Trip Info
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pop-up roof 4x4 vehicle
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2-20
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To be provided for during the trip
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game drives, gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, walking safaris (with an armed guide) & boat trip
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Kigali
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English, French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish
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To be provided for during the trip
Overview
This tour brings together Uganda’s top primate and wildlife experiences. You’ll visit Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey trekking, explore Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for an unforgettable gorilla encounter, enjoy classic wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and trek chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, known as the “Primate Capital of the World.” The tour can begin and end in either Kigali or Entebbe, based on your preference. Let us know if you’d like an upgrade, and we’ll be happy to arrange it.
Trip Highlights
- Budget tour: This budget tour uses lodges and resorts.
- Private tour: This tour will be organized exclusively for you and won't be shared with others.
- Can start any day: If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
- Can be customized: You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
- Suitable for solo travelers: Solo travelers can book this private tour.
- Minimum age of 15 years: The minimum age for this tour is 15 years.
Itinerary
On this day, your driver-guide from Safari Vacations and Travel Services will welcome you at the airport or pick you up at your hotel. After greetings, you'll board the vehicle, and if time is available, you will embark on a brief Kigali city tour. This tour will allow you to explore the history of the Rwanda Genocide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial as you learn about the anti-human tragedy that befell the people of Rwanda in 1994. You may also visit the Kimironko market, a hub for Rwandan foodstuffs and art & crafts. Later, you'll embark on a journey to Volcanoes National Park, passing through Rwanda's terraced hills with brightly colored tea plantations. You'll then check in at the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Main Destination:
Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation:
Isange Paradise Resort
Budget hotelless than 1hr drive from Volcanoes NP (Gorillas, Rwanda)
Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
Non-alcoholic drinks
Your driver will pick you up early in the morning after breakfast. You'll head to the park headquarters. You'll be briefed about the dos and don'ts of golden monkey trekking. You'll then be accompanied by a guide and a ranger to the forest in search of the golden monkeys. You'll find them playing in the bamboo trees, and you'll spend an hour in their presence. Afterward, you'll return to the lodge for lunch. After a bit of relaxation, you'll embark on a journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, through the Cyanika border. You'll arrive in the evening and have ample resting time as you wait for the next primate adventure.
Main Destination:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation:
Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge
Budget lodge just outside Rushaga (Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda)
All meals included
Non-alcoholic drinks
You will wake up for breakfast and by 7 am, be ready and head to the park headquarters after checking out to embark on an ultimate gorilla adventure. It will start with the briefing about the dos and don'ts of gorilla trekking. You'll then be divided into groups of 8, each group tracking a certain gorilla family. After finding the gorillas, which takes between 30 minutes to 6 hours, you will be in their presence for an hour, monitoring their behavior and taking photographs. After that, you'll have your packed lunch. Then, you'll return to the starting point to be rewarded with a gorilla trekking certificate. You'll then embark on a journey to the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation and an overnight stay.
Main Destination:
Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda)
Accommodation:
Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Budget resort located at Lake Bunyonyi (Uganda)
All meals included
Non-alcoholic drinks
After breakfast, you'll check out of the lodge. You'll first embark on a boat cruise on the Lake. This will allow you to explore the history behind some of the beautiful islands on the lake and see a variety of wildlife species, including birds and animals. Then, you'll later embark on a journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You'll pass through the Ishasha sector for chances of seeing tree-climbing lions. After having lunch where it will be convenient, you'll head to the Northern sector for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.
Main Destination:
Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
Accommodation:
Enshama Game Lodge
Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda)
All meals included
Non-alcoholic drinks
On this day, you'll wake up in search of the early grazers in the savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. You'll see a variety of animals including elephants, bushbucks, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, duikers, duikers, warthogs, buffalos, lions, elephants, leopards, and many others. You'll return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. Afterward, you will embark on a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga channel attracts a lot of wildlife in the afternoon as the animals come to quench their thirst and cool off during the hot hours of the day. Also, you'll witness the highest concentration of hippos in Africa on the channel, plus some giant Nile crocodiles. You'll then return to the lodge for relaxation and dinner.
Main Destination:
Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
Accommodation:
Enshama Game Lodge
Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP (Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
All meals included
Non-alcoholic drinks
You'll wake up for breakfast at ease and then check out of the lodge. You'll then head to the savannah plains again, which may allow you to spot animals that you might have missed the day before. After, you'll have lunch in Kasese. Then, you'll proceed to Kibale National Park. You'll be welcomed by baboons as you approach the forest. Then, after, you will check in at the lodge for a well-deserved dinner and relaxation.
Main Destination:
Kibale National Park (Chimps)
Accommodation:
Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge
Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda)
All meals included
Non-alcoholic drinks
You will wake up early in the morning for breakfast. You'll then board a vehicle with your packed lunch and head to the park headquarters at Kanyanchu. You'll undergo a briefing about chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest. You'll then form groups that will visit chimpanzee communities. These playful primates can be found after between 30 minutes to 3 hours, after which you observe their behavior for an hour. After, you'll head to the park headquarters and drive to the lodge for relaxation. In the evening, you will head out for the Bigodi swamp walk. You'll see several primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and others. You'll also see birds like the great blue turaco. You'll also learn the role played by the locals in the conservation of the tourism natural resources. After, you'll return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Main Destination:
Kibale National Park (Chimps)
Accommodation:
Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge
Budget lodge just outside Kibale NP (Chimps, Uganda)
Meals & Drinks:
All meals included
Non-alcoholic drinks
On this day, you'll wake up, have breakfast, and embark on a journey to Entebbe. You'll have lunch en route, where it'll be more convenient to do so. You'll be dropped off either at the airport or another location, depending on your preference. Your guide will say goodbye, and that will mark the end of the 8-day Uganda-Rwanda Primate Budget Safari.
Main Destination:
Entebbe (City, Uganda)
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
Non-alcoholic drinks
Includes/Excludes
Cost Includes
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- Gorilla permits (One per person, non-resident)
- Chimp permits (One per person, non-resident)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Cost Excludes
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$15.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
FAQs
The 8-Day Uganda-Rwanda Primate Budget Safari typically includes accommodation, transportation, park entry fees, gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits, guided golden monkey trekking, game drives, and all meals as outlined in the itinerary.
Yes, the 8-Day Uganda-Rwanda Primate Budget Safari requires multiple permits—gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and golden monkey trekking permits—all of which are usually secured in advance by your tour operator.
The 8-Day Uganda-Rwanda Primate Budget Safari involves moderate to strenuous trekking, especially in Bwindi and Kibale. Travelers should have a reasonable fitness level to comfortably complete the primate tracking activities.
During the 8-Day Uganda-Rwanda Primate Budget Safari, you will explore Volcanoes National Park for golden monkeys, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorillas, Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife game drives, and Kibale National Park for chimpanzees.
Yes, the 8-Day Uganda-Rwanda Primate Budget Safari can begin in Kigali or Entebbe, giving travelers flexibility depending on their travel plans and flight arrangements.
Absolutely. The 8-Day Uganda-Rwanda Primate Budget Safari is designed for travelers seeking an affordable primate and wildlife adventure, offering quality experiences while using comfortable budget-friendly accommodations.



