12 Days Uganda and Rwanda safari

Embark on this 12-day Uganda and Rwanda Safari to explore the hidden gem in the two countries with Superfine Safaris Limited. The 12 Days combined safari offers you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spot exotic wildlife species and witness unmatched biodiversity in their top safari destinations in Uganda and Rwanda. Enjoy two gorilla treks in both Uganda and Rwanda  to see gorillas in their natural habitats, go chimpanzee watching, explore local cultures, enjoy boat cruising, and experience the big five game on this Superfine Uganda and Rwanda safari. The places to visit include Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls Park, Kibale Forest Park, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Forest, Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest, and Kigali City.

Highlights

• Rhino tracking at Ziwa Sanctuary.
• Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable and Volcanoes National Parks.
• Be introduced to Rwanda’s painful Genocide history.
• Search for some of the Big Five Game.
• Discover why Kibale Forest is referred to as the “Primate Capital of the World”.
• Discover the local cultures and traditions of communities surrounding national parks.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe, optional City Tour.

Day 2: Entebbe- Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Day 3: Murchison Adventures: Game drives and Boat ride to the bottom of the falls.

Day 4: Murchison Falls National Park- Kibale Forest National Park, the “Primate Capital of the World”.

Day 5: Kibale Chimpanzee trek and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth safari: Game Drives and Kazinga Boat cruise.

Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha sector.

Day 8: Bwindi Gorilla trekking adventure, transfer to Musanze (Volcanoes National Park)

Day 9: Volcanoes Gorilla Trekking adventure and visit to Gorilla Guardian Village.

Day 10: Volcanoes National Park- Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Day 11: Nyungwe Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk.

Day 12: Nyungwe to Kigali, Departure.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe, optional City Tour

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport where you will eb welcomed by a driver guide from Superfine safaris Limited. Meet, greet  and transfer to your Hotel to refresh before heading out to explore the City. Explore Entebbe’s different eras and learn about part of the country’s history and the people who shaped it. Your next stop is the Art and Craft market, where you can find typical African wear and souvenirs.

Accommodation at: Protea Hotel Entebbe (luxury), 2 Friends Boutique Hotel (midrange), or Papyrus Guesthouse (budget).

Meal Plan: Depends on guests’ arrival time and is at your own expense.

Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Get an early start for the drive to Murchison Falls National Park via the Kampala-Gulu Highway. Just 3 hours into the drive, you will make a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking, which is done on foot and lasts 2 hours. Extending 7000 hectares, this Sanctuary is the only home to Uganda’s southern white Rhino population in the wild, with about 48 of them (as of June 2025).

Afterward, have lunch at Amuka Safari Lodge and continue with the journey to Murchison Falls National Park, arriving in the evening. Rest up for the next day’s early start.

Accommodation at: Nile Safari Lodge (luxury), Sambiya River Lodge (midrange), or Heritage Safari Lodge (budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board.

Day 3: Murchison Adventures: Game drives and Boat ride to the bottom of the falls

Get an early start this morning for the game drive through the Park’s remote locations for a 3-hour game drive. Surges of adrenaline will come aplenty as you spot huge herds of African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes, spotted hyenas, lions, leopards, and lots of antelopes. Don’t forget to look up as this Protected Area is a haven for an array of birdlife, from the African fish eagles, Martial Eagles, to Kingfishers. Return to your Lodge for brunch, then spend a few hours resting and having lunch.

In the afternoon, embark on a 2-hour boat cruise down the Nile to the bottom of Murchison Falls. You might be able to see the different semi-aquatic wildlife species from the boat, such as Nile crocodiles and Hippos, as well as other species that frequent the shores, such as elephants, buffaloes, and antelopes, among others. Upon arrival at the bottom of the falls, you will take time to admire the surrounding environment and take photos before cruising to the pier and transferring back to the Lodge for the night.

Accommodation at: Nile Safari Lodge (luxury), Sambiya River Lodge (midrange), or Heritage Safari Lodge (budget).

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 4: Transfer Kibale to  Forest National Park, the “Primate Capital of the World”

Enjoy breakfast and check out of your Safari Lodge before hitting the road for your 8-hour journey to Kibale Forest National Park. On the way, stop at different areas for photography and in Hoima or Fort Portal for lunch. While taking in the sweeping views, continue with the journey until the “Primate Capital of the World,” arriving in the evening (around 4:00 pm).

Accommodation at: Volcanoes Kibale Lodge (luxury), Turaco Treetops Lodge (midrange), or Kibale Safari Lodge (budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board.

Day 5: Kibale Chimpanzee trek and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Another early start as you transfer to the Kanyanchu Visitor Center for a briefing before entering the forest to search for the Great Apes that share 98.7% DNA with human beings. Follow the Ranger guide through the dense foliage and rugged forest trails to find these endangered creatures while listening for hoots and calls echoing through the forest. When finally spotted, watch and take photos of them swinging from tree to tree, grooming each other, eating, or resting on the forest floor. You have one hour to be in their presence and retreat to the base.

For lunch, you have an option of savoring a traditional Ugandan lunch at Tinker’s Homestead or returning to the Lodge for international cuisine options. Please discuss with your guide the option beforehand.

In the afternoon, you will trade one National Park for another as you transfer 3 hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check into your lodge and, if time permits, venture into its sweeping grasslands for a game drive.

Accommodation at: Elephant Plains Lodge (luxury), Buffalo Safari Lodge (midrange), or Simba Safari Camp (budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth safari: Game Drives and Kazinga Boat cruise

Today is a full day on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. After breakfast, you will enjoy a game drive through some of its wildlife-filled game tracks in the Northern Plains of Kasenyi. Keep your eyes peeled for the Uganda Kobs, elephants, Hippos, Cape buffaloes, Defassa waterbucks, spotted hyenas, Olive baboons, and many others. This 197800-hectare Protected Area isn’t just a game viewing location but also a wonderful birding destination with over 600 species. For this reason, also look out for some of the avian species while on the game drive. A proper breakfast awaits at the Lodge.

In the afternoon, continue your Queen Elizabeth National Park exploration with a water safari along the 40-kilometer-long Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes Edward and George. This area is teeming with life, and for this reason, keep an eye out for the buffaloes, Hippos, African bush elephants, and Nile crocodiles, alongside a wide range of bird species that include African skimmers, African fish eagles, and many others. After this rewarding adventure, enjoy dinner and a fire under the stars from your Lodge

Accommodation at: Elephant Plains Lodge (luxury), Buffalo Safari Lodge (midrange), or Simba Safari Camp (budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board.

Day 7: Transfer to  Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha sector

After a hearty breakfast, you will leave the sprawling savannahs of Queen Elizabeth National Park behind to discover the 33100-hectare UNESCO World Heritage Site found in southwestern Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has the World’s highest population of mountain gorillas. With stops along the way for game viewing (for instance, in Ishasha sector, home to the tree-climbing lions) and photography, you will arrive in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at: Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge (luxury), Engagi Lodge (midrange), or Gorilla Bluff Lodge (budget).

Meal Plan: Full Board.

Day 8: Bwindi Gorilla trekking adventure, transfer to Musanze (Volcanoes National Park)

Spend half the day in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on a gorilla trekking adventure, for a face-to-face encounter with the Giant Apes in their natural habitat. Meet your private guide at the Lounge for a transfer to the Park Headquarters for a pre-tracking briefing. Start the actual trek at 8 am, and start navigating the dense foliage in the company of an armed Ranger and a guide, and after 1- 6 hours, you will meet the Giant Apes. You have a chance to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, so get your camera set to document this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Later, return to the Lodge for lunch and pack your bags for your next safari destination on this 12-day Rwanda and Uganda safari. You will cross the border via Cyanika and continue to Rwanda, the land of a thousand Hills.

Accommodation at: Singita Kwitonda Lodge (luxury), Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel (midrange), or Muhabura Hotel (budget).

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 9: Volcanoes Gorilla Trekking adventure and visit to Gorilla Guardian Village

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the Lodge before departing on a guided walk through Volcanoes National Park to meet the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Your trek starts with a briefing at Kinigi Park Headquarters, then a 20 to 30-minute transfer to the trailhead. Begin this walk slowly, going through gardens, the bamboo forest, and other areas before finally meeting the allocated gorilla family. Generally, expect 1-6 hours of trekking/searching for the mountain gorillas, followed by one hour of watching and taking photos as they go about their day-to-day routines of playing, resting, grooming, foraging, and others. Lunch at your Lodge.

The afternoon is for getting immersed in the local cultures and customs of the people by visiting the Gorilla Guardians’ Village, where you will meet reformed former poachers and other community members. Some of the activities that await you here include visits to the traditional healer, meal preparation with a local family, cultural song and dance performances, and many others. Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at: Singita Kwitonda Lodge (luxury), Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel (midrange), or Muhabura Hotel (budget).

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 10: Volcanoes National Park- Nyungwe Forest National Park

Take in the final sight of Virunga Volcanoes and other stunning landscapes before boarding the safari jeep for a transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park, in the southwestern side of Rwanda. You will have lunch at the Lodge and spend the remainder of the day relaxing and taking in the forest views.

Accommodation at: One & Only Nyungwe House (luxury), Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel (midrange), Gisakura Guesthouse (budget).

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 11: Nyungwe Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk

You will have an earlier start (than usual), typically between 4:00 am and 5:00 am, depending on the chimpanzee family you have been booked to track. Meet at the briefing point to go through the rules and regulations to be followed, then start the walk through the rugged terrains, hilly slopes, and dense foliage. It is a challenging trek but worthwhile, as after 1-4 hours of trekking, you will be introduced to the chimpanzee community, with whom you will spend one hour watching and taking photos as they go about their normal day- resting, foraging, playing, or mating. Stop for a quick lunch at the Lodge and continue your Nyungwe Forest in the afternoon.

Return to the forest for the canopy walk through the forest ravines, valley, and tree canopies, with chances of sighting bird species, several primates, and so much more.

Accommodation at: One & Only Nyungwe House (luxury), Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel (midrange), Gisakura Guesthouse (budget).

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 12: Nyungwe to Kigali, Departure

Start your last day in Rwanda off right with a walk around the Lodge after breakfast. You will embark on the 7-hour drive back to Kigali Airport, then board your scheduled flight home. Safe travels!

Our 12-Day Rwanda and Uganda safari includes;

• Gorilla trekking permits.
• Chimpanzee tracking permits.
• Canopy walk fees.
• Bottled water.
• Relevant Government taxes.
• Cultural/Village tours.
• Game viewing experiences.
• Boat ride fees.
• Entry fees to Parks and other tourist sites.
• 11 nights’ accommodation in different destinations.
• Meals as per the provided meal plans.
• Rhino tracking fees.

Our 12-Day Rwanda and Uganda safari excludes;

• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
• Pre and post-safari accommodation in Entebbe or Kigali.
• Extra activities that aren’t included in the itinerary.
• Porter fees.
• Gratuities for porters, guides, waitstaff, and others.
• Visa fees.
• Travel and medical insurance.
• Telephone expenses.
• Souvenir shopping, and many others.