Rwanda · Uganda · Akagera National Park · Bwindi Impenetrable National Park · Kibale National Park · Kigali Genocide Memorial · Lake Bunyonyi · Murchison Falls National Park · Nyungwe Forest National Park · Queen Elizabeth National Park · Volcanoes National Park
21-Day Uganda and Rwanda Safari
Discover the beauty of East Africa on this 21-day Uganda and Rwanda safari. Trek through lush forests in search of mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, enjoy wildlife game drives, and explore breathtaking landscapes. From welcoming communities to peaceful lakeshores, experience a journey filled with wildlife, culture, and unforgettable encounters with Entale African Safaris.
Duration: 21 days / 20 nights
Start: Entebbe, Uganda
End: Kigali, Rwanda
Safari style: Private, tailor-made safari
Best for: Wildlife lovers, couples, families, and travelers looking for a combination of nature, culture, and relaxation
This 21-day Uganda and Rwanda safari combines some of the most unforgettable experiences in East Africa, from the thundering waters of Murchison Falls to the misty forests of Bwindi and volcanic landscapes of Rwanda.
Search for chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, cruise the wildlife-rich Kazinga Channel, and venture into the rainforest of Bwindi in search of mountain gorillas. Continue to Rwanda and explore the golden monkeys, the shores of Lake Kivu, the canopy walk of Nyungwe, and the open savanna of Akagera National Park.
Enjoy scenic drives, welcoming communities, and time to enjoy the varying landscapes that make Uganda and Rwanda such rewarding destinations.
Day-By-Day Itinerary
1
Day
Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
Welcome to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, unwind after your flight or enjoy the peaceful surroundings of Entebbe.
Your guide will brief you on the journey ahead and answer any questions about your Uganda and Rwanda safari.
Meals: Dinner, depending on arrival time
Stay At Night: Entebbe
2
Day
Transfer to Murchison Falls via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After breakfast, depart Entebbe and drive north to Murchison Falls National Park. On the way, visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided rhino tracking experience.
Take a walk through the sanctuary with a ranger to spot southern white rhinos and learn about the work that protects them. Then continue to Murchison Falls, arriving at your lodge in the evening.
Stay At Murchison Falls Park
3
Day
Game Drive in Murchison Falls National Park & Boat Cruise on the River Nile
Early morning game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. In the park's savanna, woodland, and riverine landscapes, you can look for elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, and, with luck, lions or leopards.
After lunch, cruise down the Nile in a boat toward the base of Murchison Falls. As the sound of the falls gets nearer, look out for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and waterbirds along the riverbanks.
Head back to the lodge for a relaxing evening.
Stay At Murchison Falls Park
4
Day
Community Experience and Top of the Falls
Today, travel to the top of Murchison Falls, where the Nile River squeezes through a narrow gorge before cascading down to the river below. The viewpoints provide a different view of one of Uganda’s most dramatic natural sites.
Later on, enjoy a community experience in the Murchison Falls region. Meet members of the Mubaku Community Instrumental Group and learn about music and cultural traditions in a locally hosted encounter, subject to local availability.
Stay At Murchison Falls Park
5
Day
Murchison Falls to Kibale Forest
After breakfast, leave Murchison Falls and travel southwest towards Kibale National Park. This is a longer driving day, passing through rural towns, farmland, and changing countryside.
There will be stops along the way to stretch your legs and enjoy lunch. Arrive in the Kibale area in the evening and settle into your lodge near the forest.
Stay At Kibale Forest
6
Day
Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Community Walk
This morning, head into Kibale National Park for a chimpanzee-tracking experience. After a briefing, follow your guide into the forest to search for one of Uganda’s closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
You may hear chimpanzees calling before you see them moving through the trees. The forest is also home to other primates and a variety of birds.
In the afternoon, visit the Bigodi area for a community-guided walk. Depending on the selected experience, learn about local livelihoods, traditional practices, and the relationship between the community and the surrounding environment.
Stay At Kibale Forest area
7
Day
Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After a relaxed breakfast, depart south for Queen Elizabeth National Park. The trail runs through the countryside, past crater lakes and, in fine weather, the Rwenzori Mountains.
Arrive at your lodge and relax before an afternoon game drive. Watch for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, and other wild animals.
Stay At Queen Elizabeth National Park area
8
Day
Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Safari
Start the day with a morning game drive through the park’s savannah. Your guide will help you search for wildlife and interpret the tracks, bird calls, and movements you encounter along the way.
After lunch, enjoy a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake Edward and Lake George. The shores attract hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds, and elephants, creating excellent opportunities for photography.
Stay At Queen Elizabeth National Park
9
Day
Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park and Transfer Towards Bwindi
After breakfast, begin your journey towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Depending on your confirmed gorilla trekking sector and road conditions, your route may pass through the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
If conditions and timing allow, enjoy a game drive in the Ishasha sector, known for its tree-climbing lions. These lions are wild, and sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Continue to your lodge near your assigned Bwindi trekking sector
Stay At Bwindi
10
Day
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today is one of the most anticipated days of your safari.
After an early breakfast, transfer to your assigned briefing point. Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers will explain the trekking guidelines before you enter the forest with your guide and group.
The trek can take several hours, depending on the location of the gorilla family and the terrain. Once the gorillas are found, you will spend up to one hour observing them, subject to ranger instructions and park rules.
Watch quietly as the family feeds, rests, or moves through the vegetation. It is an experience that often stays with visitors long after they leave Uganda.
Return to your lodge to relax after the trek.
Stay At Bwindi
11
Day
Bwindi Community Experience and Relaxation
After your gorilla trek, enjoy a more relaxed morning surrounded by the sounds of the forest.
Later, take part in a locally hosted community experience. Depending on the location of your lodge and availability, visit a craft group or learn about local food, traditions, and daily life.
This is an opportunity to meet people who live near the forest, who include the Batwa tribe that lived in the forest with the mountain gorillas, and learn about the relationship between communities, tourism, and conservation.
Stay At Bwindi
12
Day
Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast drive through the hills of south western Uganda to Lake Bunyonyi. After your forest adventures, the lake is a lovely place to slow down, and is known for its islands, terraced hillsides and peaceful atmosphere.
Spend the afternoon relaxing at your lodge or enjoying the views. A canoe ride or locally guided walk can be arranged depending on your interests and the day’s conditions.
Stay At Lake Bunyonyi
13
Day
Lake Bunyonyi to Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Enjoy breakfast overlooking the lake before travelling towards the Uganda–Rwanda border. After completing border formalities, continue to the Musanze area near Volcanoes National Park.
The journey introduces you to Rwanda’s famous hills and the dramatic Virunga volcanoes. Settle into your lodge and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Stay At Volcanoes National Park
14
Day
Golden Monkey Trekking and Cultural Experience
After breakfast, head to Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey trekking. Accompanied by park guides, walk through the bamboo forest in search of these lively primates.
Golden monkeys are known for their striking golden-orange fur and quick movements through the vegetation. Your guide will help you observe them while following the park’s wildlife-viewing rules.
In the afternoon, enjoy a cultural experience in the Musanze area, learning about Rwandan traditions, music, and daily life.
Stay At Volcanoes National Park
15
Day
Transfer from Volcanoes National Park to Lake Kivu
We enjoy a leisurely breakfast before setting off for Lake Kivu, one of East Africa's Great Lakes. Enjoy the scenery as it changes from volcanic hills to lakeside.
Spend the afternoon at your leisure. Relax by the water, explore the town by the lake with your guide or choose an optional boat ride.
Stay At Lake Kivu
16
Day
Lake Kivu to Nyungwe National Park
Today, continue south to Nyungwe National Park. The route offers views of hills, villages, tea plantations, and sections of the Lake Kivu shoreline.
This is a scenic but potentially long transfer, so you should keep the day flexible. Arrive at your lodge near Nyungwe in the evening.
Stay At Nyungwe National Park
17
Day
Nyungwe Canopy Walk and Forest Experience
After breakfast, head to the ancient rainforest of Nyungwe National Park. The highlight is the canopy walkway, a suspended bridge with views above the forest.
The path to the canopy is lined with beautiful vegetation, and your guide will help you spot birds and other forest life. Afterward relax at your lodge or (timing and availability permitting) add a tea experience near the park.
Stay At Nyungwe National Park
18
Day
Nyungwe to Kigali
After breakfast, travel towards Kigali. The route passes through Rwanda’s green countryside, with opportunities to stop for lunch and stretch your legs.
Depending on timing and opening arrangements, a cultural or historical stop can be discussed with your guide. Arrive in Kigali and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Stay At Kigali
19
Day
Kigali to Akagera National Park and Lake Ihema
After breakfast, drive east to Akagera National Park, the savanna wildlife destination of Rwanda. Enjoy a game drive upon arrival as you traverse the park’s diverse landscapes.
Later, enjoy a boat trip on Lake Ihema, where you may spot hippos, crocodiles, and water birds. Your guide will shuffle the order of activities according to boat schedules and lodge location.
Stay At kagera National Park
20
Day
Full-Day Akagera Safari and Return to Kigali
Spend the day exploring Akagera on a game drive through its rolling hills, lakes, wetlands, and open plains.
The park is home to lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, and many antelope and bird species. Wildlife moves freely, so every game drive is different, and sightings cannot be guaranteed.
After your safari, return to Kigali for your final night.
Stay At Kigali
21
Day
Kigali City Tour and Departure
Enjoy a guided tour of Kigali, depending on the time of your flight. Learn about Rwanda's past and consider the nation's progress since the Tutsi genocide in 1994 by visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
Before your transfer to Kigali International Airport, if you have time, visit a local market or have lunch in the city.
With enduring memories of gorillas, forests, savannas, and the people you met along the way, your 21-day safari in Uganda and Rwanda concludes.
Included
- Airport arrival and departure transfers.
- Private safari vehicle and English-speaking driver-guide.
- Accommodation for 20 nights.
- Meals as indicated.
- One Uganda gorilla trekking permit per person.
- One Kibale chimpanzee tracking permit per person.
- One Rwanda golden monkey trekking permit per person.
- National park entrance fees for the listed activities.
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary visit.
- Murchison Falls boat cruise.
- Kazinga Channel boat safari.
- Nyungwe canopy walk.
- Lake Ihema boat trip.
- Community and cultural experiences described in the itinerary, subject to availability.
- Bottled drinking water in the safari vehicle.
Not Included
- International flights.
- Visas and border-entry costs.
- Travel and medical insurance.
- Optional activities, including any additional gorilla trek.
- Porter fees and tips.
- Personal expenses, laundry, and drinks unless stated.
- Any required vaccinations or personal medication.
- Anything not specified in your final quotation.
