8 Days Rwanda Congo Uganda Safari

Our 8 days Rwanda Congo Uganda safari is one of the best adventures that starts from Kigali and ends in Kampala. During the safari you will take part in a Kigali city tour, gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park, hike mountain Nyiragongo which is an active volcano among the 8 mountains in the Virunga conservation area. After descending mountain Nyiragongo you will take a drive to Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda where you will have beautiful views of the 29 islands, lake, bird species, hills, terraced farmlands, and then transfer to Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp nature walk. From Kibale national park you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park famous for tree-climbing lions for a game drive and a boat cruise on Kazinga channel.

8 Days Rwanda Congo Uganda Safari Tour highlights

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to volcanoes national park

Day 2: Gorilla trekking and transfer to Gisenyi, Lake Kivu

Day 3: Hiking Nyiragongo volcano

Day 4: Descend from Nyiragongo and transfer to lake Bunyonyi

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park and afternoon boat cruise

Day 6: Morning game drive/lion tracking experience and transfer to Kibale forest national park

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi nature walk

Day 8: Departure to Kampala

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to volcanoes national park

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport for your 8 days Rwanda Congo Uganda safari, you will be welcomed by a driver guide from Africa Adventure Vacations who will brief you about your safari and then drive you to Kigali for a city tour. During the city tour, you will visit the Kigali genocide memorial where you will get to know what happened in the 1994 Rwanda genocide between the Tutsi and the Hutus, Kimironko market which is the largest market in Kigali, and get to interact with the local vendors, art galleries among others. After the Kigali city tour, you will go for lunch in one of the best restaurants in the city and then start on your journey to volcanoes national park which is located in northwestern Rwanda. On your way to the park, you will have stunning views of the rolling hills, terraced farmlands, smiling people, beautiful scenery among others, and on arrival you will continue to your booked lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Five Volcanoes Boutique hotel – luxury, Le bamboo gorilla lodge – mid-range, Villa gorilla – budget

Day 2: Gorilla trekking and transfer to Gisenyi, Lake Kivu

Today is the highlight of your 8 Days Rwanda Congo Uganda Safari tour! After early morning breakfast on the second day of your safari, you will get your packed lunch and other things you need for gorilla trekking, check out the lodge, and meet your safari drive for a transfer to Kinigi park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be grouped into a maximum of 8, allocated a gorilla family, and given a ranger guide to lead you into the forest in search of these giant apes. In volcanoes national park, gorilla trekking can take you about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on the location of the gorillas and the speed at which you are tracking. During trekking, you will have an opportunity to see different bird species, mammals, primates, trees, and plant species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are allocated you will be given a full hour to be around them in their natural habitats allowing you to watch them go about their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, lifestyle, behavior as you ask the ranger guide any questions you want, take photos and record videos to go and share with family back home. After enjoying your time with mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will find your driver ready to transfer you to the park headquarters for your gorilla trekking certificate and proceed to Gisenyi, Lake Kivu.

Lake Kivu is the largest and freshest water lake in Rwanda and on arrival you will go for a boat cruise which will give you stunning views of the lake islands, surrounding area, sunset, terraced hills, different water bird species such as papyrus gonolek, majestic crowned cranes, malachite kingfisher, see fishermen who will be fishing, see local people transport their goods among others. After the boat cruise, you will drive to your lodge for check-in, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Lake Kivu, Serena – luxury, Inzonzi Lodge – mid-range, Paradise Malahide – budget

Day 3: Hiking Nyiragongo volcano

After very early morning breakfast, you will get your packed lunch and meet your driver for a transfer to DR Congo via Grande Barrier border and then connect to Virunga national park headquarters your hiking permit. You will join the convoy to Kibati patrol post for a briefing about the Mount Nyiragongo hike where you will learn about the safety, precautions, guidelines, expectations, stopping pints, and what to go with during the hike. After that, the park guide will lead you in the hiking which will take you about 4 to 6 hours to reach the top. While hiking mountain Nyiragongo you will pass through different vegetation covers, lava rocks, slippery stones among others. You will have different stopovers while enjoying great views of the beautiful scenery, different birds, mammals, primates, tree and plant species among others. Upon arriving at the top of the volcano you will have beautiful views of the boiling lava lake and cooks who came along with you will help you in preparing hot coffee and dinner. You will spend your night in the cabin comprised of two single beds as you smell boiling and bubbling lava.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Cabin

Day 4: Descend from Nyiragongo and transfer to lake Bunyonyi

After morning breakfast on the top of the Nyiragongo volcano, you will join your group members and start descending the mountain which will take you about 3 hours to reach the starting point at Kibati Patrol post. While descending mountain Nyiragongo you will have beautiful views of Virunga national park, mountain Rwenzori, Lake Kivu, and some of the volcanic mountains. On arrival at the starting point, you will find your driver guide ready to transfer you to lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda. U will enter Uganda to Kabale through Katuna border and on your way, you will pass by kigezi hills, beautiful landscape, smiling local people among others, and on arrival, you will check-in at your lodge for lunch. after lunch, you will go canoeing on lake Bunyonyi the deepest lake in Uganda, visit some of its 29 islands among which include Akampene which was known to be a punishment island for the girls that got pregnant before marriage, spot different bird species, animals, terraced farmlands and others. After the boat cruise on lake Bunyonyi you will drive back to your lodge for evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Arcadia cottages – luxury, Bunyonyi safari resort – mid-range, Bushara island camp – budget

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park and afternoon boat cruise

On your 5th day of 8 days Rwanda Congo Uganda tour you will wake up for a relaxed breakfast and then transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second biggest national park in Uganda and famous for tree-climbing lions. On your way to queen Elizabeth national park, you will have amazing views of mountain Rwenzori, beautiful landscape, tea plantations, smiling people, and many others. On arriving in the park you will check into your booked lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon you will go for a boat cruise on Kazinga channel the biggest in the world joining lake George and lake Edward. The boat cruise on Kazinga channel starts at 2:00 pm and takes 2 to 3 hours. During the boat cruise on Kazinga channel, you will see animals around the lake shores such as elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, warthogs, and many others, a large concentration of hippos and crocodiles in the waters, water birds such as papyrus gonolek, little bee-eaters, fish eagles, grey-headed kingfisher, and many others. After the boat cruise, you will meet your driver to take you back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge – luxury, Parkview safari lodge – mid-range, Pumba safari cottages – mid-range

Day 6: Morning game drive/lion tracking experience and transfer to Kibale forest national park

After a morning game drive, you will meet up with your driver to go for a morning game drive or lion trekking experience in the Ishasha sector. Most of the game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park are done in Kasenyi area and during the game drive, you will have an opportunity to see animals like elephants, lions, buffaloes, bushbucks, warthogs, waterbucks, bird species such as Senegal plover, martial eagle, white-tailed lark, black-headed gonolek, African wattled plover, hooded vulture, black-billed bustard, pin tailed whydah, crested eagle among others. After the game drive, you will get back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you’ll check out of the lodge, meet your driver-guide for a transfer to Kibale national park. On your way to Kibale national park, you will have beautiful views of the landscape, Rwenzori mountains, tea plantations, crater lakes among others. When you arrive at the park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Ndali crater lodge – luxury, Kibale forest camp – mid-range, Kitojo Guest Cottages – budget

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi nature walk

After morning breakfast, you will meet up with your driver-guide for a transfer to Kanyanchu Visitors Center for a chimpanzee briefing about the rules and regulations as well as expectations. After the briefing, you will be grouped into 8 where every group will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a ranger guide to lead you in the forest. Finding chimpanzees in Kibale forest national park might take you about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they always move in search of food. Once you meet the chimpanzees, you will be given an hour to stay with them in their natural habitat which allows you to learn more about their behaviors and lifestyle, watch them do their daily activities, take photos, record videos among others. After an hour with these primates, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet your driver for a transfer back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for a guided nature walk in Bigodi sanctuary swamp. During the nature walk, you will pass through different vegetation covers and boardwalks which help you to have wonderful views of the bird species such as hornbills, kingfishers, great blue turaco, primates like black and white monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys l’hoests monkeys, grey checked mangabeys and animals like bushbucks, otters among others. You will also visit a local community where you will interact with local people allowing you to know about their lifestyle, traditions, culture, taste their local food, and others, after this activity, you will meet up with your driver-guide and drive back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Ndali crater lodge – luxury, Kibale forest camp – mid-range, Kitojo Guest Cottages – budget

Day 8: Departure to Kampala

After a relaxed breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and meet your driver guide for a transfer to Kampala. On your way to Kampala, you will have a stopover for lunch at Igongo culture center in Mbarara and another stopover at the equator for photos and souvenirs. From the equator, you will proceed to Kampala for a drop-off at any place of your choice or Entebbe international airport to end your 8 Days Rwanda Congo Uganda Safari tour

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Tour includes

Chimpanzee trekking permit

Gorilla trekking permit

Hiking permit

Bigodi swamp walk

Canoeing at lake Bunyonyi

Boat cruise at Kazinga channel

Park entrance fees

Kigali city tour

Service of the driver-guide

Accommodation

Meals

Drinking water

Tour excludes

Air flight tickets

Visa

Optional activities

Tips

Personal expenses