8 Days Uganda Rwanda tour
The 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour is an interesting safari that starts from Kigali Rwanda and ends in Kampala/Kigali. The safari will take you to Volcanoes national park which is located in north-western part of Rwanda in Musanze village, Bwindi impenetrable national park which is located in the southern part of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kibale forest national park also known as the primate capital. During the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will be able to engage in game drives and boat cruise where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, lions, leopards, hippos among others. You will also engage in an adventurous gorilla, golden monkey and chimpanzee trekking experience where you will be able to spend time with the mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and chimpanzees in their natural environment. You will also engage in Ibyi’wacu cultural tour where you will get a chance to interact with the local people in the neighboring villages and Bigodi swamp walk.
Highlights of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Day 2: Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 6: Morning game drive, afternoon boat cruise and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 8: Departure to Kampala/Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Depending on your location on the first day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will be welcomed by a representative from Achieve Global Safaris who will brief you about the safari and then go for a short Kigali city tour where you will be able to visit art/craft centres, Kigali genocide memorial centre, Kimironko market among others. After the city tour, you will have lunch and later start the journey to Volcanoes national park which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive. Upon arrival at the lodge, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Golden monkey trekking experience and Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on the third day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will carry your packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for golden monkey trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. During trekking you will be able to view other wildlife species and once the golden monkeys are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, jumping up in trees, take photos and record videos to show people back home.
After the one hour with the golden monkeys, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and go for an exciting cultural tour where you will be able to interact the local people who live in the neighboring villages, learn about their history, culture, lifestyle, way of living, visit their homesteads, listen to their ancient stories, enjoy their traditional performance among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on the third day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park passing via cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale. On the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy great views of the rolling hills, scenery, Kigezi hills, plantations among others. Upon arrival in Bwindi impenetrable national park, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park
Gorilla trekking,
On the fourth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will have an early breakfast, carry your packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide which takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on their location. During gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park you will be able to view other wildlife species and once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record the breath-taking moments to show people back home after the safari.
After the one hour with the mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and later meet up with your driver guide to return back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
After breakfast on the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions lying in acacia/fig tree branches and other animals like topi, waterbucks, elephants, buffaloes among others. After the game drive in Ishasha sector, you will have en-route lunch and then proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive/Lion tracking experience, afternoon boat cruise and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Game drive
After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view animals like elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, giant forest hogs, bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water body that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. The scheduled boat cruise starts at 2:00pm and takes about 2 to 3 hours, during the boat cruise you will be able to cruise near large concentration of hippos and crocodiles in water, animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs on the shores of the lake, bird species, view fishermen preparing their fishing gears among others.
After the boat cruise you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. On the way you will enjoy great views of the crater lakes, tea plantations and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food especially during the dry season. During trekking you will be able to see other primates, different bird species, animals, plants species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, play, fight, hunt, mate, take photos and record the moments. After the one hour with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and return back to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk
After lunch, you will relax at the lodge and later go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi swamp walk where you will get a chance to view different bird species, primates, animals like sitatungas, plant and tree species among others. After the swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Departure to Kampala/Kigali
On the last day of the 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kigali or Kampala with en-route lunch on the way. Upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali international airport/ Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise.
End of 8 days Uganda Rwanda tour
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Park Entrance fee/game drives
- Boat cruise
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Kigali city tour
- Ibyi’wacu cultural tour
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off in Kigali Rwanda
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
