8 Days Uganda Safari From Kigali

Overview

Our 8 Days Uganda Safari from Kigali, Rwanda is meant for those people who are interested in safari in Uganda but can only get flights in through Kigali or fancy shorter drives as well as those staying in Rwanda. Also with the current price of the Gorilla permit of Rwanda, Uganda is now a preferred destination for Gorilla tracking.

This this trip gives you a shorter drive time while giving you a feel of both Uganda and Rwanda while on the trip. It will take you to some of the amazing national parks of Uganda such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorillas, Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives and boat cruise and Kibale National Park for Chimpanzees. The last day of this safari to spent around Lake Bunyonyi to enable you to just relax after the safari.

Detailed 8 Days Uganda Safari From Kigali Itinerary

Arrival for the 8 Days Uganda Safari From Kigali

You’ll be picked up from the airport (or hotel). Accommodation before the tour departs can be arranged for extra cost

DAY 1: Pick up from Kigali Airport/Lodge to start your 8 Days Gorilla, Game and Chimpanzee Safari through Kigali.

You will be picked from Kigali International Airport/Any Hotel in Kigali to start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda. You will have a stop at the Genocide museum and then take a Kigali city tour if time allows. This safaris takes you through amazing scenery in both Rwanda and Uganda.

Rwanda is popularly known as ‘a country of a thousand hills’ while Uganda is refereed to as the ‘Pearl of Africa’. After you cross over to Uganda via the Katuna or Chanika boarder, you will make a brief stop at Kabale town (Katuna) or Kisoro (Chanika) before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for overnight.

Drive time: Approximately 4-5 hours

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Lodging: Rushaga Gorilla Havens lodge

DAY 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

After an early morning breakfast, with your packed lunch, you will report to the Park Headquarters at about 7:45 am for registration and then you will join other trackers for a briefing about the Dos and the Don’ts during your Gorilla Tracking safari or gorilla habituation experience. Your guides and researchers will lead you through the thick creepers and undergrowth as you trek to find the Gorillas. This trek can take you half an hour to three quarters of the day.

The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The amount of time you take during the trek largely depends on the movement of the gorillas. While you may encounter several birds, other animals and primates in the forest during the trek, once you find the gorillas, it is usually an extraordinary feeling being with these beautiful yet endangered Creatures.

You will have an opportunity to listen and observe researchers do their work of habituating gorillas and if possible you will be called upon to participate by collecting samples, naming of group members, making calls and so much more. Thereafter, you will return back to the Lodge for overnight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner

Overnight Lodge: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge

DAY 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, you will depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park located in Southwestern Uganda arriving in time for Lunch at Elephant Hab Lodge. This will be followed by a short relaxation and an evening game drive in the Savannah plains of Kasenyi. It is is here that wild animals like buffaloes, elephants, antelopes and big cuts such as lions and leopards can be spotted, depending on how lucky you are. Return to your lodge for overnight.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge/Buffalo safari lodge

Meals: All Meals Included

Drive Time: 5-6 Hours

DAY 4: Morning Game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

This morning you will head back to the plains of Kasenyi for a morning game drive to try to find what you could have missed seeing the previous day. Lunch will be served at the lodge. After lunch, you will head to the jetty along the Kazinga channel for the afternoon boat cruise. This cruise offers you beautiful chances of viewing animals like: hippos, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles and some water birds which flop the channel to drink water.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation: Buffalo Safari lodge/ Elephant Hab Lodge

Meals: All Meals Included

Drinks: Drinking Water

DAY 5: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale National Park

After an early breakfast, you will drive to the Northern bank of the Queen Elizabeth National Park (Kasenyi) area in search of some wild animals which include: Elephants, Buffalo, and some wild cats, different species of antelopes such water buck, Uganda kobs etc. as well as Savannah birds. After lunch you will drive to Kibale National Park arriving at your lodge in the evening.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Guest house/Kibale forest camp

Drive time: 3-4 hours.

DAY 6: Chimp Tracking

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park Headquarters located at Kanyanchu. Here, you will join other trekkers for briefing before you proceed into the forest for chimpanzee trekking. You will be led by a well-trained and experienced ranger/guide who will take you for a guided primate walk inside Kibale Forest National Park.

This forest provides an opportunity to visit one of the habituated communities of chimpanzees. You are allowed to spend an hour with these Great Apes while observing their behaviour. You are allowed to take photographs. So make sure your cameras are nearby. Kibale National Park is also home to other 13 primate species which can also be spotted while trekking the Chimpanzees. Of course there are also numerous species of forest birds.

In fact, this is another haven for bird lovers. After lunch, you will head to Bigodi wetland for a wetland walk with opportunities to see primates and several bird species. This walk will enable you appreciate the role of the of the local people around Bigodi in conserving the wetland. You can choose to support them through donation in kind. Please note that this is a voluntary act.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest guest house/Kibale forest camp.

DAY 7: Depart Kibale National Park for Lake Bunyonyi.

Drive from Kibale National Park to Lake Bunyonyi to break the long journey to Kigali but also to relax after the lodge tour. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the three Lava damned Lakes in Uganda which was formed when lava flowing from one of the volcanoes blocked a river channel and water was forced to flow back hence filling the space to create Lake Bunyonyi.

Bunyonyi locally means small birds – due to the abundance of small birds in this area. Lake Bunyonyi is said to be the deepest lake in Uganda and second deepest in East Africa. People usually visit Lake Bunyonyi just enjoy the the beauty of the surrounding area – making it one of the best places to relax in after your long safari.

Drive time: Approximately 6-7 hours

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodging: Bunyonyi Rock Resort/Birdnest Resort

DAY 8: Optional Canoeing around the Lake Bunyonyi and transfer back to Rwanda to End the trip

After breakfast, you will take canoe ride on the Lake to explore the different islands’ exciting histories. For example, you can visit the Punishment Island where girls who would produce babies out of legitimate tradition marriage would be dumped and left to die. This is a whole day activity and you will surely enjoy it. Alternatively, you can hike one of the hills around Lake Bunyonyi. Encounter Africa Safaris supports some projects in the communities surround this area. So, those who want to do something on their tour can go for volunteer work. Later you will drive to Katuna Border and head back to Kigali with either a late flight or post tour hotel on your own arrangement.

Drive Time: 4-5 Hours

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch