14 Days Uganda Rwanda safari
This 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari is an amazing and exciting adventure that starts from Kampala and ends in Kigali. The safari will start with a white water rafting activity in Jinja and also take you to the most visited national parks in Uganda such as Murchison falls national park where you will be able to engage in a game drive and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls, Kibale national park where you will visit chimpanzees in their natural environment, Queen Elizabeth national park where you will participate in a game drive/ lion tracking experience and boat cruise on Kazinga channel and Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will visit the endangered mountain gorillas. From Bwindi impenetrable national park you will connect to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda where you will engage in a breathtaking gorilla trekking activity so as to compare experiences, golden monkey trekking, cultural tour and wrap up the safari with a city tour in Kigali.
Highlights of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kampala
Day 2: Transfer to Jinja for white water rafting
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 4: Morning game drive and boat cruise
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale national park
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 8: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 10: Gorilla trekking
Day 11: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 12: Gorilla trekking
Day 13: Golden monkey trekking and cultural tour
Day 14: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Arrival and transfer to a hotel in Kampala, upon arrival at Entebbe international airport on day 1 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Kampala for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Jinja for white water rafting
After an early breakfast on day 2 of your 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to transfer to Jinja in South Eastern part of Uganda. On your way you will have a stopover at Mabira forest which is located in Buikwe district for a nature forest walk and then proceed to Jinja town for lunch.
White water rafting, after lunch you will go for an interesting white water rafting experience which will be done at Itanda falls along the River Nile. White water rafting is an amazing activity which is done according to grades ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 5 by use of a small paddle raft filled with air and with a trained guide. After the adventurous white water rafting activity you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer back to Kampala.
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After breakfast on day 3 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and then start the journey to Murchison falls national park in the northern part of Kampala. The journey to Murchison falls national park which is the largest and one of the most visited national parks in Uganda takes about 4 to 5 hours’ drive. On your way you will have a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary to track rhinos and then continue to Masindi town for lunch. After lunch you will continue the journey to the park and upon arrival you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you will have great views of River Nile, animals, bird species among others. After the top of the falls drive, you will transfer to check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive, after an early breakfast on day 4 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive which will start at around 7:00am. during the morning game drive you will follow different game tracks such as Buligi game track, Victoria game track, Albert game track among others which give you an opportunity to view various animals in the park such as elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, waterbucks, leopards, Jacksons hartebeest, warthogs among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and refreshments.
Boat cruise, after lunch you will drive to Paraa jetty landing site for an amazing boat cruise on River Nile to the bottom of the falls. The scheduled boat cruise takes about 2 hours and offers you with great views of animals such as the elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes among others on the water banks, hippos and Nile crocodiles in water and aquatic birds such as malachite kingfisher, cormorants, fish eagles, bee-eaters, papyrus gonolek among others. The boat will continue to the bottom of the falls where you will have beautiful views of the waterfall and either opt to return to the landing site or hike to the top of the falls. Hiking to the top of the falls is an interesting and adventurous activity that takes about 45 minutes but needs you to be physically fit because it’s strenuous. During hiking you will have views of the beautiful landscape, enjoy water splashes and when you reach on top you will meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale national park
On day 5 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kibale national park in southwestern Uganda. Kibale national park is also known as the primate capital because it harbors about 13 species of primate species including chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys among others. The journey takes about 8 to 9 hours’ drive and on your way you will have en-route lunch and stopover’s to stretch your legs and take pictures of spectacular views like the Rwenzori Mountains, Lake Albert, Lake Edward and Lake George, tea plantations, beautiful landscapes among others. Upon arrival in the park you will continue to check into the lodge, havfe dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi nature walk
Chimpanzee trekking, after an early breakfast on day 6 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu Visitors Centre for a briefing about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing you will be grouped into 6 people, allocated a chimpanzee group to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park starts at around 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of chimpanzees because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
During trekking you will be able to view other wildlife species including bird species like the great blue turaco, slender billed weaver, troupical boubou, African pied wagtail, other primates like red tailed monkeys, grey checked mangabey, l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, animals like buffaloes, elephants, plant species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat where you will be able to learn more about their life style, behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, play up in the trees, hunt, take photos and record videos with a flash less camera. After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to Kanyachu Visitors Centre meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi nature walk, after lunch you will go for a nature walk in Bigodi community wetland where you will have great views of different bird species like the great blue turaco, papyrus gonolek, primates like the black and white colobus monkey, blue monkeys, red tailed monkey, plant species, butterflies among others. During the nature walk you will also visit the neighboring communities where you will interact with the local people to know more about their culture and tradition. After Bigodi swamp walk you will meet up with your driver guide and head back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On day 7 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. Queen Elizabeth national park is situated in southwestern part of Uganda and it’s the second largest national park. The journey to the park takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive and it’s filled with views of the Rwenzori Mountain, crater lakes, tea plantations among others and upon arrival you will continue to check into the lodge for lunch and relaxation. After lunch you will go for an evening game drive in Kasenyi plains where you will have views of various animal species such as the elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, warthogs among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Morning game drive/ lion tracking and afternoon Boat cruise
Morning game drive, after an early breakfast on day 8 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kasenyi plains for the morning game drive or lion tracking experience. During the game drive you should look out for animals like elephants, bushbucks, warthogs, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, lions, leopards, waterbucks, colorful bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive out of the park to Lake Katwe a crater lake where rock salt is mined. Lake Katwe is situated in the northern part of Mweya peninsular and while at the lake you will be able to learn how the local people extract rock salt from the lake and earn a living by selling it to traders in Uganda and other countries like Congo. From Lake Katwe, you will drive to your lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise, after lunch you will meet up with your driver guide and drive to the landing site near Mweya safari lodge for a boat cruise on Kazinga channel. Kazinga channel is a water body that joins Lake George and Lake Edward and the scheduled boat cruise starts at around 2:00pm and takes about 2 to 3 hours. During the boat cruise you will have great views of animals such as elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks among others along the shores, large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, aquatic bird species like martial eagle, papyrus gonolek, pelicans, African skimmers, cormorants, African spoonbills, fish eagles, king fisher’s and fishermen who will be preparing their nets for night fishing. After the boat cruise you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park
After breakfast on day 9 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive and on your way you will pass via Ishasha sector which is situated in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Ishasha sector is famously known for the tree climbing lions which will be viewed lazily lying up in the acacia, fig tree branches during the game drive. The tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector are believed to climb trees due to various factors like to run away from ground heat, biting insects like tsetse flies, to have a clear view of the antelopes among others. During the game drive in Ishasha sector you will also be able to view other animals such as the buffaloes, elephants, antelopes and some bird species.
After the game drive you will have en-route lunch at Savannah Resort Hotel in Kihihi and then proceed with the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge, relax as you prepare for an optional evening community tour. During the community tour you will visit Batwa community where you will meet Batwa people who used to live in the forest many years ago before it was gazetted into a national park. The Batwa are unique and interesting people and during the community tour you will interact with them to know more about their lifestyle, listen to ancient stories of how they lived in the forest, show you different plants which acted as medicine to treat different illnesses among others. After the cultural tour you will transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking, after an early breakfast on day 10 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people, allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. Grouping of individuals in Bwindi impenetrable national park is done according to personal interests, age and physical fitness therefore in case you are not physically fit you are advised to communicate with your driver guide so that they allocate you a gorilla family that is easy to trek.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorilla family is located and during trekking you will have great views of different plant species, animals, bird species like handsome francolin, Rwenzori batis, other primates like l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habit which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their lifestyle, behaviors, take photos with a flash less camera, record videos among other. After the one hour encounter with the gorillas you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking, meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to your lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
On day 11 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you have a relaxed breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to go for a cultural walk in the neighboring communities. During the community tour you will visit the Bakiga and the Batwa/pygmies who used to live in Bwindi forest many years ago before it was gazetted into a national park. The community tour will give you an opportunity to interact with the local people where you will learn about their lifestyle, culture, tradition, taste their food, explore the forest where the Batwa used to live, enjoy entertainments in form of music, dance and drama from Batwa women and men, listen to ancient stories among others. After the community tour you will transfer back to the lodge for lunch.
Transfer to Volcanoes national park, after lunch you will check out of the lodge and your driver guide will pick you up to start the journey to Volcanoes national park in north western part of Rwanda. On your way you will have spectacular views of Kigezi hills, beautiful scenery, rolling hills in Rwanda among others. You will pass via Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale and upon arrival you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
Gorilla trekking, after an early breakfast on day 12 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kinigi park headquarters for the briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park is done in groups of 8 people where each group is allocated a gorilla family to trek each day and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the jungle. Gorilla trekking starts at around 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the location of the mountain gorillas because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
During trekking you will be able to view colorful bird species, primates, plant species among others and once the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment where you will get an opportunity to compare experiences of the gorilla family, watch them carry out their daily activities, learn about their behaviors, habits, watching them feed, breastfeed, take photos and record the moments with a flash less camera hence giving you unforgettable experiences on your safari. After the one hour with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Golden monkey trekking and cultural tour
Golden monkey trekking, on day 13 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari you will have an early breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the expectations, rules and regulations to follow during golden monkey trekking. After the briefing you will be allocated a golden monkey family to trek, a park guide who is well conversant with golden monkey trails and then start trekking in the jungle. Golden monkey trekking takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of the golden monkeys because they like to move from one area to another in search of food.
During trekking you will follow trails of leftover bamboo shoots, leaves and once the golden monkey family is found you will spend one hour with them in their natural habitat and during the one hour you will be able to take photos, record videos, learn more about their behaviors, habits, lifestyle, watch them jump up in trees among others. After the one hour encounter with the golden monkeys you will trek back to the park headquarters, meet up with your driver guide and transfer to the lodge for lunch.
Cultural tour, after lunch you will go for a cultural tour where you will visit Ibyi’wacu cultural village. During the cultural tour you will interact with the local people which gives you an opportunity to know about their culture, tradition, taste different Kinyarwanda food, learn how to make local beer from bananas, be entertained by the women as they perform Kinyarwanda dance, songs, listen to ancient stories among others. After the cultural tour you will transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Departure to Kigali
On day 14 of the 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari, you will have an ultimate breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kigali go for a city tour. Kigali is the cleanest and one of the most attractive city in Africa and during the city tour you will visit Kigali genocide center where you will be able to know more about the blood shading of the 1994 Rwanda genocide between the Hutus and Tutsi, visit Kimironko local market where you will meet the local market vendors who sell fruits, vegetables, handmade crafts like mats, baskets, visit cultural sites like Kandt museum of natural history among others. After the city tour you will go for a buffet in one of the hotels in Kigali and after transfer to Kigali international airport for your next flight.
End of 14 days Uganda Rwanda safari
Tour includes
- White water rafting
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Bigodi nature walk
- Batwa trail experience
- Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise fees
- Kigali city tour
- An English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
