9 Days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali

The 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali is an amazing safari that starts from Kigali Rwanda and ends in Uganda. The safari will take you to Bwindi impenetrable national park in south western Uganda where you will be able to spend time with the mountain gorillas in the natural environment, Kibale forest national park where you will be able to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali will also take you to Queen Elizabeth national park and Murchison falls national park where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hippos, warthogs, bushbucks, Nile crocodiles, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest and different bird species during the game drive and boat cruise.

Highlights of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali

Day 1: Pick up from Kigali and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 5: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Day 7: Transfer to Murchison falls national park

Day 8: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 9: Departure to Kampala via Ziwa rhino sanctuary

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick up from Kigali and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Depending on your location in Kigali on the first day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the Uganda safari and then start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way you will have en-route lunch and pass via cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale, enjoy great views of the scenery, terraced farmlands, rolling hills among others. Upon arrival in Bwindi impenetrable national park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Gorilla trekking

On the second day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, you will have breakfast, carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a gorilla family and start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 2 hours to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, birds, plants and once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the moments to show people back home after the safari.

After the one hour with the gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and later meet up with your driver guide and either return to the lodge for relaxation or go for an optional Batwa cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the batwa people, learn about their way of living, enjoy their traditional entertainment among others. After the cultural tour, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

After an early breakfast on the third day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park via Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions lying up in tree branches during the game drive. After the game drive, you will have en-route lunch and then proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park. Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise

Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience

After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for an exciting game drive in Kasenyi plains where you will be able to spot animals like elephants, waterbucks, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bushbucks, view predators like lions, leopards among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

Afternoon boat cruise

After lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. During the boat cruise you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs among others drinking water along the shores, view water birds like cormorants, hornbills, king fishers, fish eagles among others. After the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park

After breakfast on the fifth day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for another morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view some of the animals that you might have missed the previous day. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out and transfer to Kibale forest national park. Upon arrival in the park, you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Chimpanzee trekking

After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide who is well conversant with chimpanzee trekking trails. During chimpanzee trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours, you will be able to view different bird species, other primates, plant species among others. Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviours, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, breastfeeding, resting, take photos and record the breath-taking moments. After the one-hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and drive to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch you will go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to spot different birds, primates, plant and tree species among others. After the Bigodi swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Murchison falls national park

After breakfast on the seventh day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Murchison falls national park. On the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the crater lakes, Rwenzori mountain peaks, tea and banana plantations among others. Upon arrival in the park, you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

After an early breakfast on the eighth day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, elephants, waterbucks, giraffes, Uganda kobs, oribi, warthogs among others. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch.

Boat cruise

After lunch you will go for an afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be able to view hippos and crocodiles in water, view other animals along the shores, water birds among others. After the boat cruise, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

9 Days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali
Boat Cruise on Murchison

Day 9: Transfer to Kampala via Ziwa rhino sanctuary

After breakfast on the last day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and drive to the top of the falls where you will enjoy great views of the waterfall, water plashes, enjoy views of the beautiful scenery among others. From the top of the falls, you will drive out of the part and start the journey to Kampala. On the way, you will have a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking where after you will continue the journey with another stopover for en-route lunch. After lunch, you will proceed to Kampala and upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise.

End of 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari from Kigali

Tour includes                                  

  • Gorilla trekking permit
  • Chimpanzee trekking permit
  • Bigodi swamp walk
  • Park entrance fees/ game drives
  • Boat cruise fees
  • Rhino tracking
  • Top of the falls
  • Lion tracking experience
  • Professional English speaking driver guide
  • Full board accommodation
  • Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
  • Vehicle and fuel
  • Bottled drinking water

Tour excludes                     

  • International air flight tickets
  • Visas
  • Optional activities not included on the itinerary
  • Life insurance
  • Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
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