Overview
Encounter the African rare primates and apes which are the mountain gorillas in both Uganda and Rwanda and then wildlife viewing in Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya. One of the most exciting wonders of Africa which is wildebeest migration won’t be missed.
Other places that will be visited are communities in each county like Iby’iwachu cultural village in Rwanda, Isunga cultural community and Batwa community in Uganda and Masai community in Kenya. Lake Bunyonyi also, won’t be missed and this is the second deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika. There are rare tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park that will offer you another adventure in your life.
Detailed Itinerary
Day1. Arrival/pick up from the hotel in Kigali Rwanda, city tour and transfer to Volcanoes National park
Be picked from either the airport or hotel in Kigali and take part in the city tour where you will visit places like the Rwanda genocide memorial grounds. This is a historical place where you will encounter different graves of innocent souls that perished during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Visit the local markets like the Kimironko market where you will have a chance to see the different fruits and foodstuffs that are sold in these local daily markets. Another place can be the art and gallery center where you will encounter other art pieces, and purchase some to be your souvenirs back home.
After lunch, head to volcanoes national park one of the oldest national parks in Africa and it’s known for homing the remaining endangered mountain gorillas and the rare golden monkeys. The road trip will take about 3 hours to reach the park and you will have a great view of the surroundings while on the transfer and at the lodge.
Day2. Gorilla trekking and visiting Iby’iwachu cultural village
Have the first gorilla trekking experience in this park this morning which will begin with a briefing at the park offices after breakfast at the lodge restaurant. The briefing is an important exercise because you get to know about the rules and regulations to follow while on the trek among them include; don’t feed wild animals, always keeping a distance of about 10 metres from the gorillas, don’t eat, drinking or smoking in front of the gorillas and don’t throw rubbish in the park.
You will begin the search in a group of 8 visitors with two park ranger guides. The overall experience takes about 2 to 7 hours but an hour is always offered to you in the presence of the gorilla family trekked. Meet the gorilla family members performing different tasks like breastfeeding young ones in case the family has babies, the silverback who is the leader of the group will be practicing leadership skills and much more.
After lunch, visit the Iby’iwachu cultural village where you will learn about the Rwandese culture as the locals conserve wildlife through performing cultural practices.
Day3. Cross to Uganda, boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi
Have an early breakfast and drive to Uganda crossing the Katuna border with a lot of ease since the professional tour guide will help you through the immigration process. Head straight to Lake Bunyonyi a historical lake with different islands such as the punishment island that was used by the locals to punish the women who could get pregnant in their parents’ houses/homes. Arrive for lunch and then take a boat cruise that will last about 3 hours exploring these islands. You will spend a night at any of the booked resort hotels.
Day4. Transfer to Bwindi national park and Batwa community experience
Head to Bwindi national park where you will have another dose of gorilla trekking the next morning. The Bwindi national park is known to host the biggest population of gorilla individuals and is located in far southwestern Uganda on the slopes of Virunga mountains. Arrive in the afternoon and be served lunch which will be followed by a community tour. This will take you to the Batwa people who will entertain you through cultural music and dances, taste local dishes, make fire using local materials and much more.
Day5. Gorilla trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector
Another and last doze of gorilla trekking on this 15 days is Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya safari. Like in Volcanoes national park, the briefing will be attended and then the park ranger guide will take you into the jungle to start the search. Trekking the gorillas is amazing since you will meet other creatures like forest elephants, different bird species and much more. After trekking, be rewarded with a certificate and then lunch will follow. Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park a park known for hosting the rare tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector. Have a game drive in this sector as you search for the lions that will be resting in the cactus tree branches. Other animals that will be spotted are; elephants, buffalos, different antelopes like the Uganda kobs and many more others. Overnight stay will be at one of the safari lodges in the park.
Day6. Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise, transfer to Kibale national park
Have a morning game drive which will take you to Mweya or Kasenyi plains to search for wildlife such as spotted hyenas, jackals, warthogs, lions, elephants, antelopes, buffalos and much more. The game drive will last for 2 to 3 hours but will be the most rewarding time in the savannahs of Uganda. In the afternoon take a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel which connects lake Edward and lake George. Meet the hippos, and crocodiles in the waters and elephants will be at the banks of the channel. This channel also hosts different bird species including migrants. The boat cruise will last for 2 hours.
You will later on transfer to the primate capital of the world-Kibale national park known for homing 13 primates including our close relative the chimpanzee together with large mammals such as the forest elephant, buffalo, duikers and much more. The unique bird species such as the great blue turacos, the green-breasted pitta and much more. Spend a night at the booked lodge.
Day7. Chimpanzee trekking experience and visit Isunga community
Like gorilla trekking, the chimpanzee tracking experience also starts with a briefing which will last for about 30 minutes at the park offices in the Kanyanchu visitor centre. You will begin the tracking under the guidance of the park ranger guide who will be well-armed to protect you from any forest attack. Tracking will last for about 5 hours but an hour will be granted to you to spend in the presence of the chimpanzees.
Have your certificate of trekking and then head back to the lodge for your lunch which will be followed by a visit to Isunga community association. This community association is aimed at improving the livelihood of the community members through offering tourism-related activities, protecting of environment and conserving the two cultures (Batooro and Bakiga) who live in the Isunga community at the edge of Kibale national park. You have different options like taking the Crater Lakes experience, visiting the tea and coffee plantations, having entertainment through cultural music and drama and much more. Spend 3 to 4 hours in the community and head back to the lodge.
Day8. Drive to Kampala/Entebbe and fly to Nairobi
Leave Kibale in the morning passing through Fort portal tourism city with a unique environment covered with green vegetation of the tea plantations, forests and banana plantations. The road trip is amazing with well-designed stopovers like one in Mubende where you will have snacks such as roasted banana plantains (Gonja), cassavas, crisps and much more. Reach Entebbe and board a scheduled flight to Nairobi Kenya where you will meet our safari company representative. He will welcome you and take you to the booked hotel in Nairobi city.
Day9. Head to Amboseli national park
Head to one of the most common and famous national parks in Kenya Amboseli national park. This amazing national park has a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro in the background and is also, known to host the largest herds of elephants in the world. Amboseli is a Masai word which means salty dust. Enjoy the evening game drive where you will encounter different wildlife such as elephants, leopards, cheetahs, buffalos, lions and much more.
Day10. Full day in Amboseli national park (game drive)
Take a full day exploring Amboseli national park through game drives with a lunch stopover. This experience will grant you a chance to spot wildlife such as buffalos, lesser kudu, dik-dik, zebras, elephants, wild dogs, leopards, cheetahs and much more. The endless plains covered with Mount Kilimanjaro are good for photography.
Day11. Transfer to Lake Nakuru national park
Wake up on a morning breakfast and transfer to Lake Nakuru national park a conservation area known to host the large numbers of flamingos on lake Nakuru that are found in the park premises. This park is located in the southern part of the Kenyan rift valley. The park hosts a lot of animals that you will spot such as black and white rhinos, lions, zebras, leopards, buffalos, waterbucks, hyenas and much more. Have an evening game drive where you will meet several wildlife and much more.
Day12. Transfer to Masai Mara national reserve
Transfer to Masai Mara national reserve after a morning game drive in Lake Nakuru national park. Take a drive that will last for about 4 hours which will be amazing and without a doubt since you will be in a position to have a great scenic view while on the way. This reserve gets its name from the Masai people that are normally seen grazing their large herds of cattle in the park and again they were evicted to turn the land into a conservation area. Have an evening visit to the Masai community where you will taste their local traditional foods.
Day13-14. Masai Mara exploration
During these days of your 15 days Uganda Rwanda gorillas and wildebeest migration in Kenya safari, you will take part in game drives where you will explore and spot animals like rhinos, hippos, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, crocodiles and much more.
Also, have a good time spotting the wildebeest migrating from Serengeti national park in Tanzania. The best moments are when some of the wildebeests together with zebras are eaten by predators like lions, crocodiles and many more.
Day15. Drive to Nairobi and fly back home
This will be the last day of your safari and it will begin with a game drive and then transfer to Nairobi where you will board your flight back home.
