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12 Days Uganda & Rwanda

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Experience in 12 days’ time enjoying the beauty of what Uganda has to offer! See the diversity of Uganda’s flora and fauna. See the River Nile, the savannas of Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo NP, Murchison Falls, the tree climbing lions in Ishasha and the rain forests of Kibale and Bwindi and wind up in Rwanda the land of a thousand hills .This tour takes you through Uganda and Rwanda. It is the perfect combination of nature, culture, animals & fun.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Entebbe

Your arrival at Entebbe International Airport is greeted by our on-site representative. You will then be driven to Kampala City for an overnight.

Day 2 – Drive to Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, your adventure in Uganda begins with a drive north-west to Masindi and the Murchison Falls National Park. We have a stopover for a nature walk and lunch at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This houses the breeding project which saw the rebirth of the endangered white rhinos in Uganda. You can view them at close quarters while they move freely in the natural habitat.

Thereafter, we proceed to Murchison Falls national park. Here you get the chance to walk to the top of the falls where the Nile creates a narrow canyon of thunderous water as it crashes down into the Albertine Rift Valley. Murchison Falls, which is the largest national park in Uganda, offers up beautiful scenery of grassland acacia and palm tree savannah to the north, and tropical forest to the south. You’ll check into your selected lodge for the overnight stay and dinner.

Day 3 – Game drive & Launch Cruise

After breakfast, we embark on an early morning game drive to explore the savannah in the delta of the Nile on Lake Albert’s northern bank. Among the animals you may spot in the wild will include elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, waterbuck, bushbuck, spotted hyenas, and on the rare occasion, leopards. After the game drive relax as you drive back to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, you’ll take a boat excursion along the Nile to the base of the magnificent Murchison Falls. You will take in an amazing concentration of wildlife at the river’s banks that include hippos, crocodiles, as well as a wide variety of bird species such as the African eagle, pelicans, the kingfisher, Egyptian geese, and many more!

Day 4 – Drive to Kibale Forest National Park

We head out of the park after an early breakfast heading south-west along the Lake Albert and Rift Valley escarpments which feature breathtaking panoramic scenery. We pass through Hoima the capital of the Bunyoro Kingdom after which we stop for a cup of coffee and lunch.

Afterward, we make for Fort Portal which happens to be the capital of the Tooro Kingdom and lies in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains, the largest mountain ranges in Africa.

Day 5 – Drive to Fort Portal via Queen Elizabeth National Park

Today will see you depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park after breakfast. Enjoy the game drive en route as you head to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, your afternoon will comprise a boat ride from the Mweya peninsular.

This area is one of the most popular sites in Uganda due to the concentration of wildlife, bird species and the all-round breathtaking scenery which affords you plenty of opportunities to capture great photographs. You should get opportunities to spot hippos, buffaloes, and elephants. All this while enjoying a drink on the channel. In the evening you get to try your hand out at another game drive. You’ll then return at leisure to your lodging for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 6 – Game drive & Launch Cruise

In the early morning and after a sumptuous breakfast, we head out for a game drive a in search for the wild animals. This will see us drive along the tracks of the park and head for the northern sector, towards Lake George and Kisenyi village by means of our safari vehicle. Some of the wildlife you may encounter include elephants, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, waterbuck, Ugandan kobs, and leopards on the rare occasion. The park is busting with life and is a great place to spot wildlife. The park also enjoys unique landscapes and features views of crater lakes and the Albertine Rift Valley with is all so very special and unforgettable, it will simply take your breath away! You will have lunch at the lodge and then get ready for the launch cruise along the Kazinga channel in the evening. You will see along the channel many birds ,animals and a lot of hippos that grace this channel. After you will return to your lodge for overnight stay.

Day 7 – Ishasha to Lake Bunyonyi

To the south of Queen Elizabeth National Park we find the tropical rain forest cover that hosts the last remaining population of the endangered mountain gorilla. The choice of are to have the gorilla safari depends on availability and allocation of permits.

Later you’ll go on a game drive in pursuit of the aptly named ‘tree climbing lions’, so named as they lie perched atop fig trees during the hot hours of the day so as to catch some chills. It is a spectacular site and quite exciting to see. You have lunch en route to Lake Bunyonyi which is situated past Kabale town.

Day 8 – Lake Bunyonyi to Volcanoes National Park

Today you’ll get to experience and enjoy one of the most extraordinary wildlife and birding adventures while crossing Lake Bunyonyi by boat. With its heavily forested green islands, the lake hosts species of endemic birds that the guide will help you spot and identify.You may also visit the Kabale town and the Bakiga Cultural Museum.After lunch, you journey proceeds to Rwanda via the border crossing after Kisoro, at the doorsteps of the Muhavura volcano. You’ll get to Volcanoes National Park from Ruhengeri town.

Day 9 – Mountain Gorilla Trekking

After breakfast at about 7 in the morning, you begin trekking the Virunga forest in search of one of the habituated families of mountain gorillas. After the briefing by the Rwanda Parks Service (ORPTN) you’ll follow them down the trails of the forest. You should carry some water and a packed lunch with you as the time it will take before encountering the gorillas is unpredictable.

Upon coming across a family of gorillas, you’ll have an hour to observe them, take pictures and have an all-round awesome time of it. Afterwards, you’ll depart Volcanoes National Park and descend into Lake Kivu in Gisenyi which is a pretty town on the lake’ s shores.

Day 10 – Relaxation & drive to South of Rwanda

After breakfast, you’ll leave Gisenyi and head for south-western Rwanda along the road on the shores of Lake Kivu. We’ll have a stop-over for lunch in Kibuye, a pretty town on the lake where you’ll get to take in breathtaking scenery. Later on in the afternoon, we will proceed to Cyangugu on the southern coast of the lake. This small town is the gateway to Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Day 11 – Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

A very early breakfast is followed by a 6 am entry into Nyungwe forest for trekking in search of chimpanzees and other primates as the beautiful Angolan colobus. The park is spread across 970 sq Km of green hills, and is the largest piece of uncontaminated tropical forest in Eastern Africa. Nyungwe hosts 13 species of primate that include chimpanzees, the Rwenzori colobus, the Hoest monkey, the silver monkey, owl-faced monkey, red-tailed monkey, vervet monkey and olive baboon. Ensure to carry along drinking water and a picnic breakfast.

Day 12 – Drive to Butare, Nyanza to Kigali

You’ll leave for Kigali after breakfast while stopping to have lunch in Butare, the second town in Rwanda and considered to be the cultural capital. It hosts a University and the National Museum. It can be very rewarding to try out the handicraft shops where they sell products made by Rwandan artisans especially look out for the woven baskets. Along your way, we’ll make another stop in Nyanza which was the political capital in days gone by. It hosts the entirely renovated antique royal palace that holds royal regalia of the Mwami (King). You’ll arrive Kigali in time for your flight out of Kigali International Airport.

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Included & Excluded

Price Includes

  • Airport transfers to and from.
  • 4X4 vehicle for the safari
  • Full-board accommodation for 11 nights.
  • Experienced English speaking Driver Guide.
  • Park entry and activity fees.
  • All relevant government taxes

Price Excludes

  • International flights
  • Extra meals and drinks
  • Personal shopping and souvenir
  • Tips to porters or Guides.

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