9 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari Tour – Overview

The 9 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari Tour takes you throughout the adventure town of Jinja, the smallest Savannah park in Uganda – the Lake Mburo National Park with counts of Burchell’s Zebra and Impala, the Queen Elizabeth National Park which boasts of the four of the big five land animals including the lions, leopard buffaloes and the elephant not forgetting its unique tree climbing lions of Ishasha, the recreational boat cruise along the 45km Paradise of Hippos, the rewarding mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable and Volcanoes National Parks in Uganda and Rwanda respectively, scenery of Bunyonyi and the Virunga ranges.

9 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari Tour – Highlights

• Day 1: Explore Jinja – the source of the River Nile. Half day white water rafting & a boat to the source of the Nile or optional Bungee Jumping
• Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park – the smallest Savannah park in Uganda & do boat cruise
• Day 3: Do morning game walking safari & connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Day 4: Do morning game drive & afternoon boat cruise along the Hippos Paradise – the 45km long Kazinga Channel
• Day 5: Do morning chimp trekking in Kyambura & salt lake visit in the afternoon
• Day 6: Do game drive in Ishasha sector en route to Lake Bunyonyi in search of tree climbing lions
• Day 7: Do morning boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi & transfer to Volcanoes National Park
• Day 8: Do gorilla trekking
• Day 9: Hike Bisoke Volcano & transfer to Kigali.

9 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari Tour – Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Jinja – The Source of The River Nile. Halfday White Water Rafting & a Boat to The Source of The Nile

You will wake up early for breakfast at your place of stay after which you will be transferred by your guide to Jinja 80km about 1-2 hours’ drive from Kampala.

Upon reaching Jinja – the adventure town of Uganda, you will enroll yourself for the white water rafting experience that will see you contain the strength of waters of the Nile as they splash through the rapids.

After the half day rafting, you can enroll yourself for an adventurous and challenging Nile High bungee where you will stretch from 140ft to touch the waters of the majestic Nile River.

The Jinja encounter also offers you an opportunity undertake a thrilling boat cruise to the source of the Nile where the Nile starts its 90 Days journey to Mediterranean Sea.

Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel (Upmarket/luxury), Cassia Lodge (Midrange/Standard) or Buziga Country Resort (Budget/Basic).

Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park – The Smallest Savannah Park in Uganda & Do Boat Cruise

Depart from Kampala at your place of abode after breakfast in the company of our guide and set off for L. Mburo National Park 240km about 3 – 4 hours’ drive.

Stop at the Equator crossing- Kayabwe 77km from Kampala for photography and amazing water experiments that bring out the divide between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Proceed on your journey through the farmed hill sides of Central Uganda and pass by towns of Masaka, Mbirizi, Kyazanga and Lyantonde before arriving at Lake Mburo National Park for check in and lunch.

Relax for a while and prepare to do the boat cruise on Lake Mburo where you will have chances to see the wild game drinking on the Lake side including the Impala and Buffaloes, birds like African fish eagle perching on overlapping trees and Hippos as they thrive in their ancient waters.

Accommodation: Mihingo Safari Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Arcadia cottages Mburo (Midrange/ standard) or Eagles Nest (Budget/Basic).

Day 3: Do Morning Game Walking Safari & Connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After an early morning cup of coffee, embark on a game walk through the Savannah landscapes of the park with possible sights Impala, zebra, buffalo, eland, bushbuck, warthog, Topi alongside birds and amazing Savannah landscapes.

Return to lodge for short relaxation after which you will embark on the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park 180km about 4 hours’ drive from Lake Mburo.

The drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park offers impressive views if the Bunyaruguru crater field and the overlooking towering Rwenzori Mountains rising to 5,109m above sea level with snowcapped peaks.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Upmarket/luxury), Enganzi Lodge (Midrange/Standard) or Pumba Safari Cottages (Budget/Basic).

Day 4: Do Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise Along The Hippos Paradise – The 45km Long Kazinga Channel

Take an early morning cup of coffee before embarking on the wild game viewing in the rolling Savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. the drive will take you through Kasenyi which is a dwelling place for a range of game including the elephants, lions, buffaloes, Antelopes among others.

The racks are well designed to increase you possibilities of encountering wild game.

The sights of an elusive leopard, defassa waterbuck, Uganda kob, Side stripped Jackal; Oribis among others might be encountered.

Return to the lodge after this 3 -4 hour game drive for refreshment and relaxation until the time for lunch.

After having a thrilling lunch, embark on the rewarding boat cruise on the 45km long Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes Edward and George.

The 2 hour boat cruise opens your possibilities of enjoying the calm channel waters filled with counts of Hippos no wonder the channel is called the Paradise of Hippos.

The other sights of water birds and the Nile crocodiles may not be missed. Retire in the evening at 5pm to connect to the lodge for overnight.

You have a mini game drive along the channel track to encounter the wild game enjoying themselves in their natural habitats.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Enganzi Lodge (Midrange/Standard) or Pumba Safari Cottages (Budget/Basic).

Day 5: Do Morning Chimp Trekking in Kyambura & Salt Lake Visit in The Afternoon

Transfer to Kyambura gorge after breakfast for a thrilling Chimp trekking in the morning starting at 8am.

The gorge has got a lush tropical forest thriving below sea level which is an amazing thing to encounter. The populations of Chimpanzees “Our Cousins” thriving in this gorge are very rewarding once you come across them.

Their playful tactics, pant hooting calls, social character will definitely leave you in a moment of wonder.

The activity tends to last 2 – 5 hours after which you will retreat to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, embark on the tour to the salt lake in the explosion crater field in the north of the park.

Lake Katwe is a salty lake and a range of local people gather to extract salt from it to support their lives, they take you through the process of salt extraction and how their livelihood has been centered on this natural resource. The impressive scenic views are also available. Retire to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Enganzi Lodge (Midrange/Standard) or Pumba Safari Cottages (Budget/Basic).

Day 6: Do Game Drive in Ishasha Sector En-route to Lake Bunyonyi in Search of Tree Climbing Lions

Drive through Ishasha sector in search of tree climbing lions en route to Lake Bunyonyi. The drive is 289km about 6 – 7 hours excluding stops en route.

The rolling savannah landscapes of Ishasha support counts of wild game including the tree climbing lions.

You will have lunch en route, traverse the impressive forested landscapes of Bwindi and the Kigezi Highlands and arrive on Lake Bunyonyi in the evening for relaxation dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Bird nest @Lake Bunyonyi resort (Upmarket/luxury), Lake Bunyonyi Eco-resort (Midrange/standard) or Byoona Amagara Island Retreat (Budget/Basic).

Day 7: Do Morning Boat Cruise on Lake Bunyonyi & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

Lake Bunyonyi also popularly known as the land of a thousand islands can be better be explored on a local engine canoe.

The cruise will take you close to the main Islands amidst the impressive Kigezi Highlands. After this encounter, embark on the transfer to Volcanoes National Park 120 km for overnight.

Accommodation: Mount Gorilla View Lodge (Upmarket/luxury), La Palme Hotel (Midrange/standard) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget/Basic)

Day 8: Do Gorilla Trekking & Visit The Iby wachu Cultural Village in The Evening

Wake up in the morning for a cup of coffee at your place of stay after which you transfer to Kinigi Park Headquarters in Volcanoes National Park for the gorilla trekking encounter.

At 8am, you catch up with the briefing exercise by the park rangers about the gorilla trekking conduct.

In this session, you will be allocated a specific gorilla family that you are going to track and in case of special concern such as mobility issues, you can notify the responsible personnel to allocate you a suitable family.

For the sake of the adventurous ones, you can also notify the responsible personnel to allocate you a more strenuous and challenging gorilla family to track.

After this encounter you head to the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes where the Park is located in search of the critically endangered mountain gorillas which only thrive in the Virunga Massif and the famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the neighboring Uganda.

The activity which may last between 2 – 8 hours depending on the gorilla movements will involve a 1 hour of direct encounter with gorillas coupled with unlimited opportunity to take as many photos as you wish after which you will descend back to the gorilla trekking point.

The gorilla trekking in Rwanda is most times brief as the gorilla families tend to be closer to the starting point.

After returning, transfer back to lodge for short relaxation after which you visit the iby’wachu cultural village to gain an insight of the Kinyarwanda traditions including Music dance and drama, art and crat, architecture, ancient stories and the Royal practices among others. Retire in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury) / Hotel La Palme (Midrange/Standard) or Muhabura Hotel (Budget/Basic).

Day 9: Hike Bisoke Volcano & Transfer to Kigali

After breakfast, hike the Bisoke Volcano which takes 7 hours round trip. It involves a relative hike and like any other mountain, it involve step ascend at certain levels.

Hiking this volcano exposes you to various vegetation covers, wildlife including monkeys, bird species while its summit offers views of the entire Virunga volcanoes and Democratic Republic of Congo.

You will return from any of these activities to the lodge for lunch after which you will embark on the transfer to Kigali 116km about 3 hours’ drive.

End of The 9 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari Tour.