8 DAYS UGANDA AND RWANDA PRIMATES TOUR.
Tour overview.
Get excited to cross borders between Uganda and Rwanda while visiting the country’s most prominent primate havens throughout your 8 days Uganda and Rwanda Primates tour. National Parks to visit include Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale forest National Park. Expect to indulge in activities like a double gorilla trek in both Volcanoes and Bwindi, wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park as well as Bigodi wetland nature walk and chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forests. Mingling with the indigenous local communities is part of your safari, making visits to the Iby’iwacu cultural village and genocide memorial sites in Rwanda as well as the Batwa pygmies and Bakiga communities in Uganda for an insight into the true African village setting and traditions.
Detailed itinerary.
Get excited to cross borders between Uganda and Rwanda while visiting the country’s most prominent primate havens throughout your 8 days Uganda and Rwanda Primates tour. National Parks to visit include Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale forest National Park. Expect to indulge in activities like a double gorilla trek in both Volcanoes and Bwindi, wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park as well as Bigodi wetland nature walk and chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forests. Mingling with the indigenous local communities is part of your safari, making visits to the Iby’iwacu cultural village and genocide memorial sites in Rwanda as well as the Batwa pygmies and Bakiga communities in Uganda for an insight into the true African village setting and traditions.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival & Kigali city tour.
Pick up will be at Kigali international airport by our company representative who will take you through a briefing of your 8 days Uganda and Rwanda primates’ tour. A tour into Rwanda’s city will give you an insight into Rwanda’s culture and history making visits to several places like the Kandt House, Kigali Genocide memorial site, Kigali Convention Center, Kimirnko market and various craft centers. Lunch will be served in the city center before heading out to mingle with the local communities along Lake Nyarutarama. Later in the evening, you will be driven back to your prearranged hotel for dinner and an overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes N/P – Iby’iwacu cultural village.
Arise for a lazy breakfast today morning and checkout to be transferred to Volcanoes National Park while capturing the beautiful scenery of the Land of a thousand hills. Arrival will be in the afternoon for your lunch at the lodge and later on heading out for a cultural experience in the Iby’iwacu cultural village. At this cultural village, you will have the opportunity to explore the traditional rural life of Rwandese while visiting them in the comfort of their homes to have the actual taste of their traditions and different cultures. You will as well visit the King’s hut for an experience of their ancient Kings’ powers and also take part in their traditional dances and music before returning back to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Gorilla trekking – transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Breakfast will be served very early in the morning and report to Kinigi headquarters which is the herb for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and mountain gorilla conservation activities in Rwanda. Briefing will be held at this point to highlight what is expected of you during this activity and immediately hit the forests being led by ranger guides to trace the whereabouts of these gentle giants. The activity lasts between an hour to 6 hours depending on how far the gorillas could have moved in search for food. You are entitled to an hour with the gorillas before exiting the forest for your transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Lunch will be served after crossing to Uganda in Kabale town and later on proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to check-in at your reserved lodge, have enough time to relax at the balcony and later on have dinner and an overnight.
Day 4: Bwindi gorillas – Batwa cultural experience.
Have your breakfast very early in the morning and report to the Park headquarters for a briefing about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. Proceed to the misty forests of Bwindi for a double gorilla trek being led by ranger guides to embark on the search of gorillas in the wild while enjoying the presence of other wildlife species such as birds and other primates such as L’Hoest’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons and many more. Trekking these gentles giants lasts between an hour to 6 hours including the 1 hour that you spend seeing the gorillas up-close. Return to the lodge for lunch before proceeding to the Batwa cultural communities for the Batwa cultural experience. You will have an experience of how the Batwa pygmies lived in harmony with mountain gorillas in the forests. Mingling with these Batwa pygmies, you will an insight into their history, culture and lifestyle for example starting fire by rubbing sticks, use of bow and arrow, tree houses, medicinal herbs and fruits in the forests and many others. Take part in their electric cultural dances before returning to your lodge for inner and an overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth N/P, Ishasha tree climbing lions experience & boat cruise.
Wake up to a hefty breakfast and checkout of your lodge for a transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector for an experience of the tree climbing lions. Lunch will be served along the way before proceeding to the Ishasha sector to spot tree climbing lions relaxing between fig tree branches. You will have ample time with the lions before reporting to your reserved lodge. Report for an evening boat cruise along the Kazinga water channel for an experience of aquatic life in the Park for example Nile crocodiles, giant monitor lizards, hippopotamuses and several water birds.
Day 6: Morning game drive & transfer to Kibale National Park.
Today breakfast will be served very early in the morning and hit Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive to lookout for the Park’s mammals and bird species including nocturnal animals. Animals to lookout for include herds of elephants, buffaloes, various antelope species, leopards, lions, mongoose, hippopotamuses, spotted hyenas and a variety of bird species. A drive through the jungle lasts up to 3 hours after which you will hit the road for a journey to Kibale National Park. You will have lunch in Fort Portal along the way before arriving at your reserved lodge in the middle of the Primates capital of the world to check-in for your dinner and an overnight.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking – Bigodi swamp walk & local community visits.
Arise early for your breakfast and meet your driver guide to be transferred to Kanyanchu visitors’ center where the briefing will be conducted about what is expected of you during chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzees live and move in troops and during this activity you will be assigned one habituated troop that you will go looking after in the forest. Finding them lasts between 2 to 4 hours depending on their movements while going by their routine activities. Having spent up to an hour with the chimpanzees, return to your lodge for lunch and later head-out for a nature walk in the Bigodi wetland sanctuary here you will be able to spot several primates, bird species and other mammals. Proceed to the communities for a cultural experience visiting the coffee queen for an insight into how coffee can be processed locally from the plantation, the banana man to experience how local brew can be locally produced from yellow bananas. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 8: Departure and transfer to Entebbe.
Wakeup to a relaxed breakfast and later on checkout to meet your driver guide to be transferred back to Kampala with a lunch en-route in the Tourism city Fort Portal. Beautiful scenery will be the order of your drive while you capture several tea plantations, terraced hills, banana plantations and many more that will be worth keeping in your gallery. Arrival in Kampala will be in the late afternoon to either be transferred to the hotel of your choice or direct to the airport for your flight back home marking the end of your j8 days Uganda and Rwanda Primates tour.
Pick up will be at Kigali international airport by our company representative who will take you through a briefing of your 8 days Uganda and Rwanda primates’ tour. A tour into Rwanda’s city will give you an insight into Rwanda’s culture and history making visits to several places like the Kandt House, Kigali Genocide memorial site, Kigali Convention Center, Kimirnko market and various craft centers. Lunch will be served in the city center before heading out to mingle with the local communities along Lake Nyarutarama. Later in the evening, you will be driven back to your prearranged hotel for dinner and an overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Volcanoes N/P – Iby’iwacu cultural village.
Arise for a lazy breakfast today morning and checkout to be transferred to Volcanoes National Park while capturing the beautiful scenery of the Land of a thousand hills. Arrival will be in the afternoon for your lunch at the lodge and later on heading out for a cultural experience in the Iby’iwacu cultural village. At this cultural village, you will have the opportunity to explore the traditional rural life of Rwandese while visiting them in the comfort of their homes to have the actual taste of their traditions and different cultures. You will as well visit the King’s hut for an experience of their ancient Kings’ powers and also take part in their traditional dances and music before returning back to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Gorilla trekking – transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Breakfast will be served very early in the morning and report to Kinigi headquarters which is the herb for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and mountain gorilla conservation activities in Rwanda. Briefing will be held at this point to highlight what is expected of you during this activity and immediately hit the forests being led by ranger guides to trace the whereabouts of these gentle giants. The activity lasts between an hour to 6 hours depending on how far the gorillas could have moved in search for food. You are entitled to an hour with the gorillas before exiting the forest for your transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Lunch will be served after crossing to Uganda in Kabale town and later on proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to check-in at your reserved lodge, have enough time to relax at the balcony and later on have dinner and an overnight.
Day 4: Bwindi gorillas – Batwa cultural experience.
Have your breakfast very early in the morning and report to the Park headquarters for a briefing about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. Proceed to the misty forests of Bwindi for a double gorilla trek being led by ranger guides to embark on the search of gorillas in the wild while enjoying the presence of other wildlife species such as birds and other primates such as L’Hoest’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons and many more. Trekking these gentles giants lasts between an hour to 6 hours including the 1 hour that you spend seeing the gorillas up-close. Return to the lodge for lunch before proceeding to the Batwa cultural communities for the Batwa cultural experience. You will have an experience of how the Batwa pygmies lived in harmony with mountain gorillas in the forests. Mingling with these Batwa pygmies, you will an insight into their history, culture and lifestyle for example starting fire by rubbing sticks, use of bow and arrow, tree houses, medicinal herbs and fruits in the forests and many others. Take part in their electric cultural dances before returning to your lodge for inner and an overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth N/P, Ishasha tree climbing lions experience & boat cruise.
Wake up to a hefty breakfast and checkout of your lodge for a transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector for an experience of the tree climbing lions. Lunch will be served along the way before proceeding to the Ishasha sector to spot tree climbing lions relaxing between fig tree branches. You will have ample time with the lions before reporting to your reserved lodge. Report for an evening boat cruise along the Kazinga water channel for an experience of aquatic life in the Park for example Nile crocodiles, giant monitor lizards, hippopotamuses and several water birds.
Day 6: Morning game drive & transfer to Kibale National Park.
Today breakfast will be served very early in the morning and hit Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive to lookout for the Park’s mammals and bird species including nocturnal animals. Animals to lookout for include herds of elephants, buffaloes, various antelope species, leopards, lions, mongoose, hippopotamuses, spotted hyenas and a variety of bird species. A drive through the jungle lasts up to 3 hours after which you will hit the road for a journey to Kibale National Park. You will have lunch in Fort Portal along the way before arriving at your reserved lodge in the middle of the Primates capital of the world to check-in for your dinner and an overnight.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking – Bigodi swamp walk & local community visits.
Arise early for your breakfast and meet your driver guide to be transferred to Kanyanchu visitors’ center where the briefing will be conducted about what is expected of you during chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzees live and move in troops and during this activity you will be assigned one habituated troop that you will go looking after in the forest. Finding them lasts between 2 to 4 hours depending on their movements while going by their routine activities. Having spent up to an hour with the chimpanzees, return to your lodge for lunch and later head-out for a nature walk in the Bigodi wetland sanctuary here you will be able to spot several primates, bird species and other mammals. Proceed to the communities for a cultural experience visiting the coffee queen for an insight into how coffee can be processed locally from the plantation, the banana man to experience how local brew can be locally produced from yellow bananas. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 8: Departure and transfer to Entebbe.
Wakeup to a relaxed breakfast and later on checkout to meet your driver guide to be transferred back to Kampala with a lunch en-route in the Tourism city Fort Portal. Beautiful scenery will be the order of your drive while you capture several tea plantations, terraced hills, banana plantations and many more that will be worth keeping in your gallery. Arrival in Kampala will be in the late afternoon to either be transferred to the hotel of your choice or direct to the airport for your flight back home marking the end of your j8 days Uganda and Rwanda Primates tour.