10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Safari Tour

Pick-up from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala. After a safari briefing on the Uganda–Rwanda loop, drive west to Fort Portal foothills (approx. 5–6 hours) via Mubende.

Optional afternoon crater-lake viewpoint near Fort Portal — the Rwenzori range visible on clear days. Evening at leisure; your guide confirms tomorrow's chimp briefing at Kanyanchu.

07:00 briefing at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, then join UWA rangers for a chimpanzee trek through Kibale National Park's mature rainforest. Trekking typically 2–4 hours; the park holds 13 primate species.

Safari activity | Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale

Track a habituated chimp community through mature rainforest — one hour with the group once located, with excellent chances of loud pant-hoots and close-up social behaviour.

One hour observing grooming, feeding and social calls. Afternoon Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk for red colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey and great blue turaco.

Morning transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park Mweya Peninsula (approx. 2–3 hours) via Kasese. Check in at your bush lodge with lunch overlooking the rift valley.

Safari activity | Kazinga Channel boat safari

Two-hour afternoon cruise on the channel linking Lakes George and Edward — dense hippo pods, elephant and buffalo on the banks, and outstanding birding.

Afternoon 2-hour Kazinga Channel boat cruise among yawning hippos, Nile crocodiles and elephant herds drinking at the banks.

Pre-dawn game drive on Kasenyi Plains — lion prides stalk Uganda kob at first light; leopard, spotted hyena and elephant are regular. Return for breakfast at the lodge.

Safari activity | Kasenyi & Ishasha wildlife drive

Dawn predator tracking on Kasenyi Plains, then Ishasha sector drive for tree-climbing lions — Queen Elizabeth's signature savannah day on the Uganda–Rwanda loop.

Afternoon drive south to the Ishasha sector, scanning giant fig trees for tree-climbing lions — a behaviour documented in only two places in Africa. Topi and buffalo graze the Ishasha plains.

After breakfast, scenic drive south through the terraced Kigezi highlands to your Bwindi Impenetrable National Park sector lodge (approx. 4–5 hours). Evening gorilla etiquette briefing.

Uganda gorilla permits (foreign non-resident) are currently around USD 800. Porter hire and waterproof gear are essential for tomorrow's trek.

Early breakfast and transfer to park headquarters for UWA briefing. Full mountain gorilla trek day in Bwindi — trekking can take 2–8 hours depending on the assigned family's location.

Safari activity | Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Track a habituated gorilla family through Bwindi's montane forest with UWA rangers — one hour on contact, then your gorilla trekking certificate.

One hour with the habituated family, certificate on return. Afternoon rest at the lodge — trekking is physically demanding and porters are recommended.

Relaxed morning drive to Lake Bunyonyi (approx. 1–2 hours) — 29 islands, terraced hillsides and cool highland air. Uganda's classic post-gorilla decompression stop.

Safari activity | Dugout canoe on Lake Bunyonyi

Afternoon canoe among the islands — relaxation buffer after gorilla trekking before tomorrow's border crossing into Rwanda.

Afternoon dugout canoe among the islands. Optional birding or zip-line; the lake has no hippos or crocodiles, making swimming safe in designated areas.

After breakfast, drive to the Cyanika border (Kisoro–Cyanika, Uganda–Rwanda). Your guide handles exit and entry formalities; East Africa Tourist Visa recommended. Allow 30–60 minutes at the post — the crossing sits at 2,800 m with views across the Virunga volcanoes.

Safari activity | Cyanika border crossing into Rwanda

High-altitude Kisoro–Cyanika crossing with guide-managed customs — enter Rwanda for golden monkeys or Kigali culture on the final leg of your classic Uganda–Rwanda safari.

Continue to Volcanoes National Park foothills or Kigali depending on routing (approx. 3–4 hours total from Bunyonyi). Overnight Musanze or Kigali.

Choose your morning: golden-monkey trek in Volcanoes National Park (permit included) through bamboo forest, or a Kigali city tour — Genocide Memorial, Inema Arts Centre and Kimironko market.

Safari activity | Golden monkey trek or Kigali culture tour

Golden monkeys in Volcanoes bamboo forest, or a dignified Kigali city tour including the Genocide Memorial — primate encore or cultural closure to your Uganda–Rwanda safari.

Afternoon craft shopping or coffee at a Kigali roastery. Overnight in Kigali for tomorrow's departure flight.

Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Kigali International Airport for your departure flight. Optional last-minute craft shopping at CAPLAKI craft village en route if time allows.

Your guide confirms East Africa Tourist Visa stamps, gorilla certificate and chimp permit receipts are packed. End of your classic Uganda–Rwanda safari loop.