7 Days Uganda Safari from Kigali

Welcome to Rwanda — then onwards to Uganda

Morning:

• Arrive at Kigali International Airport (KGL).
• Your Zinduka Adventures driver-guide will welcome you.
• Begin with a Kigali City Tour:

  • Kigali Genocide Memorial — a powerful and moving tribute.
  • Kimironko Local Market — experience daily Rwandan life.
  • Kigali Convention Centre — an architectural landmark.
  • City viewpoints overlooking the rolling hills.

Afternoon:

• Enjoy lunch in Kigali (included).
• Depart for Bwindi, crossing into Uganda via the Cyanika or Katuna border.
• The drive offers stunning views of Rwanda's terraced hills and Uganda's misty landscapes.

Evening:

• Arrive at your lodge near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
• Check in, freshen up, and enjoy dinner.

🏨 Accommodation	🍽️ Meals Included
Luxury: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge / Bwindi Lodge	Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range: Bwindi Forest Lodge / Gorilla Mist Camp
Budget: Bwindi View Bandas

Driving Time: Approximately 4–5 hours + 30–60 minutes for border crossing

The Ultimate Wildlife Encounter

Early Morning:

• 6:00 AM – Wake-up call and early breakfast.
• 7:00 AM – Transfer to the park headquarters for briefing.
• Meet your Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides.
• Assigned to a gorilla family based on your fitness level.

Morning:

• Begin your trek through Bwindi's ancient rainforest — estimated to be over 25,000 years old.
• Trek duration: 30 minutes to 7 hours, depending on gorilla movement.
• The terrain is steep, muddy, and challenging — but every step is worth it.
• When you find the gorilla family, you'll spend one unforgettable hour observing them:

  • Watch the silverback lead his family.
  • See mothers gently nursing their babies.
  • Observe juveniles playing and tumbling through the vines.

Afternoon:

• Return to the trailhead and meet your guide.
• Return to the lodge for lunch and rest.
• Optional: Batwa cultural experience (extra cost) — learn about the indigenous Batwa people.

Evening:

• Dinner at the lodge and overnight.

🏨 Accommodation	🍽️ Meals Included
Same lodge as Day 1	Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner

Permit included: 1 standard gorilla trekking permit ($800).

Tree-Climbing Lions & Scenic Savannah

Morning:

• Breakfast at the lodge.
• Check out and depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• Drive through the Ishasha sector — famous for its tree-climbing lions.

Afternoon:

• En-route game drive through Ishasha:

  • Spot lions lounging in fig trees — a rare sight found almost nowhere else in Africa.
  • Look for elephants, buffaloes, topis, warthogs, and antelopes.

• Continue to your lodge in the northern section of Queen Elizabeth.

Evening:

• Check in and enjoy a sunset view over the savannah.
• Dinner at the lodge.

🏨 Accommodation	🍽️ Meals Included
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge / Kyambura Gorge Lodge	Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range: Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge / Engiri Lodge
Budget: Simba Safari Camp / Pumba Safari Camp

Driving Time: Approximately 3–4 hours

A Full Day of Wildlife Encounters

Morning:

• 6:30 AM – Early breakfast.
• 7:00 AM – Morning Game Drive on the Kasenyi Plains:

  • Search for lions, leopards, and hyenas.
  • Spot large herds of Uganda kob, elephants, and buffaloes.
  • Keep an eye out for the elusive leopard.

Afternoon:

• Return to the lodge for lunch.
• 2:00 PM – Boat Safari on the Kazinga Channel:

  • A 2-hour cruise through one of Africa's most water-rich areas.
  • Get within meters of hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, and elephants.
  • Watch magnificent waterbirds — African fish eagles, kingfishers, pelicans, and more.

Evening:

• Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

🏨 Accommodation	🍽️ Meals Included
Same lodge as Day 3	Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Primate Capital of East Africa

Morning:

• 6:30 AM – Early breakfast.
• Second Morning Game Drive — catch any sightings you may have missed.
• Alternatively, relax at the lodge and enjoy the views.

Afternoon:

• Check out and depart for Kibale National Park.
• Enjoy a scenic drive through:

  • Crater lakes region — dozens of stunning water-filled craters.
  • Tea plantations — lush green hillsides carpeted with tea.
  • Traditional Ugandan villages.

Evening:

• Arrive at your lodge near Kibale.
• Check in, freshen up, and enjoy dinner.

🏨 Accommodation	🍽️ Meals Included
Luxury: Primate Lodge / Ndali Lodge	Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge / Kibale Safari Lodge
Budget: Kibale Guesthouse / Rwenzori View Guesthouse

Driving Time: Approximately 3–4 hours

Primates, Birds & Wetland Wonders

Morning:

• 6:30 AM – Early breakfast.
• 7:30 AM – Arrive at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for briefing.
• 8:00 AM – Begin chimpanzee tracking in Kibale's lush rainforest:

  • Kibale is home to over 1,500 chimpanzees — one of the highest densities in Africa.
  • Listen to their haunting pant-hoot calls echo through the canopy.
  • Watch them swing through the treetops, feed, and interact.
  • Trek duration: 30 minutes to 4 hours.
  • Spend one hour observing the chimps after locating them.

Afternoon:

• Return to the lodge for lunch.
• Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary Walk:

  • A guided 2–3 hour walk through a pristine wetland.
  • Spot sitatunga antelope, monkeys, and over 200 bird species.
  • Learn about local conservation and community efforts.

Evening:

• Dinner at the lodge and overnight.

🏨 Accommodation	🍽️ Meals Included
Same lodge as Day 5	Breakfast, Lunch (packed), Dinner

Permit included: 1 chimpanzee tracking permit ($250).

Farewell to the Pearl of Africa

Morning:

• Breakfast at the lodge.
• Check out and begin the scenic drive back to Kigali.

Afternoon:

• Stop for lunch en route (included).
• Cross back into Rwanda via the Cyanika or Katuna border.
• Continue to Kigali, arriving in the late afternoon.

Evening:

• Transfer to Kigali International Airport (KGL) for your departure flight.
• Optional: Extend your stay in Kigali or add a Rwanda gorilla trek.

🍽️ Meals Included
Breakfast, Lunch

Driving Time: Approximately 6–7 hours + 30–60 minutes for border crossing