$4,395 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Arrive at Kigali International Airport
Arrive at Kigali International Airport
On your arrival at Kigali International Airport (KGL), you will be met by your private guide for the next 10 days. You will be driven to your hotel in Kigali where you will spend the night before your adventure begins the next day. The hotel is about a 15-minute drive from the airport.
- Main Destination:
- Kigali (Rwanda)
- Accommodation:
-
Quiet Haven Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and drive to Lake Kivu via Nyanza
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and drive to Lake Kivu via Nyanza
Have breakfast at the hotel before you transfer to the western side of the country and the town at Lake Kivu. En route, you will stop to visit the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi in Kigali and visit the King’s Palace & Museum in Nyanza. This gives an interesting insight into the cultural history and monarchy of Rwanda. We have lunch and drive to Lake Kivu, arriving at Cormoran Lodge in the late afternoon and relaxing at the lodge. The lodge is set on a steep hill, leading down to the shores of Lake Kivu with rustic but stylish cabins, each with views over the lake.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Kivu (Rwanda)
- Accommodation:
- Cormoran Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Visit Napoleon Island and drive to Volcanoes National Park
Visit Napoleon Island and drive to Volcanoes National Park
This morning before we leave Lake Kivu behind and head north to Volcanoes National Park, we will visit Napoleon Island on the lake. The island is a great hiking spot, but most popular here is the colony of fruit bats that occupy the island. After the visit, we do a drive of about 4 hours to Kivu, arriving in the mid-evening. We will visit the Gorilla Guardians’ Village which gives an insight into the practices of the people of Rwanda. In the evening, we retire to the lodge.
- Main Destination:
- Musanze (City, Rwanda)
- Accommodation:
- Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Golden monkey trekking and cross to Uganda (Rushaga)
Golden monkey trekking and cross to Uganda (Rushaga)
Have breakfast and then spend the morning trekking the golden monkeys at Volcanoes National Park. They are endemic to the Albertine Rift area and an endangered species of monkeys characterized by their golden-orange fur. Unlike their gorilla counterparts with whom they dwell in the volcanoes, they are jumpy and always on the move. Although they are hard to photograph, they are amazing to watch.
After the trek, visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of Dian Fossey and get an insight into gorilla conservation and its history before you cross to Uganda. You will spend the night at Mutanda Lake Resort, set on the shores of Lake Mutanda in Kisoro.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Bisoke (Virunga Mountains, Rwanda)
- Accommodation:
- Mutanda Lake Resort
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a magical experience, transcending any other wildlife encounter we know. Your guide will transfer you to the park offices from the lodge and will introduce you to the rangers and guides at the park. You will have a briefing before you enter the forest to search for these primates. To meet a family in their natural setting - led by an alpha male silverback with a cluster of females and juveniles - is a natural adventure that fully repays the cost of the ticket. You will gain unforgettable memories and images. On your return, you will drive back to the lodge and relax.
- Main Destination:
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
- Accommodation:
- Mutanda Lake Resort
Wildlife in Bwindi NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Drive to Ishasha (evening game drive)
Drive to Ishasha (evening game drive)
Today, you drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is rich in wildlife and has a great ecosystem of savannah, green rainforests, dense papyrus and open waters of Lakes Edward and George. We will check in at our lodge at Ishasha and have a late, hot lunch.
Later in the evening, after our drive from Lake Mutanda, we explore the Ishasha plains. This sector of the park is famous for the tree-climbing lions but also offers rewarding sights of other big game like buffaloes, leopards, and elephants. It is also home to topis, a species of antelope not found in the northern part of the park. Later, we have dinner and overnight at Enjojo Lodge, a magnificent gem in the wilderness of Ishasha.
- Main Destination:
- Ishasha Sector (Queen Elizabeth NP, Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- Enjojo Lodge (Cottage)
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Morning game drive and afternoon boat safari
Morning game drive and afternoon boat safari
Enjoy another morning at Ishasha, depending on your route and sightings yesterday. Do a game drive and later head north to the areas of Kyambura, Kasenyi, Kutunguru and the Kazinga Channel. We will do a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel after check-in and lunch at the lodge. The channel is 40 kilometers long and about 8 meters deep and has prolific birdlife and wildlife that come to the banks to drink.
You can choose to go on a night drive (optional).
- Main Destination:
- Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- The Bush Lodge (Banda)
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Morning game drive and crater drive
Morning game drive and crater drive
The Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park are some of the most famous game-viewing areas in Uganda. It has a crisscrossing network of tracks that enables visitors to reach a vast area as they search for wildlife. We will have a morning drive and increase our chances of seeing the major drawcards like the big cats and other carnivores.
We will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, we drive to the Katwe Salt Lake. The lake has been a salt-mining area for centuries and we will learn about the extraction of salt here. On our return, we drive through the craters from Kabatooro to Kikorongo. We return to the lodge in the evening for dinner.
- Main Destination:
- Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- The Bush Lodge (Banda)
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Chimpanzee trekking at Kalinzu Forest and drive to Lake Mburo NP
Chimpanzee trekking at Kalinzu Forest and drive to Lake Mburo NP
Rise early and have breakfast before we drive for about 35 minutes to Kalinzu Forest Reserve. The forest is among the top 3 best places to track chimpanzees. We will check in at the offices, get a briefing and then head into the forest with guides who will lead us on the excursion. At around 11 am, we head to Lake Mburo with an en-route lunch. We arrive at Lake Mburo in the late afternoon and check in at our lodge which overlooks the park and is set on a rock.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Wildlife in Lake Mburo NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Morning walking safari and drive to Entebbe
Morning walking safari and drive to Entebbe
This is your last day - and what a way to end the 10 days! Lake Mburo is covered with extensive acacia woodland and is one of the best places to enjoy walking in the wild. With the guidance of an armed ranger, we will walk in the park and get a chance to get close to wildlife like eland, giraffe, zebra, buffalo and impala among others. As the park does not have all of the Big 5 (elephants and lions are not present), it makes exploring by foot safer.
After the walk, we drive to Entebbe International Airport, crossing the equator at Kayabwe and arriving in the evening at Entebbe for your exit flight.
- Main Destination:
- Entebbe (City, Uganda)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
