Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Kigali international airport
The 15 days Rwanda, Congo and Uganda safari starts with a pick up from Kigali International Airport in Rwanda by your safari guide who will brief you about the trip. You will later set off from Kigali to Gisenyi on the shores of Lake Kivu for an overnight. Expect to arrive at the lodge in the evening and then take some rest in preparation of the hiking experience the next day.
Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena.
Day 2: Transfer to Nyiragongo Volcano
In the morning after breakfast at the lodge, you will start off your day with crossing the Grande Barriere border and check in with Virunga tourism office for your volcano trek permit. After, you will transfer to the starting point of the hike.
The Nyiragongo hike takes about 6 hours depending on your speed and fitness. You will hike through the forested areas, lava flows and the open space. When you reach the summit, you will have the opportunity of watching the wonderful views of the boiling lava with red glow from the crusted lava. Such experiences are a lifetime memory to the travelers and adventurous lovers. You will spend this night at the crater
Day 3: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Wake up for your morning breakfast and begin your descent from Volcano heading to Goma town for your enroute lunch. After, you will cross back to Rwanda and drive to Volcanoes National Park where you will arrive in the evening. Check in at the lodge of your booking for dinner and overnight
Day 4: Relaxation in Volcanoes National Park
You will relax in the volcanoes National Park where you will enjoy the nature walk , community visits and explore the twin lakes.
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View lodge
Day 5: Gorilla trekking experiences
Wake up in the morning for your breakfast and drive to the park headquarters at Kinigi for briefing and start off your trekking adventure into the rainforests of Volcanoes national park. The experience takes about 2 to 6 hours depending on the location of the assigned gorilla group. After finding the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend an hour with them and after pick your certificates at the starting point.
In the evening after your lunch at the lodge, you will connect to the Ibyi’wacu cultural center for a cultural tour of the Rwandans. Later, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Golden monkey tracking and Visit the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo
Start your day with a delicious breakfast and head to Volcanoes national park offices for registration and briefing on golden monkey tracking. Golden monkey tracking takes a less time compared to gorilla trekking and during the experience, spot troops of golden monkeys playing the tree branches and some on the ground. Take some photos of these primates and later drive back to the lodge for lunch. After, you will have lunch and some relaxation as you prepare for the evening drive to the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Wake up for your early morning breakfast and embark on a long journey to Bwindi Impenetrable national park of Uganda. You will have an en route lunch and arrive at the booked lodge in the evening hours for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience and Batwa cultural visit
After early morning breakfast, head to the park offices for briefing on gorilla trekking at 7:00 am. The Head Guide will let you know what to expect during the activity, what to carry along and how to behave once you are with the endangered mountain gorillas.
You will be assigned a gorilla family basing on your age and physical fitness. Once you are with them, take as many photos as you can because you are only allowed one hour observe them. After the experience, you will head back to the starting point where you will meet the Safari Guide who will drive you back to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will have a cultural tour where you will visit the Batwa Pygmy community, the former inhabitants of the forest. During this visit, you will get different sorts of entertainment like cultural dances, songs, stories and many others. After, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 9: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National park
In the morning after your breakfast, you will prepare for your journey from Bwindi national park to Queen Elizabeth national park where you will enter with a game drive in Isasha sector expecting to spot several creatures like the rare tree climbing lions, and others animals. Check in at your lodge of booking in the evening for dinner and overnight
Day 10: Game drive and afternoon boat cruise at Kazinga channel
In the morning, you will be picked up from the lodge with your packed breakfast and go for a morning game drive where you will spot several nocturnal animals returning back to their homes after hunting in the night. Among these animals include birds, buffalos, hartebeests, lions, leopards, and many others.
After this game drive, you will head back to the lodge for your lunch as you prepare for an afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel. During the cruise, expect to spot, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, resident and migratory birds.
Day 11: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale national park
In the early morning, you will have your breakfast and head for a game drive in Kasenyi where you will spot several animals including the 4 the big 5 – Elephants, lions, leopards and buffalos. Aside these, the park also hosts other animals like zebras, kobs, tigers, warthogs, and many others.
From the game drive, you will transfer to Kibale national park as you enjoy the beautiful countryside views of the pearl of Africa. While on the way, you will have a stopover at the crater lakes and also visit some ancient caves. Once you reach at the park, you will check in at your lodge of booking for some relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight
Day 12: Chimpanzee trekking experience
In the morning after your breakfast, head to Kibale national park headquarters for briefing about the experience. The activity takes between 4 to 6 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees. Although famous for the chimpanzees, the forest is also a home to other 12 primate species and several bird species. From here, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and as you prepare the next day long drive to Murchison falls national park
Day 13: Transfer to Murchison fall national park
Wake up, take breakfast and set off early morning for Murchison falls national park. Before reaching the park, you will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary so as to track the white rhinos. Ziwa Rhino sanctuary is the only destination where rhino tracking takes place in Uganda. The sanctuary was founded to save the few remaining Rhinos which were wiped out of Murchison falls national park due to poaching. After, you will continue with the journey to the park with an enroute lunch.
Upon arriving at the park, you will hike to the top of the falls where you will see a 7m gab where water squeezes itself to form a waterfall. From here, you will drive to the hotel for your refreshment, dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Early morning game drive and boat cruise along the Nile
Take breakfast and head for a game drive along the southern banks of the river Nile. During this morning drive, you will have several opportunities to spot four of Africa’s Big 5 which include Elephants, Lions, Leopards and Buffalo. You will enjoy the beautiful views of the African Savannah and also spot various primates, Hartebeest, giraffes, Bushbucks, hyenas, Jackals, the Uganda Kob and so much more. After this morning game drive, you will head out for lunch and rest at your lodge.
In the afternoon, head out of the lodge for a launch cruise along the Nile where you will watch several wildlife species including the largest concentration of crocodiles and hippos. For the bird lovers, a boat cruise along the Nile is best way to go since it is a large collection of both resident and migratory species. Among the birds to spot include the rare shoebill stork, Goliath Heron, Black-headed Gonolek, African Skimmer, Long-toed Plover, Fish Eagle and many others. From here, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Departure
Wake up for your breakfast at the lodge and prepare for your departure to Entebbe International airport for your departure flight.
