15 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari
DESCRIPTION
This 15-day itinerary is our most comprehensive Rwanda and Uganda combination, starting in Kigali and ending in Entebbe. It’s built for travelers who want it all: Big Five game drives and a boat safari in Akagera National Park, mountain gorilla trekking in both Volcanoes National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the open savannah and Kazinga Channel of Queen Elizabeth National Park, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park, and the Nile and its thundering waterfall at Murchison Falls National Park.
Trip Overview
| Duration | 15 Days / 14 Nights |
| Starting Point | Kigali, Rwanda |
| Ending Point | Entebbe, Uganda |
| Route | Kigali → Akagera → Volcanoes → Bwindi → Queen Elizabeth → Kibale → Murchison Falls → Entebbe |
| Activities | Game drives, boat safaris, two gorilla treks, golden monkey tracking, chimpanzee tracking, Nile cruise |
| Best Time to Visit | June – September & mid-December – mid-February (dry season) |
| Accommodation | Budget, mid-range, or luxury (your choice) |
TRAVEL PLAN
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
On arrival at Kigali International Airport, your driver-guide transfers you to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, the rest of the day is free to rest after your flight. Dinner and overnight in Kigali.
Day 2: Kigali – Akagera National Park
After breakfast, drive east to Akagera, roughly two and a half to three hours on good tarmac roads. Check in at your lodge, then head out for an afternoon game drive across the Kilala Plains, looking out for buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and elephant, with a good chance of lion. Dinner and overnight at your lodge in Akagera.
Day 3: Full Day in Akagera – Game Drive & Lake Ihema Boat Safari
Start with an early morning game drive, the best window for predator sightings and a chance at spotting black or white rhino. After a midday break, take to the water for a boat safari on Lake Ihema, drifting past hippos, crocodiles, and papyrus-fringed shores alive with birdlife. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 4: Akagera – Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, depart for the drive northwest to Musanze, at the foot of the Virunga Mountains, passing back through Kigali en route. Settle into your lodge in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Musanze.
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
Wake early for the 7:00am briefing at park headquarters in Kinigi, where you’ll be assigned a habituated gorilla family based on fitness level. The trek through bamboo forest and volcanic slopes is rewarded with a full hour observing a wild mountain gorilla family at close range. Dinner and overnight in Musanze.
Day 6: Golden Monkey Tracking in Volcanoes National Park
Spend the morning tracking Volcanoes National Park’s playful golden monkeys through the bamboo forest, a shorter, more energetic activity that complements the previous day’s trek. The afternoon is free to rest before tomorrow’s border crossing. Dinner and overnight in Musanze.
Day 7: Volcanoes National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda)
Cross the border into Uganda via the Cyanika border post, a journey of roughly 3 to 4 hours into Uganda’s southwest. Border formalities are straightforward with your guide handling the logistics. Arrive at your lodge near Bwindi in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight near Bwindi.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
A second gorilla trek, this time in Uganda’s “impenetrable forest” — a different country, different terrain, and typically a different gorilla family from the one you visited in Rwanda, making for a genuinely distinct second encounter. The trek through Bwindi’s steep, dense rainforest can take anywhere from two to seven hours, again followed by a full hour with the gorillas. Dinner and overnight near Bwindi.
Day 9: Bwindi – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Depart Bwindi and head north towards Queen Elizabeth National Park, around 4 to 5 hours depending on your trekking sector. The route passes through the park’s Ishasha sector, famous for tree-climbing lions resting in fig trees, worth a stop if timing allows. Dinner and overnight at your lodge in Queen Elizabeth.
Day 10: Full Day in Queen Elizabeth National Park
A morning game drive on the Kasenyi Plains takes advantage of the cooler hours for wildlife activity, with good chances of lion, elephant, and large herds of Uganda kob and buffalo. In the afternoon, board a boat for the park’s signature Kazinga Channel cruise, drifting past dense pods of hippos, basking crocodiles, and elephants at the shore. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 11: Queen Elizabeth – Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, drive north to Kibale, around 2 hours through scenic crater lake country. The afternoon is free to settle in, or take an optional nature walk near the forest edge. Dinner and overnight near Kibale.
Day 12: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest
Head to Kanyanchu park headquarters for an early briefing before tracking one of Kibale’s habituated chimpanzee communities through East Africa’s primate-richest forest. In the afternoon, take a guided walk around the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, known for birdlife and the chance of spotting the great blue turaco. Dinner and overnight near Kibale.
Day 13: Kibale – Murchison Falls National Park
A long transfer day, roughly 6 to 7 hours north through Fort Portal, Hoima, and Masindi to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest and oldest protected area. Arrive in the late afternoon and settle into your lodge. Dinner and overnight at Murchison Falls.
Day 14: Full Day in Murchison Falls National Park
Start with a morning game drive across the savanna north of the Nile, looking out for lion, elephant, giraffe, and buffalo. In the afternoon, take the park’s signature Nile boat cruise upstream from Paraa towards the base of the falls, where the Victoria Nile forces through a narrow gorge before plunging into the Devil’s Cauldron — with the option to disembark and hike to the top of the falls for a dramatic overhead view. Dinner and overnight at Murchison Falls.
Day 15: Murchison Falls – Departure from Entebbe
After breakfast, begin the drive south to Entebbe, around 5 to 6 hours, arriving in time for your departing flight and bringing your 15-day Rwanda Uganda safari to a close.
COST INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
What’s Included
- Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide throughout
- Border crossing assistance from Rwanda to Uganda
- Akagera National Park entrance fees, game drives, and Lake Ihema boat safari
- Volcanoes National Park gorilla trekking permit (Rwanda)
- Volcanoes National Park golden monkey tracking permit
- Bwindi gorilla trekking permit (Uganda)
- Queen Elizabeth National Park entrance fees, game drives, and Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Kibale chimpanzee tracking permit
- Murchison Falls National Park entrance fees, game drive, and Nile boat cruise
- 14 nights’ accommodation (budget, mid-range, or luxury — based on your preference)
- Meals as specified (full board while in the parks)
- Bottled drinking water throughout the safari
What’s Not Included
- International flights and visa fees for Rwanda and Uganda
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities for guides, trackers, and lodge staff
- Porter fees during gorilla and chimpanzee trekking (optional, typically USD 15–20)
- Personal expenses and items of a personal nature
Permit Costs to Know
This is the one itinerary in our lineup with two separate gorilla trekking experiences, so permit costs are worth understanding upfront. A Rwanda gorilla permit through the Rwanda Development Board is set at USD 1,500 per person, while a Uganda gorilla permit through the Uganda Wildlife Authority is USD 800 per person — together the largest single cost on this trip. Golden monkey tracking in Rwanda and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale are considerably more affordable, and both are included in this package alongside park entrance fees and boat cruises in each park. All permits are subject to change by the respective authorities, so we always confirm current rates at the time of booking.
When to Go
The dry seasons (June–September and mid-December–mid-February) offer the most comfortable trekking conditions across all six parks, with drier trails and better wildlife concentration around water sources. The wetter months bring lush scenery and quieter parks, though a 4×4 remains essential throughout and trekking becomes muddier. For more detail on each stop, see our destination guides for Akagera, Volcanoes, Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale Forest, and Murchison Falls.
Extend or Adjust Your Trip
This itinerary already covers six parks across two countries, but it can be shortened by dropping one gorilla trek if budget is a priority, or extended with a stop in Nyungwe Forest National Park or extra time in Kigali City before heading into Uganda. Browse our Uganda Rwanda safaris, long safaris, or full destinations page to tailor the route to your timeframe.
Useful Official Resources
- Akagera National Park – official tourism site for current activity schedules and lodge bookings
- Visit Rwanda – Gorilla Tracking, the Rwanda Development Board’s official page on permits for Volcanoes National Park
- Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) — the official body managing Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale, and Murchison Falls, with current park fees and permit information
Ready to Book?
With permits required across both countries and two separate gorilla treks to coordinate, this itinerary needs more lead time than most — we recommend booking at least 4 to 6 months in advance, especially for peak season travel. Contact our travel experts to plan your 15-day Rwanda Uganda safari, or browse our full range of safaris for shorter alternatives.