18 Day Rwanda & Uganda Safari Adventure

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your safari guide. Enjoy a short transfer through the city’s iconic rolling hills. Rwanda's capital, Kigali, is renowned for its cleanliness, safety, and modern charm. Depending on your arrival time, you may take a short city walk or simply relax at your lodge.

Accommodation: Heaven Boutique Hotel / The Retreat by Heaven (midrange wing)

Meals: Dinner

Discover the heart and soul of Kigali — a city that tells a compelling story of resilience, transformation, and artistic expression. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a moving monument that provides powerful insight into Rwanda’s past and its journey of reconciliation. Next, explore Kimironko Market, where locals trade fresh produce, crafts, and colorful fabrics. Continue to the Inema Arts Center, a showcase of Rwanda’s contemporary art scene.

Accommodation: Heaven Boutique Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, drive east to Akagera National Park, which features a diverse landscape of savannah, woodland, and wetland ecosystems. In the afternoon, set out on your first game drive through the rolling plains, where you may spot elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, impalas, and the majestic lions reintroduced through Rwanda’s conservation efforts. Watch for leopards, hippos, crocodiles, and over 480 bird species including fish eagles and herons.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge (panoramic view over Lake Ihema)

Meals: Full board

Rise at dawn for a sunrise game drive across the park’s northern plains, where predators roam and grazers feed in the golden light. Later, embark on a tranquil boat safari on Lake Ihema, gliding past pods of hippos and basking crocodiles. Keep watch for the rare shoebill stork, African jacanas, and papyrus Gonolek.

Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge

Meals: Full board

Travel north through Rwanda’s scenic countryside to the dramatic volcanic landscapes of Volcanoes National Park, home to endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Enjoy views of mist-shrouded peaks, bamboo forests, and terraced hillsides.

Accommodation: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge / Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel

Meals: Full board

Begin the day with an early morning trek into the bamboo forest to find golden monkeys — playful and photogenic primates found only in this region. While trekking, enjoy sightings of forest birds, butterflies, and panoramic volcano views. In the afternoon, visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for an authentic Rwandan experience, including traditional dance, drumming, banana beer tasting, and insights into local life.

Accommodation: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Meals: Full board

After breakfast, cross the Kyanika Border into Uganda. Drive through rolling hills to Lake Mulehe, nestled between the Virunga Volcanoes. Take in the crystal-clear lake waters, lush gardens, and distant mountain backdrops. Relax at your lakeside lodge or enjoy a canoe ride on the tranquil waters.

Accommodation: Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge

Meals: Full board

Today marks the highlight of your safari adventure. Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Join your ranger guide for a life-changing gorilla trek through dense rainforest. After an inspiring journey, spend an hour observing these gentle giants in their natural habitat. Along the way, encounter forest elephants, l’hoest monkeys, giant ferns, orchids, and over 350 bird species.

Accommodation: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge / Buhoma Haven Lodge

Meals: Full board

Travel north to the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famed for its unique population of tree-climbing lions. The area is also home to elephants, topis, waterbucks, buffaloes, and numerous birds. Enjoy afternoon game drives across acacia woodlands, searching for lions lounging in fig trees.

Accommodation: Acacia Safari Lodge Ishasha / Enjojo Lodge

Meals: Full board

After breakfast, set out on a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains, a prime territory for lions and large herds of Uganda kobs and buffaloes. Later, take a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, providing close encounters with hundreds of hippos, basking crocodiles, and abundant birdlife.

Accommodation: Acacia Safari Lodge (Kasese)

Meals: Full board

Descend into Kyambura Gorge, often called the “Valley of Apes.” Track chimpanzees through lush forest vegetation and listen to their calls echo through the gorge. The area is also home to red-tailed monkeys, baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and colorful forest birds. In the afternoon, enjoy leisure time or opt for a community visit.

Accommodation: Acacia Safari Lodge

Meals: Full board

Drive north to Fort Portal, a lush town set against the backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains. Take a tour of a tea plantation to learn about tea cultivation and processing, then explore the crater lakes region where serene, turquoise waters are surrounded by rich vegetation. Visit the Amabere Caves and Nyakasura Waterfalls, both steeped in local legend.

Accommodation: Mountains of the Moon Hotel / Kyaninga Lodge (midrange cottages)

Meals: Full board

Journey to Semuliki National Park, a tropical lowland forest bordering Congo known for its hot springs and unique birdlife. Visit the Sempaya Hot Springs, where boiling geysers bubble from the earth. Enjoy a guided forest walk and birdwatching experience, where you might encounter forest elephants, pygmy antelopes, hornbills, and over 400 bird species.

Accommodation: Semuliki Safari Lodge

Meals: Full board

Drive north to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest and most dramatic park. In the evening, set up at Albert Delta Camp and embark on a night game drive to spot nocturnal wildlife such as hyenas, civets, and leopards.

Accommodation: Albert Delta Camp

Meals: Full board

Start the day with an early game drive through the Buligi Circuit, home to giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, lions, and antelopes. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise to the base of the Murchison Falls, where the Nile River roars through a narrow seven-meter gorge, creating one of Africa’s most powerful natural spectacles.

Accommodation: Sambiya River Lodge

Meals: Full board

After breakfast, visit the Top of the Falls for breathtaking views and photo opportunities. Continue to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where rhinos can be seen in the wild. In the evening, embark on a guided rhino tracking experience on foot.

Accommodation: Ziwa Rhino Lodge / Ziwa Cottages

Meals: Full board

Drive to Jinja, the adventure capital of East Africa and the source of the mighty Nile. In the evening, relax with a sunset boat cruise at the Source of the Nile, watching fishermen paddle across tranquil waters as birds soar above.

Accommodation: 2 Friends Guesthouse / Nile Front Cottages Meals: Full board

After breakfast, prepare for a thrilling adventure — white-water rafting or kayaking on the Nile’s rapids. Following lunch, drive to Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight, marking the end of your unforgettable East African safari.

Meals: Breakfast

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