RWANDA & UGANDA PRIMATE SAFARI
11 Days | Private Safari | Rwanda–Uganda Cross-Border Primate & Wildlife Experience
Tour Overview
This exclusive cross-border safari is designed for travelers seeking a deep and immersive primate experience across Rwanda and Uganda. The journey combines ancient rainforests, volcanic landscapes, and rich wildlife ecosystems, offering a seamless blend of chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey encounters, colobus monkey experiences, mountain gorilla trekking, boat safaris, and scenic overland travel.
Travelers will be accompanied by a dedicated private guide throughout the journey, ensuring consistency, comfort, and expert interpretation of every destination visited. The itinerary is carefully paced to allow meaningful wildlife encounters while maintaining comfort and smooth regional transitions.
Day 1 – Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your private guide and transferred to your hotel in the city. This first day is reserved for relaxation after your international journey. Depending on arrival time, you may unwind at the hotel or enjoy a gentle introduction to the calm and orderly atmosphere of Kigali before the safari begins in earnest.
Overnight: Kigali Serena
Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast
Day 2 – Kigali to Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, you depart Kigali and journey toward the southwest of Rwanda into the lush region of Nyungwe Forest. Whether traveling by scenic drive or domestic flight, the route reveals Rwanda’s signature rolling hills, tea plantations, and vibrant rural landscapes. On arrival, you settle into your lodge on the edge of the rainforest and spend the remainder of the day at leisure, surrounded by the sounds and atmosphere of one of Africa’s oldest montane forests.
Overnight: Nyungwe Forest
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 3 – Colobus Monkey Experience in Nyungwe Forest
Today is dedicated to exploring the ancient rainforest of Nyungwe in search of its remarkable primates, particularly the famous colobus monkey super troop. After an early breakfast, you enter the forest with experienced ranger guides who lead you through dense vegetation, steep terrain, and mist-covered canopy trails. The highlight is encountering large groups of colobus monkeys moving dynamically through the treetops, an extraordinary natural spectacle. The afternoon is left open for relaxation or optional short nature walks.
Overnight: Munazi Lodge – Nyungwe
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 4 – Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, you begin a scenic journey north through Rwanda’s iconic countryside toward the volcanic region of Volcanoes National Park. The drive passes through terraced hillsides, rural villages, and breathtaking green valleys before reaching the dramatic backdrop of the Virunga volcanoes. Upon arrival, you check into your lodge and enjoy a peaceful evening in preparation for upcoming primate encounters.
Overnight: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 5 – Golden Monkey Tracking in Volcanoes National Park
After an early breakfast and briefing, you enter Volcanoes National Park to track the rare and energetic golden monkeys. Found in bamboo forests at the base of the Virunga volcanoes, these primates are highly active and move in large groups, creating lively and colorful forest scenes. The trek is moderately easy and highly rewarding. The afternoon is free for relaxation or optional cultural experiences in nearby communities.
Overnight: Volcanoes Region
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 6 – Volcanoes National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda)
After breakfast, you depart for the Rwanda–Uganda border where immigration formalities are completed before continuing into Uganda. The journey then descends into the dramatic landscapes surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Passing through rolling hills, rural settlements, and lush valleys, you arrive in the Rushaga sector by afternoon and settle into your forest lodge on the edge of one of Africa’s most important gorilla habitats.
Overnight: Burunga Safari Lodge Bwindi (Rushaga Sector)
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 7 – Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Today is the most anticipated highlight of the safari. After an early breakfast, you proceed to park headquarters for briefing before entering the dense rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Accompanied by experienced trackers and rangers, you trek through thick jungle terrain in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family. The trek may take several hours depending on their location, but the reward is an unforgettable one-hour encounter with these gentle giants in their natural habitat. This experience is deeply moving and often considered life-changing.
Overnight: Burunga Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 8 – Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Boat Safari Experience)
After breakfast, you depart Bwindi and travel through Uganda’s scenic countryside toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. The journey passes crater lakes, rural farmlands, and open savannah landscapes before descending into the park region. In the afternoon, you enjoy a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel, a wildlife-rich waterway connecting Lake Edward and Lake George. This relaxing cruise offers close encounters with hippos, elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, and a wide variety of birdlife along the shoreline.
Overnight: Marafiki Safari Lodge – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 9 – Queen Elizabeth to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, you continue north toward Kibale Forest National Park, widely regarded as the primate capital of East Africa. Upon arrival, you enter the forest for chimpanzee tracking, following expert guides through dense tropical vegetation in search of habituated chimpanzee families. The experience is dynamic and engaging, offering close observation of their natural behavior. In the evening, you enjoy a guided night forest walk, where nocturnal species such as bush babies and other forest creatures may be observed.
Overnight: Turaco Treetops
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 10 – Kibale to Entebbe via Bigodi Wetlands
This morning begins with a guided walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-managed conservation area rich in birdlife, primates, and swamp ecosystems. After the walk, you begin your scenic drive back to Entebbe, passing through rural landscapes, tea plantations, and vibrant roadside communities. Arrival is in the evening, where you check into your hotel near the airport for your final night in Uganda.
Overnight: Entebbe
Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast
Day 11 – Departure
After breakfast, you are transferred to Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight. This marks the conclusion of your Rwanda and Uganda primate safari, with memories of extraordinary wildlife encounters, diverse landscapes, and immersive cultural experiences.
Package Includes
- Airport meet and greet in Kigali
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle with experienced driver-guide throughout Rwanda & Uganda
- Accommodation as specified in the itinerary (mid-range / luxury options available on request)
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Gorilla trekking permit (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park)
- Golden monkey tracking permit (Volcanoes National Park)
- Chimpanzee tracking permit (Kibale Forest National Park)
- Colobus monkey tracking experience (Nyungwe Forest National Park)
- Boat safari on Kazinga Channel (Queen Elizabeth National Park)
- Park entrance fees for all national parks visited
- All ground transfers and border crossing assistance
- Bottled drinking water during safari
- All guided activities with professional ranger guides
- Government taxes where applicable
Package Excludes
- International flights to/from East Africa
- Visa fees for Rwanda and Uganda
- Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Personal travel insurance (highly recommended)
- Tips and gratuities for guides, lodge staff, and porters
- Laundry services
- Items of personal nature (souvenirs, phone calls, etc.)
- Accommodation upgrades outside the standard itinerary category
Request for Quotation
This safari can be customized based on your travel preferences, accommodation level (budget, mid-range, or luxury), and preferred travel dates.
Please note:
Prices are valid for 2026 and 2027.
The lodges and hotels are subject to availability at the time of booking. In the event that a property is
unavailable, we will be pleased to offer a suitable alternative of a similar range, quality, and service standard to ensure your comfort and satisfaction.
Prices for optional activities may differ if only one person decides to take part.
The Gorilla Tracking included in this safari depends on the availability of gorilla trekking permits at the time of booking. These permits are strictly limited and sold out in advance, especially during peak seasons of Christmas and school holidays. We therefore strongly recommend booking early.
The prices for different permits are calculated by the UWA and may change in the future
The safari indicated here is essentially an offer. Changes in the course of the journey, the duration of your tour, the number of travelers, as well as the choice of accommodation are subject to availability, although we always endeavor to stick as closely as possible to this programme. For the majority of itineraries, we can offer luxury, midrange or budget versions of this safari upon request. Sometimes it is not possible to adhere to the travel plan as described in this itinerary, due to weather and road conditions, authority regulations, organizational requirements, etc. Occasionally, the planned route of the tour has to change according to the situation on the ground. We must therefore explicitly refuse liability for adherence to the journey plan.
By booking this safari, the client accepts Feather Trail Safaris terms and conditions of business, available to read on our web site.
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