13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Overview of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

The 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda is a Uganda gorilla trekking safari and wildlife tour in Rwanda to the prime safari destinations of these countries. This amazing road trip takes you to the splendid Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. In Rwanda you visit the magnificent Akagera National Park and take a Kigali city tour.

Your safari starts with a pick up from Entebbe International Airport in Uganda by a safari driver guide for a transfer to a booked hotel or lodge in Kampala. The next morning, you are driven to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary then continue to Murchison Falls National Park for a game drive, boat cruise and hike to the top of the falls. From Murchison Falls National Park the safari continues to Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking then after to Queen Elizabeth National Park. After a game drive and boat cruise at Queen Elizabeth National Park, you then continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The next stop is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for golden monkey trekking then after cross over to Rwanda. In Rwanda, you visit Akagera National Park for a big five wildlife encounter, take a Kigali city tour and then depart from Kigali International Airport.

Highlights of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Day 1: Arriving at Entebbe international airport and transfer to a booked hotel in Kampala.

Day 2: From Kampala, you are driven to Murchison Falls National Park with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Day 3: Do a morning game drive, an evening boat cruise and hike to the top of the mighty Murchison falls.

Day 4: Transfer from Murchison Falls National Park to Kibale Forest National Park.

Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 6: Morning game drive and an evening boat cruise on the kazinga channel.

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Day 8: After early morning breakfast, you are driven to a specific gorilla trekking sector in Bwindi Forest National Park for gorilla trekking where you spend about 2-8 hours in the jungle.

Day 9: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Day 10: You go for golden monkey trekking and have a Batwa cultural experience

Day 11: Transfer to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park

Day 12: Have a game drive for the big five wildlife encounter then after undertake an evening boat cruise at lake Ihema in Akagera national park.

Day 13: Transfer to Kigali International Airport for a departure flight.

Day by day detailed itinerary of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Day 1 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport -Uganda’s international airport, you are cleared by the airport staff then after meet your driver for a transfer to a booked hotel or lodge. With a briefing on the safari, you are driven in a 4x4 safari vehicle for about 47km on an almost 1-hour drive to the bustling capital of Kampala. On arrival at the hotel or lodge, you check in, relax from jet lag and spend the night.

Day 2 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

After early morning breakfast at your accommodation facility in Kampala, your Uganda safari driver guide picks you up for the drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking on foot. Here you have the chance to track one of the 5 big African wild animals on foot in their only natural habitat in the country. After about 2 hours of Rhino tracking, you have lunch and then continue with the drive to Murchison Falls National Park. Arriving in the evening, you check into an accommodation in Murchison Falls national park where you spend the night.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Paraa Safari Lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Pakuba safari lodge

Budget/Basic: Fort Murchison Lodge

Day 3 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

The day starts with a morning game drive from 7:00am within the vast savannah plains of the Murchison Falls park. With an open roof 4x4 safari vehicle you have the chance to sight wild animals like elephants, lions, leopards and buffaloes alongside many more wild species including bird species. The game drive within wildlife natural habitat lasts 2-4 hours then after return have lunch. In the afternoon at 2:00pm, you go for a boat cruise/launch trip that takes you to the bottom of the awe-inspiring Murchison falls where you look out for numerous schools of hippos, crocodiles and water birds at the bottom of the falls. The boat cruise to the bottom of the falls offers a start point for the hike to the top of the magnificent Murchison falls that squeezes through a 7meter gap falling 43m below to what is known as the devil’s cauldron. that takes about 40mins to 1hour. You find your driver guide waiting for you at the top of the falls for a drive back to your lodging facility.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Paraa Safari Lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Pakuba safari lodge

Budget/Basic: Fort Murchison Lodge

Day 4 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

From Murchison Falls National Park, you have your last breakfast early morning and then embark on a drive to Kibale Forest National Park. You briefly stop at the Ndali Kasenda crater field for scenic views of the crater lakes. These are known as crater lakes because at their time of explosion, they were violent spewing ash and rock. You then continue with the 407km drive arriving for dinner and a night’s stay at an accommodation in Kibale Forest National Park.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Crater Safari Lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Kibale Forest Camp

Day 5 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

In the morning, you go to Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking after having early breakfast. Chimpanzee trekking starts at 8:00am lasting 2-5 hours in the jungle though only 1 hour can be spent in the presence of the chimpanzees. After watching the chimpanzees at play and taking pictures, you return to the park headquarters where you meet your driver guide. You then have lunch and then after transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving in the evening for check in at an accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park where you spend the night.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Mweya safari lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Enganzi Lodge

Day 6 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

At a close accommodation facility close to Queen Elizabeth park after early breakfast, you are driven to the park for a morning game drive. This Uganda wildlife safari activity offers you about 2-4hours of wildlife viewing with possible sightings including lions, zebras, waterbucks and many more. You later on have lunch in the afternoon then embark on a boat cruise along the 45km long Kazinga channel. During the boat cruise, you will have the opportunity to view great numbers of water animals like crocodiles, hippos and several bird species. After the boat cruise, you take an evening mini game drive on a return drive to your hotel/lodge where you spend the night.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Mweya safari lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Enganzi Lodge

Day 7 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

This morning after breakfast, you are transferred to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park driving through the Ishasha sector which is popular as host to tree climbing lions for an en route game drive. Possible sightings here can include tree climbing lions, buffaloes, elephants, water bucks, bush bucks, Uganda Kobs and many more. Arriving in the evening, you check in at an accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where you spend the night.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Chameleon hill lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Gorilla mist camp

Day 8 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Early morning at the foothills of the gorillas, you are driven to an allocated gorilla trekking sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for mountain gorilla trekking. Before you get into the jungle, you have an almost 30 minutes briefing by the park rangers on Uganda gorilla trekking safari etiquette starting at 8:00am. You are allocated a gorilla family which you trek alongside 7 other trekkers and an armed park ranger taking about 2-8 hours though only 1 hour is spent in the presence of these gentle giants. After the trek, you return to the trek start point where you receive a Uganda gorilla trekking certificate and find your driver guide waiting to transfer you to your lodging facility for an
overnight stay.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Chameleon hill lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Gorilla mist camp

Day 9 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

After breakfast, you then embark on a drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park 107km away on almost 3h 30min drive. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is also home to mountain gorillas though actually you are not going there for gorilla trekking. This is the only safari park in Uganda where mountain gorillas and golden monkeys co-exist so here you go for golden monkey trekking the next day after spending the night at a booked accommodation in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Day 10 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Just like mountain gorilla trekking, you will wake up early and head for golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. You start the golden monkey trek at 8:00am in search of these beautiful species alongside a ranger guide who takes you through the trails on the trek. After the golden monkey trek, you have a Batwa cultural experience as they demonstrate to you how they survived in the forest that they treasure as their former home. In the evening you spend the night at a booked accommodation facility.

Day 11 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

You have relaxed breakfast then be transferred past the Kigezi highlands and Virunga backdrop to Rwanda. After crossing the border and getting into Rwanda, you continue with the drive to Akagera National Park arriving in the evening and spending the night at a close accommodation in Akagera National Park.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/up-market: Ruzizi Tented Camp

Mid-range/standard: Akagera Game lodge

Day 12 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Early morning, you go for a morning game drive for a sight of the big five in Akagera national park. Sighting the early risers try to find a morning catch and targeted prey trying to find refuge is an amazing wildlife safari in Rwanda experience. After about 2-4hours, you relax and have lunch before going for an evening boat cruise. You take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema which is Rwanda’s second largest lake. In the evening, you return to your lodging facility where you spend the night.

Day 13 of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

After a relaxed breakfast, you are driven to Kigali International Airport in Rwanda for a departure flight after your safari in Rwanda. Depending on your flight time, you can have a short Kigali city tour to the Genocide Memorial Museum and go for craft shopping within Kigali city before being dropped off at the airport for departure.  

End of the 13 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda