10 days Uganda, Rwanda and Congo safari
This 10 days Uganda, Rwanda and Congo safari will give you the ultimate primate safaris in Africa which will lead you the eastern lowland gorillas in Congo and the mountain gorillas in Africa when you visit both Uganda and Rwanda. With gorilla trekking in Congo, you will make your way to Kahuzi Biega National Park to spend an hour with the lowland gorillas. For gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you will visit gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. This 10 days Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo safari will help you explore the gorillas in different national parks, which will give you different gorilla trekking experiences and also give you the chance to differentiate between the mountain gorillas and the Eastern lowland gorillas for a memorable Africa safari
Highlights of your 10 days Uganda, Rwanda and Congo safari
Day 1: Pick-up from Kigali, Rwanda, and cross to Bukavu
Day 2: Lowland gorilla trekking in Congo
Day 3: Transfer back to Kigali
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Day 6: Dian Fossey Museum and transfer to Kigali city
Day 7: Transfer to Kigali city and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 9: Full day game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 10: Lion tracking and departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick-up from Kigali, Rwanda, and cross to Bukavu
Depending on your location in Kigali, our company representative-guide/driver will pick you up and transfer you to Kahuzi Biega National Park. While making your way to the park, you will watch the rolling hills in Rusizi with stopovers for lunch and a refreshing break. Cross through the Cyangugu border to Bukavu town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On arrival in Bukavu, the nearest town to Kahuzi Biega National Park, you will advance to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Panorama
Day 2: Lowland gorilla trekking in Congo
After enjoying your breakfast at the lodge, drive to the park headquarters for a briefing about the Eastern lowland gorillas and gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, and the rules and regulations to follow. After the session, you will then set off to search for the lowland gorillas in the valleys of Kahuzi as you encounter different mammals, birds, and primates. The experience will take between 1-6 hours experience of the jungle, depending on the gorilla movement. You will watch them interact/play with each other as you take photos and videos. You will then descend back and meet up with your driver to drive back to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay at Panorama Hotel.
Day 3: Transfer back to Kigali
After an early morning breakfast, head back to Kigali city. It’s a 7-hour drive passing through Nyungwe national park again, en route visit to the King’s palace in Nyanza and Butare national museum before proceeding to Kigali with lunch en route, connect to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Des Mille Collines.
Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
After an early morning breakfast, your guide will transfer to Volcanoes National Park, where you will arrive in time to participate in the Ibyi’wacu cultural village tour. Have a guided walk around the village at the different sites that exhibit the different aspects of the people of the village to have an insight into the interesting features of the culture of the people of Rwanda. By visiting Ibyiwacu cultural village get to see a medicine man who is mixing a number of herbs that were used to cure a number of diseases like barrenness and impotence, stomach upsets, fever, and many more. If you’re interested, you can also get involved in mixing the herbs, which will give you an authentic experience. After the experience, head to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay. Tiloreza (mid-range) Amikus hotel (budget)
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from your hotel. Our guide will meet you after having your breakfast and your lunches packed, and he will take you to Kinigi Headquarters, where you are expected to be given a brief before starting the gorilla trek. This brief is done at 7 am. You are given guidelines during this brief before you are allowed to start the trek. This gorilla trek can take anywhere from 2 hours to half a day, as it’s unpredictable. When you finally find the gorillas, you will have to maintain a 7-meter distance, and you are allowed one hour to admire and take photos of the gorillas. During the time you spend with the gorillas you will get the opportunity to understand a number of their rewarding features like how they co-exist with one another, you will get to watch the duty of the dominant silverback whose role is to mate with the adult females to increase the members of the family, raid other gorilla families for their members, you will watch the juveniles grooming one another for a rewarding safari experience. After the trek, you will then make your way back to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay as the night before.
Day 6: Dian Fossey Museum and transfer to Kigali city
Dian Fossey museum visit, where you will spend about 2 hours learning about the famous gorilla lady with artifacts that belonged to her, along with an impression of the Virunga ranges. This is a thrilling walk through the museum. Connect back to Kigali for lunch, and if you have more time, you may visit the Kimironko market to purchase some local souvenirs for the people back home and also get to interact with the community. You will be dropped off at your hotel in Kigali city for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Transfer to Kigali city and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will transfer to Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Cyanika border. Depending on the time you reach the hotel, you can get to participate in the Batwa trail experience, to understand more about the culture of the people of Rwanda. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in either of the sectors of the park.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer to Queen’s
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will make your way to transfer to the park headquarters in any sector of the park to embark on your gorilla trekking experience in Uganda, which will give you access to the habituated mountain gorillas in Africa. The safari experience will take about 2-7 hours, depending on the movement of the gorillas the previous night. During the safari experience, you will watch a number of different animal species as they go about their daily activities in the wild. Interesting about the safari experience, you will get to spend an hour with the species, understanding more about their behavior in the wild. After the safari experience, you will then head to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ishasha sector, watching the tree-climbing lions. When you reach your hotel, check in for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 9: Full day game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, your guide for the safari will pick you up and transfer you to the park’s game drive trails to embark on your full day game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will watch a number of mammal species like; Common Duiker, Defassa Waterbuck, Oribi reedbucks, Impalas, Buffalos, Bush pigs, Giraffes, Eland, and Zebras, Uganda kobs up-close After the first half of your drive, you will have lunch and later in the afternoon, you will participate in the second half of your drive to watch a number of animals that you might have missed out on while on your morning drive. After the experience, head back to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 10: Lion tracking and departure
After an Early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will then transfer to the park to participate in Lion tracking in Uganda which will give you access to a given lion pride which will give you the chance to understand the behavior of the species in the wild with lion tracking in the wild, you will have the chance to get an up close look at the species in their given lion pride. You will have the opportunity to watch the males as they protect the lion pride, and you will also get to watch the females as they catch their prey in the wild. You will get to see how the lions establish their territories by urinating along their territory. With this, other lions from different prides will not cross over to another lion’s pride. After the experience, you will then make your way to transfer back to kampala city and the end of your 10 days Uganda, Rwanda and Congo safari
Note that your Rwanda Visa expires immediately you cross into Congo, so you will have to reapply for another one while at the border and find it ready after the tour.
Quote includes:
- Pick up and drop off in Kigali
- Lowland gorilla permit
- Congo Visa
- English/ French speaking driver/guide
- Accommodation and meals as described in the itinerary
- 4X4 safari vehicle and Fuel.
- Bottled mineral water in the car
Quote excludes:
- International flight fees
- Rwanda and Uganda Visa
- Porters and walking sticks for trekking
- Tourist visa fees for Rwanda
- Items of a personal nature, like Laundry, Telephone calls, and luxury drinks, among others.
- Tips and gratuities to service providers
- Any other item not mentioned in the itinerary, and extra costs not included in the itinerary
