15 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo Safari
This 15 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo Safari is a combined safari that takes you on a remarkable journey as you discover top primate and wildlife destinations in three Countries-Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The main highlights of this 15 Days safari include lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest National Park and Congo’s Kahuzi Biega National Park and golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park. You will also be visiting Akagera National Park in Rwanda and trekking chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park. This tour starts in Kampala/Entebbe in Uganda and ends in Kigali, Rwanda.
Highlights for 15 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo Safari
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
Day 2: Lion Tracking Experience/Game drive and Launch cruise
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable National park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes National park (Rwanda) & Ibyi’ wacu Village Tour
Day 6: Golden monkey tracking and nature walk to Twin Lakes
Day 7: Transfer to Akagera National Park-Evening Game Drive
Day 8: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Day 9: Hot Air Balloon Tour (Optional) and Evening Game Drive.
Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Kigali
Day 11: Chimp trekking and Canopy walk
Day 12: Tropical waterfall Hike
Day 13: Transfer to Bukavu- Congo
Day 14: Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park.
Day 15: Transfer Back to Kigali.
Detailed Itinerary for 15 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo Safari
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will meet our representative for a transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park. Enjoy scenic views of hills in the western part of Uganda, have a stopover at the equator for photographs to symbolize your crossing the equator and in Mbarara for lunch. Proceed to the park with a wide game view of animals like Uganda Kobs, Savanna Elephants, and Waterbucks among others. Dinner and overnight stay at your designated lodge.
Day 2: Lion Tracking Experience/Game drive and Launch cruise
After breakfast, you will set off for an early morning breakfast to catch up with the lion tracking experience which will be followed by a game drive safari. Expect lots of animals including; elephants, Lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda kobs among others.
You will then visit Omwani Women’s Coffee Cooperative for a coffee plantation tour and learn about the different stages of coffee and return to Mweya for lunch. After lunch, you will enjoy an afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel for a number of hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes and several water birds. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable National park
In the morning after breakfast, you will embark on a transfer to Bwindi impenetrable forest via Ishasha sector that gives a chance of seeing the tree climbing lions at a closer range. Continue to Bwindi with lunch en route and arriving in the evening for, check in the lodge and relax. Dinner and overnight stay at your designated lodge.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest
After an early morning breakfast, you will head to the park headquarters for briefing, immediately you will be directed to enter the forest with the park rangers leading in search for the gorillas. This will take you about 2- 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla in the wild, meet and stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour, then you will return and relax at the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes National park (Rwanda) & Ibyi’ wacu Village Tour
Wake up for a transfer to Volcanoes national park. The drive goes through the beautiful country side and peoples homesteads along with dramatic views of the Virunga Volcanoes. On arrival at Ruhengeri, check into at your selected lodge for lunch. Later in the evening, you will drive to the Ibyi’ wacu village for a cultural tour where you will get an opportunity to dance and sing alongside the popular intore dance troupe as you get to learn more about the interesting Rwandan culture. Dinner and overnight stay at your preferred lodge.
Day 6: Golden monkey tracking and nature walk to Twin Lakes
After an early morning breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for briefing and later enter the forest and hike while in search of the golden monkeys. Tracking the golden monkeys rewards views of other primates such as the black and white Colobus monkeys, Olive baboons among others. In the afternoon, enjoy a nature walk to the twin lakes. Dinner and overnight stay at same lodge as the previous night.
Day 7: Transfer to Akagera National Park-Evening Game Drive
Have breakfast in the morning and meet up with your guide. You will drive to Akagera National Park arriving in time for lunch at your lodge. Check into your lodge and relax for the afternoon. Later in evening you will head out for an evening game drive in the park in search for wildlife like lions, giraffes, elephants, leopards, cape buffalos, rhinos, and antelopes among others. Dinner and overnight stay your preferred lodge.
Day 8: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
This Rwanda Safari highlights more activities in Akagera National Park. Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a Northern circuit game drive to search for animals that you may have missed out in the previous game drive. It was not a guarantee that all the animals can be seen in the evening game drive.
There are some that are early risers and can only be seen in the morning. Return back to the lodge for a small relation as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema which will offer you with views of the surrounding areas, hills and swamps. Expect to see Hippos, crocodiles and more bird species. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at same lodge.
Day 9: Hot Air Balloon Tour (Optional) and Evening Game Drive.
Have breakfast at your lodge in the morning. You can opt for a Hot air balloon tour in Akagera if you wish. This activity is a recent addition to the interesting activities in the park and it is offered by Royal Balloons in partnership with Akagera national Park. The hot air balloon tour starts at 5am depending on the weather in the park. You will have an hour of exploring the park and all its pristine landscape and wildlife from the sky. Conclude your hot air balloon tour with champagne and receive your flight certificate. (Please inform me in advance if you wish to have this activity added to your itinerary). Spend the rest of your afternoon relaxing at your lodge/camp. Later in the evening, embark on an evening game drive in the park. Get an opportunity to watch wildlife in the park as they return to their dens for the night. Look out for amazing wildlife such as lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes, rhinos, cape buffalos and so many more. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Kigali
After breakfast, set off for a coffee tour at Huye mountain coffee. Take a tour of the coffee plantations and learn how coffee is made in Rwanda as you are taking through the coffee making process. Later proceed with your drive to Nyungwe National Park with lunch enroute. It is a scenic drive that goes through people’s homesteads and different hills of Rwanda – the land of a thousand hills. Arrive in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 11: Chimp trekking and Canopy walk
After a heavy breakfast, you will head to the park headquarters to track the chimpanzee that also gives an opportunity of encountering a variety of forest birds. In the afternoon, you will have a canopy walk in the forest or where you will view other primates from the top of the forest. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 12: Tropical waterfall Hike
Have breakfast at your lodge and drive to the park headquarters. Nyungwe National Park has over 19 trails that you can explore. Today you will be doing a tropical waterfall hike with an opportunity to hike to either Isumo or Ndambarare waterfalls depending on which one you prefer. Hiking excursions take between 3-4 hours depending on the trail you will be taking and your pace. Return to your lodge for lunch and spend the rest of your evening relaxing at your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 13: Transfer to Bukavu- Congo
Have breakfast at your lodge and drive to Cyangungu where you will cross the border into Kahuzi Biega National Park in Bukavu- Congo. Arrive at your lodge in turn for lunch and spend the rest of the evening relaxing at your hotel. You can opt for a tour of Bukavu town if you are interested in exploring the town. Dinner and overnight stay at your designated hotel in Bukavu.
Day 14: Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park.
After enjoying your breakfast at the lodge, drive to the park headquarters for about 45 minutes for briefing about the Eastern lowland gorillas. You will then set off to your fascinating experience of the lowland gorillas in the valleys of Kahuzi as you encounter different mammals, birds and primates. It’s usually a 1-6 hours’ experience of the jungle, depending on their movement while watching them interact/play with each other as you take photos and videos
You will then descend back and meet up with your driver back to your hotel for Dinner and overnight at hotel as night before.
Day 15: Transfer Back to Kigali.
Enjoy breakfast at leisure and transfer back to Kigali. You will go for a city tour where you will visit the Kimironko market and the Kigali genocide memorial site. After having your lunch, you will be dropped at the hotel advised or you will be dropped at Kigali airport for your scheduled flight back home.
End of 15 Days Uganda Rwanda and Congo Safari
