15 Days Best Uganda Rwanda Safari

15 Days Best Uganda Rwanda Safari This best Uganda and Rwanda safari will be led by one of our expert guides with a wide knowledge of both cultures. 3 departures a year special offer for March/April, departs again on July 5th and November 23rd. Come we see Africa in its ancient days of doing a wildlife safari with very competent and instinctively responsive tour guides to your likes and dislikes. Rwanda and Uganda are one of the most alluring safari destinations in Africa. Despite being tiny and landlocked countries in Equatorial Africa, with varying seasonality’s and climates, Rwanda and Uganda have a number of unique fascinations to offer exploration seekers who still want to have a feel of African unique safari adventures. The bespoke activity in these two countries is them being home to the endangered mountain gorillas that live in the Virunga Conservation area where Dian Fossey dedicated her life studying the behavior of mountain gorillas. On this Uganda and Rwanda Safari, we are coupling a number of un imaginable primates, mammals, birds and people’s cultures we are actually doing it all, come adventure with Journeys Uganda.

Trip Summary

• Day 1: Arrival In Kampala
• Day 2: Kampala – Northern Murchison Falls National Park
• Day 3: Morning Game Safari And Boat Trip Along The Victoria Nile
• Day 4: Murchison Falls – Kibale Forest National Park
• Day 5: Kibale Primates Trekking And Bird Watching
• Day 6: Toro Cultural Tour And Connect To Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Day 7: Game Drive And Boat Safari In The 2nd Largest Park In Uganda – Queen Elizabeth
• Day 8: Queen Elizabeth Via Ishasha To Bwindi Gorilla Park
• Day 9: Bwindi Gorilla Tracking Day In Uganda
• Day 10: Uganda – Rwanda Via Cyanika To (Volcanoes National Park)
• Day 11: Rwanda Gorilla Tracking Day
• Day 12: Golden Monkey Trekking – Kigali Genocide Memorial Site
• Day 13: Transfer To Uganda (Lake Bunyonyi) From Rwanda Kigali
• Day 14: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park – Uganda
• Day 15: Early Morning Game Safari Then Transfer To Entebbe Onwards

Day 1: Arrival in Kampala

Depending on your arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be met by a Journeys Uganda Safari Guide who will transfer you to The Bomas, we shall have a relaxed morning, and then in the afternoon, we shall have options of visiting the Botanical gardens or Ngamba Island, a chimpanzee sanctuary in lake Victoria then back to our Lodge for Dinner and Overnight stay at Cassia Lodge or The Lodge Lweza. FB

Day 2: Kampala – Northern Murchison Falls National Park

Take early breakfast, our best Uganda Rwanda safari departs for Murchison Falls National Park. As we said that we are having it all there is also a focus on the ‘big five’ which we always have chances of seeing at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, then proceed to the park with a short excursion to the top of the falls where the Nile perfects its beauty as it goes through a narrow gorge of 7 meters wide, flowing down 47meters. Check in at the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Nile Safari Lodge or Kabalega Resort. FB

Day 3: Morning Game Safari and Boat trip along the Victoria Nile

This is the day to explore the largest national park in Uganda – Murchison Falls. We shall start early after breakfast and embark on a morning game viewing safari in the park which is always rewarding with views of African Elephant, Giraffe, African Buffalo, Uganda Kob, Oribi, Bushbuck and waterbuck, on lucky days we always have close encounters of Lions and the elusive Leopard, the scavenging Spotted Hyena with its closet living relative the Mongoose, Jackals among others we later drive back to the lodge in a time for a hot lunch. After lunch we proceed for an afternoon boat safari to the bottom of the falls this exposes us to big schools of hippos and Nile crocodiles basking along the shores, many buffaloes and Elephants and other antelopes come down to cool off, a variety of birds on the river banks like kingfisher, cormorants, bee-eater and the rare shoebill stork. Back to the lodge for  Dinner and overnight at Mountains Of The Moon or Attaco Country Resort. FB

Day 4: Murchison Falls – Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast we drive down to the ferry and connect to Kibale forest while enjoying the scenic beauty of the Western arm of the rift valley and the Butiaba escarpments, we shall leave with a picnic lunch to be enjoyed at ease in a place of convenience. We shall have stopovers at will and looking at different interesting things ranging from peoples’ cultures to primates like the Uganda Red Tailed Monkey, Black and White Collobus, Varvet monkey and many more, check-in at Kyaninga Lodge or Mountains OF The Moon relax in the evening as we wait for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Kibale Primates trekking and Bird watching

Wake up early morning and go searching for chimpanzees in the Kibale forest, much as the major focus here are chimps, this forest has the highest concentration of primates in Uganda say Africa and perhaps the whole world and among those we expect are the colobus monkeys, Grey Cheeked – Mongabeys, Olive Baboons, Uganda Red tailed monkeys, the L’Hoest’s monkeys, The Central African Colobus, Blue Monkeys among the diurnal primates in the night Bush-babies and Galagos are always seen. You will move with a ranger guide who will make your walk informative and productive making it interesting to share knowledge about the forest and its inhabitant, do not hesitate, ask as many learning questions as you can about nature. The Guide will provide information on both flora and fauna, this is also the best spot for the Green Breasted Pitta, one of the highly sought after bird in the park and Uganda as a whole. Then return for lunch and in the afternoon, go for a nature walk to Bigodi sanctuary for plenty of birds and other fauna and flora. Dinner and overnight at Mountains OF The Moon or Attaco Country Resort. FB

Day 6: Toro Cultural Tour and Connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast we shall take a short cultural drive to Karambi Royal tombs including many cultural groups such as the Burungu community which is rooted in Traditional Toro culture that will entertain you with music, dancing and storytelling, among the sight to visit here we have the. Later in the afternoon, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park with game viewing enroute. For Dinner and overnight at  Jacana Safari Lodge or Marafiki Lodge. FB

Day 7: Game Drive and Boat safari in the 2nd largest park in Uganda – Queen Elizabeth

After a cup of tea/coffee and a muffin, you will go for an early morning game safari in the park looking out for Lions, African Elephants, Cape buffalo, Warthogs, on lucky days we have chances of seeing the Leopard, Hyena, Banded Mongoose are always in large parks at the Mweya side, Waterbucks, Uganda Kobs, among others, the mammals should not make us lose focus on the over 600 bird species that inhabit the park and those always easily seen include the Red necked Francolin, White Backed and Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Bishops, Pipits and Larks to mention but a few. Return to the lodge for a late breakfast, relax as we wait for lunch, after which we shall enjoy the unique afternoon 2-hour boat safari on the Kazinga Channel. This trip takes you through possibly the highest concentration of Hippos in Africa, a few Nile crocodiles and many animals are seen drinking at the channel’s edge. This boat safari offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. Depending on the success of the morning drive, we can have an optional late evening game safari which gives us chances of seeing some nocturnal mammals and birds like Nightjars and Owls. Back to our lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Jacana Lodge or Marafiki Lodge.

Day 8: Queen Elizabeth via Ishasha to Bwindi Gorilla Park

After breakfast and depending on the luck we have had in the park, we could opt for another morning game safari in the northern sector of the park then ensue to the southern Ishasha sector where we have big chances of seeing the tree climbing lions and other mammals like the Topi, Giant Forest Hog of those that might have been missed in the prior days of the tour. We will have our picnic lunch in this section of the park then continue to Bwindi gorilla forest where we check in at  Gorilla Mist Camp or Buhoma Community Camp. FB

Day 9: Bwindi Gorilla Tracking Day in Uganda

After early breakfast, we head to the park offices with packed lunch for a briefing about the Dos and Don’ts while trekking the gorillas. Tracking can take 2-9 hours depending on their movements and luck of the day. You will stay with these Giant and gentle gorillas for 1 hour for observation and photography. If the evening is free, we can take a cultural walk to the nearby Batwa community. Dinner and overnight stay at  Gorilla Mist Camp or Buhoma Community Camp. FB

Day 10: Uganda – Rwanda Via Cyanika to (Volcanoes National Park)

After breakfast, we shall start a scenic drive through the terraced gardens lots of stopovers whenever you wish to take photographs will be guaranteed, depart for Rwanda for another gorilla tracking experience. Crossing Rwanda border requires $50 visa fee (for those who require Visa), arrive at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge by late afternoon. Your guide will brief you about the gorilla trek for the next day as you wait for dinner and overnight. Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge. FB

Day 11: Rwanda Gorilla tracking day

An early breakfast after which you proceed to Kinigi park station for briefing about Gorilla tracking, then continue on for the trek with packed lunch and water. If time allows, you take an excursion to the beautiful twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Return for dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge. FB

Day 12: Golden Monkey trekking – Kigali Genocide Memorial Site

After breakfast, you will proceed for Golden Monkey tracking it is a species of Old World monkey found within the Virungas conservation area of Central Africa, including four national parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga and Kahuzi-Biéga, in the eastern D.R.C. It is restricted to high altitude forests and always near bamboo as they enjoy feeding on the shoots. The Golden Monkey was previously thought to be a subspecies of the blue monkey and the two are similar overall, but the Golden Monkey has a golden-orange patch on the upper flanks and back.

Not much is known about the golden monkey’s behavior but they live in social groups of up to 30 individuals which are exciting to see in large numbers always feeding mainly on leaves and fruits and at times they can eat insects. These monkeys living in the Virungas Conservation area which is a limited and had some wars recently, the golden monkey is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red data List after this wonderful experience, we shall get back to our lodge for a hot lunch then head to Kigali for a city tour with visits to the Genocide memorial sites, cultural museum, curio markets and the Kimironko fruit markets where you have a chance to meet the local people and choose your fruit basket. Dinner and overnight stay at Kigali Serena Or Hotel Rwanda.

Day 13: Transfer to Uganda (Lake Bunyonyi) from Rwanda Kigali

After breakfast you will leave Kigali and drive to Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, today’s afternoon we can have a boat ride on the lake and visit some of the cultural Islands. Dinner and overnight at Arcadia Cottages overlooking the beautiful lava dammed Lake Bunyonyi.

Day 14: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park – Uganda

After breakfast we leave the Switzerland of Africa and drive to Lake Mburo National Park, probably in time for lunch after which we shall go for an afternoon boat safari on the Lake where the park derives its name ‘Mburo’, an excellent place for birding and the best to see the African Finfoot in the whole world, other easily seen rare bird species here include the Giant Kingfisher, White Backed Night Heron, Little Bittern to mention but these. The safari also gets us close to Hippos and crocodiles. Dinner and overnight at Rwakobo Rock. FB

Day 15: Early morning game safari then transfer to Entebbe onwards

Wake up early for a morning cup of tea/coffee and embark on a brief game safari to catch up with early raisers and predators returning to their hideouts. This is the only park which can be explored on foot and while here we expect to see the giant Eland, Common Zebra, African Buffalo, Impala, Water and Bushbuck, excellent sightings of the Dwarf Mongoose and lots of visiting birds from Northern Tanzania like the Tabora Cisticola, Red Faced Barbet, Green Backed Eremomela among others, we later drive back to our lodge for a late full breakfast and thereafter, drive to Kampala with numerous stop overs at the Equator for photographs, and other spots of scenic importance proceed to Entebbe airport for your flight onwards.

END OF OUR BEST UGANDA RWANDA SAFARI