15 days Rwanda, Congo and Uganda Safari
Your 15 days safari starts from Kigali and ends in Entebbe. Your safari will start with a visit to Ntarama church where you will learn more about the 1994 genocide memorial. After you will visit the Ibwiwachu community the gorilla guidance community where you will be introduced to traditional Rwanda through traditional; dances, poems, and dress codes among others. The safari continues to Nyungwe forest Rwanda’s largest forest and home of chimpanzees. You will also visit the sandy and waterfront beaches of Lake Kivu. These beaches make this one a popular destination with travellers looking to relax. This safari will also take you to Virunga forest where you will have an opportunity of meeting the mountain gorillas. While on this safari, you will get an opportunity of hiking Nyiragongo and this usually lasts 4-6 hours depending on the fitness of individuals in the group. This safari will continue to Kabale the home of Uganda’s most beautiful lake. Because of the beautiful scenery and terraced verdant hills, the place is commonly known as “the Switzerland of Africa”. Your safari will also take you to Queen Elizabeth national park famous for the Kazinga channel and many animal species including the tree-climbing lions found in the Ishasha sector of the park. You will also get a chance to visit Kibale forest national park which is famous for chimpanzee trekking. Lastly, you will visit Lake Mburo national park for several game drives and wildlife species. Lake Mburo is the smallest national park in Uganda and is commonly known as the “zebra hearted land”.
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali international airport
Welcome to Rwanda! Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and greeted by our representative who will escort you to the safari vehicle and will introduce you to your driver’s guide. Your guide will brief you and take you through the trip plan. He will then transfer you to the Afrika boutique hotel where you will be able to relax and contemplate the adventure that lies ahead of you.
Accommodation: Afrika boutique hotel
Day 2: Kigali city tour including a visit to Nyamata and Ntarama
At 8:00 am, you will be picked up from the hotel and set off to Ntarama church where you will learn more about the 1994 genocide memorial. From Nyamata church, crown the genocide history with a visit to the Gisozi genocide memorial museum where you will learn more about the history of the genocide memorial and how it went throughout the country. After lunch, you will visit the firehouse which is the area where the plane that was carrying president Habyarimana was brought down, that late sparked the famous 1994 Rwanda genocide. You will then visit the Belgium museum and learn more about Rwanda’s culture. Crown the day with a visit to local markets where you will learn more about the economic aspect of Rwanda.
Accommodation: Afrika boutique hotel
Day 3: Ibwiwachu community the gorilla guidance community
Today you will wake up for breakfast then checkout and drive to the northern side of Rwanda to the Ibwiwachu community the gorilla guidance community. This afternoon you will visit the Ibwiwachu community where you will be introduced to traditional Rwanda through traditional; dances, poems, and dressing codes among others. Later you will have a hot lunch and then transfer to your accommodation facility for an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Peak spot Kinigi/ Kinigi guest house
Day 4: Golden monkey trekking- Nyungwe and transfer to Gisenyi
Wake up very early for breakfast and drive to the park head offices in Kinigi at 7:00 am and then have briefings about the dos and don’ts while trekking. Join up with other golden monkey trekkers; meet the ranger guide for a few minutes and talk about the activity and the park. By 8:00, get into the cars and transfer to the golden monkey trail just outside the park. Thereafter, enter into the park taking the golden monkey trail and on this, you will experience other primates, birds, and butterflies, which will also be spotted. After the long trek, you will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will take a relaxed drive to Gisenyi town. Upon arrival at Gisenyi, you will check into Paradise Malahide for an overnight stay and dinner.
Accommodation: Paradise Malahide
Day 5: Boat cruise on Lake Kivu and transfer to Kibumba camp
After morning breakfast, take a relaxed drive to Lake Kivu. The sandy beaches and waterfront make this a popular destination with travellers looking to relax. Lake Kivu itself is one of the great lakes in the Albertine rift valley and is 500m deep, making it one of the deepest and most voluminous lakes in the world. Once you have arrived at Lake Kivu, there is only one thing to do and that is to relax on the shores of Lake Kivu. The peaceful and tranquil environment as well as the cool breeze will transport you a million miles away from worries.
After the boat cruise, you will return to the lodge have an early lunch and check out. You will then get into your safari vehicle for the transfer to Congo. You will check into Kibumba camp on arrival for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Kibumba tented camp
Day 6: Gorilla trekking- Virunga forest
Have your breakfast very early (7 am) and drive to Bukima ranger post for briefing and gorilla trekking Virunga forest. Uganda and Rwanda are the only habitats for mountain gorillas in the world. Mountain trekking safaris to Virunga are the most popular tourist destinations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are not so many mountain gorillas in Virunga national park despite the large size of the habitat and six families are open for tourism activities. Kabirizi family is the most popular to many travellers on gorilla trekking safari to Dr Congo. Kabirizi family is a dominant polygamist silverback with the largest of the gorilla family that has close to three dozen members.
Accommodation: Kibumba camp
Day 7: Transfer to Nyiragongo and start the Nyiragongo trek
You will wake up early for breakfast at your lodge. At 8:00 am, your guide will transfer you to the Rwanda Congo border of Goma and there transfer to Kibati village where the Nyiragongo starting point is located. Begin your hike towards the Nyiragongo summit after a briefing from the staff. Hiking Nyiragongo usually lasts 4-6 hours depending on the fitness of individuals in the group. Not much is known about how long the volcano has been erupting, but since 1882 it has erupted at least 3 times including many periods where activity was continuous for years at a time, often in the form of churning Lava Lake in the crater.
The volcanoes partly erupt with two elder volcanoes, Baratu and Shaheru and are also surrounded by hundreds of small volcanic cinder cones from flank eruptions. When hiking, we don’t leave anyone behind.
Day 8: Descend to Kibati and transfer to Paradise Malahide
After early morning breakfast, you will begin to descend off Nyiragongo volcano arriving back to Kibati and this will take you approximately 4-5 hours. Your guide will drive you to the Rwanda side arriving at paradise Marahide for an overnight and dinner in preparation for Uganda’s adventure that lies ahead of you.
Accommodation: Paradise Malahide
Day 9: Transfer to Chanika border to cross to Uganda
After breakfast at the lodge, you will be picked up by your driver guide who will transfer you to the Chanika border to cross to Uganda. You will then drive to Kabale through the beautiful terraced verdant hills. This place is commonly known as the “Switzerland of Africa”. You will check in at the lodge for lunch as you enjoy the breathtaking views of Lake Bunyonyi. After lunch, you will take a boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi to the numerous islands to sightsee as well as view the various bird species and back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Birds Nest / Hawks Eye
Day 10: Morning boat cruise and transfer to Queen Elizabeth
After breakfast, you will take a boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi to the numerous islands to sightsee as well as view the various bird species. Here you will enjoy activities like birding, canoeing to some islands and fishing among others. After you will have lunch, check out of the lodge with the help of your guide and then transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. This national park is famous for a variety of wildlife and primate species.
Upon arrival at the park, you will at the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options; Katara Lodge/Mweya safari lodge (Luxury), Kasenyi Safari Camp/Ihamba Safari Lodge (Moderate), Simba safari camp (Budget)
Day 11: Morning game drive & and afternoon boat cruise
Arise early enough and after breakfast and drive to the wild for a morning game drive where you will see various animals like elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, and lions, among others.
A game drive gives you the chance to view different landscapes and ecosystems in Uganda. The park is the oldest and most visited in Uganda. The game drive will take place on the Kasenyi plains which are in the northeast section of the park and west of Lake George. There are a large number of various animals like elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, lions, baboons and the odd leopard if you are lucky.
After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch and then set out for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga channel where you will see various numbers of animals like crocodiles, hippos, water bucks, buffaloes, as well as birds like the storks, Kingfishers among others.
Accommodation options; Katara Lodge/Mweya safari lodge (Luxury), Kasenyi Safari Camp/Ihamba Safari Lodge (Moderate), Simba safari camp (Budget)
Day 12: Game drive in Kasenyi and transfer to Kibale forest national park
After breakfast, you will drive to Kasenyi plains for your game drive. Kasenyi plains boost several wild animals whose chance of being seen depends on your luck that day. On a good day, you may spot big cats like lions, leopards hunting, buffaloes, elephants, several antelopes, warthogs, and other small mammals. Return to the lodge for lunch and then transfer to Kibale forest national park. On your drive to Kibale forest national park, you will be able to enjoy an impressive sight of the legendary “mountains of the moon” which you will see on the road to fort portal. You will as well pass through the main traditional villages as you enjoy local people carrying out agriculture.
Accommodation options; Ndali lodge (Luxury), Kibale Forest Camp/ Kibale Guest Cottages (Moderate)
Day 13: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi wetland visit
Wake up so early and head to Kanyanchu by 8:00 am to start your trek in the Kibale forest. Chimpanzees are considered to be the closest relatives to human beings and they share 98% of their DNA with human beings. As you proceed with your search for beautiful chimps, you will see other primate and animal species including the Hoists monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkey, grey-cheeked mangabeys, pottos, bush babies and many bird species including the little green bird, yellow spotted victor, ramped tinker bird, crowned eagle, green breasted pitta, black bee spotted eater as well as the elephants which are mammals.
The national park is on an average of 3300 feet in elevation and it is a rain forest with many chimpanzee communities. Each troop of these chimpanzees has over 100 individuals with a complete social structure. In their groups, the adult males dominate the group and always defend the whole community against any danger and incursions by males from outside. You will get a chance of observing them as they play, feed, socialize as well as jump around trees.
Immediately after the long trek, you will return to the lodge for lunch as you prepare to visit Bigodi wetland sanctuary where you will view more primate species like the blue monkeys, baboons, otters, bushbucks, mongoose, bush pigs, and many more. This place is known for many bird species like the blue turaco and the green-breasted pitta.
Accommodation options; Ndali lodge (Luxury), Kibale Forest Camp/ Kibale Guest Cottages (Moderate)
Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park.
After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will be picked up by your driver’s guide and then transfer to Lake Mburo national park, which is among Uganda’s smallest savannah national parks. It is home to 330 bird species, animals like buffaloes, Oribis, kobs, warthogs, and zebras among others.
Upon arrival at the park, you will check in at the lodge, have lunch and then have an unforgettable experience on the afternoon boat cruise along the lake. Still, a lot of animals will be sighted like crocodiles and hippos among others. The boat cruise can dawn or dusk depending on your safari itinerary and normally takes 2 hours.
All the rides begin from Rwonyo jetty, it will not take you so long before you begin to see large groups of crocodiles and buffaloes lining the banks of the lake. The lake is also famous for its bird life, from majestic fish eagles to colourful kingfishers. If you are lucky enough you might even catch a glimpse of the rare shoebill stocks.
Accommodation options; Mihingo Lodge (Luxury), Rwakobo Rock (Moderate), Eagles nest/ Leopard’s rest camp (Budget
Day 15: Game drive and transfer to the airport for your flight.
After an early breakfast, you will set out for a game drive through the park where your eyes will be fed with amazing sights and wildlife such as impala, kobs, antelopes, and also different bird species.
Lake Mburo has a variety of animals including antelopes, Oribis, topi, duiker, reedbuck, klipspringer and Rothschild giraffes that have recently been introduced. However, the highlights of the park have to be the Burch ells zebra and eland which are only found in two national parks in Uganda.
After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch and after lunch, it will be time for your final transfer from Lake Mburo to Entebbe international airport for your flight back home.
We truly hope that you had a wonderful and memorable experience that you will remember for many years to come. Have a safe onward journey back home and we hope Rwanda, Congo and Uganda will always be at heart!