers like the lions, water bucks,warthogs,buffaloes,Hippos and birds mostly those that are found mainly in the Albertine rift valley. The park boasts one of the highest bio diversity ratings of any game park in the world, from the open Savannah to Rain forest, dense swamps. Return to the lodge and have breakfast. In the afternoon, go for a launch cruise on Kazinga channel and view a number of water birds, elephants, buffaloes drinking from the shores of the lake. Dinner and overnight
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Np
Through the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth you will drive to transfer to Bwindi in the morning after breakfast. The drive through this sector will reward you with tree climbing lions and other animals like the elephants. The drive in total takes 6 hours and you should reach the Bwindi in the afternoon .
Budget accommodation package- Buhoma Community bandas or Bwindi View bandas or Nkuringo campsite tents or Virunga Hotel or Nkuringo safari centre
Moderate- accommodation package- Lake Kitandara camp or Nkuringo camp site or Wagtail Eco lodge or similar
Upmarket accommodation package- Engagi lodge or Buhoma lodge or Gorilla Resort camp or Traveler’s rest camp or Silver back lodge
Luxury accommodation package- Gorilla Forest Camp or Clouds Lodge or Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge , or Volcanoes Bwindi safari Lodge
Day 10 Gorilla Tracking
After breakfast and with packed lunch, go for briefing by park ranger guides about gorilla tracking at the park headquarters. Hike into the forest and start looking for the gorillas starting from where they were last seen the previous day. When you come across them, spend one hour with the gorillas and see how they feed, play with each other. Gorilla trekking can take 8 hours depending on the kind of weather and where the gorillas are. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 11- Transfer to Kigali and Ruhengeri
Have breakfast and head to Rwanda through Kabale.View the beautiful hills and head to Kigali for a city tour. Visit the genocide Memorial centre and see some of the remains of the people that were killed in Kigali in 100 years. You will be given information about what took place and then transfer to Ruhengeri where Parc Des Volcanoes famous for gorilla tracking activity is found.Dinner and overnight at
Budget accommodation in Muhabura Lodge / Kinigi guest house.
Moderate accommodation in GORILLA NEST LODGE or Mountain gorilla view
Up market accommodation in Volcanoes Lodge or Sabyinyo Silver Back lodge
Day 12- Gorilla Tracking
After a warm breakfast, head to the ORTPN for briefing about gorilla tracking. Mountain Gorillas are some of the endangered prehistorically mammals that are currently found in Uganda Rwanda and Congo. They live in families and each has a dominant male called the silver back. At the moment, they are approximated to be 720 that still exist in the entire world. The guide will lead you into the luxuriant ever green forest to begin the search. You are advised to wear hiking shoes and long trousers because the forest is always damp and there may be some stinging insects. The time you get to see these apes is unpredictable so your patience is required. This search is between 2 to 8 hours. When you get to meet them, you will be filled with excitement to the extent of forgetting the tedious journey. Spend an hour with them, take there photographs and watch the young ones as they play from the vines. After tracking, visit the twin lakes Ruhundo and Bulera.Dinner and overnight at the lodge of your budget.
Day 13: Transfer to Kabale
Have breakfast and head to Kabale .Visit the local museum and view the different art and crafts sold and if interested, get information about the area. Have lunch and then go for a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi the second deepest lava damned lake in Africa with 24 small islands. The lake has a number of bird species like cranes, cattle egrets, pink-backed pelican, papyrus gonolek, black rumped button quail and is free from bilharzia.Dinner and overnight at
Bushara Island Camp – Budget
Moderate – Bunyonyi Overland camp / Arcadia Cottages
Luxury – Heritage lodge
Day 14- Transfer to Lake Mburo Np – nature walk in the salt lick area
In the morning, have breakfast and head to Lake Mburo National Park famous for the large population of Zebras and impalas. The park also has a number of Uganda kobs, impalas, bush-bucks, dickers and antelopes. Visit the salt lick lake area and view a number of wildlife licking from the lake. Dinner and overnight at
-Budget- Rwonyo bandas
Moderate – Arcadia cottage Lake Mburo
Luxury – Mihingo Lodge / Mantana Luxury camp
Day 15- game drive and then transfer to Kampala
Wake up in the morning and have breakfast then transfer to Kampala. Have a game drive en-route and stop at the equator for some beautiful pictures then continue to Kampala heading straight to the airport reaching in time for your departure flight.
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Acronyms
B- Breakfast
L- Lunch
D- Dinner
