$4,697 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Arrival in Kigali
Arrival in Kigali
Welcome to Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills. Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by your Usoke Explorers driver-guide and transferred to your hotel to rest and unwind from your international flight. If you arrive early, you may enjoy an optional Kigali city tour. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a powerful and moving tribute to the victims of the 1994 genocide. You will also drive through the older commercial and residential areas of this clean and vibrant city, gaining insight into Rwanda's remarkable history and resilience.
- Main Destination:
- Kigali (Rwanda)
- Accommodation:
- Five to Five Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, drive approximately 2.5 hours from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park, located near the town of Musanze in northwestern Rwanda. The journey takes you through Rwanda's famous rolling hills the "Land of a Thousand Hills." Upon arrival at your lodge, settle in and enjoy spectacular views of the Virunga Volcanoes. The park is part of the greater Virunga Massif and protects five dormant volcanoes Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Gahinga, and Muhabura. It is home to 12 habituated gorilla groups and is one of the best places in the world for gorilla trekking. The afternoon is yours to relax, acclimatize to the cool mountain air, and prepare for tomorrow's primate trekking adventure. Your guide will provide a briefing on what to expect during your gorilla and golden monkey treks.
- Main Destination:
- Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)
- Accommodation:
- Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
Wildlife in Volcanoes NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Golden Monkey Tracking – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Golden Monkey Tracking – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Wake early for breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters in Kinigi by 7:00 AM. You will join other trekkers and meet your ranger guide for a briefing on the activity. At 8:00 AM, you will transfer to the trailhead just outside the park and begin your trek into the bamboo forests to find the golden monkeys. These striking primates named for their brilliant golden-orange fur live near the edge of the park where the ground is relatively flat and easy to trek. Watch as they skillfully pick young bamboo leaves from the tips of bamboo trees, feeding and playing in the acrobatic displays that make them so entertaining. You will spend one hour with the golden monkeys before returning to the trailhead. After an amazing encounter, return to the lodge for lunch. Thereafter, you will head to the border, clear immigration, and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, where your gorilla trekking adventure awaits.
- Main Destination:
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
- Accommodation:
- Bweza Gorilla Lodge
Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi – Batwa Cultural Experience
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi – Batwa Cultural Experience
This is the highlight of your safari. After breakfast, head to the park headquarters for briefing by park ranger guides, then begin your gorilla trekking adventure. The activity can last up to 4 hours or more as you hike up and down the steep, mist-covered slopes of the Impenetrable Forest in search of the mountain gorillas. Bwindi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to nearly half of the world's remaining mountain gorilla population. Once you locate a gorilla family, you will have one full hour with them observing their behavior, watching the silverback lead with quiet authority, mothers grooming their infants, and juveniles playing. The eye-to-eye connection with a mountain gorilla sharing 98% of human DNA is profound and life-changing. After the trek, return to the lodge for a well-earned rest.
- Main Destination:
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
- Accommodation:
- Bweza Gorilla Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha
After breakfast, depart Bwindi and drive through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions. While sightings are not guaranteed (approximately 70% chance), the Ishasha sector is one of the few places in Africa where lions regularly lounge in the branches of giant fig trees. After your Ishasha game drive, proceed to the Mweya Peninsula of Queen Elizabeth National Park. If time permits, enjoy an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel a 36-kilometre natural waterway connecting Lakes George and Edward. This is one of Africa's most wildlife-dense waterways, with hundreds of hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, and buffalo along the banks, and over 600 bird species recorded in the park.
- Main Destination:
- Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- Enshama Game Lodge
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Game Drive and Boat Safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game Drive and Boat Safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake early for a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. Look for cape buffalo, herds of elephants, lions, and leopards (though hard to spot) among others. Return to the lodge for rest and lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. The sight of wildlife including giant hippos, elephants, and crocodiles will fascinate you. You will also see many varieties of birds on the water shores, including African fish eagles, pelicans, and kingfishers. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
- Main Destination:
- Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- Enshama Game Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Chimpanzee Tracking at Kyambura Gorge – Transfer to Hoima
Chimpanzee Tracking at Kyambura Gorge – Transfer to Hoima
After breakfast, proceed for chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge. The gorge is a dramatic 100-metre deep river gorge carved into the savannah floor, home to habituated chimpanzees plus other primates including baboons and monkeys. This trek offers a unique opportunity to see chimpanzees in a different habitat than Kibale Forest. After the chimpanzee tracking, return to the accommodation and check out. To shorten the transfer time from Queen Elizabeth to Murchison Falls National Park, you will drive to Hoima City for an overnight stay en route.
- Main Destination:
- Kyambura Gorge (Chimps)
- Accommodation:
- Golden Castle Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, then embark on a transfer to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest protected area. The highlights of this park include the roaring rapids of the Murchison Falls and the rolling plains of Uganda's largest national park, where you will have the chance to view lions, leopards, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants. The concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles here will fascinate you. At approximately 2:00 or 3:00 PM, you can move out for wildlife sightings until about 6:30 or 7:00 PM.
- Main Destination:
- Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
-
Ikorom Safari Lodge
Wildlife in Murchison Falls NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Early Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Safari
Early Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Safari
After breakfast, depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda's largest national park. Be on the lookout for wildlife, including lions and leopards (though hard to spot). For any birder, there are quite a number of birds to sight during the drive. Return to the accommodation for rest and lunch. After lunch, head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls. From the boat, you will be able to catch sight of more animals, including hippos, crocodiles, and several water birds. Watch the Nile explode through a 7-metre gap, plunging 43 metres into the gorge below a spectacular finale to your safari.
- Main Destination:
- Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- Ikorom Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Hike the Top of Murchison Falls – Transfer to Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Hike the Top of Murchison Falls – Transfer to Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After breakfast, drive to the top of Murchison Falls to truly appreciate the beauty and magnificence of this natural wonder. Stand just metres from where the mighty Nile forces its way through a narrow gorge and plunges dramatically into the abyss below. Then, embark on a transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Once there, proceed for an hour of on-foot rhino tracking the only place in Uganda where you can walk with white rhinos. The sanctuary is home to over 30 southern white rhinos, and sightings are guaranteed. After rhino tracking, enjoy lunch and continue the drive to Entebbe International Airport (recommended for flights at 6:00 PM or later).
- Main Destination:
- Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
