18 days Uganda & Rwanda gorilla tour

Program

Day 1 Arrival Entebbe International Airport

Day 2: Boat cruise to Ngamba Island chimpanzee Sanctuary + Chimp forest walk

Day 3: Early morning forest walk with the chimps, drive to Jinja

Day 4: White Water Rafting  + visit the place believed to be the source of the Nile

Day 5: Drive to Murchison Falls (Budongo Forest): via the Ziwa Rhino Ranch for Rhino tracking ,

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking in Kaniyo Pabidi – Budongo forest afternoon Visit the top of the Falls for a nature walk.

Day 7: Morning game drive.Afternoon you will take a launch boat to the base of the falls

Day 8: Drive to Kibale Forest area via Biso, Hoima, Kyenjojo to Fort Portal

Day 9: 2nd Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National park .Afternoon swamp walk at Bigodi wetland

Day 10: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park Afternoon chimp tracking.at Kyambura Gorge

Days 11: Morning game drive in the park. + afternoon launch / Boat crusieon the Kazinga Channel,

Day 12: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth Park entering with a game drive in search of tree climbing lions,

Day 13: Gorilla Trekking, afternoon Village/cultural walk

Day 14: This morning drive to Rwanda via Kisoro.

Day 15. Rwanda– Gorilla Trekking in Parc National des Volcans (PNV).

Day 16: Golden Monkey tracking Afternon cross back to Uganda and spend a night at Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest Crater Lake (900m) in the country.

Day 17: Drive to Lake Mburo National Park

Day 18: Morning game drive or Nature walk, Or go for horseback ride then drive back to Kampala / Entebbe

End of Safari

Included in the package;

• Private transport in an open roofed 4 x 4 WD vehicle with gasoline
• Services of a full time English speaking driver/guide
• Entrance to all the named parks & reserves
• Overnight experience package at Ngamba Island
• Half day White water rafting in Jinja
• A visit to the source of the Nile
• 1 chimpanzee tracking permit per person in (Kaniyo Pabidi -Budongo forest)
• 1 chimpanzee permit per person (KNP )
• 1 chimpanzee permit per person (QENP)
• 1 Gorilla tracking permit per person Bwindi
• 1 Gorilla tracking permit per person Ruhengeri
• 1 Golden monkey tracking permit per person Ruhengeri
• 17nights accommodation and meals (F/B) Dbl/twin rooms
• Launch/Boat trip to the base of the falls (MFNP)
• Launch boat on Kazinga Channel (QENP)
• Nature walks as stipulated in itinerary
• Rhino tracking at Ziwa Ranch
• Game drives as indicated in the itinerary
• Mineral water while in vehicle

Excluded in the package;

• Air fares & Entry Visas
• All bar bills for drinks (soft and alcoholic)
• Laundry
• Porters during gorilla treks
• Tips and gratuities
• Any expenses of personal nature i.e. phone bills, antiquity purchases, etc
• Personal insurance
• Ngamba integration forest walk experience

Day 1: Arrival Entebbe International Airport – Kampala
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met, greeted by our company representative who will then transfer you to your overnight accommodation in Entebbe.Overnight; at The Boma./ lake Victoria hotel/ Protea Hotel entebbe

Day 2. Ngamba Island:This day after breakfast, and depending on how your vaccinations process went, you will be transferred to CSWCT offices for your inoculation document verification process and to clear for the Chimp forest walk before you finally transfer to the pier for a boat ride to Ngamba Island chimpanzee Sanctuary.

Here you will come close to the several chimpanzees. You will be guided around and allowed to watch the supplemented feeding. Lunch and dinner at the Island, Overnight at Ngamba Island Camp

Day 3. Entebbe – Jinja: This morning you check out and transferred back to the main Island from where you will reunite with your driver/guide and proceed to Jinja. After lunch You will later visit the place believed to be the source of the NileHe will then drive you to a hotel for lunch before proceed to Jinja for dinner and Overnight at the Heavens / Wildwaters lodge

Day 4. Jinja – White Water Rafting :  This day, you will go for full day white water rafting expedition under the supervision of excellent guides from Adrift Company.   Overnight at the Heavens / Wildwaters lodge

Day 5. Jinja – Murchison Falls (Budongo Forest): Today you check out and drive to Murchison Falls National Park – via the Ziwa Rhino Ranch for Rhino tracking , lunch then later proceed to Kaniyo Pabidi section of Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park for dinner and overnight at Budongo Eco Lodge 

Day 6. Murchison Falls National Park – After breakfast, you will go for chimpanzee tracking in this section of Kaniyo Pabidi – Budongo forest coming back in time for lunch. After lunch you will drive to the top of the Falls for a nature walk in the area to obtain excellent views of the Falls where the Nile is forced through a 20-foot wide gap and then drops 145ft over the escarpment. This is believed to be the largest natural force of water in the world creating a sight of a boiling Caldron of water. You will then drive to Paraa where we take a ferry across the Nile to the Northern sector of the park for your dinner andOvernight Paraa Safari Lodge/ Nile safari lodge / Murchison River lodge BLD.

Day 7. Murchison Falls National Park – This morning at about 6.30Am, you will go for a game drive. Most of the game is to be found in the area north of Victoria Nile and East of the Albert Nile and lake Albert (where the movie “Nile Queen” was filmed).The likely game to be encountered during our drive are Elephants, Buffalos, Rothschild giraffe, Oribi, waterbuck, hartebeest, bushbuck, leopard, lion, bush pigs, mongoose, warthog, jackal, genet, hyenas, bat eared fox, sitatunga and Uganda Kob. Afternoon you will take a launch boat to the base of the falls viewing game and birds en route. We enjoy the 3 hour ride past several hippo schools and Nile crocodile plus aquatic bird including a chance a good chance to see a Shoebill stock.Overnight Paraa Safari Lodge/ Nile safari lodge / Murchison River lodge BLD. 

Day 8. Murchison Falls National Park – Kibale Forest – After breakfast, drive to Kibale Forest area via Biso, Hoima, Kyenjojo to Fort Portal with a lunch stop over en route. The approximately 8 hour drive will take you along the western arm of The Great African Rift Valley passing through beautiful agricultural country side, tropical rain forests and tea plantations.Overnight; Primate Lodge /Ndali lodge BLD

Day 9. Kibale Forest – After breakfast, proceed for Chimpanzee tracking. The exciting activity begins in the morning and may take a whole day or a few hours. Briefing is done by the local park guides. Besides close cousins, the chimpanzees, there are other primates likely to be encountered. These include: red colobus, L’hoesti, black-and-white colobus, red tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey and other primate species. The swamp walk at Bigodi wetland is an optional activity in the afternoon. Overnight; Primate Lodge /Ndali lodge BLD

Day 10. Kibale – Queen Elizabeth National Park: – After breakfast, and with your picnic lunch boxes, check out and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive passes though Fort Portal southwards along the Eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains. On a clear day you may see the glaciated peaks as you gently descend to the Great Rift Valley to the park. The Rwenzori Peaks provide a magnificent backdrop to antelope-filled plains. Queen Elizabeth National Park covers about 2,000 square kilometers and spreads along the eastern shore of Lake Edward. You will then drive straight to Kyambura Gorge for the 2pm chimp tracking.Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge/ Kyambura game lodge/ Jacana safari lodge BLD.

Days 11. Queen Elizabeth National Park: – This morning we will enjoy a game drive in the park. This may include a drive to the magnificent plains of Kasenyi, crater lakes valleys, and the channel drive. Here we may spot early risers as they return to their dens from morning hunt such as lion, leopard. Herds of Uganda kob, bushbuck, waterbuck, reedbuck, African elephants and buffalos are more of the likely game. The afternoon activities will include the exciting launch trip on the Kazinga Channel, which is a home to countless hippos, as well as baboons and abundant bird life. Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge/ Kyambura game lodge/ Jacana safari lodge BLD.

Day 12. Queen Elizabeth Park/Bwindi: – After breakfast we check out and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth Park entering with a game drive in search of tree climbing lions, the other game not found in the main section of this park and which you might not miss is the Topi, have your picnic lunch then proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.Overnight at Mahonganyi springs lodge/ Buhoma Lodge/ Gorilla Forest Camp BLD

Day 13: Gorilla Trekking : – After an early morning breakfast, your driver will help organize your packed lunch boxes and water and drive / escort you to the park offices. Here you receive a briefing on the dos and don’ts from the head ranger guide. Your driver guide will help arrange for porterage services. Ready for a long day trekking, we then enter the gorilla sanctuary. Gorilla trekking takes between less than an hour to 7 hours before encounter depending on the terrain. You are then allowed one hour with the gorillas before trekking back to your accommodation.Overnight at Mahonganyi springs lodge/ Buhoma Lodge/ Gorilla Forest Camp BLD

NB; Gorilla trekking may take a long time before encountering the apes, be prepared to encounter muddy conditions sometimes with rain overhead, so come with raincoat, sturdy hiking boots, poncho, gloves, Long pants….

Day 14. Bwindi – Ruhengeri (Rwanda): This morning after breakfast, you will check out and drive to Rwanda via Kisoro. The drive will take you through Kabale hills typically known as the Switzerland of Uganda and continue through the meandering roads of Kisoro, have lunch en-route before you get to the Uganda /Rwanda boarder point at Chanika. Here you will present your online visa print out documents to the customs official for scrutiny, clearance then cross border to Rwanda. Continue driving to Ruhengeri dinner and overnight at; Mountain gorilla view lodge/ Sabinyo sliver lodge BLD

Day 15. Rwanda- Gorilla Trekking: Day for gorilla tracking in Parc National des Volcans (PNV). With your packed lunches, you will be driven to park headquarters where after being briefed you will start off the adventure with trackers. Unlike in Uganda where you are 100% sure of which gorilla group you will trek, the group one treks in Rwanda is determined on the very day when you get allocated by the park official according to physical fattiness, age etc. Tracking gorillas may take anything from 45min – 8 hours depending on the movements of these primates. Please take your trekking gears along as in Bwindi above. Dinner and overnight:Mountain gorilla view lodge/ Sabinyo sliver lodge BLD

Day 16. Golden Monkeys. Today you will go for golden monkey tracking then return for check out, lunch before you cross back to Uganda and spend a night at Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest Crater Lake (900m) in the country. Located at an altitude of 1,962 m, this offers a very relaxing environment with beautiful scenery. The Lake is well known for its glassy water that offers a good habitat for crayfish. Dinner and Overnight; at Bird nest lodge/ Arcadia Cottages

Day 17. Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo: Check out and drive to Lake Mburo National Park through Kigezi highlands basically known as the Switzerland of Africa. Lunch stop over en-route. The scenery is wonderful as you drive through the rolling hills of Kigezi and the local markets along the roadsides. The Ankole cattle with spectacular long whitish horns are a no miss sight as you drive into the park overnight; at Rwakobo Rock lodge/ Mihingo Lodge BLD

Day 18. Lake Mburo: Morning game drive; afternoon either boat cruise on Lake Mburo or Nature walk, Or go for horseback ride or choose to relax.. Dinner & Overnight; Rwakobo Rock lodge/ Mihingo Lodge BLD

END of Safari

Included in the package;

Excluded in the package;