12-Day Rwanda & Uganda Adventure

12-Day Rwanda & Uganda: Gorilla Trekking, Primate Encounters & Big Five

This carefully crafted 12-day Rwanda and Uganda safari adventure is designed to suit a variety of travel styles, interests, and budgets. Beginning in Kigali, Rwanda, and concluding in Entebbe, Uganda, the journey blends cultural discovery, wildlife encounters, and unforgettable primate experiences. Explore the heritage and daily life of communities in both countries, enjoy gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda, and discover Queen Elizabeth National Park on game drives and a scenic boat cruise. Continue to Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking and guided nature walks, then head to Murchison Falls National Park for wildlife viewing, a launch cruise, and the dramatic falls. The safari ends at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda's only destination for seeing rhinos roaming in a protected natural habitat.

Your safari begins in Kigali with visits to poignant memorial landmarks, including the Genocide Memorial, a genocide memorial church, and the museum. You will travel to Volcanoes National Park in preparation for your first gorilla trekking experience. Set in northwestern Rwanda, the park spans approximately 160 km² and is renowned for its exceptional mountain gorilla encounters. It also shelters golden monkeys and more than 200 bird species. Twelve habituated gorilla families—Bwenge, Hirwa, Ugenda, Sabyinyo, Umubano, Karisimbi, Susa, Amahoro, Agashya, Kwitonda, Igisha, and Muhoza—are available for visits, with only 96 visitors permitted each day.

The next morning, enjoy Golden Monkey tracking before crossing the border into Uganda and continuing to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for your second Gorilla Trek. Gorilla tracking in Bwindi takes place in four sectors—Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija, and Buhoma—with 18 habituated gorilla families available for daily trekking.

Continue your unforgettable journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda's iconic safari destination spanning 1,978 km². Renowned for its rich wildlife, the park offers chances to spot lions, elephants, leopards, hippos, buffaloes, and its famous tree-climbing lions during a game drive and scenic boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.

From Queen Elizabeth National Park, journey to Kibale Forest National Park, a lush tropical forest covering approximately 795 km². Kibale is renowned for its thriving chimpanzee population and ranks among Africa's finest destinations for chimpanzee trekking. After your unforgettable chimpanzee trek, explore the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a celebrated nature-walk destination where diverse birdlife and several primate species thrive.

From Kibale, continue to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest park, covering approximately 3,840 km². The park takes its name from the dramatic Murchison Falls, where the Albert Nile surges through a narrow gorge, dividing the park into northern and southern sectors. It shelters over 550 bird species and 76 mammal species.

Looking for shorter combined tours? Explore our 4-Day Rwanda & Uganda Safari or 8-Day Rwanda & Uganda Adventure.

Tour Experiences

• Kigali City exploration
• Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
• Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
• Golden Monkey Tracking in Rwanda
• Top of the World & Kasenda Crater Lakes Excursion
• Bigodi Swamp Nature Walk
• Community Cultural Walk near Volcanoes National Park
• Kazinga Channel Boat Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Victoria Nile Boat Cruise in Murchison Falls National Park
• Wildlife Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth & Murchison Falls National Parks
• Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest National Park
• Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Rwanda–Uganda Border Crossing

Tour in Detail

Day 1 — Kigali Airport Pickup Upon Arrival

On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly greeted by our professional safari guide and transferred to your selected hotel in Kigali. The remainder of the day is at leisure, allowing you time to relax and recover from your journey.

During check-in, your guide will provide a detailed briefing on your 12-Day Rwanda and Uganda Safari, including the itinerary highlights, trekking requirements, essential safari guidelines, and practical tips to help you prepare for the adventure ahead.

Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast

Accommodation Options:

Day 2 — Kigali City Discovery & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

After an early breakfast at your hotel in Kigali, embark on a half-day city tour exploring Rwanda's powerful history and vibrant daily life. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and Museum, followed by the Nyamata Genocide Church, before experiencing the colour and energy of Kigali's local markets. Enjoy lunch in Kigali, then depart north through Rwanda's scenic countryside to Volcanoes National Park.

Arrive at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay on a full-board basis.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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Day 3 — Gorilla Trekking & Community Cultural Experience

After breakfast, you will be transferred from your lodge to the park headquarters for a pre-trek briefing on the day's gorilla encounter. Following guidance from the park rangers, you will be assigned a habituated gorilla family before setting off into the misty forest in search of these remarkable mountain giants.

The trek can last from a few hours to a full day, involving climbs and descents through dense vegetation, depending on the gorillas' location from the previous evening. A reasonable level of fitness is recommended; however, guests requiring support may arrange a sedan chair service, often referred to as a "human helicopter". Once the gorilla family is found, you will spend a magical maximum of one hour observing their behaviour, taking photographs and videos, and appreciating their natural habitat.

Later, return to the lodge for relaxation before visiting Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village for traditional entertainment and an enriching Rwandan cultural experience. Dinner and overnight at your lodge on a full-board basis.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

Day 4 — Golden Monkey Tracking & Journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing before setting out on your Golden Monkey trekking adventure. These lively primates are usually found within a relatively short time, allowing you to enjoy the experience at an unhurried pace. Return to the lodge for an early lunch, then continue across the border to Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Dinner and overnight at your selected lodge on a full-board basis.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

Day 5 — Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Adventure

After an early breakfast at your lodge, transfer to the relevant Bwindi Impenetrable National Park headquarters for a pre-trek briefing. Gorilla trekking is conducted across four sectors of the forest: Buhoma and Ruhija in the north, and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south. Following the briefing and allocation of your gorilla family, begin an unforgettable guided walk into the ancient rainforest.

The trek can take between 2 and 5 hours, depending on the gorillas' movements and their location from the previous day. Once the family is located, spend one precious hour in their presence—watching their interactions, photographing and filming responsibly, and learning from the experienced rangers and guides about these remarkable great apes.

After this extraordinary encounter, return to the lodge for a well-earned rest and time to reflect on the day's adventure. A packed lunch is recommended, and porters are available for hire to assist during the trek. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge on a full-board basis.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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Day 6 — Transfer & Arrival at Queen Elizabeth National Park (approximately 4 hours)

Begin your day with an early breakfast before heading into the wild heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park via the legendary Ishasha Sector. Set out on a thrilling mid-morning game drive, where the rare tree-climbing lions may be spotted resting high in the ancient fig trees, alongside buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, and a rich variety of birdlife.

In the afternoon, journey onward to the park's northern sector, passing through spectacular savannah scenery. Celebrated as one of Uganda's premier safari destinations, Queen Elizabeth National Park hosts over 600 bird species and an exceptional diversity of wildlife, including lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and more.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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Day 7 — Game Drive & Scenic Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Start your day with an early breakfast before setting off for an unforgettable morning game drive across the wildlife-rich Kasenyi Plains. Search for iconic African species including lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, antelopes, and much more.

After lunch, embark on a captivating 3-hour cruise along the famous Kazinga Channel, one of Queen Elizabeth National Park's finest wildlife-viewing experiences. Enjoy close-up sightings of hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and abundant birdlife along the scenic shores. Return to your lodge in the evening for dinner and a relaxing overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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Day 8 — Exploring the Route to Kibale National Park (approximately 3hrs drive)

The day begins with an early breakfast before setting off for Kibale Forest National Park. On arrival in Fort Portal you'll admire the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, famously called the "Mountains of the Moon." Kibale supports 13 primate species, including our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, and hosts over 325 bird species, among them the rare Green-breasted Pitta.

En route, stop at the Kasenda crater field and take a short hike to the "Top of the World" viewpoint to drink in sweeping views of the many small crater lakes scattered across the landscape. Continue to the striking Lake Nyinambuga, whose image appears on the 20,000 Uganda shilling note. Reach your lodge in the evening.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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Day 9 — Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi Community Walk

Your day begins with an early breakfast at the lodge, followed by a short transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing on your half-day chimpanzee tracking experience. You will then set out into the forest to search for chimpanzees. Once located, you will have one hour to observe and photograph the chimps.

Along the trail you may also encounter L'Hoest's monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue vervet monkeys, and black-and-white colobus, as well as forest elephants, buffalo and a rich variety of birdlife. After the tracking, return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided nature and bird walk in the Bigodi Swamp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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Day 10 — Scenic Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park (approximately 7hrs drive)

The day begins with breakfast at the lodge before you depart for Murchison Falls National Park. The drive winds through the Western Rift Valley and the Albertine Escarpment, across lush countryside and past traditional homesteads of the Bunyoro and Toro kingdoms. You will stop for lunch en route. Arrive at your lodge in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

Day 11 — Game Drive and Launch Cruise

Wake before dawn and head out for a pre‑sunrise game drive when the park is freshest. In Uganda's largest protected area, Murchison Falls, expect a rich tapestry of wildlife — lions, elusive leopards, herds of buffalo and elephants, tall giraffes, warthogs and many antelope species including waterbuck and bushbuck, plus an extraordinary variety of birds. After 3–4 hours of tracking and photography, return to the lodge for a leisurely late breakfast and a rest.

After lunch, board the afternoon launch for a scenic 3‑hour cruise down the Victoria Nile to the base of the falls. Watch hippos wallow, crocodiles bask, buffalo graze the riverside and scan for kingfishers, cormorants, hornbills, Goliath herons, Egyptian geese, pelicans and colourful bee‑eaters. After the cruise, relax at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

Day 12 — Murchison Falls Top, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Departure (6-hour drive)

The day begins with breakfast before climbing to the rim of the falls for a spectacular, unobstructed view as the river squeezes through a 7‑meter gorge and plunges more than 43 meters with a thunderous roar, throwing up a vivid rainbow. Continue onward with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where upon arrival you'll set out on a 1–2 hour guided walk to track rhinos—the only place to see them roaming in the wild. Enjoy lunch, then drive toward Entebbe to conclude your 12‑day safari.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Price Inclusions & Exclusions

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