6-Day Ultimate Apes and Wildlife Rwanda-Uganda Safari

You will be met by our driver guide at the Kigali Airport and proceed with the guided tour to the fast-growing neighbourhoods of Kigali that are changing the face of the city. There is an opportunity to visit the presidential museum which is the residence of two of the former Presidents of Rwanda. Here you will have an opportunity to learn a bit about the political history of Rwanda. We will drive through the older commercial and residential areas with a major stop at Kigali Genocide Memorial Site commemorating the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Stop for lunch then drive to Musanze. If time allows, you will visit two twin Lakes Burera and Ruhondo. Their deep blue waters ringed by steep hills and tall waterfalls with the outlines of the nearby Virunga Volcanoes provide a spectacular backdrop.

Main Destination: Volcanoes National Park

Accommodation: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge - Mid-range lodge less than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)

Drinks not included

Wake up for an early breakfast and transfer to the park head offices in Kinigi by 7:00 am. Join other golden monkeys trekkers and meet the ranger guide for a few minutes to talk about the activity and the park. At 8:00 am, you'll transfer to the trailhead just outside the park. Enjoy great views of the mountain scenery as you start your trek into the park to find the golden monkeys. The golden monkeys live near the edge of the park in the bamboo forests where the ground is relatively flat and easy to trek. Find the monkeys and follow them as they feed, noticing how they skillfully pick the young bamboo leaves from the tip of the bamboo tree. They may also move out of the park into the potato fields. How they love the potatoes!
After an amazing one hour with the golden monkeys, you will return to the trailhead and drive back to the lodge for lunch. Thereafter, head to the border where after clearing we will proceed to Bwindi.

Main Destination: Bwindi National Park

Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge - Mid-range lodge just outside Rushaga (Uganda)

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After early morning breakfast, walk to the park headquarters for a briefing on the dos and don’ts during gorilla tracking. Thereafter, you will proceed to the gorilla trail. Gorilla tracking normally lasts between 2 to 8 hours or even a day to encounter the gorillas. However, you'll be allowed to stay in the presence of these awesome apes for at least an hour. It is advisable that you carry packed lunch, which will be provided, as one cannot determine how long it may take to encounter the mountain gorillas. After this thrilling activity, you will head back to the lodge for lunch and relaxation then later head out for the Batwa cultural tour (Community Tours).

Ishasha sector for tree climbing lions:
On the way from Bwindi, we will drive through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, popularly known for the tree-climbing lions. While the sighting of the tree-climbing lions is not 100% guaranteed, a stopover at Ishasha is worth a visit! After the Ishasha game drive, proceed to the Mweya Peninsular of Queen Elizabeth for a boat cruise experience on the Kazinga Channel.

Kazinga Channel boat cruise:
If time permits, join the Kazinga Channel boat cruise for an afternoon of wild game viewing. You will spot crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, and a wide range of bird species on the channel waters. After the Kazinga Channel boat cruise, drive to the lodge for dinner and your overnight stay.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation: Lake Munyanyange Caves Lodge - Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda)

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kasenyi Plains game drive:
You will start the day with an early morning breakfast at the lodge. Afterwards, we'll proceed to the famed Kasenyi Plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park to spot various species of wild animals. Kasenyi Plains dwell in the vast savannahs of the Albertine Rift in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It will be a morning full of adventure as you will also visit the Kalinzu Forest for chimpanzee tracking before you head out to Lake Bunyonyi. Expect to encounter lions, herds of buffalos, elephants, Uganda kobs, topi, and bushbucks. While spotting the "Big Five" in the park is not guaranteed, on a lucky day, you may site leopards to make it to the "Big Four." After the game drive, drive to Lake Bunyonyi for activities and relaxation.

Main Destination: Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda)

Accommodation: Bunyonyi Overland Resort - Budget resort located at Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda)

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, you will take a boat ride on this lake to tour different islands. Then we will head to another border, this time the Katuna border to cross to Rwanda. Upon reaching, we will do a Kigali city tour starting off with the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre visit. We will check different city landmarks and craft markets. Thereafter, be transferred to Kigali Airport to catch your departure flight back home.

Main Destination: Kigali International Airport (Rwanda)

Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)

Drinking water (Other drinks not included)