Detailed Itinerary

Arrival

• You’ll be picked up from the airport (or hotel)
• Accommodation before the tour departs can be arranged for extra cost

DAY 1: Pick up from Kigali Airport/Hotel to start your 8 Day Uganda Safari from Kigali

• Morning/Transfer:You will be picked from Kigali International Airport/Any Hotel in Kigali to start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda. You will have a stop at the Genocide museum and then take a Kigali city tour if time allows. This safaris takes you through amazing scenery in both Rwanda and Uganda. Rwanda is popularly known as ‘a country of a thousand hills’ while Uganda is referred to as the ‘Pearl of Africa’.
• Afternoon/Lunch: After you cross over to Uganda via  the Katuna  border, you will make a brief stop at Kabale town for lunch in Local Restaurant before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
• Evening/accommodation: You will spend the evening at Leisure at your hotel, then Later dinner and overnight

Drive time: Approximately 4-5 hours

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation:

Budget: Rushaga Havens Lodge/Bakiga Lodge

Mid Range: 4 Gorillas Lodge/Gorilla Leisure Lodge

Luxury: Gorilla Heights Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Kiho Lodge

DAY 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

• Morning/Briefing: After an early morning breakfast, with your packed lunch, you will report to the Park Headquarters at about 7:45 am for registration and then you will join other trackers for a briefing about the Dos and the Don’ts during your Gorilla Tracking experience. Your guides and researchers will lead you through the thick creepers and undergrowth as you trek to find the Gorillas.
• Trek and Observation: This trek can take you half an hour to three quarters of the day. The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The amount of time you take during the trek largely depends on the movement of the gorillas. While you may encounter several birds, other animals and primates in the forest during the trek, once you find the gorillas, it is usually an extraordinary feeling being with these beautiful yet endangered Creatures.  You will have an opportunity to listen and observe researchers do their work of habituating gorillas and if possible you will be called upon to participate by collecting samples, naming of group members, making calls and so much more.
• Afternoon/Lunch: You will have your packed Lunch while still in the forest, then trek back to the park headquarters to pick your certificates and Proceed to your Lodge.
• Evening: You will spend evening at Leisure, you can opt to visit the Community or relax. then Later dinner and overnight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation:

Budget: Rushaga Havens Lodge/Bakiga Lodge

Mid Range: 4 Gorillas Lodge/Gorilla Leisure Lodge

Luxury: Gorilla Heights Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Kiho Lodge

DAY 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

• Morning/Transfer: After breakfast, you will depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park located in Southwestern Uganda arriving in time for Lunch at the Lodge.
• Afternoon and Lunch: You will have Lunch at a Local Restaurant after crossing the border into Uganda, Proceed to enjoy a stunning view of the rift- valley as you enter Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• Evening/Accommodation: You will arrive at your Lodge for a short relaxation before heading to Kasenyi Plains for an evening game drive. On your game drive, you will have an opportunity to sport several animals including antelopes, buffaloes, Elephants, and if lucky big cats like lions and leopards. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation:

Budget: Bush Lodge

Mid Range: Buffalo safari lodge/ Elephant Hab Lodge/ Park view safari lodge

Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge/ Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Meals: All Meals Included

Drive Time: 5-6 Hours

DAY 4: Morning Game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

• Morning: This morning you will head to back to the plains of Kasenyi for a morning game drive to try to find what could have missed the previous day.
• Afternoon and Lunch: Lunch will be served at the lodge and after you will head to the jetty along kazinga channel for the afternoon boat cruise. This cruise offers you chances of viewing animals like: hippos, water birds, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles and many other wildlife which flock the channel for drinking water.
• Evening: You will spend your evening at the Hotel, relaxing, Swimming, and Later Dinner and Overnight

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation:

Budget: Bush Lodge

Mid Range: Buffalo safari lodge/ Elephant Hab Lodge/ Park view safari lodge

Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge/Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Meals: All Meals Included

Drinks: Drinking Water

DAY 5: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale National Park

• Morning/Transfer: After an early breakfast, you will drive to the Northern bank of the Queen Elizabeth National Park (Kasenyi) area in search of some wild animals which include: Elephants, Buffalo, and some wild cats, different species of antelopes such water buck, Uganda kobs etc. as well as Savannah birds.
• Afternoon and Lunch: You will proceed to Fort Portal for Lunch and After lunch you will drive to Kibale National Park arriving at your lodge.
• Evening: You will spend the evening at Leisure, Later Dinner and overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Accommodation

Budget Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge/ Kibale Forest Camp/ Isunga Lodge

Mid Range: Turaco Tree Tops Lodge

Luxury: Primate Lodge/ Tabebuia Hotel

Drive time: 2-3 hours.

DAY 6: Chimpanzee Tracking

• Morning/Briefing: After breakfast, you will drive to Kibale National Park Headquarters for briefing on the Dos and Don’ts of Chimpanzee trekking. You will be divided into small groups of six people headed by one guide who will then move with you into the forest to find one of the Chimpanzee families. Chimpanzees live in communities of between 50-250 individuals but usually breakup into small parties during the day to reduce competition on food. They will then recollect in the evening to build their nests.
• Trekking and Observation: Once you find the Chimps, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the Chimps before returning to the lodge for lunch.
• Afternoon: After lunch, you head out for wetland walk in the nearby Bigodi Village. Kibale National Park is popular for 13 recorded primates species and several bird species.
• Evening: You will then return to the Hotel, relax, have dinner and overnight to end your day.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Accommodation

Budget Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge/ Kibale Forest Camp/ Isunga Lodge

Mid Range: Turaco Tree Tops Lodge

Luxury: Primate Lodge/ Tabebuia Hotel

DAY 7: Depart Kibale National Park for Lake Bunyonyi.

• Morning/Transfer: Drive from Kibale National Park to Lake Bunyonyi to break the long journey to Kigali but also to relax after the lodge tour. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the three Lava damned Lakes in Uganda which was formed when lava flowing from one of the volcanoes blocked a river channel and water was forced to flow back hence filling the space to create Lake Bunyonyi. Bunyonyi locally means small birds – due to the abundance of small birds in this area. Lake Bunyonyi is said to be the deepest lake in Uganda and second deepest in East Africa.
• Afternoon/Lunch: You will arrive in time for Lunch at your hotel in Lake Bunyonyi, then relaxation, dinner and overnight

Drive time: Approximately 6-7 hours

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation

Budget: Bunyonyi Rock Resort

Mid Range: Birdnest Resort

DAY 8: Optional Canoeing around the Lake Bunyonyi and transfer back to Rwanda to End the trip

• Morning/Transfer: After breakfast, you will take canoe ride on the Lake to explore the different islands’ exciting histories. For example, you can visit the Punishment Island where girls who would produce babies out of legitimate tradition marriage would be dumped and left to die. This is a whole day activity and you will surely enjoy it. Alternatively, you can hike one of the hills around Lake Bunyonyi. Encounter Africa Safaris supports some projects in the communities surround this area. So, those who want to do something on their tour can go for volunteer work.
• Afternoon: Later you will drive to Katuna Border and head back to Kigali with either a late flight or post tour hotel on your own arrangement.

Drive Time: 4-5 Hours

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch