20 Days Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda Safari Wildlife and Culture
Over view
This all-inclusive 20-day safari across Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda will take you on fascinating wildlife and cultural experiences in unique places.
Explore intriguing local cultures and history, follow primates on foot, and enjoy wildlife watching in a 4×4 safari vehicle on this one-of-a-kind African safari. While gorilla trekking in Uganda and following chimpanzees and golden monkeys in Rwanda, you might lose yourself in the beautiful jungles of East Africa. Enjoy wildlife drives, boat cruises, a forest canopy walk, and tours of contemporary African towns and rural villages to see a variety of stunning landscapes.
You may choose from cozy lodging on this Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda safari that fits your tastes and budget in full-board, budget, or mid-range pricing categories. Included in this wildlife and cultural trip are transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle, a guide who speaks English, and more.
Day by Day Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali Rwanda
Rwanda, known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills”, is characterized by undulating green hills that dominate the landscape. The Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda Safari begins at the international airport in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. From there, you are taken to your hotel, where you will have dinner and spend the night. As you prepare for your adventures ahead.
Accommodation options: Five to five hotels (Budget), Des Mille Collines (Mid-range), Kigali Marriot (Luxury)
Meal included: Dinner.
Day 2: Kigali City to Volcanoes National Park
Begin your first full day in Rwanda with a relaxed breakfast at your Kigali hotel, after which the guide will pick you up for a tour of the city. Kigali is Rwanda’s modern capital, a secure city with a bustling environment and friendly locals.
Most tourists find Kigali to be unexpectedly clean and well-managed, particularly when compared to other African cities. The sightseeing trip includes a stop at the Kimironko Market, where you can explore local arts and crafts and purchase curios and souvenirs, as well as a visit to the renowned Kigali Genocide Memorial, which was constructed in 2004 to memorialize the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. The monument is more than simply a last resting place for the almost one million individuals slaughtered during the Rwandan genocide. Its purpose is to respect the memory of those who died in the conflict, educate about and prevent future genocides, give survivor care, and encourage peace-building. After your Kigali City tour, your guide will take you to Ruhengeri, which is now known as Musanze. This village is situated in the Volcanoes National Park, about 80 kilometers from Kigali. When you arrive at Volcanoes Park, check into the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Mount Muthaura Lodge, La Palme Hotel (Budget) Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, (Mid-range) Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, or Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel(luxury)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Golden Monkey tracking and cultural Experience, Volcanoes National park-Rwanda
The day starts with an early morning breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, your safari guide will come and pick you up and transport you to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters, where you will attend a pre-trekking briefing on the guidelines to follow during the trek.
Volcanoes National Park is well-known for both gorilla trekking in Rwanda and golden monkey tracking. These endangered golden monkeys are native to the area and live in bamboo woods on the lower slopes of the mountains, making for a simpler and shorter walk compared to gorilla trekking. Golden monkey tracking is a highly recommended and unique wildlife experience that will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable parts of your African safari
When you find one of the two huge, habituated groups, each with about 100 golden monkeys, you will have an hour to observe these creatures in their natural habitat. Golden monkeys are very gregarious and athletic, hopping furiously between trees and conversing joyfully. The stroll also provides a wonderful opportunity to see other primates and animals in the forest, as well as a variety of unique birds. Forest elephants, spotted hyenas, buffaloes, big forest hogs, bushpigs, and numerous antelopes including bushbuck and duikers may also be sighted here.
After a wonderful morning of tracking golden monkeys in Volcanoes Park, you return to your lodge for lunch and rest before your cultural tour. Later afternoon, we will visit an indigenous hamlet to learn about traditional African culture. At the Iby’iwacu Cultural Center, you may experience Rwandan life by watching a traditional drumming and dance performance. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Mount Muthaura Lodge, La Palme Hotel (Budget) Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, (Mid-range) Bisate Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, or Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel(luxury)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 4: Lake Kivu and Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda
Awake early for breakfast and thereafter, the driver guide will pick you up from your hotel for a stunning dawn boat ride on neighboring Lake Kivu. Lake Kivu is one of the Great African Lakes of the Rift Valley, located on the boundary between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. The lake covers around 2700 km² and is Africa’s deepest freshwater lake owing to its location on a shifting volcanic fault. Known for its gorgeous sandy beaches, you will spend around 2 hours exploring this magnificent lake and the lush islands that surround it, admiring the beauty and birds as we sail along.
This Lake Kivu boat cruise’s highlight is a stop at Kimbiri to savor Rwandan coffee at a coffee estate. On a crop-to-cup coffee tour, you will learn about Rwandan coffee production and get the opportunity to try some. After this morning’s wonderful adventure, you will be picked up and transferred to Nyungwe Forest National Park. You pause for lunch on the way before being dropped off at the lodge where you will spend the rest of the evening at leisure, dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options:
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Nyungwe Forest National Park – Rwanda
Day five in Rwanda focuses on chimpanzee tracking and a thrilling forest canopy walk. After an early breakfast, you’ll head to Nyungwe Forest National Park, home to Africa’s oldest montane forest and over 500 chimpanzees. This biodiverse rainforest offers a chance to see various primates, including black-faced vervet monkeys and Rwenzori colobus monkeys, as well as an array of other wildlife, plants, and birds.
After your chimpanzee encounter and lunch at your accommodation, you will embark on a guided forest canopy walk along the Igishigishigi Trail. This 50m high suspension bridge provides stunning views of the forest from above and takes about 1.5 hours to navigate. After your adventures, return to the lodge for relaxation before dinner, ready for the next day’s safari exploration.
Accommodation options: Mantis Kivu (Luxury), Nyungwe Hill top (Mid-range), Kitabi Eco Centre (Budget)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 6: Kigali -Rwanda
Today, our Rwanda, Burundi & Uganda Safari concludes in Kigali, where you’ll stay overnight. After an early buffet breakfast, check out from your Kivu accommodation for a 5-hour drive back to Kigali, stopping at the Royal Palace Museum and Ethnographic Museum to explore Rwanda’s history and culture. Enjoy lunch en route and spend the afternoon at your leisure in Kigali. If you have time, consider visiting the Belgium Museum and Hotel des Mille Collines to learn about the Rwandan Genocide. Have dinner and rest well at your accommodation.
Accommodation options: Kigali Serena Hotel (Luxury), Hotel Des Mille Collines
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 7: Day 7: Bujumbura – Burundi
After breakfast, you say goodbye to Rwanda and begin an 8-hour scenic drive to Burundi, known as “The Heart of Africa.” Your first stop is Bujumbura, the commercial capital and main port on Lake Tanganyika. This vibrant port city showcases colonial French and German influences and serves as an economic and tourist hub. Along the way, enjoy stunning landscapes stop for lunch, and also get to learn about local culture. Arrive at your hotel in Bujumbura in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation options
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8: Rutovu & Karera Waterfalls to Gitega – Burundi
Start your day with a delicious hotel breakfast before being collected for an excursion to Rogov and Karera Waterfalls. You’ll drive to Rotovu, a small town in southern Burundi, known as the southernmost source of the Egyptian White Nile and home to the oldest Catholic Church mission in the country.
After lunch, visit Karera Falls, an 80m waterfall surrounded by lush forests in Rutana. This stunning site features three main cascades and is particularly beautiful during the rainy season (October to January). The area is also recognized for its “healing waters” from nearby thermal falls. Finally, you’ll head to your accommodation in Gitega for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 9: Gitega City, Gishora, Kibira National Park – Burundi
After breakfast at the hotel, start your day with a tour of Gitega City, the political capital of Burundi. Visit The National Museum of Gitega to learn about the country’s history and culture, followed by a stop at Boma, the former German governor’s residence. Next, explore the Sacred Drum Sanctuary in Bishara, where the Royal Drummers perform a UNESCO-recognized show of traditional drumming, dance, and poetry. Then, head to Kibira National Park for a forest hike, spotting primates like colobus monkeys and chimpanzees among its lush vegetation.
Finish your day by visiting the Batwa Pygmy community in Busekera, enjoying traditional dancing, and learning about their lifestyle. The day concludes with a drive back to Bujumbura for dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel.
Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Day 10: Rusizi National Park (Burundi) to Kigali – Rwanda
After your breakfast, you visit Rusizi National Park for a boat safari on the Rusizi River, just 15 km north of Bujumbura. The park is renowned for birdwatching and wildlife including hippos, crocodiles, monkeys, and sitatungas. The boat cruise offers stunning views of the Congolese mountains and the unique sight where the red waters of the river meet the blue waters of Lake Tanganyika without mixing.
Afterward, you’ll stop at the Livingstone-Stanley Monument, commemorating the meeting of explorers David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley. Then, visit the Ubumwe, the Unity Monument, established in 1991 to promote harmony between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes. Your day concludes with a transfer to Melchior Ndadaye International Airport for your flight to Kigali, Rwanda, followed by dinner and a restful night at your hotel in Kigali, prepping you for another exciting day in Africa.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda
After breakfast, you depart Rwanda and take a picturesque journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, seeing Rwanda’s undulating hills along the route. Then you cross the border into Uganda at Rushagavia, passing past the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera on the route. These magnificent lakes, produced by volcanic activity, are located on the Rwanda-Uganda border at the foot of Volcano Muhabura. From the lakes, you proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the afternoon with time for sightseeing and relaxation at your hotel, where you will check in for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Luxury), Ichimbi Gorilla Lodge/ Gorilla Mist Camp (Mid-range), Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge (Budget)
Meals plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12: Gorilla Trekking, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park – Uganda
After breakfast, head out to the park headquarters where the UWA staff will brief you about the experience. Bwindi is one of East Africa’s most diverse ecosystems, home to over 120 mammals, 345 bird species, and half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas with about 1,000 in total. Be prepared for a trek that can take 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas, pack a rain jacket, jungle boots, drinking water, and snacks. Once the guides find your selected gorilla group, you’ll observe these amazing primates interact for one hour. After this unforgettable experience, return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Luxury), Ichimbi Gorilla Lodge/ Gorilla Mist Camp (Mid-range), Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 13: Batwa Trail, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Kisoro District Coffee Tour
Today, you will learn about the Batwa pygmy people of the Bwindi Forest before taking a coffee tour in Kisoro District. After breakfast, your guide will take you on the Batwa Trail into the forest, where you will get the opportunity to learn about and engage with the Batwa people, who have lived in the forest as hunter-gatherers for millennia. They now reside in the forest’s protected zones rather than in the forest itself, thanks to the government’s efforts to conserve the forest and the endangered mountain gorillas and animals that dwell there. Following this instructive and unforgettable cultural encounter with the Batwa people, you will visit a local farm in the Kisoro District for a coffee tour. This seedling-to-bean-to-cup trip will give you a new respect for your cup of coffee as you learn about Ugandan coffee firsthand. You will get to choose, pound, roast, ground, and taste this amazing Ugandan coffee brew. From here, you return to your lodging, where you will have your dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Luxury), Ichimbi Gorilla Lodge/ Gorilla Mist Camp (Mid-range), Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14: Ishasha, Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, depart Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for Queen Elizabeth National Park, driving through the Ishasha Sector. This park, part of the Great Rift Valley, features diverse habitats such as swamplands and savannahs, making it Uganda’s top wildlife destination.
This 6-hour game drive enables you to see some of Uganda’s plentiful wildlife while passing through the park’s Ishasha Sector, which includes one of the biggest remaining natural forests, the Maramagambo. This forest is home to the famed tree-climbing lions, who are often sighted reclining in the treetops. Overnight at your selected hotel and get a good night’s rest before exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park in the morning.
Accommodation options: Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Elephant Hab Lodge/Engagi Game Lodge (Mid-range), Simba Safari Camp and Pumba Safari Lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 15: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Rise early have your breakfast and then drive to the park for dawn game drive, which is one of the best times to spot the diverse wildlife that inhabits Queen Elizabeth National Park. This includes rarer species such as giant hogs, lions’ elephants’ and leopards, as well as approximately 638 recorded bird species among other mammal species. Early mornings offer great wildlife sightings when the animals are most active and Nocturnals return to their hiding ground. Return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel—a 32 km-long natural waterway that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. This scenic cruise takes you past fishing villages and offers beautiful views of the Mweya Peninsula and its surroundings. It’s an excellent opportunity to observe herds of elephants, hippos, buffalo, warthogs, antelope, crocodiles, and many bird species as you drift along the channel.
Day 16: Cultural Experience & Queen Elizabeth National Park
Experience the rich culture of Uganda with a half-day safari that takes you into the lives of local communities living near Queen Elizabeth National Park, a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve. This unique park allows for the co-existence of local tribes with the protected wildlife.
The cultural journey begins after breakfast, immersing you in the traditional farming practices of the community. You will accompany local cowherds as they lead their cattle into the bush and participate in milking, as well as making yogurt and ghee. Next, you’ll explore traditional marine practices, including canoe-making, net sewing, and fish preservation techniques. You’ll also have the opportunity to watch the women of the community create beautiful traditional arts and crafts.
After this hands-on experience, you will visit one of the most stunning locations in Queen Elizabeth National Park to observe hippos up close. If time allows, you can take a nature walk through the historical swamps to the vacation palace of the King of Tooro, while being captivated by the sight of at least 26 different bird species along the way. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Elephant Hab Lodge/Engagi Game Lodge (Mid-range), Simba Safari Camp and Pumba Safari Lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 17: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, you will depart Queen Elizabeth National Park and drive for about 3 hours to Kibale National Park, visiting Fort Portal along the way. Set in the Crater Lake District, Fort Portal is known as Uganda’s tourism city, rich in history as the former seat of the Tooro Kingdom. Enjoy a cultural experience at Nyakasura Falls, just 9km away, and explore the Nyakasura Caves before heading to Kibale.
Kibale National Park spans 766 km² and features diverse forests, wetlands, and savannahs that host a variety of wildlife, including Red-tailed Colobus and Blue Monkeys, as well as chimpanzees and nearly 400 bird species. Check into your accommodation for an overnight stay in preparation for your adventure in Kibale National Park tomorrow.
Accommodation options: Primate Lodge (Luxury), Elephant Hub Lodge (Mid-range), Simba Safari Camp (Budget)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 18: Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Community Walk, Kibale National Park
After breakfast, you will be briefed at Kibale Headquarters for your chimpanzee-tracking adventure. Accompanied by the ranger for the start of the trek. As you trek through the forest, you will Listen to the sounds of active chimpanzees which make them much easier to locate compared to gorillas. Once you locate them, you will spend one hour with them as you observe them go about their daily activities. You may spot them eating or resting. Chimpanzees are often seen at close range due to their habituation to humans. Guided through the beautiful scenery, and informed about other primates and wildlife along the way. Return to the lodge after the trek for lunch and rest.
In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Wetlands for a nature and community walk, part of a community-based tourism project. Known for excellent bird-watching, the wetlands are home to various birds and primates like red-tailed and L’Hoest monkeys. You’ll also witness local women’s community projects. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Primate Lodge (Luxury), Elephant Hub Lodge (Mid-range), Simba Safari Camp (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 19: Kibale National Park to Kampala
After breakfast, you leave Kibale National Park for a 7-hour drive to Kampala, stopping at Igongo Cultural Village in Mbarara. Here, you explore the culture and lifestyle of the Ankole and Bahima people, including traditional farming methods and the Igongo Cultural Centre, a museum showcasing local history and art. A lunch stop is included, as well as a visit to the Equator, where you can stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Embark on the journey arriving in Kampala in the afternoon, the driver guide will take you to the lodge where you will spend the rest of the evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Onomo Hotel(budget), Cassia Lodge (Mid-range), Four Points by Sheraton/ Latitude O Degrees (luxury).
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 20: Kampala to Entebbe
Your epic Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda Safari ends in Uganda today. Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and if time permits, spend some time in Kampala and explore some unique attractions like the Museum, the local markets, and Kasubi tombs, Kabaka’s palace, Uganda national mosque among others. After you will have lunch and the driver will drop you off at Entebbe International Airport in time for your departure flight back home.
End of tour