8 Day Uganda Rwanda Primates Adventure

Safari Overview

The 8-day primate safari is a great opportunity to experience chimpanzees and mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda. We start with Kibale National Park for half day chimpanzee tracking or full day chimpanzee habituation experience, then connect to Queen Elizabeth National park for wildlife viewing and a fantastic boat cruise along the Kazinga channel, we end with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Bwindi impenetrable forest in Uganda, not forgetting Gisozi genocide memorial tour in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. Below is a detailed day by day itinerary;

Detailed Itinerary for 8 Day Rwanda Primate Safari

Day One: Transfer to Kibale Forest

Pick up from Entebbe airport on arrival or from your hotel in Kampala and transfer to Kibale National park via Mubende town, lunch en-route, dinner, and overnight at the mountain of the moon hotel, Ndali lodge, Kyaninga lodge, Primate Lodge, or Chimpanzee guest house.

Day Two: Chimpanzee Tracking or Habituation Experience

Early morning breakfast, after go for a briefing from the park officials. Then enter into the forest block to trek the chimps in their leisure time swinging in the tree branches. This adventure not only exposes you to chimps but also to other primates, birds, butterflies, and plant species. Primates like white and black Columbus, velvet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and manageably can be spotted. Return to the lodge for refreshment and lunch-Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will arrive in the early evening with your en-route game drive and head to your lodge for check-in at Mweya safari lodge or Katara lodge, Enganzi Lodge or Bush Lodge, or Twin lake lodge.

Day Three: Game drive and Kazinga channel boat cruise

Dawn game drive to spot quite a variety of wildlife like some of the big five that include the lions, elephants, buffalos, Leopards, other animals include warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, oribi, topi, heart beasts among others. Return to the lodge for lunch, afternoon take a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel that connects Lake Edward to Lake George. This cruise is much awesome because it passes through the concentration of the wildlife animals like Hippos, huge Nile crocodiles, and many elephants / Buffaloes seen basking along the shorers, and about 611 bird species. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day Four: Transfer to Bwindi National Park, home of Gorillas in Uganda

Heavy breakfast followed by transfer to Bwindi impenetrable National park with en-route game drive through the Ishasha sector, a home for tree-climbing lions in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Dinner and overnight at Nkuringo Gorilla Camp, Gorilla Mist Camp, Bakiga Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge, etc

Day Five: Gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Park

Heavy breakfast and go for a briefing from the park officials. After, enter into the jungle to search for the shy mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, when you encounter the great apes relax and experience them for your one hour entitled to spend viewing their lifestyle. The trek can take 2-7hrs depending on the primates’ movement in this tropical forest. We can relax at the lodge in the evening, or take a community walk or drive to Lake Bunyonyi the Switzerland of Africa that offers a variety of bird species and good scenic view environs with our dinner and overnight at Heritage lodge, Arcadia cottages, or Byona Amagala Island Resort, Bunyonyi Overland Resort or Bird Nest Resort.

Day Six: Cross the Border to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda

Breakfast and take a canoe or boat trip on Lake Bunyonyi to different Islands, visit the Batwa people (Pygmies), return to lodge for refreshment and lunch. After, drive to volcanoes national park, dinner, and overnight at Mountain Gorilla view lodge / Kinigi guest house / Le bamboo gorilla lodge, Virunga Lodge.

Day Seven: Second gorilla trek – Volcanoes National Park

Heavy breakfast and after drive to Kinigi park headquarters, here, you will receive a briefing from park officials after which we enter into the jungle to search the shy mountain gorillas to experience a lifetime experience of tracking memories. When you meet these apes relax and enjoy your one-hour permitted close-up. Lunch and if interested, take a community tour or nature walk to twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day Eight: Genocide memorial tour in Kigali, Departure

Today after breakfast embark on our safari vehicle and transfer to Kigali, visit the Gisozi genocide museum, local art, and craft shops, later transfer to the airport to board your flight back home.

End of the tour