20 Days East Africa Primates Safari : This 20 Days Congo Rwanda and Uganda Safari offers the greatest primates safari experience in East Africa from the lowland gorillas in the Kahuzi Biega national park – Democratic Republic of Congo to Rwanda’ Volcanoes National Park for the mountain gorillas. To chimpanzee trekking in the Nyumgwe forest national park. Cross to Uganda and enjoy at least 3 sectors of mountain gorilla experience with an opportunity for Gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experiences. Uganda has more than just 1 gorilla trekking sector so experiencing at least 3 of them is a lifetime experience in the world.
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Upon arrival – Kigali city tour
Day 2: Transfer to cross DR. Congo – Bukavu
Day 3: Lowland Gorilla tracking in Kahuzi Biega national park – transfer To Nyungwe forest national park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes national park (6-7 hours’ drive) – Ibyu wacu village tour
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
Day 7: Hike Dian Fossey trail and Dian Fossey Museum visit
Day 8: Golden monkey tracking and transfer to Kisoro – Uganda
Day 9: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park – transfer to Rushaga sector
Day 10: Gorilla habituation experience
Day 11: Transfer to Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 12: Gorilla trekking experience and Batwa community tour
Day 13: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – Ishasha game drive
Day 14; Morning game drive and boat cruise along the Kazinga channel
Day 15: Transfer to Kibale national park – Optional Bigodi swamp nature walk
Day 16: Chimpanzee Habituation experience
Day 17: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – top of the falls hike
Day 18: Morning Game drive and launch cruise tracking
Day 19: Ziwa rhino tracking – transfer to Entebbe
Day 20: Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Upon arrival – Kigali city tour
Upon arrival in Kigali airport at 19:30 hours, meet your driver and transfer to your hotel for check-in and depending on your arrival time, you may have an optional Kigali city tour, where you visit the Kimironko market, the Kigali genocide memorial museum site and other sites. Dinner and overnight stay at Step Town Motel for budget/Des Mille Collins Hotel for mid-range
Day 2: Transfer to cross DR. Congo – Bukavu
Depending on your location in Kigali, you will meet your safari guide who will also be your safari driver to transfer to Bukavu. It’s about 7-8 hours’ drive through the Nyungwe forest national park with amazing views of the rolling hill in Rusizi with stopovers for lunch and refreshments. Cross through Cyangugu border after finalising with the immigration process and proceed to Bukavu town, which is the nearest town to Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Upon arrival at Bukavu town, connect to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay at Panaroma Hotel for mid-range/Hotel Elizabeth for budget
Please note that your Rwanda Visa will expire after crossing into Congo so you will apply for another immediately and you will find it ready on return.
Day 3: Lowland Gorilla tracking in Kahuzi Biega national park – transfer To Nyungwe forest national park
In the morning, you will head for the memorable adventure of tracking the lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National park. Tracking lowland Gorillas is very amazing, lowland Gorillas differ from mountain gorillas, the lowland gorillas are bigger in size, usually takes 1-4 hours to track the lowland Gorillas. The lowland Gorillas stay in bigger families as compared to mountain gorillas; you will not regret the safari effort once you meet the amazing Gorillas!
After trekking, meet your driver and return to the border to cross back to Rwanda where you will meet your driver waiting to drive you to Nyungwe. Dinner, and overnight stay at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel for mid-range/Gisakura Visitors Center on
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
After breakfast, Enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in the Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3-8 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos. Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.
Later afternoon, connect for the canopy walk experience. You will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees; you will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving below you. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 5: Transfer to Volcanoes national park (6-7 hours’ drive) – Ibyu wacu village tour
Embark on your journey to Volcanoes national park with en-route lunch and stop for great views of Lake Kivu. Upon arrival in Musanze, connect for a cultural tour before you connect to your booked lodge for check-in, relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge for budget/Da Vinci Lodge for mid-range
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
After breakfast, transfer to the park offices for briefing about the mountain gorillas in the mist, and thereafter enter into the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas , it takes about 2-8 hours depending on the location of the gorillas. On finding the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour, take amazing photos and videos. After gorilla trekking, return to lodge for relaxation. You will also visit the Ellen Degeneres campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 7: Hike Dian Fossey trail and Dian Fossey Museum visit
Either hike Dian Fossey trail – after breakfast, connect to the park headquarters for briefing and go for Dian Fossey trekking to Karisoke. This hike is quite challenging and it may last for about 6 to 7 hours hiking. Upon reaching the top, you will see the used to be home of Dain Fossey and her graveyard where she was buried with her favourite gorilla called Digit. After the hike, visit the Dian Fossey museum before you return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at lodge as above
Day 8: Golden monkey tracking and transfer to Kisoro – Uganda
After early morning breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for briefing from the park warden about the endangered golden monkeys. After connect to the tracking starting point and enter the forest to search for the rare golden monkey. This activity can take about 1-5 hours and is done at closer view of the other primates in the park like the red-tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys among other. After viewing the rare golden monkeys for an hour while taking pictures and studying their behaviors.
After golden monkey tracking, embark on your safari to cross to Uganda via Cyanika border. After clearing with immigration, continue to Kisoro – Bwindi Impenetrable national park to check-in at your booked lodge for relaxation as you prepare for your next day gorilla trekking, dinner and overnight stay at Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge for mid-range/Ichumbi Hotel for budget
Day 9: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park – transfer to Rushaga sector
After very early morning breakfast, transfer to Mgahinga national park to report for a 7 am briefing about gorillas in Mgahinga national park. Thereafter, with your packed lunch box and backpack, enter the forest in your trekking. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park is not different from other trekking parks, trekking takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas as they roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day however the rangers will be able to find them as they tracked daily. On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour as you view and take photos of these gentle primates before you descend back to meet your driver/guide and connect to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Dinner and overnight stay at Rushaga Valley Lodge for budget/Four Gorilla Lodge for mid-range
Day 10: Gorilla habituation experience
Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for briefing by the ranger guides and later head into the forest for your trek. Gorilla habituation in Bwindi involves visiting a semi-habituated gorilla family that is under the process of habituation. This activity takes a whole day and you are allowed to view the gorillas for about 4 hours to stay with the gorillas. After the habituation experience, meet your guide and drive back to your lodge to rest. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above
Day 11: Transfer to Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park
After early morning breakfast, transfer to Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park, which is a 3-4 hours’ drive from Kisoro. Upon arrival at Buhoma sector, check-in at your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Haven Lodge for mid-range/Buhoma Community Rest Camp for budget
Day 12: Gorilla trekking experience and Batwa community tour
After breakfast, connect to the park headquarters for yet another gorilla trekking experience in Buhoma sector. You will follow the same details as of the previous gorilla experience, meet for briefing at 7 am and start the trek at 8 am. Trekking with take between 1-8 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family visited. After tracking, visit the Batwa community for a cultural tour. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 13: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – Ishasha game drive
After breakfast, meet your driver and transfer to Kibale national park, which is about 6-7 hours’ drive with en-route via Queen Elizabeth national park en-route game viewing game drive in Ishasha sector for chances to spot the tree climbing lions and other animals. Proceed to your booked lodge for check-in, dinner and overnight stay at Elephant Hub Lodge for mid-range/Kazinga Wilderness Camp for budget
Day 14; Morning game drive and boat cruise along the Kazinga channel
Early in the morning after breakfast, you will set out for a morning game drive in search of early risers in the Kasenyi area. The park has a diverse eco-system of grassy plains, rivers, crater lakes, forests, swamps, and lakes. These are home to various types of wildlife and a game drive in Queen Elizabeth will reward you with views of animals such as lions, antelopes, buffalos, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob, and other types of antelopes.
Return to your Lodge for lunch and after, go for a 3 hours launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This cruise will let you pass through a place of the highest concentration of hippos and you may also see many animals drinking at the water’s edge. The cruise also offers a good platform for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. After the boat cruise, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 15: Transfer to Kibale national park – Optional Bigodi swamp nature walk
After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Kibale forest national park which is about 3 hours’ drive. En-route stop to visit a school in Fort portal, with en-route lunch, transfer to your booked lodge in Kibale national park. Depending on time, you may do an optional Bigodi swamp tour. Dinner and overnight stay at Kibale Forest Lodge for budget/Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Day 16: Chimpanzee Habituation experience
Have breakfast very early and later transfer to the park head office for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees and later enter the forest with the guidance of a park ranger along with your tracking gears, packed water and snacks. This trekking is a whole day experience. On finding the primates, you will spend 4 hour viewing them while studying their behaviour and taking pictures. After tracking, return to the lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight at as above
Day 17: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – top of the falls hike
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and transfer to Murchison falls national park. It’s a 6-7 hours’ drive with en-route lunch. Entebbe the park via the Kichumbanyobo gate from Masindi town, connect to the top of the Murchison falls, explore the falls before you proceed to check-in at your lodge to rest. Dinner and overnight stay at Pakuba Safari lodge for mid-range/Tilenga Safari Lodge for budget
Day 18: Morning Game drive and launch cruise
Early morning breakfast and then go for a morning game drive where you may spot various animal species like lions, leopards, hyena, elephants, giraffes, Uganda kobs among others. Return and have lunch.
Later afternoon, you set off for a launch cruise at the bottom of the Murchison Falls along River Nile, enjoy streaming views of hippo and serried ranges of crocodile along the sandbanks, as well as large numbers of different species getting down to drink & bathe. Return to your lodge with en-route game viewing. Dinner and overnight at lodge as the above
Day 19: Ziwa rhino tracking – transfer to Entebbe
After breakfast, transfer to Ziwa rhino sanctuary for your on-foot rhino tracking experience. You will receive a briefing and then track rhinos for about 1-2 hours’ drive. Embark on your journey back to Kampala/Entebbe with en-route lunch. This is about 5-6 hours’ drive and upon arrival;
Day 20: Departure
After breakfast, depending on your departure flight schedule from Entebbe airport, the driver will drop you off for check-in for your onward flight back home. End of the trip.
