The 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari is an interesting safari that starts from Kigali Rwanda and ends in Kampala Uganda. The safari will take you to different national parks including Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kibale Forest National Park also known as the primate capital. During the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will be able to engage in game drives and boat cruises on the Kazinga channel where you will be able to spot different animals. You will also engage in an adventurous chimpanzee, golden monkey, and gorilla trekking activity where you will get a chance to spend time with the chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Highlights of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 2: Golden monkey trekking
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale National Park- afternoon Chimpanzee trekking
Day 8: Departure to Kampala
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Depending on your location in Kigali on the first day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will be welcomed by a company representative from Achieve Global Safaris who will brief you about the safari and then go for a city tour in Kigali where you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial center, Kimironko market, art centers among others. After the city tour, you will have lunch and later start the journey to Volcanoes National Park with stunning views on the way. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for an evening dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Golden monkey trekking
On the second day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will have an early breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kinigi park headquarters for Golden Monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the golden monkeys are located. Once the golden monkeys are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which helps you to learn about their behaviors, and habits, watch them feed, play, jump up in tree branches, take photos, and record videos to show people back home.
After the one hour with the golden monkeys, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will either spend the rest of the day at leisure of go for an optional Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, learn about their culture, way of living, listen to their ancient stories, enjoy their traditional meals, performances among others.
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on the third day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will check at the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park passing via the Katuna border in Kabala or Cyanika border in Kisoro. On the way, you will enjoy great views of the rolling hills, traditional homesteads, Kigezi hills, and tea and banana plantations among others. Upon arrival in Bwindi National Park, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking experience
On the fourth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will have breakfast and carry your packed lunch to go for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primates, different bird species, and plant, and tree species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their environment where you will get an opportunity to learn about their habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos, and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
After the encounter with the mountain gorillas, you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
On the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will have breakfast at the lodge, check out, and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. On the way, you will have a stopover in the Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree-climbing lions lying on acacia/fig tree branches if you are lucky. After the game drive in the Ishasha sector, you will have an en-route lunch and then proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to spot animals like lions, leopards, hyenas looking for a morning hunt, view other animals like waterbucks, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, view different bird species among others. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for an amazing boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel a water body that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. During the boat cruise which takes about a 2 to 3 hours drive, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos in water, view Nile crocodiles basking on the water banks, view buffaloes, elephants, antelopes drinking water along the shores, view aquatic bird species like cormorants, hornbills, kingfishers, bee-eaters among others. After the boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale forest national park-afternoon chimpanzee trekking experience
On the seventh day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale Forest National Park which takes about 2 to 3 hours drive. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will transfer to Kanyachu Park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located. During trekking, you will be able to view different primate species, birds, plant and tree species among others and once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their habitat where you will be able to learn about their habits, behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, build new nests, take photos and record videos. After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Departure to Kampala
On the last day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kampala. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and then proceed to Kampala arriving early in the evening upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Kampala International Airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advice.
End of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda and Primates Safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden Monkey trekking permit
- Park entrance fee/game drives
- Boat cruise
- Services of a professional English-speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up from Kigali and drop off in Entebbe
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, and tips among others.
