8 Days Rwanda & Uganda Wildlife Safari
This eight-day safari starts in Kigali and ends in Kampala or Entebbe, giving you double gorilla trekking — once in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, again in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park — alongside golden monkey trekking, a hike to Dian Fossey’s tomb, and a lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The Rwanda leg opens with a Kigali city tour before four days centered on Volcanoes National Park: gorilla trekking, an Iby’iwacu village visit, golden monkey trekking, and a hike to Karisoke Research Camp and Dian Fossey’s grave. The trip then crosses into Uganda for a second gorilla trek in Bwindi, followed by Queen Elizabeth National Park for a game drive, a rare lion tracking experience with researchers in the Kasenyi Plains, and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise.
This itinerary suits travelers who want the full weight of both countries’ wildlife experiences — double gorilla trekking plus lion tracking — in one continuous eight-day trip.
Quick Facts
| Duration | 8 Days / 7 Nights |
| Start / End | Kigali to Kampala/Entebbe |
| Countries | Rwanda and Uganda |
| Destinations | Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park |
| Best For | Travelers wanting double gorilla trekking plus a lion tracking experience |
| Permits Required | Gorilla permit (Rwanda) and gorilla permit (Uganda) |
Highlights
- Day 1: Kigali city tour and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Iby’iwacu village tour
- Day 3: Golden monkey trek
- Day 4: Hike to Dian Fossey’s tomb and transfer to Bwindi
- Day 5: Gorilla trek and optional Batwa cultural tour
- Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, game drive
- Day 7: Lion tracking experience, morning game drive, and afternoon boat cruise
- Day 8: Transfer to Entebbe
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Kigali City Tour and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Your professional driver-guide will collect you from your Kigali hotel or the airport early in the morning for a half-day tour of the city, including the Kigali Genocide Memorial Site and Museum, the Nyamata Genocide Church, and local markets. After lunch, continue to Volcanoes National Park, passing through the hilly, lush terrain that gives Rwanda its nickname, the land of a thousand hills. Dinner and an overnight stay follow at your lodge.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking and Iby’iwacu Village Tour
After breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for the day’s gorilla trekking briefing. It’s best to pack your lunch, drinking water, and consider hiring a porter, since the time spent in the forest is unpredictable. Following your rangers’ guidance, you will be assigned a gorilla family and head into the forest in search of them, a trek that can range from a few hours to a full day of hiking, depending on where the family was last seen.
Good physical fitness is recommended, though a sedan chair — a porter-carried chair sometimes used locally — is available for those who prefer not to hike unassisted. Once located, you will spend up to an hour with the gorillas. Afterward, return to your lodge and spend the evening at the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, also known as the ex-poachers’ village, for cultural performances and entertainment. Dinner and an overnight stay follow at your lodge.
Day 3: Golden Monkey Trek
After breakfast at your lodge, return to the park offices for a briefing on golden monkey trekking. These endangered primates are found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and, unlike gorillas, are generally quicker and easier to locate. Return to your lodge to relax for the rest of the day, with dinner and an overnight stay to follow.
Day 4: Hike to Dian Fossey’s Tomb and Transfer to Bwindi
After breakfast, head into the forest for a hike to Dian Fossey’s tomb at Karisoke. The walk begins with a roughly thirty-minute drive from the park headquarters to the trailhead, followed by one to two hours to Karisoke Research Camp and a further hour to the famous gravesite. Along the way, ranger guides will share the story of Fossey’s dedication to the mountain gorillas and the legacy she left behind.
After the hike, return to the lodge for lunch before departing for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Dinner and an overnight stay follow at your lodge.
Day 5: Gorilla Trek and Optional Batwa Cultural Tour
The day has arrived for a second, once-in-a-lifetime encounter with mountain gorillas. After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing — gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes place across four sectors, split between Buhoma and Ruhija in the north and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south. After the briefing, the day’s search for the gorillas can take anywhere from two to five hours, depending on their location the previous day.
Once located, you will have an hour to take photographs and ask your rangers questions about these remarkable primates. Beyond the gorillas themselves, the forest is home to a wide range of fauna and birdlife, including butterflies, primates, mammals, and frogs, often spotted along the trekking route. The full day’s activity can run five to nine hours in total, so it’s strongly recommended to pack a lunch and consider hiring a porter. Dinner and an overnight stay follow at your lodge.
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Game Drive
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and meet your driver for the transfer from Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese district, with lunch en route. On arrival, check in at your lodge before heading out for an afternoon game drive across the park’s varied wildlife. Dinner and an overnight stay follow at your lodge.
Day 7: Lion Tracking Experience, Morning Game Drive, and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Wake early for a lion tracking experience in the Kasenyi Plains, joined by a team of researchers and park rangers as you track a pride of lions and observe their social behavior once located. Afterward, take a short game drive around the Kasenyi area before returning to your lodge to rest and have lunch.
In the afternoon, take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, with a strong chance of spotting wildlife along the shores, along with bird species such as the hooded vulture, black bee-eater, and African finfoot. Dinner and an overnight stay follow at your lodge.
Day 8: Transfer to Entebbe
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and set off for Kampala or Entebbe, with a stop to view the Equator monuments and for lunch en route. On arrival, you will be dropped at a hotel of your choice or Entebbe International Airport, particularly useful if you have an evening flight out of Uganda.
End of 8 Days Rwanda & Uganda Wildlife Safari