14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Overview of the 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

The 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda is a gorilla trekking and wildlife safari to the prime safari destinations of Uganda and Rwanda. In the 14 days safari, in Uganda, you visit the impressive Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. You then continue for a tour to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park and take a Kigali city tour.

Safari starts with a pick up from Entebbe International Airport-Uganda by a safari driver guide for a transfer to a booked hotel or lodge in Kampala. 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 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Day 1: Arrive at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to a booked hotel/lodge in Kampala.

Day 2: From Kampala, you are driven to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking then continue to Murchison Falls National Park.

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 a nature walk at bigodi wetland

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park with a visit to the crater field in Fort Portal.

Day 7: Morning game drive and an evening boat cruise on the kazinga channel.

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Day 9: Go for gorilla trekking at a specific sector in Bwindi Forest National Park.

Day 10: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Day 11: You go for golden monkey trekking and have a Batwa cultural experience

Day 12: Transfer to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park

Day 13: Have a game drive for the big five wildlife encounter then after undertake an evening boat cruise at lake Ihema.

Day 14: Transfer to Kigali International Airport for a departure flight.

Day by day detailed itinerary of the 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Day 1 of the 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

Arriving 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 Uganda-Kampala. On arrival at the hotel or lodge, you check in, relax from jet lag and spend the night.

Day 2 of the 14 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 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

 In the morning at about 7:00am you go for a game drive within the vast savannah plains of the Murchison Falls National Park which is Uganda’s largest national park. With an open roof 4x4 safari vehicle you go in search of 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 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 14 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 14 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 with probably the highest number you can see on an African safari, you return to the trek start point where you meet your driver guide for a transfer for lunch. After lunch, you are driven to the adjacent Bigodi wetland on about a 15minutes drive. You take a walk within the wetland as you sight several bird species of over 50 species and several primate species like the black & white colobus monkey, red colobus monkey, baboon and many more. In the evening, you return to your lodging facility where you spend the night.

Accommodation options:

Luxury/Up-market: Crater Safari Lodge

Mid-range/Standard: Kibale Forest Camp

Day 6 of the 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda

In the morning, you have relaxed breakfast then embark on the drive Fort Portal where you visit the Amabere g’ Nyinamwiru caves and the Fort Portal crater lakes. At the Amabere g’ Nyinamwiru Caves, you explore the breast-like features that are believed to be breasts of Nyinamwiru the mother of Ndahura the famous Muchwezi ruler who expanded the Chwezi Empire across the great Lakes region. After the cave exploration, you transfer for a hike to the Fort Portal Crater lakes where you explore the effects of explosive volcanicity that left behind beautiful small lakes surrounded with birds. You then have lunch and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park on about a 2 hours drive 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 7 of the 14 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 8 of the 14 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 9 of the 14 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 10 of the 14 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 11 of the 14 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 12 of the 14 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 13 of the 14 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 14 of the 14 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 14 Days Gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour Rwanda 

 East African safaris are always rewarding and we do customize them to your interest and desired destinations. If you would love to trek mountain gorillas and still have a wildebeest experience then tailoring your Uganda safari with a Kenya wildlife safari to Masai Mara Game Reserve or a wildlife safari in Tanzania to Serengeti National Park are the best options.