Uganda & Rwanda Primates and Wildlife Safari

Your international flight lands in the quaint city of Entebbe, where a private transfer will take you to your overnight accommodation. Karibu Guesthouse Entebbe is a charming boutique hotel nestled in a lush green hillside. The personalised service, friendly staff and wide range of comforts and conveniences make Karibu an ideal retreat to unwind from your long flight and prepare for your safari adventure.

After breakfast, your private transfer vehicle takes you on a scenic drive to your next destination. Pass rolling hillsides, tea plantations and the well-known Ruwenzori Mountain Chain. You’ll arrive at the rustic and intimate Ndali Lodge at mid-afternoon, where you can cool off with a dip in the pool and take in the breath-taking views from the rim of an extinct volcano. A guided walk around the rim of the volcanic crater lake in front of the lodge rounds off your day.

Day three sees you venturing into two of Uganda’s wonderfully diverse landscapes. First up is a community based guided tour of the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. During this walk, you’ll learn more about this community-run initiative that aims to conserve the unique biodiversity and environmental values of the wetlands.

Once your walk is wrapped up, stop for a bite to eat. By the time you’re done with lunch, the Kibale Forest National Park’s doors should be open for your next activity: chimpanzee tracking. Kibale Forest has one of the highest concentrations of primates in East Africa, with a habituated community of chimps that are located 90% of the time during treks. Spend an hour with these majestic primates, learning about their behaviour and lifestyle. Your day ends back at Ndali Lodge in time for a delectable dinner.

Please note: No children under the age of 15 years are allowed on the chimpanzee tracking experience.

A leisurely drive through Kibale Forest and Kasese Town takes you across the equator to your next stop. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s premier wildlife destination, with 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species calling the region home. Morning and afternoon game drives through the park are most rewarding, with elephants, buffalo, leopards, spotted hyenas and lions being regular sightings.

Thrilling game drives aren’t the only way you get to explore this famed national park. The Kazinga Channel is the lifeblood of Queen Elizabeth National Park and attracts a varied range of animals to its water, including one of the world’s largest concentrations of hippos year-round. A Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise is included in your itinerary, providing a great game viewing alternative. A dash of culture is sprinkled into your tour with a visit to the Omwani Women’s Coffee Cooperative – a community-based initiative that offers vocational training and an alternative, but sustainable, source of income to local women and their families. A highlight of this cultural experience is sure to be sampling the best cup of coffee in Uganda, the beans of which are grown, harvested and processed by these amazing women.

The luxurious, eco-sensitive Kyambura Gorge Lodge will be your home for your three nights in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kyambura is a former coffee plantation and estate located at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains.

A light aircraft flight takes you from Kasese to Kisoro. Here, a comfortable transfer sees that you arrive at Mount Gahinga Lodge by late morning. This luxury exclusive-use lodge occupies one of the most enviable locations in Western Uganda. Nestled in the foothills of the famous Virunga Volcanoes, you’ll enjoy the most picturesque views of the three mighty extinct volcanoes from the setting of a beautiful landscape of gardens.

During your stay at Mount Gahinga, you’ll be treated to the interesting history of the Batwa at the lodge’s heritage site. The Batwa Cultural Heritage Site contains a demonstration-based herbal garden, a small collection of traditional huts and a short trail that demonstrates the lifestyle of the Batwa.

But the real draw card of your stay is the opportunity to venture into Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in search of the magnificent mountain gorillas and the rare golden monkeys. Gorilla trekking is a captivating and life-changing experience. Spending time with these gentle giants and watching them interact within their natural habitat is an unforgettable encounter. Golden Monkeys are a little harder to track down, but there’s no better feeling of accomplishment than when you finally spot these sprightly endangered creatures as they leap from tree to tree.

Please note: No children under the age of 15 years are allowed on the gorilla tracking experience.

Bid farewell to your tour of Uganda as you cross the border into warm and friendly Rwanda. The comfortable yet exquisitely luxurious Virunga Lodge is your home-away-from-home for the next three nights. This charming lodge is set on the crown of a high hill, providing incredible 360-degree views of the surrounding wilderness, as well as the five extinct Virunga Volcanoes.

There are only a handful of places in the world where you can encounter gorillas face-to-face. Uganda and Rwanda are the two premier destinations to do so. And since you got to experience tracking gorillas in Uganda, it’s only right that you get to tick it off in Rwanda too. Gorilla trekking expeditions in Volcanoes National Park is one of the best wilderness adventure activities on the African continent.

History buffs, animal lovers and conservationists alike will love hiking through the park to visit the Diane Fossey Grave, as well as her former Karisoke Research Center. Not only will you gain a deeper understanding of the incredible life of Diane Fossey and her unwavering passion for gorillas, but you’ll also be rewarded with wonderful views of Volcanoes National Park. On your return, you’ll stop at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund before heading back to the lodge.

Please note: No children under the age of 15 years are allowed on the gorilla tracking experience.

After breakfast at Virunga Lodge, it’s time to depart for the final destination on this epic tour: Kigali. You’ll arrive in this beautiful city in time for lunch at the Milles Collines Hotel – film connoisseurs and history buffs will recognise it as the historic hotel in Hotel Rwanda. It was in this very hotel that 1,268 Rwandans were saved from the genocide taking place throughout the country.

Keeping with the theme of the day, your trip will continue with a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial & Museum to learn more about this tragic event in Rwanda’s history, as well as pay respect to those who lost their lives.

Your day will end with an overnight stay at The Retreat, Kigali’s premier boutique hotel that seamlessly blends Italian architecture with top Rwandan craftsmanship and artisanship.

Your journey through Uganda and Rwanda ends here in Kigali. Savour your final breakfast in Africa before being transferred to Kigali International Airport to catch your departure flight home.