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17-Day Rwanda & Uganda: Ultimate Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Adventure

Offered by: USD Safari Tours

4.9/5 (1600 Reviews)

Journey Snapshot

🗺 Uganda, Rwanda ⏱ 17 days 🚙 4x4 Pop-up Roof

kigali ruhengeri city bwindi impenetrable (gorillas) ishasha sector ( queen elizabeth NP) Queen

Overview Day by Day Rates Inclusions Getting There Offered By

Discover the incredible primate treasures of Rwanda and Uganda on a 17-day adventure through lush forests and breathtaking landscapes. Trek in search of mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, with opportunities to encounter golden monkeys and other fascinating wildlife along the way. Perfect for tourists seeking an immersive East African primate adventure filled with nature, culture, and unforgettable wildlife encounters.

Route

Start	kigali (Day 1)
Day 2	ruhengeri city
Day 3	bwindi impenetrable (gorillas)
Day 4	ishasha sector ( queen elizabeth NP)
End	Queen

Tour Features

Day 1:Arrive In Rwanda | Genocide Memorial Tour | Transfer To Your Hotel In Kigali Day 2:Transfer To Musanze | Dian Fossey Centre Tour | Iby'iwacu Cultural Tour Day 3:Last Day In Rwanda | Golden Golden Monkey Trekking | Travel To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Day 4:Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Batwa Cultural Interaction Day 5:Transfer To Ishasha Sector | Game Drive For Tracking Tree Climbing Lions | Transfer To The Lodge Day 6:Morning Game Drive | Boat Ride | Transfer To Kibale National Park Day 7:Chimpanzee Trekking | Visit The Bigodi Swamp Day 8:Travel To Murchison Falls National Park | Top Of The Falls Tor | Evening Game Drive Day 9:Morning Game Drive | Boat Cruise | Evening Game Drive Day 10:Transfer To Kidepo Valley National Park | Evening Game Drive Day 11:Morning Game Drive | Cultural Interaction And Community Walk | Relaxing Day 12:Transfer To Moroto | Cultural Interaction (Tepeth Community) Day 13:Transfer To Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve | Evening Game Drive Day 14:Guided Walk | Transfer To Sipi Falls | Community Tour Day 15:Hiking Sipi Falls | Transfer To Jinja | Visit the source of the Nile Day 16:Transfer To Kampala | City Tour Day 17:The Last Day With Us | Transfer To The Airport | Fly Back Home

Activities & Transportation

Route: kigali, ruhengeri city, bwindi impenetrable (gorillas), ishasha sector ( queen elizabeth NP), Queen
Duration: 17 days
Getting around: 4x4 safari vehicle (pop-up roof)
Transfers: airport pick-up & drop-off can be included

Accommodation & Meals

Day

Accommodation

Meals

1

Chez Lando Hotel >Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda)

Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

2

The Garden Place Hotel >Budget hotel in Ruhengeri (City, Rwanda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

3

Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

4

Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

5

Songbird Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

6

Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge >Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

7

Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

8

Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

9

Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

10

Apoka Rest Camp> Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

11

Apoka Rest Camp> Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

12

Kara-Tunga Safari Camp> Budget tented camp located less than 1hr drive from Mt Moroto (Uganda) +10 Photos

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

13

Pian-Upe Bandas >Budget banda located inside Pian Upe WR (Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

14

Casa Sipi Falls Lodge> Budget lodgeat Sipi Falls (Highlight, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

15

Brisk Hotel> Triangle Mid-range hotel in Jinja (Town, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

16

Humura Resorts> Mid-range hotel in Kampala (City, Uganda)

All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

17

No accommodation

Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day by Day

Day 1 Arrive In Rwanda | Genocide Memorial Tour | Transfer To Your Hotel In Kigali

⏱Morning 🏨Chez Lando Hotel >Mid-range hotel located in Kigali (Rwanda) 🍽Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

On arrival in Rwanda, you will be welcomed and picked by our Kubwa Five Safaris guide who will be holding an A4 paper with your name printed on it at Kigali International Airport and be transferred for a city tour, visiting the Genocide memorial site which gives a brief history of Rwanda. Kigali Genocide Memorial pays dignified tribute to the tragic events of 1994. Dinner and overnight at Chez Lando Hotel.

Day 2 Transfer To Musanze | Dian Fossey Centre Tour | Iby'iwacu Cultural Tour

⏱Morning 🏨The Garden Place Hotel >Budget hotel in Ruhengeri (City, Rwanda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Musanze (formerly Ruhengeri) where you will visit the Dian Fossey Center (Karisoke Research Center). As you drive into Musanze (formerly Ruhengeri), you'll be confronted by the daunting volcanic slopes of the Virungas, home to more than half the world's remaining mountain gorillas, on the northern skyline. In the evening, you will visit the Iby'iwacu village for community interaction and to enjoy the Rwandan culture, which includes traditional dancing. Dinner and overnight at The Garden Place Hotel.

Day 3 Last Day In Rwanda | Golden Golden Monkey Trekking | Travel To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

⏱Morning 🏨Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be driven to Volcanoes National Park for Golden Monkey trekking. You will assemble at the park headquarters for a briefing in the morning, together with your trekking gear and drinking water, and ascend in the forest to track the golden monkeys. You can't help but be awed at the towering peaks of Volcanoes National Park as you approach them from any direction. Protecting a range of freestanding volcanoes known as the Virungas, this hiker-friendly park is an important stronghold of the endangered mountain gorilla and golden monkey. After golden monkey trekking, you will be driven to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Protecting a pristine landscape of steep forested hills bordering the Congo, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best known for harboring around 45% of the global mountain gorilla population. On arrival, you will check into your lodge for dinner. Dinner and overnight at Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort.

Day 4 Gorilla Trekking In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Batwa Cultural Interaction

⏱Morning 🏨Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort> Budget tented camp just outside Ruhija (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, head out with packed lunches to the park head offices with your guide. You will have a briefing about the do's and don'ts while in the park with the gorillas. Afterward, head out for the gorilla trekking through the misty rainforest. Trekking can take between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the location of the gentle giants. Make sure you carry enough water, sturdy shoes, non-flash cameras, and rain jackets. While participating in gorilla trekking, you will learn interesting facts about gorillas that will make your Uganda tour most enjoyable. After gorilla trekking, you will head back to your lodge to freshen up and relax a bit. In the evening, you will head out for a community walk where you will visit the Batwa, which is an indigenous group of people that has lived in the forest for 500,000 years, enjoy traditional dances and drama from them. Dinner and overnight at Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort.

Day 5 Transfer To Ishasha Sector | Game Drive For Tracking Tree Climbing Lions | Transfer To The Lodge

⏱Morning 🏨Songbird Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the Ishasha sector for the tree-climbing lions on the Kasenyi Plains in the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth. We visit the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, whose celebrated tree-climbing lions tend to favor a few specific acacia and fig trees well known to our knowledgeable guides. It's safari time! Today you arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park to look for some of the many marvelous creatures that inhabit the East African savannah. Large numbers of hippo, elephant and buffalo are almost invariably seen on or around the Kazinga Channel, while grassy plains dotted with cactus-like Euphorbia trees are home to lions, leopards, hyenas and the various antelope on which they prey. Queen Elizabeth is also a fantastic birdwatching destination, thanks to a habitat diversity that allows it to support more than 600 bird species. Dinner and overnight at Songbird Safari Lodge.

Day 6 Morning Game Drive | Boat Ride | Transfer To Kibale National Park

⏱Morning 🏨Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge >Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

We will depart at 6:00am for a morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to catch the lions hunting in the morning. We also expect to see the Uganda kob, elephants, buffalos, warthogs and many others. Imagine being out in the soft, early morning light, wrapped in a blanket, just as the animals emerge from their night's rest or from the shadows of their nighttime adventures. The world feels fresh and new on an early morning game drive, the sun has yet to beat down upon the earth, and it may end up being your favorite time to be out on safari. After the morning game drive, you will have a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Expect to see large numbers of buffalos, elephants, and hippos. Boat trips on the Kazinga Channel are a wildlife viewing highlight of Queen Elizabeth National Park. After, you will be driven to Kibale National Park having a stop-over at the equator. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge.

Day 7 Chimpanzee Trekking | Visit The Bigodi Swamp

⏱Morning 🏨Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge> Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you and your guide will head out with packed lunches to the park head quarters for a briefing about the do's and the don'ts of chimpanzee trekking. The tracking will start early and take about two to three hours, depending on the location of the chimpanzees. The opportunity to see chimpanzees in the wild is one of the most memorable of all safari activities. Getting close to these creatures that share so much of our DNA is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the excitement of walking through the forest and knowing that they are close will stay with you forever. After, you will return to your lodge and relax and later in the evening head out for the Bigodi walk. Here, you stand a good chance of spotting up to five monkey species. The forest birding is excellent, with a long list of colorful regulars that includes great blue turaco, papyrus gonolek, yellow-spotted barbet and blue-throated roller. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge.

Day 8 Travel To Murchison Falls National Park | Top Of The Falls Tor | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park. On arrival, you will tour the Top of the falls. It is an exciting experience that brings you very close to the rushing whitewater as it squeezes itself through the narrow crevice below. The resulting mist from the turbulence often produces rainbows. After, you will have an evening game drive. Be ready to spot lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and many others. You'll love the warm light and cooler temperatures as we take you out to explore on your evening game drive. This time of day is when both predators and prey are most active and it can feel as though anything could happen at any moment. This is when you'll most enjoy being on safari. Dinner and overnight at Parkside Safari Lodge.

Day 9 Morning Game Drive | Boat Cruise | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Parkside Safari Lodge> Budget lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will have a morning game drive. The famous Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest protected area. Besides being home to many animal species, there are about 451 bird species, of which 23 are endemic to the Albertine Rift. After the morning game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you will embark (between 2:00pm - 4:00pm) on a 3-hour boat cruise on the Nile. This boat cruise offers an amazing view of the falls from the bottom angle. Hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, and aquatic birds can be seen along the river's shores. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge and later in the evening go for an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at Parkside Safari Lodge.

Day 10 Transfer To Kidepo Valley National Park | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Apoka Rest Camp> Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After having an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to Kidepo Valley National Park. On arrival, you will check into your lodge and later you will go for an evening game drive. Going on an evening game drive is one of the highlights of any safari. This is when temperatures cool, the light becomes softer and the wildlife begins to get active. Not only will you be out when the light is best for taking photos, but it's also one of the best times of day for seeing the animals. Kidepo Valley National Park has several wildlife species, which includes lions, elephants, buffalos, giraffes and zebras. Kidepo's bird checklist of 470 species includes several recorded nowhere else in Uganda (most famously, East Africa's only wild population of the spectacular roseringed parakeet). It's one of the best places anywhere to see the long-limbed, ground-dwelling patas monkey. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Rest Camp.

Day 11 Morning Game Drive | Cultural Interaction And Community Walk | Relaxing

⏱Morning 🏨Apoka Rest Camp> Budget rest camp located inside Kidepo Valley NP (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, embark on an early morning game drive through the park to encounter zebras, giraffes, and many more that roam the short grassland plains of the Narus valley. The scenic view is splendid, with Mt. Lotukei in the far background in the Sudan. Put on some warm clothes and enjoy an early morning game drive. This is the perfect time to experience the wildlife and the landscapes they inhabit. The light is soft and warm - perfect for photography - and most animals are out and about, and active. If you're not an early riser, you'll definitely want to make an exception here. In the afternoon, undertake a community walk where you will have the opportunity to interact with the local people - the Karamojong. You will spend a wonderful afternoon with the Karamojong people and gain insight of their way of life and beliefs. After the culture interaction, you will spend the rest of the day relaxing at your lodge. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Rest Camp.

Day 12 Transfer To Moroto | Cultural Interaction (Tepeth Community)

⏱Morning 🏨Kara-Tunga Safari Camp> Budget tented camp located less than 1hr drive from Mt Moroto (Uganda) +10 Photos 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, our next stop is Moroto, a small and unassuming town that nonetheless serves as the largest urban outpost in the vast badlands of Karamoja. The town has an attractive setting at the base of Mt Moroto, which rises to 3,084m on the eastern skyline. You will visit the Tepeth community on arrival. Dinner and overnight at Kara-Tunga Safari Camp.

Day 13 Transfer To Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve | Evening Game Drive

⏱Morning 🏨Pian-Upe Bandas >Budget banda located inside Pian Upe WR (Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve. On arrival, you will check into your lodge, have lunch and later, you go for an evening game drive. Named after its cattle-herding Pian and Upe inhabitants, this little-known wildlife reserve protects a vast tract of semi-arid acacia scrub that stretches north from the base of Mount Elgon. It is home to Uganda's largest cheetah population and a small number of lion, as well as buffalo, zebra, giraffe, patas monkey and dry-country antelope such as roan, greater kudu and dik-dik. Dinner and overnight at Pian-Upe Bandas

Day 14 Guided Walk | Transfer To Sipi Falls | Community Tour

⏱Morning 🏨Casa Sipi Falls Lodge> Budget lodgeat Sipi Falls (Highlight, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will head out for a nature walk in the Pian Upe Nature Reserve. A nature walk in this reserve offers an opportunity to explore Uganda's second-largest protected area at a closer range. During the nature walk, you will be able to see the diverse landscapes of Pian Upe ranging from rolling hills, grasslands and rocky outcrops, you will have wildlife encounters and see some birds as well. After the nature walk, our next stop is Sipi Falls. It is a scenic highlight of eastern Uganda. The 99m-high waterfall is formed by the Sipi River on its babbling descent from the lofty upper slopes of Mt Elgon to the swampy Kyogo Basin. On arrival, you will check in and spend the entire evening exploring the villages around during the community tour. During the community walk, you will engage with the locals and learn the way of life and culture of the Sabiny people. Dinner and overnight at Casa Sipi Falls Lodge.

Day 15 Hiking Sipi Falls | Transfer To Jinja | Visit the source of the Nile

⏱Morning 🏨Brisk Hotel> Triangle Mid-range hotel in Jinja (Town, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will first be briefed by the local guide about the does and don'ts while hiking. You will be able to view the different falls at different stages during the hiking. The beautiful view will leave you amazed. At different stages, the local guide will offer the history of the falls and after you will be given an opportunity to take pictures. After the hike, you will be transferred to Jinja where you will visit the source of the Nile. Jinja was Uganda's second-largest city prior to the mid-1990s. The characterful town center has some fine examples of colonial-era Indian architecture, while the lush residential suburbs lead down to Lake Victoria at the source of the Nile. Dinner and overnight at Brisk Hotel Triangle.

Day 16 Transfer To Kampala | City Tour

⏱Morning 🏨Humura Resorts> Mid-range hotel in Kampala (City, Uganda) 🍽All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be driven to Kampala where you will have a city tour. We head to the capital city Kampala, which, like Rome, was originally built across seven hills (though its rapid expansion in recent years means it's probably more like 70 today). Chosen as the capital of King Suuna II of Buganda in the 1850s, Kampala now houses more than two million people and serves as the political, intellectual and economic hub of Uganda. Dinner and overnight at Humura Resorts.

Day 17 The Last Day With Us | Transfer To The Airport | Fly Back Home

⏱Morning 🏨No accommodation 🍽Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Entebbe International Airport for your scheduled flight back home. We have no doubt that you have enjoyed an incredible safari in Uganda, but sadly it now comes to an end. We wish you a safe onward journey and look forward to seeing you again next time you go on safari.