Rwanda Culture Uganda Gorilla Trek Wildlife Safari - 7 Days

Tour Plan for the 7 Days Rwanda Culture Uganda Gorilla Trek Wildlife Safari 

Day 1: Kigali City Tour, Visit Genocide Memorial, Musanze cave experience, Rwanda

Your guide meets with you at your hotel in the morning or at Kigali Airport to commence this Rwanda Culture, Uganda Gorilla Trek Safari. You go through the tour program and a general brief about Uganda and Rwanda before the Kigali city tour. On the city tour, we visit the Kigali Genocide memorial (at Gisozi) and other interesting places in the city.

The memorial is very moving – the tour takes a couple of hours - and will be of interest to anyone who has spent some time in this enchanting country. It is in memory of the multitudes murdered in Rwanda´s genocide 1994. The memorial sites and centers are places of dignified remembrance for loved ones lost. It is also a place of reflection and learning for the wider community, both in Rwanda and internationally.

The Musanze Caves just opened to exploratory tourists in 2013. Located at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park, the caves offer a peek into the geological history of the region, which was created by intense volcanic activity that formed the Albertine Rift Valley some 65 million years ago. Extending for a length of two kilometers and relatively easy to hike, the underground caverns provide guests with a profound understanding of the origins of the area.

The Rwanda Development Board and Rwanda Defense Forces have provided access to the caves so adventurous holiday-makers can enjoy exploring them. The floors of the caverns are paved, while the trails have stairways and walkways in place to facilitate easy movement. As you wander through the various subterranean areas, you can view intricate rock formations lit by pockets of soft sunlight, which filters through gaps in the ceiling. You might also chance to encounter some of the Rwandan bat species that have taken up residence there.

Top Accommodation options in Volcanoes National Park (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 2: Iby’Iwacu Village Cultural Experiences

Iby’iwacu Village is located in Kinigi, close to Volcanoes National Park. Taking a trip to the village as part of your itinerary will leave you feeling as though you have stepped back in time, to when kings ruled over the kingdom of Rwanda. The village offers visitors to the country an opportunity to gain a fascinating glimpse into an age-old culture, which can extend to spending a night there to get a taste of the traditional lifestyle. Activities depend on the interests of the visitors.

As you wander through the village on a guided community walk, you will be overwhelmed by the warmth and friendliness of the local folk. They are happy to introduce you to their traditional way of life, including songs and dances accompanied by lively drumming. You can listen to “gorilla songs” sung by the well-known performer Ngayabatema (better known as Kayuku), or perhaps watch the unique dance form presented by the Intore dancers and accompanied by traditional instruments. Take a lesson from a traditional healer in how to create medicinal elixirs from local plants, grasses, and shrubs, or peek into a classroom at one of the local schools.

Top Accommodation options in Volcanoes National Park (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Virunga Lodge | Silverback Sabinyo Lodge | Bishop's House Rwanda

Luxury level: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Moderate: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Muhabura Lodge

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3: Canoe Trek experience on Twin Lakes, Cross to Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Have morning breakfast and then visit the beautiful region of the twin Lakes Burera and Ruhondo. You will be introduced to traditional sustainable farming methods with African vegetables and fruits, visit the local fishermen and also see the fishing competition with children from the adjacent villages.

While here, you will go on a launch cruise in one of the traditional canoes and have a visit to the local witch doctors and the “snake man” and also to the convent “Foyer de Charité”.

Afterward, a few minutes' drive leads us to the Rwanda/Uganda border post of Kyanika. We cross and continue driving through the amazing landscapes of the terraced Virunga region.

After the fabulous scenery drive, we will be at our overnight accommodation.

Bwindi Accommodation options are available (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Gorilla Forest Camp | Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | Bwindi Lodge

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Springs Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge or Gorilla Safari Lodge

Moderate: Engagi Lodge |Gorilla Mist Camp | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Gorilla Conservation Camp | Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

Today, we shall have the highlight of our Rwanda and Uganda Safari when you hike deeper into the jungles of  Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on a gorilla trekking experience. Your tour guide shall ensure that you have everything necessary in place as they pick you from your lodge for this exclusive wildlife experience. First, you shall have a pre-gorilla trek briefing at the park headquarters from where you even learn more about the conservation for gorillas, the Bwindi forest ecology and other wildlife in the forest. There is also a traditional local community group that performs for the gorilla trekking guests every morning. You will then be allocated to your gorilla group to visit which is not more than 8 persons in total.

A team of skilled park guides and rangers shall be trekking with you to the gorillas. At first, the walkways are all trimmed and clear but as you trek deeper into the jungles, the paths are mostly improvised for that day's trek as the gorillas keep moving all the time. You should normally be walking for about 2-3 hours before catching a first glimpse of the mountain gorillas but sometimes this can be longer or even shorter. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. The moment you have reached the gorillas, you will receive further instructions and will be guided to the best viewing and photographing spots. The rangers shall even be clearing away any obstacles so that you get the best views of the gorillas. The time spent with the gorillas is only one hour and after that, you will be guided on the path out of Bwindi forest.

Bwindi Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Gorilla Forest Camp | Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | Bwindi Lodge

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Springs Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge or Gorilla Safari Lodge

Moderate: Engagi Lodge |Gorilla Mist Camp | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Gorilla Conservation Camp | Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park,  Tree Climbing Lions search in Ishasha Sector

We depart in the early morning after your breakfast to Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park.

We drive through some of the most fabulous sites with clear views of the 6 Virunga Volcanoes, Lake Bunyonyi, the terraced hills and valleys of South Western Uganda. 

We go through stunning savannah grasslands as we head to the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The game densities here are high, and this region has reported some of the largest herds of elephants anywhere in Uganda, as it is their main migration corridor between Uganda and the DRC. 

The Southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Ishasha Sector,  is known for the only tree climbing lions and your tour guide will do all it takes to ensure you see them.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is dominated on its northern border by the snow-capped 16,000-foot Rwenzori Mountains-the famed "Mountains of the Moon". This 767-square-mile conservation area is bordered on the North East by Lake George and on the South West by Lake Edward; its western border adjoins the Zaire Parc Du Virunga. You will expect to see teeming herds of impala-like Uganda Kob, as well as topi, elephant and lion, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo. There are also several soda lakes filling ancient volcanic calderas where flamingos reside seasonally.

Top recommended Queen Elizabeth National Park accommodation options (full Board)

Upper Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge | Kyambura Gorge Lodge | Kasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range: Enganzi Lodge | Bush Lodge

Budget: Bush Lodge (tents)| Simba Safari Camp (tents) | Pumba Cottages

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6: Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park - Wildlife Game Drives, Kazinga Boat trip 

We have a full day of adventurous wildlife experiences in the immaculately laid out savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

You are better off getting yourself ready to depart from the lodge by 6:30 AM so that we can have a shot at catching the big predators still in action before the heat of the day. The Kasenyi plains are the best place to locate the lions, leopards, and hyenas in hunting displays because of the teeming herds of impala-like Uganda kob, as well as topi, elephant, and Cape buffalo.

Queen Elizabeth National Park also has beautiful views of snow-capped 16,000-foot Rwenzori Mountains - the famed "Mountains of the Moon" on the northern side that are hard to miss out on clear sky days. On tracks in the Baboon Cliff are several crater lakes and soda lakes filling ancient volcanic calderas where flamingos reside seasonally and your guide can show you out depending on the time available.

We then return to our lodge for a well-deserved breakfast and a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel. This gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippos huff and spray at very close range from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink-backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle-billed stork, and many others.

Top recommended Queen Elizabeth National Park accommodation options (full Board)

Upper Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge | Kyambura Gorge Lodge | Kasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range: Ihamba Safari Lodge  airport or Kigali Airport for Departure  

We shall be ending the 7 Days Rwanda Culture, Uganda Gorilla Trek Safari with a panoramic drive to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, or if you prefer Kigali Airport (8 hours drive). The routes used traverse breathtaking scenery and delightfully rolling plantations, some of the best in Africa!

End of the 7 Days Rwanda Culture Uganda Gorilla Trek Safari.

Included in the Service for the 7 Days Rwanda Culture, Uganda Gorilla Trek Safari.

• Accommodation with all meals during the tour
• Private Transportation using a safari land-cruiser
• All tour activities as indicated  including 1 Uganda gorilla permit
• Game drives and Kazinga boat safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park 
• Sight seeing opportunities in Virungas, Lake Bunyonyi, Rwenzori
• Accommodation as per the tour plan for 7 Days Rwanda Culture, Uganda Gorilla Trek Safari
• Park fees
• Entry fees
• Bottled drinking mineral water