10 Days Gorillas and Wildlife Safari
10 Days Gorillas and Wildlife Safari in Uganda & Rwanda
This 10 Days Gorillas and Wildlife Safari in Uganda and Rwanda takes you to watch Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Golden Monkeys and the Big five animals in Uganda’s Rwanda’s major National Parks. On this 10 Days Gorillas and Wildlife Safari in Uganda and Rwanda, you will explore the best of Uganda safari destinations including Zziwa rhino sanctuary, Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park and Bwindi National Park. You will then visit Volcanoes National Park for Golden Monkey Tracking. The 10 Days Gorillas and Wildlife Safari Starts in Entebbe-Uganda and ends in Kigali-Rwanda
Day to Day:
10 Days Gorillas and Wildlife Safari
Tour Highlights:
- Day 1: Arrival, pick-up and Transfer to Hotel in Entebbe
- Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls national park
- Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
- Day 4: Transfer to Kibale national park
- Day 5: Chimpanzee trek and drive to Queen Elizabeth national park
- Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
- Day 7: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
- Day 9: Golden monkey trekking
- Day 10: Transfer to Kigali and city tour
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Hotel
You will be picked up from Entebbe International airport on arrival and your guide will welcome you for the safari to Uganda. You will have a short briefing and drive to the hotel in Entebbe for check in.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls national park
After having an early breakfast at the hotel in Entebbe, your guide will drive you to Murchison falls national park with a stop at the Zziwa rhino sanctuary for a rhino tracking experience. You will visit the habitat of the rhinos on foot with your ranger guides and after this experience, you will proceed to Masindi town for lunch.
Your guide will drive you to Murchison falls national park for the top of the falls experience and you will proceed to the lodge for check in after this experience and prepare for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Your breakfast will be served early at the lodge and you will engage in a morning game drive around Murchison falls national park in search of wildlife species such as giraffes, elephants, buffalos, lions, hartebeests, waterbucks, hippos, leopards, oribi, topi among others.
After the game drive, you will have lunch and in the afternoon take a boat to the bottom of the Murchison falls and during the boat ride; you will enjoy seeing wildlife species by the water shores and also enjoy seeing the Murchison falls. You will be driven to the lodge after the boat ride for your dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale national park
After waking up for an early breakfast, you will prepare for the drive to Kibale national park with a stop for lunch in Hoima town. Your guide will drive you to the lodge for check in and dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trek and drive to Queen Elizabeth national park
You will engage in a chimpanzee trek in Kibale national park after having breakfast early at the lodge and being briefed at the Kanyanchu park headquarters. You will search for the chimpanzees of Kibale forest with your ranger guides and also see other bird species in the forest as well as colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and also red tailed monkeys. After spending 1 hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the briefing point and your guide will drive you to Queen Elizabeth national park where you will engage in an evening game drive and have dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 6: Game Drive and Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
You will start the day with an early breakfast and then a embark on a game drive in search for wildlife species like the lions, elephants, antelopes among others. You will proceed to the lodge in Bwindi national park where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking experience
Your breakfast will be served at the lodge in Bwindi ahead of a briefing at the park headquarters on the gorilla trek. You will be assigned groups to trek a gorilla family in Bwindi and with your ranger guides, you will begin the search and depending on the location of the gorillas, you will spend many hours or a short time in Bwindi forest. You will have 1 hour with the gorillas on finding them and enjoy recording videos, taking photos and observing the gorillas.
After the gorilla trek, you will have an optional batwa tour to get to experience their culture and enjoy traditional dances and know more about their way of life or return to the lodge for your dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
After having breakfast at the lodge in Bwindi national park, you will drive across the Cyanika border to Rwanda where you will visit Volcanoes national park. You will spend the rest of the day relaxing at the lodge in Volcanoes national park and prepare for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking
You will have early morning breakfast at the lodge and be driven to the park headquarters for a briefing on golden monkey trekking by the ranger guides. After the briefing, you will begin the search for the golden monkeys which is less straining as compared to the gorilla trek in Volcanoes national park.
After spending time with the golden monkeys in Volcanoes national park, you will return to the briefing point and your guide will drive you to the lodge or you will engage in an optional cultural visit to the Iby’iwacu village for an insight in the Rwandese culture and norms, way of dressing, traditional foods and also enjoy traditional dance performances and later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10: Transfer to Kigali and city tour
After having breakfast at the lodge in Volcanoes national park, you will proceed to Kigali for a city tour and visit the craft shops and the Kigali genocide memorial. You will have lunch and your guide will drive you to Kigali international airport for your flight.
Tour Includes:
- Exclusive Safari transport in custom made Safari 4 by 4 wheel drive Land Cruiser with air conditioner.
- Services of English-speaking driver guides.
- Pick-up and drop-off.
- Gorilla Trekking Permits and park entry fees
- Bottled water
- All Meals included
- Five nights accommodation at luxurious lodges
- All Activities listed in the itinerary
Tour Excludes:
- International and Visa entry charges to Uganda.
Personal expenses and gratuities.
Additional optional activities.
Best Time To Travel:
Although gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park is possible throughout the year, The best time for this luxury safari is during the dry seasons: June to September and December to February when trekking conditions are optimal and wildlife viewing is at its best. Forest trails are less slick during this time since they are comparatively dry. Additionally, during these months, you have a better chance of seeing gorillas in dry weather and this period is ideal for activities during safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park such as game drives, boat safaris on the Kazinga Channel, and chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge.
How To Get There:
How to Fly from Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: For luxury travelers looking to explore Uganda’s most breathtaking landscapes without the long and bumpy road journeys, flying is the best way to travel. A seamless combination of scheduled or private charter flights allows you to move effortlessly from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) to Queen Elizabeth National Park and then onward to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, maximizing your time for unforgettable wildlife encounters.
Flying from Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Your journey begins at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), where you will board a domestic flight operated by Aerolink Uganda or Bar Aviation to Kasese or Mweya Airstrip, the two main airstrips serving Queen Elizabeth National Park. The flight takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes and offers spectacular aerial views of Uganda’s rolling savannahs, crater lakes, and the Rwenzori Mountains.
- If you land at Kasese Airstrip, it takes about 1 hour by private transfer to reach the park’s luxury lodges.
- If you land at Mweya Airstrip, you are right in the heart of the park, just minutes away from some of the finest accommodations.
Once in Queen Elizabeth National Park, indulge in exclusive game drives, a private boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, and unforgettable wildlife encounters, including the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.
Flying from Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park, the next stop is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. The fastest and most comfortable way to travel is by taking a domestic flight from Mweya or Kasese Airstrip to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip, the two gateways to Bwindi.
- The flight from Mweya to Kihihi takes about 45 minutes, followed by a 1.5-hour drive to the northern sector of Bwindi (Buhoma).
- The flight from Kasese to Kisoro takes about 1 hour, followed by a 2-hour drive to the southern sector of Bwindi (Rushaga or Nkuringo).
Upon arrival, your luxury 4×4 vehicle will be waiting for a smooth transfer to your exclusive lodge, where you can unwind before the once-in-a-lifetime gorilla trekking adventure.
What to Carry for your 10 Days Uganda Rwanda
- Camera and charger
- Sunglasses
- Light and heavy clothes
- Hiking boots
- Binoculars (if available)
Package includes the following services:
- Exclusive Safari transport in custom made Safari 4 by 4 wheel drive Land Cruiser with air conditioner.
- Services of English-speaking driver guides.
- Pick-up and drop-off.
- Bottled water
- All Meals included
- All Accommodations
- All Activities listed in the itinerary
Package cost excludes the following services
- International and Visa entry charges to Uganda.
- All items of personal use i.e. drinks, laundry, telephone calls, gratuities, personal travel insurances, etc.
- Activities not listed in the itinerary
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THIS 10 DAYS UGANDA RWANDA GORILLA SAFARI
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
On this 10 Days Uganda Rwanda Gorilla Safari , all visitors to Uganda must have a valid passport with at least 4 consecutive blanks pages. Any applicable visa and/or relevant documentation are the responsibility of the traveler. For further information on Visa requirements visitors are advised to contact their nearest Uganda Embassy or Consulate. Apply online here
LANGUAGE:
English
TIME:
GMT +3
VOLTAGE:
220 Volts/AC50Hz. Sockets are UK style, 3 pin square plugs. Power is from the UMEME in the city/major towns and generator with inverter back up in the Safari Lodges and Camps.
CURRENCY:
Foreign currency must be changed at the Bank, Bureau de Change, and Hotel/Safari lodge/Camp/Resort. Major Credit Cards, Master card, Visa, American Express, are usually accepted throughout the country. Where credit cards are accepted, the payment will normally be recorded in US$ regardless of the card’s default currency.
CLOTHING:
Dress is mainly informal and should be comfortable as well as practical. Something warm should be brought along for early morning and evenings. Safari clothes are available from hotels/lodges/camps.
BAGGAGE:
Where possible, travel light. Baggage space on safari is limited to medium suitcase or soft bag per person plus reasonable amount of hand luggage. There is 15 Kilogram per person limit on all flights to the wildlife sanctuaries. Excess luggage must be stored in your arrival hotel.
WATER:
You will find many different of opinion of what is safe and what is not. We recommend for peace of mind, to drink local Bottled Mineral water. It is important to drink plenty of water especially during the hotter months. We would recommend that guests drink at least 2 to 3 liters of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration.
HEALTH;
East Africa is a safe and secure destination; however, it is a good idea to take a few precautions. Kindly consult your GP or local doctor at least 6 weeks before you travel, with regards:
Malaria prophylactics. East Africa is a known malaria area and preventive measures are essential. You are advised to take one of the recommended anti-malarial drugs. Be sure to wear long sleeved shorts and trousers after sunset and spray the exposed parts of your body with a mosquito repellent spray
Remember to protect yourself from direct sun rays with sunscreen cream or safari hat.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:
For those guests with specific dietary requirement, please ensure we are notified prior to travel
GRATUITIES:
As a guideline and dependent on how happy you are, we would suggest the following:
The General Hotel/Lodge/Camp Staff – Approximately U$ 10.00 per person per day
Driver Guides – Approximately US$ 15.00 to US$ 20.00 per person per day
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Please be careful when photographing public buildings, airports, bridges, the national flag and people in uniform. Ensure that you have sought permission before photographing local people and their villages. If in doubt, please check with your guide.