12 Day Uganda & Rwanda Safari

Welcome at Entebbe International Airport. Transfer to lakeside hotel on Lake Victoria. Welcome briefing on the 12-day Uganda–Rwanda loop — no rushed single-night transfers; double nights at key parks prevent end-of-trip fatigue.

Evening at leisure. Optional stroll through Entebbe botanical gardens for colobus monkeys and hornbills if arrival time allows.

Drive west to Fort Portal (approx. 5–6 hours) via Mubende. Landscape shifts from Kampala's bustle to tea plantations and crater lakes as you approach the Albertine Rift.

Afternoon crater-lake viewpoint near Fort Portal — the Rwenzori range visible on clear days. Check in at your Kibale National Park lodge.

07:00 briefing at Kanyanchu, then full chimp morning in Kibale's mature rainforest. Trekking typically 2–4 hours; one hour with the habituated community once located.

Safari activity | Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale

Track a habituated chimp community through mature rainforest — afternoon optional Bigodi Wetland walk for red colobus and great blue turaco.

Afternoon Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk or forest birding around the lodge. Kibale holds 13 primate species — the highest density in East Africa.

Morning transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park Mweya Peninsula (approx. 2–3 hours). Check in 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 and outstanding birding.

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

Pre-dawn game drive on Kasenyi Plains — Queen Elizabeth's prime predator territory. Lion prides stalk Uganda kob at first light; leopard, spotted hyena and elephant are regular.

Safari activity | Kasenyi Plains dawn game drive

Queen Elizabeth's prime predator territory at first light — lion, leopard and hyena on the Uganda kob plains, with optional afternoon Kyambura Gorge chimp walk.

Afternoon relaxed sundowner drive or optional Kyambura Gorge walk for chimpanzees in the underground forest — a dramatic gorge cutting through the savannah.

Full day in the Ishasha sector — lions in fig trees, topi and elephant on the plains. This remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth is one of only two places in Africa where lions regularly climb trees.

Safari activity | Ishasha tree-climbing lion tracking

Full-day drive in Ishasha sector scanning giant fig trees for lions — topi, elephant and buffalo on the plains alongside the cats.

Picnic lunch in the sector. Your guide knows which fig trees the prides favour — morning and afternoon scans maximise sighting chances.

Scenic Kigezi highland drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (approx. 3–4 hours from Ishasha). Terraced hillsides and volcanic peaks frame the road.

Safari activity | Kigezi highlands transfer to Bwindi

Scenic drive from Ishasha through the "Switzerland of Africa" Kigezi highlands to your Bwindi sector lodge — evening gorilla etiquette briefing for tomorrow's trek.

Evening gorilla etiquette briefing and gear check for tomorrow's trek. Porter hire and waterproof layers are essential.

Early breakfast and transfer to park headquarters for UWA briefing. Full gorilla trek day with rangers and trackers — 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 — one hour on contact, then your gorilla trekking certificate on return.

One hour with the habituated family, certificate on return. Afternoon rest at the lodge before tomorrow's transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.

Relaxed morning drive to Lake Bunyonyi (approx. 1–2 hours) — 29 islands, terraced hillsides and cool highland air. Check in for a two-night stay — the buffer days at Bunyonyi prevent end-of-trip fatigue.

Safari activity | Dugout canoe on Lake Bunyonyi

Afternoon paddle among Bunyonyi's 29 islands — post-gorilla recovery on Uganda's most scenic highland lake before crossing into Rwanda.

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

Full day at leisure on Lake Bunyonyi — canoe, birding, zip-line or community visits among terraced islands. Post-gorilla recovery without a rushed transfer.

Safari activity | Lake Bunyonyi island exploration

Second full day for canoe, birding and island hopping — Uganda's most scenic highland lake before crossing into Rwanda tomorrow.

Optional visit to a Bakiga community or punishment island history tour. Evening sundowners overlooking the lake.

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.

Continue to Gisenyi on Lake Kivu (approx. 3–4 hours total from Bunyonyi). Afternoon boat cruise among fishing villages and pelicans.

Safari activity | Lake Kivu boat cruise

Afternoon boat on one of Africa's great rift lakes — fishing pirogues, pelicans and terraced hillsides on the Rwanda–DRC shoreline.

Morning optional golden-monkey trek in Volcanoes National Park (separate permit) or scenic drive to Kigali (approx. 2–3 hours from Gisenyi).

Optional Kigali Genocide Memorial visit if flight time allows — a dignified, essential stop. Airport transfer to Kigali International Airport for departure. Add a second Rwanda gorilla trek on Days 10–11 if desired (supplement).