8 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari
8 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari: Primates & Wildlife Safari Tour
This 8 Days Uganda Rwanda safari is a Primates and Wildlife viewing tour in Africa that involves game drives, Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking and Golden Monkey Tracking among other activities. The 8 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari takes you to popular safari destinations in Rwanda and Uganda including Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Volcanoes national park.
Day to Day:
8 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari
Tour Highlights:
- Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Your Hotel
- Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
- Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise
- Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi national park
- Day 5: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
- Day 7: Golden monkey trekking
- Day 8: Transfer to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to your Hotel in Entebbe
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be picked up by your driver/guide who will welcome you to Uganda and brief you about the upcoming safari. After a short briefing, you will be driven to the hotel in Entebbe for check in.
Accommodation option: Hotel Number 5 / Best Western Premier Garden Hotel in Entebbe or Latitude 0 Degrees / Lake Victoria Serena Golf & Spa / Sheraton Hotel Kampala
Meal plan: All Inclusive
Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After breakfast, you will be driven to Queen Elizabeth national park or flown to mweya or kasese airstrip where you will arrive in time for check in to your lodge and if possible an evening game drive in search for wildlife species including elephants, lions, leopards, hippos, buffalos, waterbucks, impalas among others. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation options: Kyambura Gorge Lodge / Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 3: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast you will be driven from the lodge to take part in a morning game drive around Queen Elizabeth national park and search for wildlife species like elephants, buffalos, antelopes, lions, hippos, warthogs, topi and many others in the savannah.
You will have a break for lunch and also engage in a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel for about 2 to 3 hours as you enjoy seeing wildlife species like hippos, buffalos, elephants on the lake shores as well a various bird species. After the boat ride, you will be driven to the lodge where you will spend the evening and have dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Kyambura Gorge Lodge / Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
You will be served breakfast at the lodge in Queen Elizabeth national park ahead of the journey to Bwindi national park. You will be driven through the Ishaka-Kabale road or flown from kasese airstrip to kisoro or kihi airstrip arriving in time for check in to your lodge, evening relaxing, Dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp / Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Four Gorillas Lodge / Bwindi Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 5: Gorilla trekking experience
You will have early breakfast and proceed to the Bwindi park headquarters for briefing on gorilla trekking. You will be briefed by the park officials and after this; you will trek into Bwindi forest in groups of 8 to encounter the gorillas. You will spend 1 hour with the gorillas in Bwindi and enjoy taking photos and recording videos of them.
After the gorilla trek, you will receive certificates and there will also be an optional community tour for you to take part in and experience way of life of the Batwa. Your guide will drive you to the lodge after this activity for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp / Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Four Gorillas Lodge / Bwindi Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes national park
After having breakfast at the lodge in Bwindi national park, you will cross the border to Rwanda and proceed to Volcanoes national park where you will check in at the lodge and relax as you prepare for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation option: One & Only Gorillas Nest / Bisate Lodge / Wilderness Sabyinyo / Farm House
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 7: Golden monkey trekking
You will have breakfast at the lodge and your guide will take you to the Kinigi park headquarters in Volcanoes national park for a briefing on golden monkey trekking. You will start your golden monkey trek with ranger guides as you explore the natural habitat of the golden monkeys and also encounter other primates like red tailed monkeys and also a variety of birds. You will spend 1 hour with the golden monkeys.
After the golden monkey experience in Volcanoes national park, you will return to the lodge to relax and spend the night.
Accommodation option: One & Only Gorillas Nest / Bisate Lodge / Wilderness Sabyinyo / Farm House
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 8: Transfer to Kigali
After breakfast at the lodge in Volcanoes national park, you will be driven to Kigali where you will have a short city tour and after this activity, your guide will drop you off at Kigali international airport which will bring the tour to an end.
Meal plan: Bed and breakfast
Tour Includes:
- Exclusive Safari transport in custom made Safari 4 by 4 wheel drive Land Cruiser with air conditioner.
- Services of English-speaking expert guides.
- Private airport transfers and domestic charter flights.
- Seven nights in a luxury safari lodge with full-board meals.
- Gorilla trekking and park entry permits.
- Community and cultural visits.
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 and Volcanoes 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:
Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park
By Air:
Flight: ~1 hr 15 min via Aerolink Uganda or Bar Aviation
Arrival Options:
- Kasese Airstrip → ~1 hr drive to lodges
- Mweya Airstrip → In the heart of the park, minutes to top lodges
By Road:
- Drive Time: ~6–7 hours (370 km)
Route: Entebbe → Kampala → Masaka → Mbarara → Bushenyi → QENP
A scenic drive with possible stops at the Equator line and Lake Mburo National Park. In Queen Elizabeth NP: Game drives, boat safari on Kazinga Channel, chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge, and tree-climbing lions in Ishasha.
Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
By Air:
- Mweya → Kihihi: ~45 min flight + ~1.5 hr drive to Buhoma (northern Bwindi)
- Kasese → Kisoro: ~1 hr flight + ~2 hr drive to Rushaga or Nkuringo (southern Bwindi)
By Road:
- Kasese/Ishasha to Buhoma: ~4–5 hours depending on route and road conditions
- Ishasha to Rushaga/Nkuringo: ~6–7 hours via Kisoro
Bwindi to Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
By Road:
- Rushaga/Nkuringo to Cyanika Border: ~1–1.5 hrs
- Border crossing (Cyanika): Allow 30–60 min for immigration (Rwanda is 1 hr behind Uganda)
- Cyanika to Volcanoes National Park (Kinigi): ~45 min
- Total travel time: ~3–4 hrs depending on starting point and border efficiency
Note: Ensure you have the correct visa (East African Tourist Visa is ideal for Uganda/Rwanda travel).
Volcanoes National Park to Kigali
By Road:
- Drive Time: ~2.5–3 hours (110 km)
- Route: Kinigi → Musanze → Kigali via scenic hills and rural Rwandan countryside
Optional stop: Visit the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund or Musanze caves en route.
General Information For This 8 Days Uganda Rwanda safari
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
On this 1 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour , 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.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:
For those guests with specific dietary requirement, please ensure we are notified prior to travel.
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.
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.
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.
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
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