On arrival at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), meet Mist Rwanda Safaris Ltd representative for a short briefing and transfer to your hotel for relaxation and a night stay.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast and after, drive to Murchison Falls National Park for unforgettable wildlife viewing experience. Before you reach the park, you will branch off to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola District, Northwestern Uganda. You will be tracking rhinos at Ziwa and after continue to the park for evening relaxation and overnight stay.

After breakfast, set out for the 6:00 am game drive through the Northern game tracks. Expect to take at least 2-3 hours in a 4x4 safari vehicle while keeping an eye on animal species such as giraffes, lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, warthogs, oribis, Uganda Kobs, Jackson’s hartebeests, and many bird species. Get back to the lodge for a leisurely lunch and refreshments, then connect to Paraa Jetty for a launch cruise. 

On a boat cruise, you will be exploring the Victoria Nile for 2-3 hours till you get to the base of the falls. The expected species of animals to see include hippos, the Nile crocodiles, aquatic birds and others. 

Begin driving to Kabarole district, leaving Murchison Falls NP after breakfast. Enjoy the scenic countryside characterized by the breathtaking rift valley landscape, homesteads in Hoima and later, branch off to the restaurant in Fort Portal tourism city for lunch/have it at the lodge in Kibale. 

Get up early, prepare, enjoy a delicious breakfast and after, transfer to Kanyanchu Tourism Center for briefing about chimpanzee trekking rules. The park official will assign to you an experienced park guide to take you through your chimp trek for 2-4 hours. This includes one hour of a close encounter and taking pictures of chimpanzees in their natural habitat. 

Observe how chimpanzee behave and later, walk back to have lunch in the lodge. In the afternoon (2:00pm), you will connect to Bigodi Wetland for a guided nature walk. A variety of species will be spotted in this swamp including primates like the red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, and birds such as the great blue turacos. 

Leave Kibale Forest NP for Queen Elizabeth National Park and as you connect to Kasese, you will be viewing several crater lakes and at the background, view the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain ranges. Arrive early and have a relaxed afternoon at the safari lodge or camp.

In the morning after breakfast, set out for a game drive along Kasenyi Plains. The 2-3 hours’ guided game drive through Kasenyi allows you to see animal species such as cape buffaloes, lions, elephants, antelopes, bird species and more. Drive back to your comfortable lodge, have a relaxed lunch break. At 2:00 pm, we leave the lodge again for Kazinga channel launch cruise and you will be spotting hippos, crocodiles and water birds. 

Drive to Ishasha sector (the Southern side of Queen Elizabeth NP) where you will enjoy a brief game drive and this is to allow you search for the tree climbing lions. The Ishasha area is also blessed with topis, buffaloes and it is part of the park where shoebill storks can be sighted. After the game drive, settle for lunch at the safari Ishasha Wilderness Camp/Enjojo Lodge/Ishasha Jungle/Topi Lodge

After breakfast, start your journey to Bwindi National Park. You will check in at the lodges in Buhoma sector for a night stay and relaxation.

Have breakfast and leave the lodge for a briefing about gorilla trekking rules at the park headquarters. You will find the park officials and guides, the gorilla families will be allocated to you today plus park guides. At 8:00 am, the normal trekking through the dense Bwindi Forest begins with the lead of the experienced park guide. You may spend at least 2-6 hours searching for the gorilla families with one hour guaranteed for you to take pictures and observe how these apes behave. When you get back, lunch will be served, relax till evening when you will visit the Batwa community for cultural entertainment.

head off to Bwindi.

Leave Bwindi for Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda’s deepest freshwater Lake. Unlike most Uganda water bodies, this lake has no hippos, crocodiles and you can swim in it. You will have a boat ride connecting to one of the 29 Islands in this lake. In the evening, you will have a relaxed moment at the lodge while viewing the lake and surrounding areas.

Depart from Lake Bunyonyi to Volcanoes National Park Ruhengeri. Drive via Kabale to Katuna border where you will cross to Rwanda and proceed to Volcanoes NP to check in at the lodge.

After breakfast, depart for briefing in Kinigi where you will meet the park officials and guides. Expect to start your second gorilla trekking at 8:00 am and this time in Rwanda’s Volcanoes NP, a park with 12 habituated gorilla families. When you meet a family of gorillas, there will be one hour for you to get up close and personal with these large apes. Return to the lodge after the gorilla trek and relax, then set out again for a cultural tour in Iby’Iwacu village.

Embark on golden monkey trekking through the bamboo forest in Volcanoes NP and you will be accompanied by an experienced park guide. Maximum of one hour will be spent face-to-face with golden monkeys, and explore their daily behaviors. After, return and have lunch before you proceed to Lake Kivu for relaxation along its cool shores.

Have a long day exploring Lake Kivu and this includes a boat ride and chilling at its cool shores. After, overnight stay will be in the pre-booked accommodation options.

Depart Lake Kivu for Nyungwe Forest National Park located in the Southern Province of Rwanda. This park is where a huge concentration of primates live –accounting for over 13 species including 500 chimpanzees, 400 colobus monkeys and others.

After a hot cup of tea/coffee, leave the comfortable lodge for briefing about Nyungwe chimpanzee tracking rules. You will have 2-4 hours exploring Nyungwe Forest as you search for chimpanzees and one hour will be allowed for you to get up close and personal with these apes. Start trekking back afterwards and enjoy lunch at the lodge. The afternoon activity will be a canopy walk to see a variety of primates, flora and birds.

After breakfast, start your road trip to Kigali and this takes 6-7 hours’ drive through Butare. At Butare, you will make a stop visit at the King’s palace, national museum and other sites. From Butare, you will drive straight to Kigali city to relax at the pre-booked hotel –Kigali Serena Hotel or Garr Hotel.

Leave the hotel property for city tour in Kigali and today, you will be visiting historical centers including Gisozi memorial centre, former presidential palace, visit Kigali’s biggest market and nearby craft shops. Overnight stay will be at Kigali Serena Hotel or Garr Hotel.

Enjoy a hefty breakfast and after, proceed to Kigali airport for departure. This brings to an end the 20 days Uganda-Rwanda safari.

End of safari