14-day Uganda Rwanda Holiday for Mountain Gorilla Encounters

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Start our 14-day Uganda Rwanda Holiday with your arrival at Entebbe International Airport.

Upon your arrival for the 14-Day Uganda Rwanda Holiday, our representative/guide will be ready to pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your designated hotel or lodge for an overnight stay. It is advisable to acquire local currency for smoother transactions; feel free to inquire about favorable exchange rates from your driver for the best options.

Accommodation

Budget: Gately Inn

Moderate: Imperial  Heights, 2 friends beach hotel

Up Market: Protea Hotel, Botanical beach Hotel

Day 2: Ngamba Island Tour for orphaned chimps

Begin your day by enjoying a leisurely breakfast, followed by a transfer to the pier facilitated by our tour guide. This transfer will lead you to Ngamba Island for a captivating boat excursion. There are two half-day excursions available, one starting at 09:00 hours and the other at 12:00 hours. The flexibility is yours to choose based on your preference, but it’s essential to note that all options are subject to availability, requiring advance booking.

As you embark on the boat journey across the expansive Lake Victoria, revel in the breathtaking views of East Africa’s largest lake. Ngamba Island, the destination, replicates some of Uganda’s conservation zones, including Savannah, wetlands, and tropical forests. The 45-minute boat ride to Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary offers a unique experience, crossing the Equator along the way.

Upon reaching the sanctuary, home to 39 orphaned chimps, receive a briefing about its history and purpose. The highlight follows with the chimpanzee feeding session. From the visitors’ platform, observe these primates as they interact during their mealtime. Witness the charming variety in their personalities—some displaying greed while others exhibit a more reserved demeanor. The short duration of your visit allows you to appreciate the diverse characters within the group, from those whistling for food to others engaging in playful clapping.

While the optimal solution would be to reintroduce these orphaned chimpanzees to the wild, practical constraints make it unfeasible. Nonetheless, the sanctuary provides a crucial second-best option. Conclude the excursion by returning to the mainland, where we will facilitate your transfer back to your lodge.

Accommodation

Budget: Gately Inn

Moderate: Imperial Heights, 2 friends beach Hotel

Up Market: Protea Hotel, Imperial Botanical beach Hotel

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park game safari

Departing from your lodge in Entebbe, your journey will take you to Murchison Falls National Park, where an extraordinary experience awaits. En route, make a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a unique opportunity to visit and track white rhinos. This sanctuary plays a crucial role in breeding both black and white rhinos, contributing to the restoration of rhino populations in Uganda’s protected areas in the future.

After the rhino encounter, enjoy a delightful lunch in Masindi before continuing your expedition to the magnificent Murchison Falls. Witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of the mighty Nile River plunging into a seven-meter abyss, creating a resounding roar as it descends 45 meters below. Marvel at the series of cascades formed by the falls, each offering a different perspective of this natural wonder.

As the day concludes, relish a delicious dinner and prepare for an overnight stay in the captivating surroundings of Murchison Falls National Park.

Accommodation

Budget: Red Chillis camp

Moderate: Sambiya River Lodge, Kabalega wildness lodge, Twiga safari Lodge.

Up Market: Paraa Lodge / Nile safari Lodge

Day 4: Game Drive and Launch cruise on the Nile River.

Budget: Red Chillis camp

Moderate: Sambiya River Lodge, Kabalega wildness lodge, Twiga safari Lodge

Up Market: Paraa Lodge / Nile safari Lodge

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park for Chimpanzee tracking.

Depart Murchison Falls after an early breakfast. You will pass through the Albertine rift via Hoima to the Verdant country side of Fort portal . Have lunch en route and arrive in the late afternoon and enjoy dinner and an overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation

Budget: Chimps Nest Lodge

Moderate: Rwenzori View House

Up Market: Ndali Lodge / Mountains of the moons Lodge

Day 6: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale forest national Park.

Take breakfast early morning and leave for Kibale Forest National Park, this is commonly accepted to have a diversity and highest massing of primates in East Africa. Enjoy a guided chimpanzee walk in the tropical rainforest evergreen in searching of the Hot springs, Black white colobus monkeys, wild chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, butterflies of different species and many others. Have a luncheon, and then go to the Bigodi areas for a swamp walk. The guide will provide details about the flora and fauna that you will encounter and then after, you will be transferred back to your lodge.

Accommodation

Budget: Kyaninga Lodge

Moderate: Primate Lodge (Cottages)

Up Market: Paraa Lodge / Nile safari Lodge

Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for game Safari

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park with a drive will taking 2-4 hours. A game drive en route is rewarding with views of acacia trees, antelopes, birds and many other savanna wildlife and flora species. You will visit the crater lakes region, Katwe salt mines found Uganda to see how salt is traditionally mined in Uganda. Then later transfer for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Budget: Albertine river camp/ Simba safari camp

Moderate: Hippo Hill Luxury tented camp

Up Market: Mweya safari Lodge / Kyambura Wildlife reserve / Jacana Safari Lodge

Day 8: Wildlife Game drive and Launch cruise on Kazinga Channel.

We take on a morning game drive in search of the wild game, the drive will provide excellent scenic views of the great Lakes of Lake Edwards and Lake George, then also their gutter-the great Kazinga channel. In the game drive, expect elephants, lions, buffaloes, kobs, the Python, hyenas, warthogs, birds,hippos etc. Return to the lodge for mid morning breakfast and then have lunch.

In the afternoon you will go for a boat -cruise along Kazinga Channel, a natural channel between Lake Edward and Lake George. Expect to get exposed to a bird sin abundance both typical and migrants and the highest concentration of hippos in Africa. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation

Budget: Albertine river camp/ Simba safari camp

Moderate: Hippo Hill Luxury tented camp

Up Market: Mweya safari Lodge / Kyambura Wildlife reserve / Jacana Safari Lodge

Day 9: Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura gorge

Wake up for an early morning breakfast and then transfer to Kyambura gorge for a chimpanzee tour. Driving through grassland area, straight away we come transversely to an amazing ravine of tropical rainforest 100 meters deep. Trek into Kyambura River Gorge for an odd; experience hiking chimpanzees. It’s so paying to see the river valley, home of many bird and butterfly species. Rangers will provide the necessary information about the gorge and then later you will return to your lodge for lunch, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation 

Budget: Albertine river camp,simba safari camp

Moderate: Hippo Hill Luxury tented camp

Up Market: Mweya safari Lodge / Kyambura Wildlife reserve / Jacana Safari Lodge

Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for gorilla safari

Embark on your journey this morning towards Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, traversing the seasonal southern sector of Queen Elizabeth, famously known as Ishasha. Take in the scenic drive and, if time allows, pause for lunch by the Ishasha River. Here, seize the opportunity to search for the renowned Ishasha tree-climbing lions before continuing your expedition to Bwindi, the sanctuary for the remaining mountain gorillas.

Please note that if your gorilla tracking adventure is set for the southern part of Bwindi, the drive through this sector may not be possible. This deviation is aimed at shortening the travel distance between Kisoro and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Bwindi National Park is renowned for its exceptional bird and primate life, often referred to as a birdwatcher’s paradise. With a staggering 348 bird species, including 24 out of 26 Albertine Rift Endemics in Uganda and seven red data book species, the park offers a rich biodiversity.

Once part of the continuous forests of the Virunga Volcanoes, famously associated with Dian Fossey’s work, Bwindi now stands as an ecological island, surrounded by cultivation on the fertile volcanic soils of the region. Immerse yourself in the incredible variety of flora and the unique ecosystem as you approach the home of the mountain gorillas.

Accommodation 

Budget: Buhoma Community Bandas (self contained cottages)

Moderate: Lake Kitandara Camp/ Engagi lodge

Up Market: Gorilla Forest camp/ Gorilla resort camp/ Clouds lodge.

Day 11: Gorilla Tracking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forests