14-Day Uganda & Rwanda Primates & Wildlife Safari

Safari Overview

A two-week Uganda and Rwanda safari for travellers who want the region’s headline primates, wildlife parks and landscapes in one connected journey.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Kigali

Spend time in Kigali with flexible options for city orientation, markets, local food or a reflective visit to key cultural and historical sites before continuing the safari.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 2 – Akagera National Park

Travel into Akagera National Park for Rwanda’s classic savannah wildlife. Game drives reveal a landscape of woodland, open plains, lakes and wetlands with a chance for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes and predators.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 3 – Akagera Wildlife Safari

Travel into Akagera National Park for Rwanda’s classic savannah wildlife. Game drives reveal a landscape of woodland, open plains, lakes and wetlands with a chance for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes and predators.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 4 – Volcanoes National Park

Drive into the Virunga foothills near Volcanoes National Park, where cultivated slopes rise toward a chain of dramatic volcanoes.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 5 – Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

After an early park briefing, trek into the bamboo and montane forest with rangers to find a habituated mountain gorilla family. Terrain and trekking time vary, making good footwear and a steady pace important.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 6 – Golden Monkey Tracking

Track golden monkeys in the bamboo zone with park guides. Their quick movement, bright colouring and social behaviour make this a lively primate experience that pairs naturally with a gorilla trek.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 7 – Cross to Bwindi

Travel through the green highlands toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with changing views of farms, forested hills and small trading centres.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 8 – Uganda Gorilla Trekking

After the ranger briefing, enter the forest with trackers to search for a habituated mountain gorilla family. The walk can be short or demanding depending on the gorillas’ location. Once found, enjoy the permitted viewing time quietly observing behaviour and photographing the encounter before returning to the trailhead.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 9 – Lake Bunyonyi

Continue to Lake Bunyonyi for a slower afternoon beside the terraced hills and island-dotted water. This is a good place to rest after trekking and enjoy optional canoeing or a gentle community walk.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 10 – Queen Elizabeth National Park

Enter Queen Elizabeth National Park for savannah wildlife, crater scenery and the possibility of elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, lions and prolific birdlife.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 11 – Game Drive & Kazinga Channel

Take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, where hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds and animals coming to drink create one of Uganda’s most relaxed wildlife-viewing sessions.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 12 – Kibale Forest

Drive toward Kibale’s forested landscape, passing tea country, crater lakes and village scenery before settling near the forest for the next primate experience.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 13 – Chimpanzee Tracking

Join a guided chimpanzee tracking walk in Kibale Forest. Listen for calls in the canopy, follow signs with your ranger and spend time with a habituated community when located. The forest also supports monkeys, birds and rich plant life.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Day 14 – Transfer to Entebbe & Departure

After breakfast, begin the final transfer to the airport or your agreed drop-off point. Stops can be arranged around flight timing, and your guide will help keep the final day comfortable and unhurried.

Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.

Customize This Safari

This itinerary is a strong starting point rather than a fixed formula. Bush Shrike Adventures can change the accommodation level, add or remove nights, include domestic flights, adjust the arrival city, add birding time, slow the pace for photography or combine the trip with more destinations in Uganda or Rwanda.