This 4-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali begins and ends in Kigali, taking you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to Africa’s mountain gorillas, and Queen Elizabeth National Park, a well-known bio-diverse park and home to Uganda’s tree-climbing lions.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park shelters about 15 gorilla families across its 4 gorilla trekking sectors. It’s also home to 350 bird species, 120 mammal species, 27 chameleon species, 220 butterfly species, and up to 1,000 plant species.
Queen Elizabeth National Park ranks among Uganda’s best-known savannah parks, about 376 km from Kampala and covering roughly 1,978 square kilometers.
The park holds about 95 mammal species, over 600 bird species (around 10% of Africa’s total bird population), 10 primate species, and two prides of tree-climbing lions. It’s one of Uganda’s best destinations for boat cruises and game drives.
4-Day Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha sector
- Day 4: Morning game drive and return to Kigali
Detailed 4-Day Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Have breakfast at your hotel in Kigali, or an airport pickup depending on your schedule, to start this 4-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
Transfer to Bwindi National Park in southwestern Uganda, a drive of roughly 4 to 5 hours.
The route includes several stops for photos, including views of the Virunga volcanoes, tea and sugarcane plantations, and Rwandan homesteads along the way.
You can choose to visit a local homestead to learn about daily life in rural Rwanda.
The scenery along this stretch, with its rolling hills, is typical of the Land of a Thousand Hills. On arrival at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, have dinner and stay overnight at your lodge.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Wake up for the day’s main event on this leg of your 4-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
After an early breakfast at your lodge, join other trekkers at the ranger station for the briefing on gorilla trekking rules. With your trekking gear, packed lunch, and water, the trek begins at 8:00 am.
Head into the Bwindi forest to search for your assigned gorilla family. Porters are available at the station to help carry luggage and provide walking sticks.
Trekking time can run from 2 to 8 hours or more, depending on your pace, the terrain, and the gorillas’ location.
Once you find the gorilla family, spend up to one hour with them, learning about their behavior, family structure, and social dynamics, with plenty of time for photos and video.
Afterward, trek back to the starting point and return to the lodge to rest. In the afternoon, prepare for an evening community walk.
Visiting the Batwa community gives insight into their traditions, along with traditional dance and performances. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha Sector
After an early breakfast on this day of your 4-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha area, at the park’s southern tip.
Along the way, watch for bushbuck, topi, kob, elephants, buffalo, monkeys, and birds. With some luck, you may spot the area’s tree-climbing lions.
Continue to park headquarters at Mweya. Depending on your arrival time, take the afternoon boat trip at 2:00 pm or the later one at 4:00 pm.
The boat trip along the Kazinga Channel lasts up to 2 hours, with sightings of hippos, crocodiles, and bird species such as the African fish eagle, pied and malachite kingfishers, pink-backed pelican, African skimmer, and saddle-billed stork.
Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Return to Kigali
Have breakfast, then take a game drive through the Kasenyi sector to look for the park’s resident wildlife, including elephants, buffalo, waterbuck, Uganda kobs, warthogs, and some of the park’s 620 recorded bird species.
After the game drive, exit the park for the drive back to Kigali, through the Kigezi highlands, arriving in Kigali late in the evening. Depending on your schedule, you’ll be dropped at your hotel or the airport for your departure flight, marking the end of this 4-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
End of 4-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
