13 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari

Pick-up from Entebbe International Airport or your Kampala hotel. Scenic drive west via Mubende to Fort Portal (approx. 5–6 hours) — tea plantations and crater lakes appear as you climb toward the Albertine Rift.

Optional afternoon crater-lake viewpoint near Fort Portal with Rwenzori foothill views on clear days. Overnight near Kanyanchu trailhead. Your guide outlines the 13-day Uganda–Rwanda arc — chimps first, then savannah, gorillas, lakes and Rwandan highlands without Congo border complexity.

07:00 briefing and chimp trek in Kibale National Park with UWA rangers. One hour with the habituated community — pant-hoots and grooming at close range.

Safari activity | Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale

Uganda's premier chimp experience — mature rainforest and 13 primate species at Kanyanchu.

Afternoon Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary community walk for red colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey and great blue turaco.

Morning transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (2–3 hours) via Kasese. Lunch at Mweya lodge, then afternoon Kazinga Channel boat safari.

Safari activity | Kazinga Channel boat safari

Two-hour cruise — hippos, elephant, buffalo and outstanding birding between Lakes George and Edward.

Pre-dawn tea and game drive on the Kasenyi Plains — Queen Elizabeth's prime lion and leopard territory at first light. Uganda kob herds attract predators; elephant, warthog, spotted hyena and jackal are regular on the short-grass plains.

Return for breakfast at the lodge. Afternoon at leisure by the Kazinga Channel or optional Kyambura Gorge chimp walk (permit supplement — steep ravine forest with a separate habituated community). Sundowners overlooking the channel as hippos grunt below.

Activity duration: 3–4 hours morning drive
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Queen Elizabeth lodge

Full day in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth — dawn and afternoon game drives scanning fig trees for tree-climbing lions, a behaviour documented in only Ishasha and Lake Manyara. Buffalo, elephant, topi and Uganda kob graze the savannah between forest patches.

Your guide knows which fig trees lions favour in different seasons — the Ishasha River area and camp-side figs are reliable in dry months. Picnic lunch in the sector. Ishasha Wilderness Camp offers river views if overnighting in sector rather than returning to Mweya.

Safari activity | Ishasha tree-lion tracking

Full-day Ishasha drives — lions draped over fig branches, buffalo herds, and the southern gateway to Bwindi.

Activity duration: 8–9 hours game driving
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Scenic Kigezi highlands drive to Bwindi sector lodge (3–4 hours from Ishasha). Terraced hillsides, volcanic peaks and tea plantations frame the approach — the landscape known as Switzerland of Africa.

Evening gorilla trekking briefing — sector (Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija or Nkuringo) follows UWA permit allocation. Prepare gaiters, gardening gloves and waterproof jacket for tomorrow's forest trek. Porter hire recommended on steep trails.

Early breakfast and transfer to UWA sector headquarters for 07:00 briefing. Full gorilla trek with rangers and trackers through Bwindi montane forest — trekking 2–8 hours depending on family location.

Safari activity | Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Uganda gorilla permit day — silverback displays, juveniles tumbling, and UWA certificate on return.

One magical hour on contact with the habituated family. Afternoon rest at lodge — porters strongly recommended on steep, muddy trails. Bwindi holds roughly half the world's remaining mountain gorillas across four sectors.

Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi (1–2 hours). Afternoon dugout canoe among 29 islands — Uganda's deepest lake and classic post-trek recovery stop.

Safari activity | Dugout canoe on Lake Bunyonyi

Island paddling and terraced hillside views — malaria-free highland air before Rwanda.

Full rest day at Lake Bunyonyi — optional zip-line across Africa's second-deepest lake, birding for weavers, kingfishers and sunbirds, or community walks on terraced Bakiga hillsides. The lake's 29 islands and bilharzia-free water make swimming safe and refreshing.

No strenuous activity before Rwanda border crossing tomorrow. Pack for Cyanika border — East Africa Tourist Visa simplifies Rwanda entry. Optional visit to Edirisa craft workshop on Kyahugye Island for canoe-making demonstrations.

After breakfast, cross the Cyanika border into Rwanda (allow 30–45 minutes; East Africa Tourist Visa covers both sides). Continue to Volcanoes foothills near Musanze — Virunga volcanoes Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo visible on clear days.

Afternoon at leisure or cultural visit in Musanze town — pottery cooperatives and coffee washing stations. Tomorrow is golden monkey trekking day in Volcanoes bamboo forest. Optional Rwanda gorilla trek (USD 1,500 supplement) can replace golden monkeys on Days 11–12 — confirm at booking.

Morning golden-monkey trek in Volcanoes bamboo forest — acrobatic groups often visible at close range. Afternoon twin-lakes drive (Burera and Ruhondo) or Dian Fossey grave hike (optional).

Safari activity | Golden monkey trekking

Bamboo-forest primate encounter on Virunga slopes — lighter trekking than gorilla day with excellent photography.

Optional second Rwanda gorilla trek (USD 1,500 supplement) can replace or follow golden monkeys — confirm at booking.

Transfer to Gisenyi on Lake Kivu (1–2 hours) through potato fields and tea plantations. Afternoon boat cruise and lakeside lunch at a waterfront restaurant — one of Africa's great rift lakes with Nyiragongo volcano visible across the water in DRC on clear days.

Evening stroll Gisenyi waterfront promenade. Fishermen bring sambaza (small sardines) ashore at dusk — a local delicacy worth trying grilled. Tomorrow returns to Kigali for memorial visit and departure.

Scenic drive to Kigali (2–3 hours). Visit Kigali Genocide Memorial (allow 1.5 hours) — essential context for modern Rwanda.

Craft markets, coffee tastings and airport transfer for evening international flights from Kigali International Airport.