12 days best of Uganda and Rwanda self drive safaris

The 12 days best of Uganda and Rwanda will take you to all the top places of Uganda and Rwanda. You will start your adventure with a visit to Kibaale national park which is the home to chimpanzee with over 150 chimpanzee which are habituated and ready for the trekking. Kibale is also known as the primate capital of the world with over 13 primate species that you are likely to encounter during your trekking. Then you will visit queen Elizabeth national park known for its tree climbing lions at ishasha sector and its high concentration of hippos that can be seen during the boat cruise at kazinga channels. The trip will continue to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where you will go for gorilla trekking experience. After the trekking experience, you will drive heading to volcanoes national park of Rwanda through Gatuna boarder. At volcanoes national park, you will do golden monkey trekking at the park before heading to Kigali international airport to end your trip in Uganda and Rwanda.

Highlights of the 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda self drive safari

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kampala

Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary

Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat cruise

Day 10: Departure to Volcanoes national park

Day 11: Golden monkey trekking and iby’iwacu cultural tour

Day 12: Departure to Kigali

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kampala

On your arrival at Entebbe international airport, you will receive the car of your choice from our guide/ driver who will be waiting for you at the airport. Then you can transfer to the hotel of your choice in Entebbe/ Kampala.

Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary

After the breakfast, you will embark on the 6 hour drive to Murchison falls national park with a stopover at Zziwa rhino sanctuary where you will rhino tracking and another stopover will be in Masindi where you will have your lunch before continuing to Murchison fall where you will arrive in evening and hike to the top of the fall to enjoy the scenic few of the fall. Later head to your lodge where you will spend the night and have your dinner.

Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

This will be a full day game drive that will start immediately after your breakfast. Then you will head to the park where you will be rewarded with the stunning view of different wildlife which include giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, lions, leopards, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeest among others. You will have a lunch break where you will temporarily go back to your lodge to enjoy your delicious meal before moving out for an evening boat cruise where you will encounter various aquatic life and different birds that lives on the shore of the lake. After exploring the park, you will head back to your lodge for the dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Have your breakfast, and checkout of your lodge with your picnic lunch. The drive to Kibaale national park is a full day drive but you won’t be bored as you will enjoy a scenic view of landscape along the way. You will check in to your lodge in evening for an evening stay and dinner.

Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Chimpanzee trekking is done in two shifts. Therefore, make sure to specify at what time you want to do your chimpanzee trekking experience. You can opt to go for a morning session that start at 7 AM or choose to go for the afternoon trekking, starting at midday. Either way, you can opt to use your free time to visit Bigodi swamp for bird viewing experience as you explore Kibaale. After that, you will drive to queen Elizabeth national park where you will check in to your lodges for the dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Today will be another day game drive at Uganda’s most visited national park in queen Elizabeth national park. After the morning game drive, you will return to your lodge for the lunch and then head to Kazinga channels where you will do the boat cruise at the channel where you will encounter the high concentration hippos that live within the channel. This channel joins lake George and lake Edward and is the home to several birds and wildlife.

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

On this day, you will transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park with your picnic lunch. On your way to Bwindi, you will have a stopover at Ishasha sector of queen Elizabeth national park which is the home to the tree climbing lions. Then continue to Bwindi national park where you will check in your lodge late in the evening for the dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

A day start very early in the morning with a drive to the gate of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where you will find the park guides who will brief you about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking experience and later be assigned to the group to make 8 people to trek your designated gorilla family. Then you will head to the forest to start the search for gorillas until when you encounter gorillas that you will spend one hour with gorillas and then return to the park headquarter to head back to your lodge.

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat cruise

After the morning breakfast, you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi for boat cruise. This lake is the deepest lake in Uganda and is known to be the home to 29 islands including the punishment island that you will explore during your boat cruise on the lake. After the cruise, you will drive back to your lodge and spend the evening chilling at your lodge.

Day 10: Departure to Volcanoes national park

With your packed lunch, you will drive to volcanoes national park through Gatuna border. You will check in to your lodge late in the evening for a dinner and an overnight stay near the park.

Day 11: Golden monkey trekking and iby’iwacu cultural tour

Today you will start the day with golden monkey trekking in volcanoes national park. Golden monkeys are endemic to Virunga Mountain which is shared between Uganda, Rwanda and D.R. Congo of which volcanoes national park is part of. After the golden monkey trekking, you will go for a cultural visit to iby’iwacu cultural visit where you will geta feel of Rwanda traditions while enjoying various performances.

Day 12: Departure to Kigali

This will be the final day of this great adventure, after your breakfast, you will transfer back to Kigali international airport to catchup with your next flight and that will spell the end of this adventure.

End of 12 days best of Uganda Rwanda Safari.

Tour includes

• Gorilla trekking permit
• Chimpanzee trekking permit
• Golden monkey permit
• Rhino tracking fees
• Lion tracking experience
• Park entrance fees/ game drives
• Boat cruise fees
• Full board accommodation
• One-way rental fees

 Tour excludes

• Air flight tickets
• Visas
• Life insurance
• Optional activities not included on the itinerary
• Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.

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