This exciting 7-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali explores the best of Kigali City, introducing rich African culture, historical museums, and the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods before crossing over to Uganda for wildlife encounters, gorilla and chimpanzee expeditions, and adventures on the crystal clear waters of the Kazinga Channel and Lake Bunyonyi.
Below is the detailed itinerary for this Uganda safari tour.
7-Day Uganda Primate Trekking & Wildlife Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
- Day 2: Walking Safari & Afternoon Boat Cruise
- Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Afternoon Boat Cruise
- Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu Forest & Transfer to Ishasha Sector
- Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 6: Gorilla Trekking & Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 7: Transfer to Kigali
Detailed 7-Day Uganda Primate Trekking & Wildlife Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
This morning of your 7-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali, explore the city highlights on a city tour in Kigali, and in the afternoon, transfer to Uganda’s border and proceed to Lake Mburo National Park passing via the western city of Mbarara, where you will stay for the next one night.
Day 2: Walking Safari & Afternoon Boat Cruise
Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park are a magical way to experience the wild firsthand. A walking safari allows you to get in contact with minute details often overlooked during a game drive.
Expect to see buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda Kobs, impala, waterbucks, crocodiles, and – if you’re lucky, even some rare cats. At 2 pm, head to Lake Mburo for a leisurely boat trip.
The Lake Mburo boat cruise is the perfect platform to spot and photograph different bird species, big mammals, and reptiles. Head back to the lodge in the afternoon for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Afternoon Boat Cruise
Check out from your lodge in Lake Mburo National Park and drive southwest to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Arrive early enough and in the afternoon, go for a 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which joins Lake George and Lake Edward.
The cruise exposes you to various bird species (both endemic and migratory), large mammals, cats, and reptiles. After the boat cruise, retire back to the Lodge for relaxation.
Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu Forest & Transfer to Ishasha Sector
After breakfast, go on a forest walk in search of chimpanzees. While trekking in the lush green Kalinzu Forest, surrounded by sweet bird songs, you can expect to spot at least 5 or 6 other types of primates, notably the grey-cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys, alongside chimpanzees.
The Kalinzu Forest chimpanzee trek is fairly easy due to well-maintained trails and fairly flat terrain. After the trek, proceed to the Ishasha sector in the south of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
You can take an evening game drive in Ishasha to explore the rare tree-climbing lions that inhabit this area. Overnight stay in Ishasha.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This morning, rise to an early breakfast and head towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (about 4-6 hrs drive). Famous for its notable biodiversity, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to an array of endangered species including half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, endemic bird species, great mountain forest scenery, and verdant flora. Arrive in the evening, check-in, and overnight stay.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking & Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Early morning after breakfast, leave the lodge and head for a briefing session at Rushaga ranger station. The head ranger will educate you about the Do’s and Don’ts of gorilla trekking expedition, and advise you on simple gorilla trekking etiquette to be observed.
Off to the jungles you go, with a porter (hired at the park headquarters). Visits are strictly controlled to only 8 people per family to limit the possibility of transmission of contagious infections to the endangered mountain gorillas.
The dense jungles of Bwindi can sometimes be wet, muddy, and uncomfortable, reaching altitudes of almost 2000 meters above sea level.
The terrain is by no means easy, and it can be quite tedious for a novice hiker, often humid, but the sheer joy of meeting a habituated family of gorillas, led by a giant Silverback, is worth the difficulty.
After spending one hour up close with the mighty gorillas, trek back to the starting point, have a picnic lunch, and exit the park to Lake Bunyonyi. Arrive at Lake Bunyonyi late in the afternoon. Take a sunset boat trip across the lake and visit the lake’s famous inland islands.
Day 7: Transfer to Kigali
After breakfast, undertake an optional activity which may include a tribal visit, sightseeing, community walks, or canoeing experiences. Then transfer to the border of Rwanda and head to Kigali airport for your onward flight.
End of 7-Day Uganda Safari from Kigali.
