The 15 day best of Rwanda and Uganda Will take you through the different Parks within Uganda and Rwanda including Volcanoes national park, Mgahinga gorillas national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Rwenzori national park and Kibaale national park. All these Parks are found in both Uganda and Rwanda and they Will give you a chance to see primates, wildlife, birds and also go for the hiking safari in Rwenzori mountains

Summary itinerary

1st day: Kigali Sightseeing Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes

2nd day: Gorilla trekking at volcanoes

3rd day: Golden monkey trekking & Boat trip on the Twin Lakes

4th day: Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park and Batwa Visit

5th day: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

6th day: Morning Game drive and afternoon Boat Cruise

7th day: Morning Game drive and transfer to Rwenzori National Park

8th day: Nyakalengija (1650) to Nyabitaba camp (2650m)

9th day: Nyabitaba (2650)m – Johnmaate camp (3505)m for hot lunch and continue to bujuku camp 3900 m

10th day: Bujuku camp 3900m – summit margharita peak and return back to Johnmaate camp

11th day: Johnmaate camp 3505m to Nyabitaba camp 2560m for lunch and continue down to nyakalengija for transfer to the next destination.

12th day: Transfer to Visit Crater Lake and head to Kibale National Park

13th day: Chimpanzee Trekking and community Tour

14th day: Transfer to Kampala

15th day: Kampala City Tour:

End of the trip

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Kigali Sightseeing Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes

Start off your day by being picked up from your hotel. Learn about the history of Kigali from your guide on your way to each stop. Watch the city’s lush green hills flash by you.  You will drive to the Kigali Genocide Memorial which commemorates the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. The remains of over 250,000 people are interred there. There is a visitor centre for students and others wishing to understand the events leading up to the genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994.

You will also visit the Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial, where the ten Belgian UN peacekeepers were murdered in the Hutu extremists in order to provoke a withdrawal of the UN forces.

You will also go to see the Hotel des Mille Collines. The inspiration for the film Hotel Rwanda, the hotel has emerged from the genocide years to become one of Kigali’s most popular inns. It lies on a hill, providing a calm, leafy escape from the bustle in the streets downtown. The views are breathtaking.

Transfer to Volcanoes National Park where you will check in at the lodge. You will have lunch and proceed to visit Elen DeGeneres museum by Diane Fossey for an optional tour. It’s a 20 minutes’ drive from the hiking point to Elen DeGeneres museum by Diane Fossey

Accommodation:

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge  –  https://www.davincigorillalodge.com/

Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel – https://gorillasvolcanoes.com-hotel.website/

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Gorilla trekking at volcanoes

Have yourself an early breakfast, after which your driver guide will take you to the headquarters in the park by 8 am for briefing. Your Ranger guides will lead you into the descending steep valleys trailing in the footpaths of feeding gorillas.

The interaction with gorillas, once sighted, is brief and minimized to one hour. The team will then descend out of the to reunite with the safari guide. After the trekking experience, you will be driven to Iby’iwachu community, where you will be introduced to the traditional Rwanda through traditional; dances, poems, dressing codes among others. Dinner and overnight at Da Vinci Lodge or Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel

Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge  –  https://www.davincigorillalodge.com/

Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel – https://gorillasvolcanoes.com-hotel.website/

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Golden monkey trekking & Boat trip on the Twin Lakes

Have breakfast and drive to the park headquarters for registration and briefing.  You will then start the trail following the ranger guide to trek the Golden Monkeys. Learn more about how they feed, day to day activities, as well as learning how the locals live and survive near the National Park.

The ranger guide will share with you more about the Park in general, formation of different features, how golden monkeys survive among other interesting related stories. After viewing the Golden Monkeys, you will walk back to meet your driver guide. Have lunch and the afternoon on a boat trip at the Twin Lakes. You will cross the boarder to transfer to Mgahinga for Dinner and overnight.

Lake Chahafi Resort – https://www.lakechahafiresort.com/

Ikoro Hotel Kisoro – https://www.ikorohotel.com/

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park and Batwa Visit

Encountering the Gorillas in their Natural Habitat is a truly unforgettable and assures one of our shares in the nature world.

You will be picked up by the safari guide to transfer to the park headquarters for briefing, and to register for this activity. You will be briefed on different things like Gorilla behavior and thereafter, start the trek in the forest. You will be allowed an hour with the Gorillas as you witness them interact, feed and play, then return to meet your guide.

In the evening you will visit the Batwa Community near Mgahinga to learn and understand the culture and History of these people. Drive to your Lodge for Dinner and overnight.

Lake Chahafi Resort – https://www.lakechahafiresort.com/

Ikoro Hotel Kisoro – https://www.ikorohotel.com/

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

This will take us through the edges of the forest via potato fields and the briefing will be conducted in the same place where the usual Kinigi park office is located this means the trekking will take us 3-4 hours after the trekking, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park for Dinner and overnight.

Enganzi Game Lodge – https://enganzilodge.com/

Songbird Safari Lodge – https://www.songbirdsafaris.com/

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Morning Game drive and afternoon Boat Cruise

Start the day with an early game drive that exposes us to diverse animals, Big 5 members Elephants, Buffalos, big cats- Lions, Leopards more times in the evening, warthogs- Hunchback carnivals like Hyenas are spotted along the Circuits as we drive along the and many more species that are residents to this park. There is a rich bird life especially our version of storks in the wetland spots as we reach the Flamingoes in the salt lakes at Kasenyi. After lunch we get ready for the Classic highlights on the 2hrs Boat cruise on the famous Kazinga channel, a 36kms channel linking Lake George – Lake Edward. Here you see land and water Adapted Hippopotamuses Yawning, the National Geographical society killing machine the Nile crocodile gaping along the Banks and Savannah version of Pigs the Warthog- Pumba are a hallmark sign in this Animal home. With your Binoculars along the peninsula you have a magnificent view of Birds, animals like the ever-playing African Elephants in Waters.

Accommodation:

Enganzi Game Lodge – https://enganzilodge.com/

Songbird Safari Lodge – https://www.songbirdsafaris.com/

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Morning Game drive and transfer to Rwenzori National Park

In the morning, you will transfer go for a morning Game drive to explore the Park and look out for more wildlife and thereafter, you will start your journey to Rwenzori.  You will have stopovers at interesting points for viewing and photography. On arrival at Rwenzori, you will drive to your Lodge for Dinner and overnight.

Snow Heights Lodge

Ruboni Community Camp

Day 8: Nyakalengija (1650) to Nyabitaba camp (2650m)

Start the day by approaching the Rwenzori mountaineering reservation officer early in the morning in order to hire equipment if so and arrange for guides, chef and porters at once hiking starts from the park gates to Nyabitaba a distance of 7km takes 5-6 hours and an ascent of 1200 meters .

The trail at the beginning goes through homes and fields progressing through high elephant grasses and dense bush. You will climb over cliffs and bluffs crossing river mahoma then ascending steeply into Nyabitaba camp. Certain animals can be spotted such as the white and black colobus monkeys, three horned chameleon and the Rwenzori Turaco birds.

Stay an overnight at the Nyabitaba camp.

Day 9: Nyabitaba (2650)m – Johnmaate camp (3505)m for hot lunch and continue to bujuku camp 3900 m.

From Nyabitaba you descend to your right follow the trail that drops down through the forest for a half an hour to the Kurt Shafer bridge,just before the confluence of the mubuku and Bujuku rivers.

The walk is then easy going for a couple of hours passing through the bamboo forest and then becomes more difficult kind of like spelunking, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rocks. From the nyamileju rock shelter, mount Stanley and speke can be seen before passing into the zone of the giant Heather , lobelia and groundsel.

Finally reach Johnmaate camp for hot lunch after passing through the tiring bog. While here ,high chances of catching the nice views of mount Stanley and margherita glacier. After quick lunch hit your journey to bujuku camp for dinner and an overnight.

Day 10: Bujuku camp 3900m – summit margharita peak and return back to Johnmaate camp

From bujuku camp the trail drops to irene junction and enters lower Irene  bog,the home of giant lobelias, jumping from tussock to tussock, the bog is finally crossed but rarely without the feet sampling some of the freezing ooze, continuing on to the upper irene rocks you will follow the irene river that sometimes runs underground from lake irene with views of mount Baker to the South and mount Stanley to the west. continue up to margharita glacier 4541m and it takes 5 hours walk from bujuku to margharita peak. After taking some pictures return back to Johnmaate for dinner and an overnight.

Day 11: Johnmaate camp 3505m to Nyabitaba camp 2560m for lunch and continue down to nyakalengija for transfer to the next destination.

The descend to Nyabitaba takes around 6-7 hours but with an early start and it’s possible to make it all the way down to nyakalengija. Below Johnmaate,the route descends the cliffs of nyamileju takes you through the Heather forest zones down to Nyabitaba for either dinner and an overnight or lunch and continue down to nyakalengija for hot showers.

Day 12: Transfer to Visit Crater Lake and head to Kibale National Park

In the Morning, you will have breakfast, then transfer to visit different crater Lakes, and other Unique Features then head to Kibale for Dinner and Overnight at your Lodge.

Kibale Tourist Safari lodge  – https://kibaletouristsafarilodge.com/

Chimpanzee Forest Lodge – https://www.chimpanzeeforestlodge.com/

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 13: Chimpanzee Trekking and community Tour

Our guide will pick you up from the hotel in the early morning to head for the chimps trekking in Kibale Forest. Kibale Forest National Park is a rainy forest and a home to over 1500 Chimpanzees. During your morning chimps trekking you will see them close and capture shots of our closest cousins in the Jungle in their frenzy exciting moods grooming!

Besides the chimps 9 different species of Monkeys are found in this forest, for example red colobus, red tailed monkey and bush babies. In the forest canopy colored aviation creatures-butterflies and various bird species like the native Great blue Turaco, joyful greenbul, olive long tailed cuckoo and the superb black bee eater can be spotted. After having lunch, you will go for a community cultural tour before retiring for Dinner and overnight.

Kibale Tourist Safari lodge  – https://kibaletouristsafarilodge.com/

Chimpanzee Forest Lodge – https://www.chimpanzeeforestlodge.com/

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 14: Transfer to Kampala

With an early breakfast, you will checkout of the lodge for your transfer back to Kampala for Dinner and overnight. Don’t miss out on interesting points as you driver to Kampala.

Cassia Lodge – https://cassialodge.com/

Bush Pig – https://bushpigkampala.com/

Day 15: Kampala City Tour:

After having your Breakfast, you will be picked up to go for the Kampala City Tour. Some of the Places we shall visit on our Kampala City Tour include the following:

Namugongo Martyr’s Shrine that commemorates the twenty-two Ugandan Christians that were burnt alive by the then King of Buganda the late Kabaka Mwanga for not denouncing Christianity.

Gaddafi Mosque: Renamed Uganda National Mosque, the mosque is located atop Kampala Hill overlooking the city center. The towering mosque offers the best cityscape view of Kampala City.

Lubiri (Kabaka’s Mengo Palace): The Lubiri is the palace for the Kabaka of the Buganda Kingdom. The king has several palaces across the kingdom but this particular one at Mengo is regarded as the main one and houses the “twekobe” (parliament) plus a number of cultural and historical sites and elements. A local guide shall teach you about this 800-year kingdom and several cultural norms attached to the King and the Kingdom.

Bahai Temple: Uganda is lucky to have the Bahai Temple in Africa, one of the eight continental worshiping houses of the Bahai Faith. The beautiful house with unique architecture sits on a hill overlooking several suburbs of Kampala. It has lush lawns and many trees and flowery plants teeming with birds and butterflies. It is so peaceful and serene that it feels spiritual. The Bahai grounds are also one of the good birding spots in Kampala.

Ndere Center: After a busy day exploring Kampala, spend the evening at the Ndere Cultural Center to enjoy cultural dances by the best traditional dances group in Uganda. Uganda is blessed with diverse people with different cultures including different traditional dances.

This marks the end of your Safari

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Table of pricess

No. of people 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
cost per person(US $) $7,420 $7,320 $7,220 $7,120 $7,020 $6,920 $6,820 $6,720

THE ABOVE PRICE INCLUDES:

  • Airport Transfers
  • Services of an English-speaking Driver Guide
  • A Comfortable Safari Vehicle
  • Kigali City Tour
  • Ellen DeGenorous Museum
  • Visit to the Iby’wachu Cultural Village
  • A boat Trip on the Twin lakes
  • 1 Gorilla Permit  per person for Trekking Gorillas in Volcanoes, Rwanda
  • 1 Gorilla Permit per person for trekking Gorillas in Mgahinga, Uganda
  • 1 Golden Monkey Permit per person  for Volcanoes
  • 1 Golden Monkey permit per person  for Mgahinga
  • Game Drives in Queen
  • Boat Cruise along the Kazinga Channel
  • 1 Chimpanzee permit per person
  • Cultural Tour
  • Visit to Crater Lakes
  • Community Tour
  • Rwenzori Hike
  • Porter while on Rwanzori Hike
  • Bottled Water for Drinking
  • Meals as indicated in the program
  • Accommodation
  • And necessary Government Taxes

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

Visa Fees, Tips, Porters apart from in Rwenzori, Flights, Beverages, Alcohol and all other personal expenses.