This 21-day Uganda Rwanda Safari will give you a great wildlife experience that you will remember forever. Explore the most visited Uganda National Parks with thrilling wildlife viewing. You will have the chance to meet chimpanzees and gorillas in their habitat. For an adventure, challenge the waves as you raft over the Nile. You also visit two of the most popular Rwandan parks, including a visit to Lake Kivu.
Community encounters with the local African natives will give you a local taste. Eat and dine as you have a taste of the local African food which is mouthwatering, with great favour prepared from fresh ingredients. Your local guide knows the route better than anyone. Request a Quote
Day 1: Pickup from the Airport and Transfer to the hotel
The 21-day Uganda Rwanda Safari starts with your arrival at Entebbe Airport, upon which you will be received by our tour guide/driver. He will brief you on the 21-day safari and then transfer you to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena Hotel (Luxury hotel) and Boma Hotel (Mid-range)
Meal Plan: Dinner.
Day 2: Drive to Jinja
Today you will be picked up from your hotel at 6:00 am and transferred to Jinja for your day adventure. Jinja lies on the shore of Lake Victoria, about 3 hours East of Kampala. This town is famous as the historic source of the river Nile and as the capital of East Africa. Besides enjoying peaceful sunsets, birdlife, and tranquility, this is also where visitors get their adventurous fix.
Enjoy activities such as white-water rafting, kayaking, tubing, quad biking, and mountain bike and horse riding. You have a variety of activities to choose from. However, you can opt for full-day white water rafting to get lost in the Nile for the entire day as we enjoy this crazy water spot on the Nile. After having a BBQ, you will be picked up by your guide and transferred to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Wild Waters (Luxury hotel) or 2 Friend Hotel Jinja (Mid-range)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 3: Drive to Sipi Falls
After your morning cup of coffee, you will head for a morning boat cruise along the Source of the Nile to have a look at the Nile starting point with several bird species that can be spotted along the route. Before you take a drive through the north-eastern part of Uganda, to the foothills of Mt Elgon you reach a plateau 1800m above sea level where the beautiful Sipi Falls are located. This green area has a spectacular series of waterfalls (some nearly 100m high), surrounded by village walking trails and lush green coffee-producing hills.
There are three falls separated by steep hillsides. It is quite cool here compared to the other parts of Uganda with temperate weather conditions. Abseiling, a coffee tour, and community visits are some of the activities you can enjoy besides the hikes. You will have an en-route lunch in Mbale town before you proceed and check in to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Mount Elgon Hotel (Luxury) or Sipi River Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 4: Sipi Falls Hike
Hiking the Sipi Falls is a great highlight of the 21 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari. Prepare yourself for a beautiful day in paradise. The Sipi River flows over the foothills of Mount Elgon, forming a series of waterfalls – these culminate in a spectacular drop, which is surrounded by pretty walking trails and lush green hills. You can choose to go on a 3 or, for the real adventurers, a 7-hour hike through the region. A local guide will accompany you on your hike.
You can opt for either the nature and waterfall walk, but it is possible to combine the tour with a coffee tour or cultural tour. Whichever you choose, you can be certain that you pass many waterfalls, plantations, and caves. Local villagers will be sure to greet you with ‘Jambo!’ and beaming smiles. You will later return from the hike and have lunch. After lunch, we shall drive to Moroto for an overnight and dinner.
Accommodation: Karamoja Safari Camp (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 5: Village walks and visits the traditional “Kraal”
After an early morning relaxed cup of coffee, you will take a walk to a sunny and dry area to explore the authentic culture of the Karamajong. The Karamoja is an area in North-Eastern Uganda where you can learn about the traditional life of the Karamojong, the most traditional tribe still living in Uganda. You will have the opportunity to visit the scenic valley of Mount Moroto through a nature walk, the highest mountain of Karamoja. During the walk, we will set camp at a traditional village of the So Tepeth mountain people.
You will later head to visit the local traditional Karamajong Kraals known as the Manyattas. A Kraal is a village made out of huts surrounded by fences made of wood and thorns. These are put up to keep the cattle in and to protect them against rival tribes and wild animals. Some of the Kraals are permanent and others are temporary for when they tail the fresh grass to feed the cattle.
The Karamajong have a lifestyle that is related to the Maasai in Kenya. The main difference is that the Karamajong is mostly unknown and you are therefore sure to experience a very authentic and memorable visit. Later you will return for dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation.
Accommodation: Karamoja Safari Camp (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 6: Drive to Kidepo Valley National Park
In the morning you can still enjoy this unique opportunity to spend more time with the Karamojong tribe to witness how they handle their cow, if time allows you will be able to try milking the cows before you head off for a transfer to Kidepo Valley National park which is a 5 hours’ drive away. Kidepo Valley National Park lies hidden away in a lost and not frequently visited corner between Uganda’s borders with South Sudan and Kenya. It is a long but very rewarding journey to get to this area with some of the most beautiful scenery in Uganda.
You’ll experience an afternoon game drive in the wild Narus Valley where herds of elephants & buffalos as well as beautiful sights of lions and leopards sitting on various valley rocks can be spotted. The experience here is authentic and natural. The land and culture are still intact, giving you a chance to see the real African family setting. The Karamajong and Ike tribes here are still so much in touch with their traditional norms and ways of life, living in their traditional manyattas, wrapped with beautiful blankets with bare chests for the men’s side. Numbers of bird species can be sited here, including the rear Ostriches, and Kori bustard, which are spotted here in large numbers. Kidepo is home to the big 5 and more animal species that you could spot on this 21 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari.
Accommodation: Apoka Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Kidepo Savannah Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 7: Wild Game drive & foot safari
After an early morning breakfast, you will drive and head off for a nature walk. Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the few parks in Uganda where you can do a walking safari. An armed ranger will be joining you for your safety and you will explore the wilderness on foot. During this activity you get the chance to experience the wildlife up close, a different experience than game-viewing by car. Buffalo, waterbuck, giraffe, warthog, zebra, bush-buck, and of course the naughty baboons can be seen all year round as well as many different bird species. The guide stops regularly, not merely searching for a game, but telling you about birds, insects, trees, animal droppings, the medicinal use of plants, and which animals eat which plants.
In the afternoon you will go for another game drive in this amazing national park. The savannah is ringed by mountains and rocky ridges. It has a profusion of big game and hosts 475 bird species and over 80 mammal species, of which 28 were not known to occur (or very rarely) in any other Ugandan park. For example; ostriches, zebras, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, caracals, cheetahs, and greater and lesser kudus. Kidepo Valley National Park ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses and is ranked number 3 on the list of CNN’s best national parks in Africa. Let’s try to get that famous Lion King picture of a lion on a rock before you spend another night.
Accommodation: Apoka Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Kidepo Savannah Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 8: Kidepo – Murchison Falls National Park
The 21 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari takes you to Uganda’s largest national park. Today you continue your journey to Murchison Falls National Park one of the oldest and most visited conservation areas in Uganda. This is a long but rewarding journey through various landscapes of Northern Uganda, with a beautiful view of the countryside with a wonderful village setting of local huts, clustered around a family compound.
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s best-known and biggest nature reserve. With the impressive and powerful Murchison waterfall and its remarkable animal populations, this is a must-visit in the Pearl of Africa. There are superb activities on offer such as a boat safari or Delta safari on the Nile. The river divides the park between a Northern and Southern section as it makes its way through multiple rapids and waterfalls to Lake Albert. Unfortunately, during the war years, poachers and troops wiped out the majority of wildlife. Except for the park’s rhino population, fortunately, all other wildlife has recovered fast since. A game drive in the park allows you to be eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom and you will be amazed by the amount of elephants. Also, giraffes, lions, antelope, waterbucks, buffaloes, hippos, and crocodiles can all be spotted. Game drives take place on the tracks in the northern section which you reach by taking a ferry across the river. This park guarantees adventure!
Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Pakuba Safari Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 9: Game drive and Boat cruise along the Nile
After an early breakfast, it is time to explore the park in great detail on boat land, and water. On your Game Drives you of course need a fair share of luck and very good eyes to try and spot as many animals as possible. While driving through the park you can come eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom. Hopefully, you will see them all; elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope, and many tropical birds. They are all there! A professional ranger with extensive knowledge of the park and its inhabitants will join you in your car. You will have lunch before, the afternoon boat safari towards the Murchison Falls is a very special activity, it takes approximately 2 hours and goes along the Victoria Nile to the base of the Falls.
Carefully watched by crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds, monkeys, and all the other (also thirsty) wildlife that the Nile attracts you go to the bottom of the powerful Murchison Falls. If you like hiking, the boat can drop you near the waterfalls and you can hike up to the top (the hike is roughly an hour). The view is stunning and quite amazing here as you will have a view of the entirety of the 7 m gorge of the waterfall. You will later return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Pakuba Safari Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 10: Murchison to Kibale Forest: Travel time +7hrs
Today, you will undertake the journey to the green Kibale Forest. The drive is incredibly scenic, passing through tea plantations and the lush green countryside that characterizes so much of Uganda. Upon arrival at the tropical forest, you will enter a completely different world… some serious monkey business! We are in the home of primates.
Kibale Forest National Park lies just outside the colonial town of Fort Portal and is made up of dense tropical rainforest. This park is considered one of the big highlights of Uganda and is known as the primate capital of the world having over 13 primate species. A large number of primates residing can be found here and particularly a visit to one of the habituated chimpanzee groups is a very memorable experience. The rare red colobus as well as the black and white colobus, red-tailed monkey, olive baboon, blue monkey, and l’hoest’s monkeys are also regularly seen here. Where would you find a better spot to experience encounters with nature? Smell the forest and listen to the many sounds. You will spend an overnight here.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge (Luxury) or Chimpanzee Forest Guest House (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 11: Chimpanzee Trekking & Swamp Walk
After having a cup of African coffee, you will head to the visitor’s center for briefing and a serious primate trekking business. Kibale forest has over 1,450 chimpanzees and the habituated group has over 120 individuals that are fully habituated. The trekking can last from 2 to 4 hours depending on how close the chimps are. You will be given an hour of interaction with the chimpanzees as you take many photographs. Later you will return from the trek and head for lunch. After lunch ready for a swamp walk, at Bigodi Bird Sanctuary to explore this great amazing community swamp harboring a number of bird species and primates. You will later return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge (Luxury) or Chimpanzee Forest Guest House (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 12: Visit Semuliki National Park and Amabeere Caves
After an early morning breakfast, you will drive to visit one of the hidden Uganda National Parks, known for harboring many bird species, as the number one top birding destination, and for its beautiful hot springs. You visit the hot springs and later head for a brief nature walk and drive back to Fort Portal for lunch at Fort Motel and later drive to visit Amabeere caves, patched with a lot of historical stories. The nature walk here is thrilling and awesome worth a visit. You will visit the beautiful waterfalls and later drive back to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge (Luxury) or Chimpanzee Forest Guest House (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 13: Drive to Queen Elizabeth for a boat ride
After having your early morning relaxed breakfast, you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the most visited national parks in Uganda, joined by Lake Gorge and Edward with the Kazinga channel in between. This park will give you a great opportunity to do a game drive and boat trip to see wildlife and bird species in abundance. You will head for lunch before you proceed for an afternoon boat ride in the Kainga channel known for having the largest number of hippos in the whole world. The boat ride may take 2 to 3 hours, with a great chance to spot Nile crocodiles, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, and much more. You will later return to your lodge for dinner and overnight with a brief game drive along the way.
Accommodation: Elephant Hub Lodge (Luxury) or Twin Lake Safari Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 14: Park Game Drive
After an early breakfast, you will go for a long, early game drive to see the sunrise. The morning is the best time for a game drive as the African animal kingdom tends to be most active during the golden hours of the first sunlight touching the savannah. You will continue the search for all the wildlife; elephant, buffalo, lion, waterbuck, leopard, Uganda kob, warthog, and do not forget about the birds and the primates.
You will later return for lunch, and in the afternoon, head for a more game drive and visit the Kazinga channel to experience the life style of the local vendors around and later drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Elephant Hub Lodge (Luxury) or Twin Lake Safari Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 15: Chimpanzees & tree climbing lions
Early in the morning, you will go for a hike in the Kyambura Gorge; another gem in the far eastern corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This gorge is also called the “Valley of Apes” and is another world on its own. Drained by River Kayambura it now has a rich wildlife bio-diversity, including a family of 16 chimpanzees and many bird species. The view from the top is very impressive as you look down a gorge filled with lush green tropical vegetation amidst an impressive valley. A hike through the gorge allows you to see chimpanzees and other types of primates including red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, baboons, and vervet monkeys. This green riverine forest also offers shelter to several forest birds. Although the chance of spotting chimpanzees is not as high as on an official trek in Kibale or Budongo forest, this landscape is among the most impressive in Uganda and worth visiting.
After the hike you will drive in about 2,5 hours to the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This part is famous for its’ tree-climbing lions. While lion cubs around the world frequently climb trees for fun, adults rarely do. However, these lionesses enjoy spending the hot afternoons snoozing in fig trees to get away from the tsetse flies and to enjoy a cool breeze. This is the most memorable sight in the park as you have never seen such photogenic lions posing for your camera before. During a game drive, try your luck at snapping a pic! Meanwhile don’t miss the stunning scenery and superb birdlife in this southern remote section of the park either.
Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness Camp (Luxury) or Topilodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 16: Drive to Bwindi
After having a relaxed morning breakfast, you will begin a game drive as you exit the park to find your way through the rolling hills of the countryside to Bwindi, which is known for harboring half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Your drive may take 6 to 8 hours with a beautiful view of the countryside. You will have an en-route lunch reaching in the afternoon for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge (Luxury) or Ichumbu Gorilla Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 17: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest
Wake up with a warm cup of coffee and get ready to meet shy gorillas in the jungle. You will be packed some snacks for lunch to carry along with you as well as soft drinks, as you head to the pack headquarters for briefing. This magnificent forest dates back over 25,000 years, even surviving the last Ice Age (most forests disappeared). Bwindi forest has an incredible diversity of flora and fauna and is the only forest in Africa that can claim to host both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. Half the world’s population of gorillas live here divided into nine habituated family groups. Also 5 other primate species, 120 species of mammal, over 220 butterflies, and 360 birds species call Bwindi home.
A trek to see the mountain gorillas always marks the entire safari highlight of our clients’ visit. Make sure you’re in good shape to hike and see these beautiful. You will later return to your lodge for lunch and drive to Lake Bunyonyi, where you will have a beautiful evening enjoying the splendid beauty of this great Lake, known for having numerous islands, and a number of bird species. Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest is probably the most thrilling activity on this 21-day Uganda Rwanda Safari. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge (Luxury) or Ichumbu Gorilla Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 18: Bwindi – Musanze Volcanoes. Travel time +3 hrs
Today, you will have breakfast at your lodge head for a canoe ride on Lake Buyonyi to explore the beauty of this amazing lake on a local canoe before driving to Musanze – Volcanoes via Cyanika border, with a beautiful view of the rolling hills and several stopovers along the way for photography. Musanze is the region around Volcanoes National Park where most lodgings are located. There are no lodges in the immediate park areas. Volcanoes National Park is very famous for harboring the mountain gorillas and the shy golden monkeys that you will be tracking on the next day. You will later be served lunch and after lunch head for an optional visit to Iby’ Iwacu cultural village for a community encounter where you can get an insight into Rwanda culture or you can decide to relax at your lodge at the poolside. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique Lodge (Luxury) or Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 19: Golden Monkey Trekking at Volcanoes
Early morning cup of coffee, then prepare for the golden monkey trekking briefing from the park headquarters and thereafter, you will enter the jungle with your packed lunch to search the shy golden monkeys and enjoy their lifestyle in their real home. After meeting the golden monkey trek, you will return to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, drive to Gisenyi, at the shores of Lake Kivu, and spend the day relaxing at your lodge. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Serena Kivu Hotel(Luxury) or Paradise Kivu (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 20: Drive toNyungewe Forest NP (Canopy walk): Travel time +4hrs
Early morning, enjoy your breakfast and checkout of the hotel, before driving to the western province, with a beautiful view of the 1000 hills and tea plantations on your way and later head for a canopy walk with an en route lunch. A Canopy walk is one of an amazing adventure. This is the most incredible adventure you don’t want to miss. You will have the opportunity to see the monkeys move around in the tree tops, the birds flying above you and below you, and a beautiful view of the huge Nyungwe forest and many butterflies. It’s also an amazing sight. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Lodge (Luxury) or Emeraude Kivu Resort (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 21: Drive to Kigali.
After a relaxed breakfast, we shall drive to Kigali with several stopovers along the way to visit the tea plantation, and museums such as the King Palace Museum and Ethnographic Museum; we shall have an en route lunch and later check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Lodge (Luxury) or Emeraude Kivu Resort (midrange lodge)
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 22: Kigali City tour and airport transfer: Travel time +2hrs
A relaxed morning breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and head for a Kigali city tour to explore this beautiful city, known as the cleanest city in Africa. You will head for the city tour to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Ground, where over 25000 bodies of the victims of the genocide incident were laid to rest for a decent burial. After the genocide visit, you will head for lunch, and after lunch, you will visit some art galleries and local markets to wrap up your 21 days wonderful safari with us as you do some shopping and later dropped at Kigali airport to catch up with your flight to your home country. This will be one of the best safaris you will have ever taken in your lifetime, patched with a great experience, from the city center to a rural setting, patched with a lot of cultural and adventurous experiences, with a lot of sightings. We look forward to your next visit or recommendations to families and friends.
End of the 21 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari. Request a Quote
This 21 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari package includes;
- All airport transfers.
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle.
- 1 Gorilla permit, ($700) per person to be paid in advance.
- Chimpanzee permits.
- Golden monkey permit.
- Museum visits.
- En-route lunches.
- Foot safaris.
- Visit to hot springs.
- Visit to Amabere caves.
- Hike to the top of the falls.
- Boat cruise.
- Local canoe ride.
- White water rafting.
- Sipi Falls hike.
- Canopy walk.
- Kigali City tour.
- Visit to local market.
- Bigodi nature walk.
- Game drives at listed in the itinerary.
- Visit to Kigali genocide memorial ground.
- Community tours.
- Park entrance fees.
- Services of English-speaking driver/guide.
- Excursions as listed in the itinerary.
- A 1-litre bottle of mineral water per day per person during the safari.
The 21 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari package excludes expenses of personal matters such as Airfare, Visa, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, personal insurance, personal shopping bills, and cigars.
