9 Days Rwanda Tour and Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari
Overview
Our 9 Days Rwanda Tour and Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari starts from Kigali, Rwanda and ends in Entebbe, Uganda. You will be picked from Kigali, transferred (via Cyanika Border) and overnight in Kisoro, Uganda. You will do a golden monkey trek in Mgahinga National Park and then transfer to Bwindi, where you will have gorilla trekking. Our next stop is Queen Elizabeth National Park for a safari. There will be an overnight at the edge of Kibale National Park before continuing to Murchison. From Murchison, we head to Entebbe with a detour to rhino tracking in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Throughout this Rwanda tour, you’ll experience Uganda’s most spectacular landscapes, from the misty slopes of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to the expansive savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the thundering waters of Murchison Falls. Professional guides will enhance your Rwanda tour with their extensive knowledge of local wildlife, ecosystems, and conservation efforts aimed at protecting East Africa’s incredible biodiversity.
This Rwanda tour offers comfortable accommodations strategically located near national parks, ensuring maximum wildlife viewing opportunities while minimizing travel time between destinations. The carefully crafted itinerary balances thrilling wildlife encounters with adequate rest periods, making this Rwanda tour suitable for nature enthusiasts of all ages who seek an authentic East African safari experience.
Price Includes
Chimpanzee tracking permit
Gorilla trekking permit
Park fees
All activities
Ground transport per 4WD custom
Bottled water in the safari vehicle
Full board accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary
Service of an English-speaking driver-guide
Driver allowances
All mentioned activities except for the optional ones
Price excludes
Uganda Visa
International and Internal Flights
Personal needs such as gratitude, beverages, etc.
Visa
Air ticket
Optional Activities
Laundry fees
Tips
Life insurance
Other drinks apart from water
Itineraries
Day 1Start from Kigali, drive to Cyanika Border and cross into Uganda
Your Rwanda tour adventure begins with a pickup from your Kigali hotel or the international airport before 2:00 PM by a professional English-speaking Rwanda tour guide. The Rwanda tour starts with a scenic 3-hour drive (approximately 120 km) through Rwanda's rolling hills to the Cyanika border post, where you'll meet your Uganda-based Rwanda tour counterpart. After completing border formalities, your Rwanda tour continues as you drive approximately 30 minutes to your accommodation near Mgahinga National Park in southwestern Uganda, home to the endangered golden monkeys. Settle in for dinner and overnight rest, preparing for tomorrow's exciting primate encounter on this comprehensive Rwanda tour and Uganda wildlife safari.
Day 2Golden Monkey Trekking in Mgahinga NP, transfer to Bwindi
After an early breakfast, your Rwanda tour experience takes you on a 45-minute drive to Mgahinga National Park headquarters for a briefing about the golden monkey encounter. Your Rwanda tour guides will lead you into the bamboo forests of the Virunga Mountains, where these rare, endemic primates with distinctive golden-orange fur play and feed. The Rwanda tour trekking experience may take 2-4 hours before spending an hour observing these playful creatures. After this remarkable Rwanda tour highlight, enjoy lunch before embarking on a 2–3-hour drive (approximately 80 km) across Uganda's picturesque landscapes to your accommodation near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park's Buhoma sector, where you'll prepare for tomorrow's gorilla trek.
Day 3Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest, return and stay at leisure
Today marks the pinnacle of your Rwanda tour and Uganda safari experience as you embark on the legendary gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Your Rwanda tour guide will drive you to the park headquarters for a comprehensive 7:30 AM briefing before expert rangers lead your Rwanda tour group into the dense mountainous forest. The Rwanda tour trekking duration varies from 2-8 hours depending on gorilla movements through challenging terrain, but the reward is an unforgettable hour with a habituated gorilla family—observing their social interactions, feeding habits, and remarkable human-like behaviors. Return to your lodge for a well-deserved rest after this physically demanding Rwanda tour highlight, with optional community visits or nature walks available for those with energy to spare (at extra cost).
Day 4Game viewing in Ishasha for tree-climbing lions and connect to northern Queen Elizabeth
Your Rwanda tour journey continues as you depart Bwindi after breakfast for a 3-hour drive (approximately 150 km) to the southern Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This unique Rwanda tour wildlife experience focuses on finding the area's famous tree-climbing lions, a rare behavior seen in only a few lion populations worldwide. Your Rwanda tour guide will navigate the acacia-dotted savannah in search of these majestic cats draped over fig tree branches, while also spotting Uganda kobs, topi antelopes, elephants, and buffalo. By mid-afternoon, your Rwanda tour proceeds with a 2-hour drive (about 80 km) to accommodations in northern Queen Elizabeth National Park, with an optional evening game drive available for those eager for more wildlife sightings.
Day 5Morning game drive and afternoon boat trip along the Kazinga Channel
Dawn breaks over the savannah as your Rwanda tour adventure continues with an early morning game drive across the Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Your Rwanda tour guide's expertise helps locate lion prides on the hunt, elephant herds, buffalo, and numerous antelope species in the golden morning light. Return to your lodge for lunch and a brief rest before your Rwanda tour experience takes you to Mweya Peninsula for a spectacular 2-hour boat cruise along the 40 km Kazinga Channel. This highlight of your Rwanda tour offers close encounters with massive hippo pods, Nile crocodiles, elephants coming to drink, and over 100 bird species along the shoreline, creating perfect photography opportunities before returning to your accommodation for dinner.
Day 6Another game drive, head to Kibale and do the Bigodi wetland excursion
Your Rwanda tour day begins with one final morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to catch any wildlife you might have missed. After this last Rwanda tour safari experience in the park, embark on a 4-hour drive (approximately 170 km) northward to Kibale Forest National Park, home to Uganda's largest chimpanzee population. Your Rwanda tour afternoon features the remarkable Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-run conservation project where your guide will lead you on a 3-hour walk through papyrus swamps spotting various monkey species, colorful birds, and giant forest hogs. This Rwanda tour supports local conservation while offering authentic wildlife experiences before returning to your accommodation near Kibale Forest for dinner and overnight rest.
Day 7Transfer – Kibale Forest (via Hoima) to Murchison Falls National Park
Today's Rwanda tour involves a longer journey as you travel approximately 7-8 hours (350 km) from Kibale Forest through the town of Hoima to reach Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest protected area. The Rwanda tour drive takes you through changing landscapes of tea plantations, tropical forests, and eventually opening to expansive savannah plains. Your Rwanda tour guide will make the journey interesting with information about local cultures and ecosystems, stopping for lunch and stretching breaks along the route. By late afternoon, your Rwanda tour arrives at Murchison Falls National Park's southern entrance, where you might enjoy a brief game drive before reaching your accommodation for dinner and overnight, preparing for tomorrow's full day of wildlife experiences.
Day 8Morning and Afternoon game drives in Murchison National Park
Experience the ultimate Rwanda tour wildlife day with a sunrise departure across the Albert Nile by ferry to explore Murchison's northern banks, home to the park's highest concentration of animals. Your Rwanda tour guide will navigate the extensive network of tracks in search of Rothschild's giraffes, elephant herds, lions, leopards, and large buffalo populations across these iconic African plains. This immersive Rwanda tour safari day includes a midday break at Red Chilli Rest Camp for lunch before continuing your wildlife exploration in different sectors of the park. Your Rwanda tour adventure can be enhanced with an optional boat trip (extra $30 per person) to the base of the powerful Murchison Falls, where the Nile forces through a 7-meter gap, creating a thunderous spectacle.
Day 9Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, rhino tracking, and continue to Entebbe
The final day of your Rwanda tour begins with breakfast before a 3-hour drive (approximately 140 km) to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a conservation success story that's reintroducing rhinoceros to Uganda. Your Rwanda tour includes an hour of on-foot tracking with armed rangers to safely observe southern white rhinos in their natural habitat—a thrilling conclusion to your wildlife experiences. After this Rwanda tour highlight, enjoy lunch at the sanctuary before continuing the 3-hour journey (160 km) to Entebbe International Airport, arriving in time for evening flights departing after 6:00 PM. This marks the end of your extraordinary Rwanda tour and Uganda wildlife safari, leaving you with lasting memories of East Africa's incredible biodiversity and conservation success stories.
