Day 1: Arrival in Uganda
Today you will arrive at Entebbe airport and you will be welcomed by your safari guide. After finalizing your emigration formalities, you shall exit the airport to be received by your guide. You shall be transported to your hotel which is only 10 minutes from the airport. Depending on your time of arrival, you may have an optional city tour of Entebbe town. Entebbe is one of the oldest towns in Uganda and has many buildings that date over half a century ago. It sits on the shores of Lake Victoria and here is found the only international airport in Uganda.
Accommodations
Budget: Papyrus Guest House
Midrange: The Boma Hotel
High end: Hotel Number 5
Meal plan: Breakfast, -, -
Day 2: Drive to Kibale Forest National Park. Optional Bigodi swamp walk
After breakfast you will start off to Kibale Forest national park. The journey will lead you through a green countryside of beautiful landscapes. You may stop for photography in the abundant tea plantations along the way. You will have a lunch stop in Fort Portal town. Fort-Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Rwenzori mountains also called Mountains of the Moon. You will arrive at your accommodation near Kibale forest in the late afternoon.
You have an option to take a guided walk through Bigodi swamps. This wetland is a famous birding hotspot in Uganda and it is also home for many primates’ species. In the evening you will have dinner and rest at your accommodation.
Accommodations
Budget: Kibale Forest camp
Midrange: Turaco treetops Lodge
Highend: Papaya Lake Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and drive to Queen Elizabeth National park,
After breakfast you will embark on the search for chimpanzees in Kibale Forest national park. The park is also home for 10 other primates including l' hoests, red colobus, blues, red tailed and gray - cheeked mangabey. The guide will provide detailed explanations, not only on primates, but on all the forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable. You will have one hour to observe, follow and photograph the chimps before exiting the forest.
In the afternoon you will proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountains for much of the journey. Along the way you will pass via the crater region and enjoy a photography moment. You will have an evening game drive en route which may be rewarded with views of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, hyena and a variety of antelope species.
Accommodation
Budget: Simba safari camp
Midrange: Marafiki camp
High end: Elephant plains Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat ride
Early in the morning you will set out for a game drive. Queen Elizabeth National Park's diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Game drives in this park, with the massive Rwenzori Mountains as a backdrop provides excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Topi and bush buck. In the afternoon you will enjoy the unique 2 hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and many animals may be seen drinking at the water's edge. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing.
Accommodation
Budget: Simba safari camp
Midrange: Marafiki camp
High end: Elephant plains Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Drive to Bwindi via Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth
After breakfast you will drive to Ishasha Area of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will have game drive in search of the famous tree-climbing lions and the large herds of game. The scenic beauty, the size of the euphorbias and combination of riverine forest, Savannah plain and equatorial forest makes this a memorable day, only found in Africa. Afterwards you will drive through the "Switzerland of Africa" area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi. You will proceed to your accommodation located in the foreground of Bwindi impenetrable national park – The home of Mountain Gorillas in Uganda.
Accommodation
Budget: Gorilla Valley Lodge
Mid-range: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
High End: Four Gorillas Lodge
Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Begin your gorilla trek in the early morning, and set off into the tangled and mist-shrouded forests with guides and trackers who are very experienced at locating the gorillas by finding the nest the family had used the previous night. The search for these majestic animals goes through thick untamed rainforest, where you'll be scrambling over mossy rocks and through deep undergrowth and it can be arduous at times, but the encounter is worth the effort. Watching gorillas in their natural habitat is a memory that will last a lifetime. The experienced ranger guides will willingly share with you a lot of information about history and lifestyle of the Gorillas. After spending an hour with the gorillas we head back to the lodge and relax.
Accommodation
Budget: Gorilla Valley Lodge
Mid-range: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
High End: Four Gorillas Lodge
Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 7: Drive to Lake Kivu
Today you will leave Bwindi impenetrable forest and drive across the border to Gisenyi town on the shores of Lake Kivu. Enjoy scenic landscape views along the way. You may do optional activities upon arrival. Check in and relax at your accommodation in the evening.
Accommodation
Budget: Paradis Malahide
Mid-range: Hakuna Matata Hotel
High end: Lake Kivu Serena Lodge
Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 8: Optional activities near Lake Kivu. Drive to Volcanoes national park
There are numerous exciting activities you can opt to do on and around Lake Kivu. These include: a 1-hour boat ride on the lake, kayaking, biking along the lake shores or a visit to the fishing village. You will inform our guides prior so that the above activities can be can be arranged for you.
Afterwards you shall drive to Musanze town near Volcanoes national park. You will check in at your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation
Budget: Hotel Lapalme
Mid-range: Mt. Gorilla view Lodge
High end: Five Volcanoes Hotel
Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 9: Golden monkey tracking or Optional activities in Volcanoes National park.
This morning you will be driven to the park headquarters for briefing and later allocated a guide for Golden monkey tracking. Golden monkeys are an elusive and endangered species that are native to the Virunga ranges. You will persue these primates in their favorite bamboo forests and observe them as they feed, interact and groom each other. The activity takes between 3 to 5 hours.
Volcanoes national park offers an array of activities that clients can choose from in case they would not like to do Golden monkey tracking. These include:
• Gorilla trekking in the park which is another unique experience to encounter the majestic apes.
• Dian Fossey walk to the tomb of the great Gorilla researcher and conservationist who murdered in the jungles of the park in her efforts to protect the Gorillas.
• Mount Bisoke hike; one of the most memorable activities in Rwanda. The top of this Volcano has a spectacular crater lake. It is simply a 6 hours hike including the 2 hours descending down to the starting point. Experienced hikers can get to the top of this mountain in a matter of 3 hours or even less and return to the base in about an hour.
These activities all start at 08hrs and can be booked on prior request upon availability.
Accommodation
Budget: Hotel Lapalme
Mid-range: Mt. Gorilla view Lodge
High end: Five Volcanoes Hotel
Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 10: Drive to Kigali, city tour and departure
After breakfast you will drive back to Kigali and take a city tour of Kigali. Top on the Menu is Gisozi Genocide memorial. You will be guided around the museum and given an account of how events leading to the 1994 Rwanda Genocide transpired. The memorial is a resting place of thousands killed during the genocide and a reminder of the dark past that Rwanda endured. You will also visit a local market in town. After lunch you will be transferred to Kigali Airport to catch your flight back home.
Meal plan: B, L, _