Kampala to Murhison Falls National Park

After your early morning breakfast drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park, you may stopover at the Rhino Sanctuary where you will have an opportunity to trek Rhinos. 

There are 15 Rhinos which were reintroduced after their extinction in the 1970s through poaching.  A local ranger guide will lead you on foot to an up-close encounter with the rhinos and it may take about 1 and half hours. Proceed to Masindi Town for lunch and later continue to Murchison Falls National Park arriving at your lodge late afternoon.

Stretching from the shores of Lake Albert, Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest National Park. The Nile River flows through the middle of the park creating the impressive Murchison Falls which is the park’s major attraction. The landscape features dense rainforest, undulating savannah and a diversity of abundant wildlife. Visitors can enjoy prime game-viewing along the Buligi Circuit. The forests are home to numerous primates, including Chimpanzees, and near the river, buffalo, elephants and Rothschild-Giraffes can be seen. Other commonly spotted wildlife include: lions, antelope, waterbucks, hippos and crocodiles.

Overnight at Murchison River Lodge (B,L,D)

Murchison Falls National Park

Arise very early in the morning for your game drive on the northern bank of the River Nile in your open-roof vehicle which will give you an excellent opportunity to view and photograph the diverse wildlife. Your guide will help you spot elephant, lion, cape buffalo, Roth child’s giraffe, hartebeest, waterbuck, oribi, bushbuck, bohor reed buck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard.

Alternatively you may go for a hot air balloon safari very early in the morning with a bush breakfast included at a supplement of $380 per person.

After lunch, go for a boat cruise upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just few of meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’, marvel at the schools of hippos, crocodiles and over the 17km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob. This is also the zone of many birds, species like goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork.

After taking shots of the photogenic Murchison Falls, you may choose to continue to the top of the falls, where you will have the amazing view of the falls! See where the Nile -world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft  in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Later, return to your lodge and relax in the evening.

Alternatively, you may choose to pay a supplement of $60 per person  to go for the delta cruise in search of the shoebill and wildlife

Overnight at Murchison River Lodge (B,L,D)

Murchison Falls to Kibale Forest National Park

After your morning breakfast, begin your journey to Kibale Forest National Park. Drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside passing through traditional homesteads, farms and Tea Estates. You will have a stopover for lunch en-route. You will arrive at you lodge in the late afternoon. Check in at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Alternatively, you may opt to fly to Kibale Forest National Park at a supplement of $470 per person

Located in southern Uganda, Kibale Forest National Park is said to be home to the highest density of primates in Africa. Although the highlight of the park is the habituated chimpanzees, the treetops are alive with all manner of monkey including: red-tailed monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red colobus and black and white colobus monkeys are all spotted here. When you’re not searching for monkeys there are over 300 bird species and an incredible 250 species of butterfly to keep you busy. Visitors can look forward to chimpanzee tracking, birding tours and guided nature walks.

Overnight at Crater Safari Lodge (B,L,D)

Kibale Forest to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast at your lodge, transfer to the starting point of your Chimpanzee tracking experience in Kibale Forest National Park which is reputed to have the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. The most famous of its 13 species is the Chimpanzee, man’s closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 Chimpanzee represent Uganda’s largest population of this endangered primate. Kibale is also a home to the rare I’Hoest’s monkey. Other primates include the black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey, Olive baboon to mention but a few.

So you will enjoy a guided nature walk in the tropical rainforest in search of the wild chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and many others.  Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, visitors stand a good chance of hearing and seeing our distant cousins as they gloom and bond with one another. You will have your packed lunch then  proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range. Your expert driver guide will take you through the game park where you might spot some animals.

Located in southwestern Uganda, the Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the county’s most popular parks. Volcanic craters, grassy plains, tropical forest and giant lakes connected by a channel inhabited by abundant hippos, are what you will see at the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park has almost 100 types of mammal and 606 different bird species, including the peculiar shoebill. The Kasinga Channel alone is said to contain the world’s largest concentration of hippos, and other wildlife includes buffalo, the rare aquatic sitatunga antelope, giant forest hog, Uganda kob, Defassa waterbuck and elephant. Don’t miss the Kyambura Gorge, which is home to habituated chimpanzees.

Overnight at Park View Safari Lodge (B,L,D)

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.  Have an early morning game drive where you have an opportunity to view the massive Rwenzori as backdrop, which provides excellent opportunities to spot lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi and bushbuck. The chimpanzee tracking   (taken prior) are memorable methods of discovering a vast array of Ugandan wildlife. Be sure to have your camera ready for these amazing sightings!

You will enjoy a hot lunch and later in the afternoon take a unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and this launch/cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous, with well over 550 resident species.

Overnight at Park View Safari Lodge (B,L,D)

Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After your breakfast, pack-up your bags and take a morning game drive through the park via Ishasha plains for your final visit with  the tree climbing lions and other   wildlife before heading out of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Bwindi.  The drive takes you through the Switzerland of Africa area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the evening. Check into the lodge for dinner and your overnight stay.

Located in southwestern Uganda, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is said to be Africa’s oldest rainforest. It is world-renowned for its excellent gorilla-sighting opportunities. The rugged landscape features dense jungle, cascading waterfalls, sparkling mountain streams, deep valleys and steep ridges. This untouched forest has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its breathtaking natural beauty and unique ecological significance. Aside from the amazing gorilla interactions, there are other drawcards such as a network of forest walks, over 340 species of bird to spot and a variety of butterflies. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the spectacular Virunga Volcanoes.

Overnight at Gorilla Safari Lodge (B,L,D)

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After an early breakfast depart to the starting point for briefing about your gorilla trekking adventure after which you will be led by experienced gorilla trackers on the slopes of the volcanoes. You will start from the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the gorilla tracking begins. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is amazing, and the beauty of the gorilla forest and its inhabitants are fascinating. One of Africa’s major highlights is when you encounter these gentle apes. It is a humbling experience to stand just meters from man’s distant cousins as they eat rest, play and bond with their young ones.

Follow the mountain gorillas as they range freely in the impenetrable forest, and discover their gorgeous natural habitual and the many species they share it with. You are allowed an hour with the gorillas before finally sloping down back to your lodge. If your trek was relatively short, you may have a guided nature walk around the lodge and the surrounding communities in the evening at a supplement of $25 per person.

Return to the lodge where you will enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers before getting a good night’s rest for tomorrow’s safari adventure.

You may opt for Gorilla Habituation on supplement of $900 per person – here you will be sure of meeting and spending enough time with the Gorillas.

Overnight at Gorilla Safari Lodge (B,L,D)

Twin Lakes Burera & Ruhondo

After breakfast , you will be transferred to   Volcanoes National Park. Check in in your lodge and relax.  From here you will start your Gorilla trekking tomorrow. You will check in your hotel.

Time allowing, you would do the Golden monkeys trekking in Mgahinga National Park  at a supplement of $100 per person before transferring to transferring to Volcanoes National Park

Located at the base of the Volcano Muhabura in northern Rwanda, the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo are picturesque blue water masses surrounded by the virunga high hills and separated by a one kilometre strip of land. Visitors can take canoe or boat trips along the waters to take in the magnificent views. Other activities include gorilla trekking or golden monkey tracking in the neighbouring Volcanoes National Park, taking fascinating cultural tours from Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, or visiting the intriguing, tropical Musanze Caves. The lakes’ Swamp Rugezi is one of the most important birding areas of Rwanda, and provides a photogenic, serene area to see a number of species. The lakes provide a wonderful opportunity to see people fishing along the shorelines with traditional methods, such as using self-made canoes (consisting of a single piece of wood), fish nets and hooks.

Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (B,L,D)

Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park

Have breakfast and head straight to the park offices for briefing about the gorillas and allocation of gorilla groups and guides. Thereafter get into the tropical rain forest and search for the mountain gorillas starting from where they were the previous day until you find them. You will find them doing their daily chores of feeding their young ones, climbing trees and others just relaxing. Take your best photographs having switched off your flash.

This whole exercise takes a maximum of 1 hour and then return to the park offices for your gorilla tracking certificate.

Return to the hotel for lunch and some relaxation. In the evening you may visit the Banyarwanda village or go for nature walks then return to the hotel.

Volcanoes National Park Gorilla Trekking offers visitors the unique opportunity of discovering the 10 families of gorillas that live within the national park. Visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee before the trek starts and will be separated into groups of 8 depending on their physical abilities. Each group is guided by a guide and two scouts who are well trained in emergency situations. The amount of time set aside per trek is different depending on where the gorilla family is situated. Some trips may take as little as half an hour and some taking the better part of the day.

Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (B,L,D)

Transfer to Kigali and Departure

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kigali International Airport to catch your flight to your next destination. 

Time allowing, you may visit the Genocide musuem  at a supplement of $35 per person or visit for free, the local markets, craft/coffee shops.

End of Tour