Day One: Arrival in Rwanda & city tour
Upon your arrival at Kigali Airport, you will be met by your driver-guide and, if time allows, taken for a city tour. In this, the capital of Rwanda, you’ll experience the natural beauty, endless rolling hills, and good weather that Rwanda has to offer.
Your program today includes:
* Pickup at Kigali Airport and transfer to your accommodation
* City tour (where applicable)
* A night’s stay in Kigali
Day Two: Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest
Today, we will take a 5–6-hour drive from Kigali to Nyungwe Forest National Park. There, we will do the 2-hour canopy walk, which takes place on a suspended bridge 70m high. It is very safe, but you are advised to don your sturdy footwear for it. From this exciting vantage point, you’ll have a great chance of spotting some of the wide range of species in this highly biodiverse forest.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Transfer to Nyungwe Forest
* Canopy walks
*A night’s stay in Nyungwe Forest
Day Three: Transfer to Musanzee
The journey from Nyungwe Forest to Musanze (also known as Ruhengeri) is a 4–5-hour drive. Along the way, you’ll get to enjoy scenic views of the shores of Lake Kivu. Musanze is the gateway to Volcanoes National Park—our destination for tomorrow and the site of our night’s accommodation.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Transfer to Musanze
* A night’s stay in Musanze
Day Four: Volcanoes National Park for your choice of golden monkey trekking, gorilla trekking, or Bisoke hiking
Volcanoes National Park, located in northwestern Rwanda, protects a few endangered species, some of which you will have the option to encounter today.
Gorilla trekking is a physically taxing yet highly rewarding experience for those interested, and VNP is one of the four national parks where such an activity can be done. To view these stunning, endangered apes, you will be guided by an experienced ranger and make your way through the jungle together. It is advisable to wear long clothing and hiking boots for this activity.
Second in popularity only to gorilla trekking is golden monkey trekking. Since these creatures prefer to feed on low-lying vegetation, it is less strenuous to view this endangered species than it is the gorillas. These monkeys travel in groups of almost 100, so the chances of spotting them swinging from the bamboo shoots are high.
Hiking Mount Bisoke is a daylong activity, but is a somewhat easier hike compared to the other mountains. Bisoke is an extinct volcano that is part of a wider range of Virunga Mountains, so you will still need to be reasonably fit to participate. This hike, like all park activities, begins with a briefing at the park headquarters before you set off for your adventure. After the day’s activities are done, you will be transferred to the site of your night’s accommodation—Kisoro, Uganda.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Gorilla trekking/golden monkey trekking/Bisoke hike
* A night’s stay in Kisoro
Day Five: Canoe ride and walk around Mutanda Lake Resort
Lake Mutanda lies picturesquely in the shadow of the Virunga Mountains. Today, you will have a chance to view them from all angles as you hop in a canoe and explore the lake and later have a walk around. In addition to the abundant and diverse bird species, Lake Mutanda is home to several species of snake, frog, chameleon, and monitor lizard.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Canoe ride and walk at Lake Mutanda
* A night’s stay at Lake Mutanda or Lake Mulehe
Day Six: Gorilla trekking in Rushaga or Nkuringo
Rushaga and Nkuringo are both sectors within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park that provide excellent gorilla trekking opportunities. At around 300 mountain gorillas, BIFNP is home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, with several gorilla families habituating in both sectors. The length of this unforgettable trek will depend upon which family you’re assigned to.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Gorilla trekking
* A night’s stay at Lake Mutanda or Lake Mulehe
Day Seven: Afternoon game drive in Ishasha sector
In the morning after you’ve had a good night’s rest from yesterday’s trek, we will hit the road for Ishasha Sector. Ishasha is in the southwest of Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is where we will go for a game drive in the afternoon. Here, you can really admire the unique savannah landscape, which is broken up by a few fig and acacia trees. The typical African animals like elephants, topis, and buffalos can be observed during the drive, as well as Ishasha’s famous tree-climbing lions – a habit only found in lions in one other region in Tanzania that use it to escape the heat on the ground. In the trees, a fresher wind blows and from up there, these lions can better spot potential prey. We have hired a local guide to spot the animals for you. The duration of today’s game drive depends on how quickly you find the animals. The chances of seeing them are very high.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Afternoon game drive
* Transfer to Ishasha
* A night’s stay in Ishasha Sector
Day Eight: Morning drive and afternoon boat ride along the Kazinga Channel
In the morning you will try – in case you had no luck the day before – to again find the tree-climbing lions. Then after you’ve had lunch and time to recharge, you will board a boat and cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This 32km long natural channel connects the large Lake Edward and the smaller Lake George. Watching the African wildlife from the water is an extraordinary experience. In addition to hippos and crocodiles, you can see all kinds of animals drinking and playing. Baby elephants especially love bathing in the channel and run excitedly back and forth. Also, the bird world seems to change completely, as you suddenly see birds like kingfishers, ospreys, and nesting bee-eaters.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Game drive and boat ride
* A night’s stay in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day Nine: Chimpanzee trekking and afternoon game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
In the morning, you will need to unpack your sturdy footwear again as we head into the jungle. After a briefing by an experienced ranger, the chimpanzee trekking starts. Since the chimpanzees move freely in the jungles of Uganda, there are no fixed paths to them, so you will have to go through the undergrowth. The ranger goes with his machete and shows us how and where you should walk along. Depending on how far these Great Apes are from the starting point, our trekking is sometimes longer and sometimes shorter, but when they are finally in front of us, all the strains and efforts are forgotten. Chimpanzees are the apes that are genetically most similar to us humans, so their facial expressions and gestures will seem strangely familiar. Often, the older chimpanzees just lie comfortably on the ground, while the younger ones swing playfully through the treetops – a truly incredible experience. After you’ve had lunch, we will relax from the morning’s adventure as we go for another game drive in the Jeep, so that we get a chance to spot as many creatures as possible before departing QENP.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Chimpanzee trekking
* Game drive
* A night’s stay in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day Ten: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Today is a driving day, as we bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth National Park and hit the road for another national treasure—Murchison Falls National Park. The drive to this, Uganda’s largest and most popular national park, takes about 7 hours.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
* A night’s stay in Murchison Falls National Park
Day Eleven: Daylong game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
Today, we will spend the whole day taking in all the abundant wildlife Murchison Falls National Park has to offer as we embark on a daylong game drive. You will have high chances of seeing animals like giraffes, antelopes, and even lions and elephants. The park is the largest protected area in Uganda with the highest concentration of wildlife and is home to a large variety of vegetation as well.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Game drive
* A night’s stay in Murchison Falls National Park
Day Twelve: Boat ride and waterfall hike in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park still holds many surprises and spectacular wildlife sightings in store for you, so today you will take a leisurely boat ride to the Murchison Falls and marvel at the huge herds of buffalo and elephants on the shore. Below the waterfalls, you will get out and hike along the thundering waterfalls to the top, where you can enjoy a magnificent view. This will be one of the highlights of the trip. After the day’s adventures, you will be transported to the site of your night’s accommodation in Masindi, which will put us in closer proximity to the location of our next day’s adventure.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Boat ride & waterfall hike
* A night’s stay in Masindi
Day Thirteen: Rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Today, we leave the comfort of the Jeep to get up close and personal with the rhinoceros at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. On foot, you go together with trained guides on the search for the grey pachyderms, which are to be reintroduced into the wild in Uganda. Here, the white rhinos are guarded around the clock by rangers to protect them from poachers, so they know approximately where the animals are. Nevertheless, it is exciting every time when the giant creatures suddenly stand in front of you. Due to the poor eyesight of the rhinos, with a little luck you can get quite close to them and observe them wonderfully. After this, you will be transported to the site of your night’s accommodation in Nkima Forest.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* Rhino trekking
* Transfer to Nkima Forest
* A night’s stay in Nkima Forest
Day 14: Shoebill search and airport transfer
After breakfast, we will drive about ten minutes to our boat station at Lake Victoria. In the dense papyrus swamp today, we want to find a bird that looks like a pelican, a flamingo, and a goose mixed into one unique creature – the shoebill!
In small boats, you will drive for about an hour to an untouched edge of the lake. In the past, these birds were almost extinct. They were considered to bring bad luck, and whenever a shoebill was seen, the curious bird was killed. Since people can earn money by observing them, this view has changed and the number of these birds are increasing from year to year. With a little luck, you will observe one of the more relaxed birds, pursuing his exciting hunting behavior without disturbing him.
Your program today includes:
- Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
- Boat ride
- Transfer to Entebbe Airport
This concludes our safari, at which point you will be transported to the airport for your return flight with a lifetime of stories to tell about your incredible Rwanda-Uganda Experience.
Included services:
- Travel in four-wheel drive Jeep with safari roof for the duration of the trip
- Qualified, English-speaking tour guide
- Accommodation (as described)
- Activities, national park fees, and entrance fees as per detailed program (including chimpanzee permit at $250, gorilla permits (where applicable) at $800 and $1500 in Uganda & Rwanda respectively, & golden monkey permit at $100 )
- Meals as per detailed program
- Transportation to and from Entebbe Airport (Uganda) & Kigali Airport (Rwanda), respectively
- On-site support by TTN Safaris East Africa Ltd Agency
Services not included:
- Intercontinental flights
- Additional services flights: Rail & Fly ticket, seat, special meals, etc.
- Visa for Uganda
- Optional excursions and entrance fees
- Travel insurance
- Unforeseen increases in public fees e.g. national park entrance fees
- Possibly required antigen or PCR tests (our tour guide will of course be happy to help you with organizing this)
- Personal expenses, tips for guides, souvenirs, etc.
Other
Changes that do not affect the character of the trip are not foreseen, but we reserve the right to make them as needed. Please keep in mind that you are traveling in East Africa, so you should take the detailed program as a suggestion, but not as a checklist of what must happen every day. The program can be rearranged, but the character of the trip will remain the same. If the trip is rearranged, it will be for the sake of preserving the high quality of the trip.
Note about gorilla trekking:
In Uganda, the permit for the gorilla trekking costs 800 USD per person, but is already included in the price. Read the post about it under the Blog section of this site to learn more. Permits are limited, so it is advised that you book the trekking as early as possible. If they are available, permits are payable with a deposit and are non-refundable; they can be sold or redeemed at a later date, but they are not refundable. Please have a look at our video “Uganda Travel with Travel-To-Nature” and also read our general travel conditions by clicking below:
