10 Days Uganda Rwanda Congo Safari

Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to kibale National Park

You will be picked up from the hotel by the safari guide of Rwanda Safaris and start on the drive to connect to Kibale forest national Park.  The 6 hours drive from Kampala to Fortportal City where you will stop for the lunch before embarking on the 1 hour extra journey to connect you to Kibale National Park.  You will have some stop over for the city tour of Fortportal to visit the Toro Palace, Craters and local Market is a wonderful experience that is guaranteed by travelers that select to explore East Africa with Rwanda Safaris.

You will arrive and check in at the lodge .

Luxury : Chimpundu Lodge Mid range : Chimpanzee Forest Lodge Budget : Isunga Lodge

Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest national Park.

Have breakfast,  then get ready to meet our cousins in the wilderness of Kibale forest National Park. Carrying enough drinking water is advised in case you decide to pursue chimpanzee habituation rather than tracking. The better choice is a packed lunch. A ranger teaches you the guidelines for interactions with chimps, birds, and monkeys during the briefing before the start of your chimpanzee experience. We'll set out on a community tour in the late afternoon, taking you through rural areas, marshes, and tea plantations. After you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.

Day 3, Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park

After Morning breakfast at the lodge you will start on the drive to connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park passing through the crater lakes , local community where you will understand more what Uganda has to offer, you will arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park at the time to start your en route game drive before embarking on the community visit in the fishing villages.

Note : You will have a stopover at the Equator in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres for photos and optional Visit to the Rwenzori Founders Art center.

Check in at the Accommodation.

Luxury : Mweya Safari Lodge Mid range: Enganzi  Lodge Budget : Bush Lodge

Day 4: Game drive & Boat cruise

You will start very early with your tour guide for an early morning game drive exploring the park in the Kasenyi plains searching for predators and grazers on a game drive.

Return to the lodge for lunch or have a picnic lunch after which you will take a boat safari on Kazinga Channel which connects Lake Edward and Lake George which is an excellent opportunity for photography moments of Hippos, Buffaloes, Elephants and magnificent bird species by the water.

Check in at the Accommodation.

Luxury : Mweya Safari Lodge Mid range: Enganzi  Lodge Budget : Bush Lodge

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National park

After  breakfast and you will embark on your gorilla safari southwards to Bwindi impenetrable forest via Ishasha Sector where you will stop for simple game drive to search for the tree climbing lions which are only found in Queen Elizabeth National park, after have lunch en route and later proceed to drive connecting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which hosts half of the world's Mountain Gorillas. Depending on the sector and the availability of the Gorilla Permits, you will be checked in at that Particular lodge for dinner and overnight.

Dinner and Overnight accommodation

• Supper Luxury: Four Gorillas Lodge
• Lower Luxury :  Ichumbi Lodge
• Mid Range: Rushaga Gorilla camp

Day 6: Gorilla Trekking & Transfer to Volcanoes National park

After early morning, your driver guide will transfer you to the briefing point at 7am before you start your gorilla trek at 8 am. At the briefing point, the UWA rangers will welcome you and given seats until time of briefing as your driver guide registers you with the ranger on duty to be allocated a gorilla family. The ranger guide will share a short briefing about the experience in the park and how you should interact with nature and the people. You will then be allocated a gorilla family to trek after which you will start the walk into the forest. Depending on location of your gorilla family, you might need to drive to the trail head of the allocated gorilla family.

Note: Rwanda Safaris  advises you to hire a porter to carry your day pack because sometimes the gorillas could be located a distance from the start of your trek, they can also help push or pull you along the steep slippery paths in the forest.

After gorilla trekking you will return to the lodge and enjoy meal before existing Bwindi Impenetrable National Park  to head to Volcanoes National park in Rwanda via Cyanika Border.

Check in at the Accommodation.

Dinner and Overnight accommodation

• Luxury : Amakoro Songa Lodge
• Mid range:  Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
• Budget-  :Gorilla Solution Lodge

Day 7 : Golden Monkey Tracking & Transfer to Gisenyi

After Morning breakfast at the lodge , you will transfer to the park headquarter for the briefing about the golden monkey tracking rule and regulations, after you will enter into the jungle of Volcanoes and start on the trek to search for the apes, upon spotting them , you will have one hour with them and later return to the starting point where you will find the safari guide and start on the journey to Gisenyi , with brief stop at Ellen De Generes Campus .

You will arrive in Gisenyi late evening and check in the hotel for the dinner and overnight.

Accommodation:

• Serena Hotel Kivu  ( Luxury )
• Palm Beach Hotel Gisenyi  ( Mid Range )
• Water Front beach Hotel ( Budget )

Day 8: Transfer to Bukavu Congo

You will have morning boat cruise on Lake kivu for 2 hours and later set off for the drive to connect to Bukavu town in Eastern Congo ( Southern Kivu), upon arrival at the Rwanda Congo border, the safari guide will take you through the immigration and enter DR Congo via Rusizi one border post and proceed for the 10-15 minutes drive to connect to the hotel in Bukavu City .  This is the tourism hub for travelers planning to visit to the Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National park.

 Accommodation :

• Luxury Lodge : Orchids Safari Club
• Mid range Lodge : Begonias Hotel
• Budget Hotel : Lac Kivu view resort

Day 9: Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking

You will have breakfast at the hotel and  and then transfer to the park headquarters for briefing and registration about lowland gorilla trekking in the East of Congo. You will drive from the park headquarter to the gorilla trekking start point and enter into the forest to search for the gorillas.  If you booked Habituation type , you will stay with the gorillas for 3-4 hours and if you booked trekking, you will stay with them for 1 hour !

After the gorilla watching in Kahuzi Biega National Park , You will start on the drive back to Bukavu for overnight stay.

Day 10: Transfer to Kigali for Flight back home.

After breakfast at the lodge, the Safari guide will be ready to transfer you back to Kigali via crossing of the border that always opens at 8:30am and start to enjoy the scenic drive in Nyungwe forest national park connecting to Kigali for the great city tour before dropping at the airport.

Note: Crossing from Congo back to Rwanda, you have to pay the Rwanda Visa for the entry to be granted by the immigration officer.