16 Days Best Of Uganda and Rwanda Safari
Enjoy this 16 days Best of Uganda and Rwanda will take you to go gorilla trekking, track chimpanzees, visit golden monkeys, and seeing wildlife. Visit the highlights, the best safari sites and places in Uganda and Rwanda on our 16 days Best of Uganda and Rwanda gorilla tracking safari.
Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Drive to Transfer to Volcanoes national park.
- Day 2: Gorilla Tracking Rwanda.
- Day 3: Golden monkey trekking.
- Day 4; Drive to transfer to Uganda’s Bwindi National park.
- Day 5; Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Uganda.
- Day 6: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.
- Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth Park.
- Day 8: Game drive safari / Boat ride
- Day 9: Game drives / Visit the Crater lake and salt Mines.
- Day 10: Transfer to Kibale National park/ Chimpanzee Tracking.
- Day 11: Drive to Semliki National park /Visit Sempaya hot springs.
- Day 12: Forest walk.
- Day 13: Transfer to Kampala.
- Day 14: Kampala City Tour.
- Day 15: Jinja City Tour.
- Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe airport.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Drive to Transfer to Volcanoes national park.
Our safari guide will welcome you at the airport. Basing on your time of arrival, you have will have city tour in Kigali. You will visit the genocide memorial which claimed the lives of very many Rwanda citizens. In 100 days, over one million people were killed. They killed one, then another, day after day, hour after hour, and minute by minute. Every minute of the day, someone, somewhere, was being heard screaming for mercy. The Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre launches numerous genocides and genocidal-type situations. It does not provide samples of all genocidal massacres because of limited space but only illustrate a few representing a tragic cross-section of a century of genocide. You will be given information about the Genocide and then leave for Parc National des Volcanoes. The trip takes you northwards through the beautiful terraced hillside that says a lot about Rwanda’s landscape, slowly climbing to the bottom of the overwhelming Virunga volcanoes, which at times displays 5 of its picks. Overnight at:
Luxury: Volcanoes Virunga Lodge/ sabinyo silver back lodge.
Standard: Mountain gorilla view lodge/ Mountain Gorilla Nest Lodge/ Hotel Gorillas in Kinigi
Budget: Kinigi guest house/ Hotel Muhabura
Day 2: Gorilla Tracking Rwanda.
Rise up early in the morning for breakfast, then carrying your tracking gears move to ORTPN park headquarters for short briefing before setting off to the mountain slopes to search for the few left Giant primates- The Legendary Mountain Gorillas in Africa ! The trek is strenuous and the time taken to encounter the gorillas is surely erratic but it is an exciting experience on meeting of the gorillas.
Encounters will depend on the movements of the gorillas and since their movements depend on how near their food may be in the forest, the time taken may not be known but an encounter is a worthwhile. Dinner and overnight at your budgeted lodge
Day 3: Golden monkey trekking.
Wake up early in the morning for your breakfast and get ready to go and trek the golden monkey. The Golden monkey scientifically known as Cercopithecus mitis kandti is a subspecies of blue monkey found only in the bamboo forests of the volcanic mountain chain which makes a part of the boundary between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Golden monkey trek is an experience that one compares to gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Uganda or Congo .
About Golden Monkeys;
Small but great-the golden monkey weighs about 10-25 pounds and has a golden body, cheeks and tail and has complementary black limbs, crown and tail-end. Miniature is presently known about the environmental requirements of the golden monkey, and the subspecies populaces have never been determined. Living in the supercilious montane Virungas forests with its great ape relatives, this primate faces some of the same threats as gorillas, including snares set for small antelopes, human encroachment and people entering their habitat to collect wood.
Start the trek by penetrating the dense stands of bamboo scattered with open glades, with the guidance of ranger guides, you will make your way deep into golden monkey territory and habitat of groups of ‘habituated’ golden monkeys – monkeys that have turned into being familiar to human presence and will be seen. Although viewing is classically kept to a maximum of one hour, tourists can get an up-close look at the golden monkey in its natural habitat.
Adult monkeys cavort in plain view, feeding on bamboo leaves and leaping from branch to branch. Females drug their young ones, completely comfortable among onlookers. 2 families of golden monkeys have been habituated – one in Volcanoes National Park and the other in Mgahinga National Park. At the moment, you have a chance of seeing these frightened apes in their natural habitat. In case there is ample time, visit the local community. Dinner and overnight at the previous lodge
Day 4; Drive to transfer to Uganda’s Bwindi National park.
After gorilla tracking in Rwanda, drive to Uganda the pearl of Africa to continue with your trip. Head to Bwindi national park the home of the mountain gorillas. The name Bwindi means impenetrable so that double meaning speaks out the truth about this luxuriant forest. Check in and wait for dinner and overnight at;
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
Up market 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 5; Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Uganda.
Wake up early in the morning for a hearty breakfast, pack your tracking gears and head to the ranger station for briefing. Do not forget to carry parked lunch because you do not know the time you may take to meet the adventurous apes.
After briefing, you will go into the lush dump ever green forest for the jungle search. During your expedition, you will get to see other primates like monkeys, birds a seen or heard whistling from the tree branches and the surrounding vegetation is awesome.
It is advisable to put on jungle boots because the terrain is quite slippery and there may be some insects on the way. When you encounter the gentle eyed gorilla, you will forget the time you spent searching for them. Spend an hour with them, taking photo graphs and watching there moves. In case you are not so tied you will take a visit to Batwa Cultural Village, get entertained by them. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.
Early in the morning, drive to Kabale and get to see the birds’ haven where the lake got its name. The Word Bunyonyi locally means birds. Take a tour to the eye captivating islands in Lake Bunyonyi. You will have either a boat ride or go canoeing. See excellent birds like cranes, cattel egrets, pink-backed pelican, papyrus gonolek, black rumped buttonquail and so many other interesting birds. Enjoy your lunch and proceed to the Batwa communities (Pygmies). These are great entertainers, listen to there great history and the songs they sing to welcome you. Dinner and overnight at
Arcadia cottages /Bunyonyi overland resort / Bushara island camp/ Crater bay cottages
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth Park.
Carry on to Queen Elizabeth national park the home of a variety of wild fauna and Flora. UNESCO named this park a biosphere reserve because of the species it bears. It has birds both local and foreign birds. That is why it is unique from other parks. Check in for dinner and overnight at
Luxury accommodation: Mweya safari lodge/Jacana lodge
Mid range accommodation: Ihamba/Albertine camp/ Hippo hill camp
Budge accommodation: Mweya hostels/Simba safari camp/Ishasha Wilderness camp
Day 8: Game drive safari / Boat ride
Wake up early and head for a game drive. You will be able to see variety of animals like hartebeest, Uganda Kob, lions, waterbuck, buffalos, oribi, baboons the list is endless. Enjoy the varying vegetation that is within the park. Visit the dry salt lake in the park; you will also notice a putrid smell from Lake Nyamunuka which is the animals’ hospital. Listen to the history behind its smell.
Return to the lodge for late day breakfast and later lunch. Get down to the river for an eye captivating launch cruise. You may have the chance of spotting some beautiful birds as they flap there wings, thirsty animals like herds of elephants, buffalos, antelopes, a school of hippos, crocodiles and several other interesting animals. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Game drives / Visit the Crater lake and salt Mines.
Early in the morning, drive to the Kobs mating ground. You may have the opportunity of seeing the King of the Jungel camouflaged in the bushes waiting to catch a prey. Pass the abandoned villages of encroachers to this park and proceed to Lake Katwe a salty lake that has existed since the ancient days. Watch the rudimentary salty mining activity. Take photographs too. Return to your lodge to relax and wait for dinner plus overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Kibale National park/ Chimpanzee Tracking.
Early in the morning drive to Kibale national park. You will go into the luxuriant forest which has the clearest trails. Have lunch and get ready to trek the chimpanzees. You will be briefed by the ranger about the activity, proceed to the green fresh forest with very tall trees. As you search for the chimps, you may come across the tree where you can stand and view the elephant wallow.
You will hear the chimpanzees communicate to others even before spotting them. Spend some time in there presence. Watch the elder ones as they take care of the young ones while the youth play from the vines. Follow the chimps up to the time they make there nests ready to sleep. Dinner and overnight at;
Luxurious accommodation; Ndali Lodge/ Primates Lodge
Mid range accommodation: Rwenzori View Guest House/Mountains of the moon Fort Portal/ Chimps nest lodge
Budget accommodation: Kanyankyu Ecological Bandas
Day 11: Drive to Semliki National park /Visit Sempaya hot springs.
Early in the morning, take break fast and transfer to Semuliki national park. It is one of the prehistoric forests with huge luxuriant trees. It has unique animals like mongoose and slender mongoose, standard and pennant winged nightjars, cats, hyenas, leopards which may be seen on a night game drive. Visit the Sempaya hot spring and perform the egg boiling experiment. Check in, wait for dinner and overnight at Semuliki Safari lodge/ Bumaga cottages/Mountains of the moon Hotel in Fort portal
Day 12: Forest walk.
Following a delicious morning breakfast, engage in a walk in the dense forests which has exotic primates, Semliki hotsprings, bird species as well as mammals. It even has various species of trees like; Isolama congolana, Nesogordonia Kabingaensis and Ejacis guineesis and the endangered species are Cordia milleni, and lovoa. When you are on the forest walk, you may get the chance of spotting about 374 species of butterflies which are a good recipe for butterfly fanatics to experiment on the area of butterflies.
Enjoy your Lunch then head to fort portal. Visit the Mabere ga Nyinamwiru falls which are the stalactites and stalagmites that look like breasts. Listen to the interesting history behind these lovely falls. In case there is still enough time, visit the Toro palace. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Transfer to Kampala.
After breakfast, head to Kampala passing via Mubende. Break your journey at Nakayima tree which is a mysterious tree in Buganda. Continue to Kampala. Dinner and overnight at:
Luxury accommodation: Serena hotel/ Imperial royale Hotel/Sheraton hotel
Mid range accommodation: Hotel Africana/ hotel triangle/ Hotel Shangri-La
Budget accommodation: Holiday express Hotel/Namirembe guest house
Day 14: Kampala City Tour.
Wake up early in the morning and get ready for a You will have a city tour where you will visit the Nagalabi coronation site, the Mengo Buganda palace, visit some religious places like Rubaga cathedral fro Catholics, Kibuli Mosque for the Muslims, Namirembe cathedral for the protestants and the Bahai temple for the Bahai worshipers. This is the only temple of its king in the entire Africa. You may visit other places like kabaka’s man made lake in Ndeeba, Sanyu babies home, Nsambya babies home and so many other interesting places. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Jinja City Tour.
After breakfast in the morning, drive eastwards to Jinja. On the way, you will visit the inexplicable Bujjagali falls which is the home for the Buganda spirits. Listen to the great history behind these thought to be born twin Rivers. Move on through the luxuriant Mabira natural forest. View some interesting monkeys as they jump from tree to tree in excitement. There are also a variety of birds present.
Tour the source of the Nile on a boat; see its actual originality where the Nile separates from great Lake Victoria. Continue to Bujjagali falls where you will take part in White water rafting adventure. You may also opt to do quad biking or try the adrenaline stimulating bungee jumping. Return to Kampala for dinner and overnight at your booked hotel
Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe airport.
After the long Trans border tour. Take on your flight back home. You will be driven to Entebbe Airport for your home bound flight. End of 16 days Best of Uganda and Rwanda.