20 days Rwanda Uganda, Rwanda ultimate wildlife safari
This 20 days Rwanda Uganda ultimate wildlife vacation to Rwanda and Uganda includes a variety of species and breathtaking sights. Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, and many bird species, including as the African fish eagle and shoebill stork, will all be seen by visitors on this tour in different tourism destinations. In Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, the trip starts and ends. The journey includes visiting Volcanoes national park to encounter the mountain gorillas and other iconic places in the virungas, proceed to Uganda in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is well-known for its breathtaking birdlife and tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, observations are still ongoing in the Kasenyi sector with relaxational boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. Going further, to Rwanda’s only savanna park to see the big five animals in the African wilderness, fishing activities and an amazing hot air balloon experience. Proceed to Nyungwe national park, home to chimpanzees and diverse primate species, Lake Kivu is so fantastic for relaxations and cultural insights. Conclude your safari with Kigali city exploration. This trip provides complete immersion into East Africa’s diverse biodiversity.
Trip highlights
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
- Day 2-4: Volcanoes national park
- Day 5- 8: Explore Queen Elizabeth national park
- Day 9- 12: Akagera national park
- Day 13- 16: Visit the chimpanzee home (Nyungwe national park)
- Day 17-18: Explore and relax on Lake Kivu
- Day 19: Kigali City tour
- Day 20: Departure
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
When you get to Kigali airport, you will be met, greeted and shortly briefed about the 20 days Rwanda Uganda safari by your driver guide. Check into the accommodation where you will relax and spend the rest of the day and night.
Accommodation: Five to Five Hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Following a relaxed breakfast, drive to Volcanoes National Park in the northern part of Rwanda. Enjoy scenic views of the rolling hills, valleys and terraced slopes dotted with homesteads. After a two, and a half hours drive, you will reach Musanze town. Check into the accommodation for lunch.
In the afternoon drive to the twin lakes (Ruhondo and Bulera) for a boat cruise photography of the amazing surrounding volcanic landscape. Dinner and over night at the accommodation.
Accommodation: Classic Lodge Musanze.
Day 3: Gorilla tracking
As soon as you finish your early morning breakfast, you will be taken to the park offices for a safety briefing about how to behave while around the mountain gorillas. After that, go into the bush to look for mountain gorillas.
Meeting these apes is so amazing, but you are only allowed with them for an hour. Watch them as they feed, laugh, play, and groom in their natural home. After the gorilla trek, go return to the lodge where you will relax for the rest of the day as you meditate on the concluded excursion. Dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Classic Lodge Musanze.
Day 4: Golden Monkey tracking and Ibyiwacu cultural center visit
After a breakfast at the hotel go to the park offices for a briefing about another group of endangered primates in Volcanoes National Park. The golden monkey trekking experience takes about 3 – 4 hours. You will spend an hour with the habituated monkeys and watch as they go about their daily activities Golden monkeys are naturally curious and like to play, they spend the day jumping off and feeding on bamboo tree shoots. After this breathtaking interaction with these primates, you will be driven back to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon take a cultural visit to the gorilla guardians’ village which is commonly referred to as the Ibyiwacu cultural Centre. Learn about Rwanda’s history, culture and tradition through different exhibits from the reformed poachers who currently advocate for gorilla protection and habitat conservation.
Optional activity: Hiking mount Bisoke (enjoy a scenic crater lake at the top)
Accommodation: Classic Lodge Musanze.
Day 5: Transfer to Uganda
Destination; Queen Elizabeth National Park.
After a relaxed breakfast, set off for Uganda via Cyanika border, proceed to Kisoro and then to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check into the accommodation on arrival.
An evening game drive is optional for this day.
Accommodation; Enjojo Lodge
Day 6: Full day game drive
After breakfast at your lodge in the morning, take a game drive in Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This is a popular sector for spotting the rare climbing lions. On a lucky day, you will spot them resting on fig tree branches. You will also spot other wild animals and birds.
Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Enjojo Lodge
Day 7: Community walk (Katwe salt mines) and boat cruise on Kazinga channel.
Have a yummy break fast, meet your guide and drive to Lake Katwe to meet the community members who will explain you how salt mining has been done on lake traditionary without the use of modernized equipment for years. this drive is another festive opportunity for birding adventure as the lake has sightings of different bird species including the pied avocet and pink flamingos among others. after several hours of interacting with the residents, drive back at your pace through the park as you spot several wildlife, return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, go for a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. Its an adventurous experience that provides sights of diverse wildlife including crocodiles, hippos and water birds, buffalos, elephants and antelopes that come to drink water at the shores. Dinner and over night at the Lodge.
Accommodation: Simba Safari camp
Day 8: Game drive (Kasenyi sector) and crater lake drive
Enjoy breakfast in the morning, meet your guide, and then go on the morning game drive to see some nocturnal animals before they head back to their hideouts. Expect to see amazing species including herds of elephants, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, bush pigs, antelopes, and giraffes among others, this game drive is a really fulfilling wildlife viewing experience.
In the afternoon go for the crater lakes drive in the south western part of the park , through the western rift valley escarpment, see the dry craters filled with savanna grasses and acacia, and water filled craters, all these giving you the feel of nature and beauty in a natural form.
Accommodation: Enjojo Lodge
Day 9: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After a relaxed breakfast, cross to Rwanda from Queen Elizabeth national park to Akagera national park via Kagitumba border. this is a full day drive of 7 – 9 hours including the time of document processing at the border. On arrival, go to the accommodation where you will relax, have dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Muyumbu Campsite.
Day10: Full day game drive
Get up early and head out on a wildlife drive, eager to witness the many animals that get up early to graze and predators searching for their morning prey. After the game drive, get back to your lodge for lunch. Following lunch, spend the remainder of the afternoon lounging at your lodge before meeting your guide for an evening game drive in the park. Witness the return of wild creatures to their dens for the night.
Accommodation: Karenge Bush Camp.
Day 11: Rhino tracking and sport fishing
Day 11 of 20 days Rwanda Uganda, after an early morning breakfast, join the park rangers for the rhino tracking experience. walk along with the rhinos in a distance as you monitor their activities, note useful information from the guides about their health, security and daily activities. The activity lasts for 3-4 hours. Return to the lodge for relaxation.
In the afternoon, go for sport fishing on Lake Shakani. With your fishing gear, join the local fishermen to go fishing on the lake. at the end of the activity, you are free to take your catch. this lake is another good spot for birding and some of the different bird species that can be seen in the park especially in areas around this lake include; African Darter, African Wattled Lapwing, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Common Squacco Heron, Crowned Lap wing, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Great Egret and the rare shoebill among others. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Karenge Bush Camp.
Day12: Hot air balloon safari and night game drive
For your last day in Akagera National Park as you wake up in the morning for the hot air balloon excursion in the park. This activity lasts for around one to two hours and beginning at five in the morning. Experience the tranquillity of flying while taking in breathtaking park vistas, watching the sun rise over Lake Ihema, and observing a variety of wildlife species from above. Following your landing and the issuance of your flight certificate, this excursion concludes with champagne and a hot coffee break fast in the bush. Spend the rest of the day relaxing at the lodge.
At 5pm, move out for a night game drive where you will spot some nocturnal animals like leopard, civets, bush babies and many others. The night drive runs for 2.5 hours, later return to the lodge for dinner and over night.
Accommodation: Karenge Bush Camp
Day 13: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park via Kigali.
Day 13 of 20 days Rwanda Uganda, leave Akagera National Park for Nyungwe National Park. have stopover in Kigali and later proceed to Nyungwe. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Chimpanzee lodge.
Day 14: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk
You will be expected at the Nyungwe Forest chimpanzee trekking starting centre as early as 6am. Before beginning your chimpanzee trek, you will be briefed, and then you will head into the Nyungwe forest. Chimpanzees and thirteen other primate species call this tropical forest home. Several chimpanzees may be seen hanging from one tree branch to another. Following the hike, you will leave the forest and return to your hotel for either an early lunch or a late breakfast.
After lunch return to Uwinka visitor centre for the canopy walk experience. Get to view the forest canopy on a raised walkway bridge. The experience lasts for 2 hours, enjoy it and later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Chimpanzee lodge.
Day 15; Colobus monkey tracking and Gisakura tea estate experience.
Another day in the dense forest park to search for another group of primates in Nyungwe forests – the black and white colobus monkeys. When you arrive at the park at 7:00 am, you will be paired with a guide and a ranger to begin your safari experience, which entails hiking through the forests giving you access to the monkey troops. You will be able to observe and witness several of their rewarding features, making it an unforgettable safari.
Another activity for the day is visit to Gisakura tea plantation . Here you will be taken through the tea growing, harvesting and processing procedures. You will even taste the delicious final product. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Chimpanzee lodge.
Day 16: Guided nature walk (Trail hiking)
Day 16 of 20 days Rwanda Uganda, you will hike in Nyungwe Forest National Park on a guided nature tour. There are roughly 19 hiking routes in Nyungwe forest that offer good nature experiences to visitors to explain the diversity of the forest. It will take you about four hours to walk the Isumo waterfall route back and forth. After the adventurous hike, check out and transfer to Lake kivu ( Karonji) where you will watch the beautiful sunset at the lake shore. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Rwiza Kivu Village and Guest House.
Day 17: Boat cruises and relaxation
Enjoy a leisurely start to the day before heading to the shores for a Lake Kivu boat tour in the middle of the morning. Board one of the small, cozy motorboats that are used for the private cruise, which gives access to the lakeshores. These boats are also the ideal for taking pictures of people and the outdoors.
The boat tour travels smoothly toward the fishing communities and beautiful islands like Napoleon Island commonly known for housing fruit bats and Nyamirundi for coffee experiences, as the two most visited islands on Lake Kivu.
In the afternoon, enjoy leisurely beach activities like swimming, canoeing, kayaking or engage in the night fishing experience with the local fishermen.
Accommodation: Rwiza Kivu Village and Guest House.
Day 18: Coffee experience and transfer to Kigali
Before departing from Karongi, visit Kinunu coffee washing station for the coffee experience. Have an opportunity to join the local farmers to learn the about coffee planting, harvesting washing, drying and processing up to consumption stage. At the end of your visit, you can taste a cup of Rwandan coffee and even buy some as take home. Later travel to Kigali and check into your already booked accommodation.
Accommodation: Five to Five Hotel
Day 19: Kigali City tour
On 9th of 20 days Rwanda Uganda to discover Rwanda’s brilliant capital, learn its blending history, culture and adventure. Explore the historical landmarks like the Kigali genocide Memorial for a story of resilience and reconciliation, Campaign against genocide Museum, visit the bustling Kimironko market, enjoy traditional dishes with Nyamirambo Women’s centre group, Visit art centres like Niyo Art Centre or Caplaki craft centre for some souvenirs and many other adventurous places in the city.
Enjoy a relaxed evening at your hotel balcony with clear views of the bright Kigali night life. Dinner and overnight at the accommodation.
Accommodation: Five to Five Hotel
Day 20: Departure.
After this adventurous safari, this is a day to travel back home. Wake up at your leisure depending on your flight schedule. Transfer to Kigali international airport for departure.
