10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari Adventure

10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari Adventure

The 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari is an Unforgettable Adventure that takes you to various renowned Safari Destinations in Uganda and Rwanda.  This Safari will surely give you an Encounter with our closest Cousins the Chimpanzees with whom we share 99.8% DNA, the Mountain Gorillas as well as the Tree Climbing Lions. You will have once in a life time Community Encounters as well as a story to tell about your African Safari.

Safari destinations

Kibale Forest National Park

Located in Western Uganda in Kabarole district and it was established in 1993, the park is known for being “The primate capital of the World” having various Chimpanzees with a population of over 1500 individuals including habituated ones which are about 120 making it the park with the highest primate population. Among the primates include the black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, olive baboons, Mantled guereza, Potto, Vervet monkey, White-eyelid mangabey, Galago among others. The park is also home to about 120 mammal species including African golden cats, bush pigs, warthogs, blue and red duiker, rare sitatunga, forest hogs, African elephant, forest cape buffaloes, among others and also more than 300 species of birds including olive long tailed cuckoo, western tinker bird, grey parrot, blue breasted king fisher, blue headed sunbird, red faced woodland, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul among other bird species.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Known for having the Tree Climbing Lions at Ishasha sector of the park,     these lions are not found in any other National park in Uganda thus being “The Medley of Wonders”, the park is home to 95 mammal species including the 4 members of the Big 5 which are Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, Leopards and also Uganda kobs, bush bucks, oribis, bush pigs, forest hogs, hippos, sitatungas and over 600 Bird species like the African skimmer, rare saddle billed stork, grey headed kingfisher, African mourning dove, African crowned eagle, Nubian woodpecker, swamp flycatcher, grey capped warbler, little bee eater among other bird species.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

One of Uganda’s oldest rainforests with more than 25000 years of age. The park is home to almost half of the World’s population of Mountain Gorillas which gives a great opportunity for Gorilla Trekking and Habituation in the park’s sectors like Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija and Rushaga. The park harbors 120 mammal species like Elephants, duikers,  yellow-backed duiker,  buffaloes, golden cats, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, black-fronted Duiker, clawless otter, side-striped jackal, civet, numerous bats, rodents and 350 bird species like handsome francolin, purple sunbird, red headed blue bill, African blue cuckoo, regal sunbird, breasted sunbird, Rwenzori turaco, Shelley’s crimson among other bird species.

Volcanoes National Park

Also known as Parc National de Volcans (PNV) is one of the Oldest parks in Africa garzetted in 1925 mainly to conserve the endangered Mountain Gorillas. The park is covers an area of about 162sqkm and it is located in the Northern Province of Rwanda in Musanze. The park lies within the Great Virunga Volcano Conservation region and it is home to various Wildlife species including mammals like Bufaloes, forest elephants, bush pigs, duikers, forest hogs, spotted hyenas and primates like the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and chimpanzees and about 178 bird species including about 29 species that are endemic to Rwenzori mountains and the Virunga.

Day 1:  Pick up from Entebbe International Airport – Transfer to your Hotel

Your 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari will start with a pick up from Entebbe International Airport by our Professional Driver guide from Paradise Adventure Vacations who will meet and greet you, he will then brief you about the entire journey and thereafter transfer you to your Hotel where you will have a delightful relaxation as well as dinner and an overnight.

Location: Kampala Uganda

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park – Bigodi Wetland and Community Visit

On waking up on day 2 of your Safari, you will have a relaxed breakfast and thereafter start the drive to Kibale National Park located in the Western region of Uganda in Kabarole district. This drive will take about 6 hours and it will offer you magnificent scenic views of Uganda’s landscape as you drive to the park. Enroute to your destination, you will have a lunch stopover in Fort Portal Tourism City.

Then you will proceed to the park’s Bigodi wetland for a swamp walk and during this walk you will spot some butterfly species and birds like the Black-crowned Waxbill, White-spotted Fluff tail, White-breasted Negrofinch, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Black Bishop, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Black & white Shrike-flycatcher, Western Nicator, Superb Sunbird, among others. You will then proceed for a community walk where you will see and taste the Gins brewed from bananas, craft making, coffee processing, and then you will return back to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.

Location: Kibale Forest National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 3: Kibale Forest National Park – Chimpanzee Habituation

Wake up early morning for a heavy breakfast and start Day 3 of your 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari.  Wear appropriate clothing like long sleeved shirt, a pair of karky or jean trousers, a round cap,  water proof boots and a heavy sweater to protect you from the falling tree branches and also in case of bad weather.  Also carry in your back packs some snacks and drinking water to help keep you hydrated during the trek since it may take about 1 to 5 hours to find the Chimpanzees depending on their location. Then you will proceed to Kanyachu Visitor center for a briefing about the Do’s and the Don’ts of the park, while here, you will be assigned a Park ranger who will take you through the forest and also a chimpanzee family to look out for.

During the trek, you will spot primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, the red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, red colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, Mantled guereza, Potto, Vervet monkey, White-eyelid mangabey, Galago among others and also various bird species like olive long-tailed cuckoo, western tinker bird, blue headed sunbird, red faced woodland, grey parrot, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul, blue breasted king fisher, among other bird species. You will also spot mammal species like the African elephants, the bush pigs, warthogs, forest hogs, forest cape buffaloes among others. Upon finding the chimpanzees, you will have a 4 hours encounter with them while learning their behaviors, social life, how they feed and play, feel free to ask the park ranger as many questions as possible. You will then return back to your accommodation for your dinner as well an overnight.

Location: Kibale Forest National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Launch Cruise

Day 4 of your 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari will start with a heavy delicious breakfast and thereafter you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park which is about 2 hour’s drive from Kibale National Park. Upon reaching, you will check into your accommodation for a hearty lunch and then later in the afternoon you will proceed for a rejuvenating boat cruise on the Kazinga channel which will give you stunning views of the park  and an opportunity to view the herds of hippos in water, elephants swimming and drinking water, Nile crocodiles resting at the banks of the Kazinga channel, and for the bird lovers, also be on the lookout for various bird species like the African fish eagle, the yellow billed stork, rare saddle billed stork, grey headed kingfisher, the African skimmer ,Nubian woodpecker, swamp flycatcher, grey capped warbler, little bee eater, Swamp Nightjar among others.

Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Tree Climbing lions Tracking – Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Day 5 of your 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari will start with an early morning breakfast and then you will check out of your accommodation to proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which is located south of Queen Elizabeth National Park and it will take about 5 hours to reach the Northern sector of Buhoma. During your journey out of Queen Elizabeth, you will drive through Ishasha sector to search for the tree climbing lions and other wildlife like Topis, Aardvark, lions, elephants, monkeys, Uganda kob, Hippos, leopards, water buck among others which are found in this sector of the park. You will have a lunch stopover in Kihihi and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for your dinner as well as an overnight.

Location: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 6: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park 

Gorilla Trekking

Your Day 6 of the 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari begins with an early morning Heavy breakfast as you prepare for a Unique and memorable experience in the park, Wake up to the sounds of the birds singing in the sky, have your breakfast and wear appropriate clothing that matches this activity, like a long sleeved karky or army green shirt, a pair of karky or jean trousers, waterproof boots, a round cap and a heavy sweater to protect you from the bent tree branches and also in case of bad weather.  Carry some snacks and drinking water in your back pack to keep you hydrated throughout the activity.

Head to the park headquarters where you will be briefed about the Do’s and the Don’t’s while you are with the Mountain Gorillas. After your briefing, you will be assigned a park ranger who will guide you through the Impenetrable forest and one Habituated Gorilla family to look out for. It will take you about 1 to 7 hours to find the mountain gorillas depending on their location and when you have found them, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour with them and during this time you will learn about their ways of life and also try to relate with them so they become used to human presence, your guide will be available to answer any questions you need to know.

You will also stand a chance to see many forest dwellers you meet on your way during the search of gorillas including different species of birds, elephant, and antelopes. If lucky, you can as well see chimpanzees. Bwindi is one of the parks where gorillas and chimpanzees coexist in the same environment.  Later return back to the park Headquarters and receive your Certificate of Participation and head to your accommodation for late lunch, relaxation.

Batwa Community Encounter

Later you will go for a Batwa Community experience, The Batwa were the early inhabitants of the ancient Impenetrable forest before it became a National park and also a UNESCO World heritage site in 1992. You will learn about their social ways of life, how they hunt for food in their ancient ways, visit a Batwa homestead to watch how they dance and also hear ancient legends and their folk songs and then return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.

Location: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

 Day 7: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park – Relaxation

On day 7 of your Safari Adventure, you will have a delicious breakfast and then start the drive to Volcanoes National Park located in the North Western region of Rwanda. This drive will take about 7 hours including a lunch stopover enroute to your destination. Upon arrival at the park, you will check into your accommodation for relaxation from your long drive. Later you will have your dinner as well as an overnight.

Location: Volcanoes National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 8: Volcanoes National Park

Upon waking up by the beautiful sounds of the birds singing in the sky, you will start day 8 of your 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari with an early morning breakfast. Wear appropriate clothing for the day like a long sleeved shirt, a pair of karky or jean trousers, a round cap, water proof boots to protect you against the falling tree branches of the Volcanoes National park and also in case of bad weather,  Pack some snacks and water to help in keeping you hydrated during the trek.

Gorilla Trekking

Proceed to the park’s headquarters in Kinigi for a briefing on the Do’s and the Don’ts while you are with the mountain gorillas, you will also be assigned a park ranger who will guide you during the trek and also a gorilla family to look out for and then start the search for the mountain gorillas which will take about 2 to 8 hours depending on their movement and feeding range.

During your trek, you will encounter various bird species like Long crested eagle, stonechat, cinnamon-breasted bee eater, grey throated throat, African marsh harrier, common moorhen, paradise flycatcher among other bird species. On finding the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend a maximum of 1 hour with them as you learn about their ways of life, how they feed and take care of their young ones, how they communicate among others. Feel free to ask as many questions as possible about these gorillas and take memorable pictures and then you will return back to your accommodation for lunch.

IBY ‘lwacu Community Encounter

Later you will proceed to the IBY ‘lwacu Community where you will get close to the indigenous community and share life experiences. Here, you will learn about the African culture and lifestyle and also something unique about this community is that the majority of men in this community are reformed poachers who are now taking part in the Conservation Projects within the park. You will take part in various activities including, joining Royalty by being crowned King or Queen of the day, enjoy music and dance. After this unforgettable experience, return back to your accommodation for your dinner as well as an overnight.

Location: Volcanoes National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 9: Volcanoes National Park – Golden Monkey Trekking

Upon waking up, you will have an early morning breakfast. As you start your day 9 of the 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari. Wear appropriate clothing for the day like a long sleeved shirt, a pair of karky or jean trousers, a round cap, water proof boots. To protect you against the falling tree branches of Mgahinga gorilla National park and also in case of bad weather,  Pack some snacks and water to help in keeping you hydrated during the trek. Proceed to the park’s headquarters in Kinigi Visitor Center for a briefing on the Do’s and the Don’ts while you are with the Golden monkeys.

You will also be assigned a park ranger who will guide you during the trek and also a Golden monkey group to look out for. And thereafter you will head out to the jungle in search for the beautiful creatures. This search through the bamboo forests will take about 3 to 4 hours since these creatures live at the bottom of the Volcano Mountains, on your way you will also encounter various mammal species like Bufaloes, forest elephants, bush pigs, duikers, forest hogs, spotted hyenas and also bird species, If you are lucky you may encounter the Chimpanzees. On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour with them while learning their ways of life, how they feed and take care of their young ones, how they communicate among others. Take as many pictures as possible to help you tell your unforgettable experience.

Location: Volcanoes National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 10: Drive to Kigali International Airport with a City Tour and Visit to Genocide Memorial Site

On waking up on your final day of your Safari Adventure, you will drive to Kigali International Airport or your Hotel with a City Tour of Rwanda’s Capital, Kigali which is one of the cleanest Capital cities in Africa. You will also visit the Genocide Memorial Site where you will learn about the history of The Rwandan Genocide which occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, over 800,000 members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa were brutally slaughtered by armed Hutu militias. Later you will have a delicious lunch and thereafter proceed to your final destination. Thank you so much for specifically choosing Paradise Adventure Vacations on the 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari and we hope to see you again!!!

Location: Kigali Rwanda

Accommodation Option: No

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

The Safari Package Includes on 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari Adventure

Meet and greet on arrival

Airport and inter-hotel transfers from day 1 to the last day

Meals as indicated in the itinerary

Accommodation rate includes: meals, alcoholic and soft drinks, laundry services, any activities at the lodges, and one complimentary massage per guest and applicable VAT

Exclusive use of a private safari land cruiser 4×4 with WI-FI in receptive areas

Services of a professional, experienced English speaking driver guide

A complimentary flower bouquet and a bottle of wine

Bottled mineral water in the vehicle during the tour

Chimpanzee Habituation per person

Gorilla trekking In Uganda & Rwanda permit per person (this includes briefing at RDB offices, guide, trek – US$ 1,500.-)

Golden Monkey Trekking Permit per person

All activities, visits and extra meals mentioned in the itinerary

Emergency Medical Evacuation Services

All government taxes.

 The Safari Package Includes on 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari Adventure

International and domestic airline tickets unless where indicated,

Entry visa fees, Optional extras whilst in Kigali

Drinks throughout the trip, Tips and gratuities,

Personal expenses such as telephone calls, mini bar, porter-age, travel insurance, etc.

 Passenger Information on 10 Days Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari Adventure

In case of non-availability, we may have to reroute and provide alternative accommodation at lodges of similar category.

Passengers should bring only soft sided bags on safaris as our vehicles have limited luggage space

All the passengers must have Identification Card/Passport with them throughout their travel.