9 Days Remarkable Rwanda & Gorillas of Uganda: Rwanda and Uganda and Uganda are among the best travel destinations on the continent and on this 9 Days Remarkable Rwanda & Gorillas of Uganda Safari, you will journey through their wild landscapes, rich in history and wildlife.
Explore Rwanda and learn about the devastating events that took place in this country that is continuously striving to move forward.
Combine this enriching experience with the incredible scenery and diverse animal life of Uganda and an unforgettable adventures searching for our closest relatives, the endangered mountain gorillas, and you experience the full spectrum of emotions and physical challenges.
Highlights of 10 Days Remarkable Rwanda & Gorillas of Uganda
Day 1: Kigali
Day 2: Musanze
Day 3: Musanze
Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 7: Kisoro
Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park -(Gorilla Trek)
Day 9: Kigali
Detailed Itinerary of 10 Days Remarkable Rwanda & Gorillas of Uganda
Day 1: Kigali
Welcome to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda since it gained its independence in 1962. Most people associate Rwanda with the horrific genocide that took place in 1994, but this is a country that has been striving to rebuild its economy for years and offers so much to its visitors. And though the past won’t, and shouldn’t be forgotten, the future of Rwanda’s tourism is looking bright thanks to its welcoming people, an abundance of lakes and the beautiful Virunga Mountains.
Your adventure begins with meeting your guide – our presentative at Kigali International Airport and transfer to your hotel for an evening of rest, dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Kigali Serena Hotel
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 2: Musanze
After breakfast, you will meet your guide and take you to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which opened in 2004 to mark the 10th Commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi people. The Centre serves as a museum detailing the history and consequences of Rwanda’s genocide and a place for people to grieve for lost friends and family.
In the afternoon, you will drive to Musanze – the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, home to gorillas and golden monkeys. Later in the day, you will visit The Gorilla Doctors headquarters, the only organisations in the world dedicated to saving the mountain and eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer’s) gorilla species one gorilla patient at a time using veterinary medicine and science. They monitor the health of gorilla groups to ensure the early detection of disease and injury, and stage medical interventions when gorillas suffer from human-induced or life-threatening trauma or disease.
Accommodation: Bisate Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Musanze
Today, you will visit The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. This research centre leads the world in protecting and studying gorillas while helping communities build their conservation capabilities. Learn about Dian Fossey’s life and the conservation of endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
There are several optional activities to do in Musanze, including golden monkey trekking in the Virunga Mountains, the Mount Bisoke Trek, or keep it chill with a canoe ride on the Mukungwa River. You can also visit Redrocks Rwanda, where you will learn about the local banana beer production and be treated to some dancing, drumming and basket-weaving demonstrations.
Accommodation: Bisate Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today, we leave Rwanda as we cross the border into Uganda, making our way to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The most popular wildlife park in Uganda, home to 618 bird species, 10 species of primates including chimpanzees, and 95 different types of mammals. As you head your lodge you will have a mini-game drive, keep a lookout for African elephants, buffaloes, hippos, warthogs, Nile crocodiles, leopards, spotted hyenas, lions and chimpanzees.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake up for another exciting day in Queen Elizabeth National Park with another 4×4 Game Drive. Be on a lookout for any sightings you may have missed yesterday, and if you are really luck, you might be able to spot leopards or lions.
In the afternoon, you have the opportunity to see the park from a different perspective with an optional cruise on Kazinga Channel, linking Lake Edward to Lake George. You will be joined by local guides who will fill you in on everything you could want to know about the landscape and the animals who thrive within it, be on the lookout for hippos, basking on the shore, as well as crocodiles, herds of elephants and abundant birdlife.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park
This morning, we make our way to Ishasha Sector, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park renowned for the tree climbing lions. Here you will meet some local residents to learn more about rural life in Uganda. Visit a local organic farm, medicine garden and homestead to learn how its owner is tackling human-wildlife conflict with his anti-crop raiding techniques. Also, you will meet a local Mukiga woman who will share her story while showing you how to sort, pound and grind millet to make porridge and other Bakiga meals.
Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Kisoro
Today, drive out of the Queen Elizabeth National Park making your way to the southwest tip of Uganda – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This journey is like a game drive in itself, with the chance to spot zebras, antelopes, baboons, and monkeys.
When you arrive at the corner of Uganda, where the border of Uganda touches Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. When you arrive in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, check in at your lodge have dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – (Gorilla Trek)
After early breakfast, join a local guide and trackers and head to the park headquarters for briefing, then climb through the rugged, mountainous terrains of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in search of mountain gorillas. A quick lock of eyes with these creatures is a truly primal moment and visitors are strictly controlled to minimize disturbance. Make no mistake, tracking mountain gorillas is no walk in the park, the forest is called Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a reason. It can be wet, muddy, strenuous and uncomfortable, but the indescribable elation at coming across a group of gorillas is worth the effort.
Spend a mesmerizing hour with the gorillas as they eat, sleep, groom and play as the male silverback watches over them, then return to the lodge for dinner and to reflect on this incredible experience.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Kigali
After breakfast, you will embark on a journey back to Kigali. When you arrive, you will be dropped off at the airport to catch your flight back home or to the next destination.