16 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo Safari
The 16 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo Safari takes you through the best and most desired tourist destination in East and Central Africa. These 3 three provide the best primates experience in the whole world as they are the only places to find the endangered wild mountain gorillas and the endangered chimpanzees and other 12 species of primates. In Uganda the tour features visiting Queen Elizabeth national park – home to the tree climbing lions, and Bwindi Impenetrable national park – home to half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the whole world. In Rwanda, the 16 days feature visiting Volcanoes national park, Lake Kivu and Nyungwe forest national park for primates’ experience. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the tour features visiting the active volcano of Nyiragongo.
Highlights of the safari
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe – Kampala
Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 3: Lion tracking/game drive and afternoon boat cruise.
Day 4: Chimpanzee/primate tracking and evening game drive/community tour
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Day 6: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 7: Transfer to Ruhengeri (Rwanda) and cultural walk
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Kivu
Day 9: Transfer to Goma – Congo
Day 10: Nyiragongo Hiking
Day 11: Descend Nyiragongo & transfer to Gisenyi
Day 12: Explore Lake Kivu
Day 13: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
Day 14: Chimpanzee tracking and waterfalls walk
Day 15: Canopy walk and Transfer to Kigali
Day 16: Kigali city tour – Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe – Hotel
Depending on your time of arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by our company representative who will also be your safari driver guide. You will then drive to your booked accommodation in Kampala city which is about a 45 minutes’ drive from Entebbe airport. Proceed to check-in your hotel for dinner and overnight stay at
Accommodation and meals (Half board)
- Luxury option; Sheraton Hotel
- Mid-range option: Fairway Hotel and Spa
- Budget option: Forest Cottages
Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – crater lakes visit
Wake up to a delicious breakfast after which meet your safari guide at your agreed time to set off to Queen Elizabeth national park – the second wildlife largest national park in Uganda located in the western part of the country about 6-7 hours’ drive from Kampala city. You will have a break at the Equator to refresh and also have the equator experience and later long another stop in Mbarara town for a lunch break. Continue your journey arriving late afternoon; visit the exciting crater lakes before you proceed to check-in your accommodation. Refresh and relax as you wait for your dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: Mweya Safari lodge
- Mid-range option: Parkview Safari lodge
- Budget option: Pumba Safari Cottages
Day 3: Lion tracking/Game drive and Kazinga Channel boat cruise
After early morning breakfast, drive to the park entry to check-in for your lion tracking and game drive experience in the Kasenyi area. Lion experience is an activity introduced in Queen Elizabeth national park to widen opportunities for visitors to see the rare lions. During a normal game drive, lions are hardly spotted so for a guaranteed opportunity; doing the lion experience is the best option. It takes about 2 hours and after a normal game drive is done, commonly spotted animals during a game drive include; the Elephants, Cape buffaloes, Waterbucks, Warthogs, Uganda kobs among others.
After your lunch, connect for an afternoon boat cruise along Kazinga Channel. Taking a boat cruise is a great experience in this park as there are many animals and birds that can be seen. Some of the land animals include the elephants and buffaloes on the water shores, there are a lot of hippos, crocodiles, and several water birds. The boat takes about 2 hours before you drive back to your lodge for relaxation dinner and overnight stay. Meals are based on full board
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National park via Ishasha sector
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and embark on your journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Out of the 4 gorilla trekking sectors of Bwindi forest, Buhoma sector is the nearest sector from Queen Elizabeth national park. The closest and more scenic route to use is driving via the Ishasha sector despite the bad bumpy road, gives you an opportunity to view the tree climbing lions at close range with lunch en-route. Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable national park – Buhoma sector and arrive at your accommodation early evening to check in for dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: Ruhija Gorilla lodge
- Mid-range option: Travelers Traven lodge
- Budget option: Bakiga lodge
Day 5: Gorilla trekking experience
After an early morning breakfast, drive to the park headquarters where you will report for a briefing along with other trekkers and be allocated a gorilla family to trek. Thereafter, drive to the starting point where you enter the forest with the park rangers in search of the gorillas. Trekking may take about 2- 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla in the wild, meet and stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour, before you descend back to the starting point where your driver will be waiting for you to return and relax at the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay as above
Day 6: Transfer to Volcanoes National park – Visit the Twin Lakes (Rwanda)
After enjoying your breakfast, check-out of the lodge; meet your guide to set off for Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. It’s about 5-6 hours’ drive from Buhoma sector to Musanze with en-route lunch in Kisoro town which is the closest town to Cyanika border in Uganda. The drive goes through the beautiful country side and local homesteads with dramatic views of the Virunga Volcanoes. After crossing the border, proceed to Musanze and proceed to take a nature walk to the twin lakes or even take a canoe ride on one of the lakes. Thereafter proceed to your accommodation for check-in, dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board basis)
- Luxury option: 5 Volcanoes Gorilla lodge
- Mid-range option; Le Bambou Gorilla lodge
- Budget option: Hotel Muhabura
Day 7: Golden Monkey Tracking and Cultural Tour
After an early morning breakfast, drive to the park headquarters – Kinigi for a briefing about the expectations of the golden monkey trekking experience. Drive to the starting point with your ranger guides not forgetting your packed water and in the right trekking gears. Golden monkey trekking also provides views of other primates such as the black and white Colobus monkeys, Olive baboons among others. On meeting the primates, you will spend an hour with them while taking pictures before you descend back to the starting point where you will meet your safari driver waiting to take you back to the lodge where you will have your late lunch.
Later in the afternoon, connect to Ibya’ cuwa cultural village for a cultural experience of the Banyarwanda culture and tradition and entertainment. Before nightfall, drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Kivu
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and transfer to Gisenyi where you find the only fresh water lake in Rwanda and also acts as a boundary between Rwanda and Congo. It’s a 2 hours’ drive from Musanze to Gisenyi. Explore Gisenyi town then proceed to your lodge for lunch and later afternoon spend your day at leisure by relaxing at the beach or simply stay at your lodge as you wait and prepare for the hike experience. Dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: Kivu Serena Hotel for luxury
- Mid-range option: Palm garden Resort
- Budget option: Paradise Malahide Hotel
Day 9: Transfer to Goma – Congo
After breakfast, check-out of the hotel and by 11:00 am, arrive at the Goma border to meet your Congo guide who will be waiting to for you. You will first report and check in at the tourism boarder at the Grand Barrier to get a volcano permit before you are transferred to your hotel where you will relax for the evening, dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: Lac Kivu for luxury
- Budget/Mid-range option: Linda Hotel
Day 10: Nyiragongo Hiking
You will depart your hotel in Goma early morning and report to Bukima to start your Nyiragongo hike with overnight at the summit where you will enjoy exciting views of the lava lake.
Day 11: Descend Nyiragongo & transfer to Gisenyi
You will descend Nyiragongo back to Bukima by 11am and depart Congo to cross back to Rwanda in Gisenyi tour. Connect to check-in your lodge, have lunch and rest for the day. Dinner and overnight stay at Paradise Malahide for mid-range/Kivu Serena Hotel for luxury
Day 12: Explore Lake Kivu
After breakfast, explore Gisenyi town and do some water activities, enjoying the sandy shores and taking boat trips to the island of the lake, a town tour and relaxing at the shores as you enjoy the breeze. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 13: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
After early morning breakfast at the lodge, you will embark on your journey to Nyungwe national park. This is a 5-6 hours’ drive to Nyungwe national park with lunch en route. Nyungwe forest is the oldest and largest rain forest in East Africa. Arrive in the park and connect to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: One and Only Nyungwe House
- Mid-range option: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
- Budget option: Gisakura Visitors Centre
Day 14: Chimpanzee tracking and waterfalls walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos. You will then return to your accommodation for lunch.
After lunch, you will return for a forest walk to the waterfalls walk. Return to the lodge to rest. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 15: Canopy walk and Transfer to Kigali
Have breakfast, connect for a canopy walk – walking trail that will take you walk on a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rain forest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Thereafter, embark on a 7 hours’ drive back to Kigali city with en route visit to Nyanza king’s palace and Rwanda national museum in Huye and Murambi genocide museum. Arrive in Kigali late evening and connect to your hotel to rest. Dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: Marriot Hotel
- Mid-range option: Des Mille Collins Hotel
- Budget option: Step town Motel
Day 16: Kigali city tour – Departure
Wake up at leisure, have breakfast and drive out of the hotel and visit the craft shops and the Kigali genocide memorial. Have lunch and connect to the airport for your return flight to your next destination. End of 16 days safari.
