13 Days Highlights of Uganda and Rwanda

About this safari

This route takes you from the rift valley savannah of Queen Elizabeth National Park to the volcanic slopes where Dian Fossey worked. You cross a border and pass through several altitudes and climates on the way.

You trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and again in Volcanoes National Park. That means two treks with two different groups in two countries, which most itineraries do not offer.

Day by day

Day 1: Arrival

You land in Uganda and transfer to Papyrus Guest House in Entebbe for the night.

Day 2: Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park

The drive south takes 5 to 6 hours, with stops at the Equator and at roadside markets. Queen Elizabeth sits in the western arm of the Great Rift Valley and wraps around Lake Edward and Lake George. Volcanic craters, grassland, forest, wetland and river all lie within the park.

You sleep at Kyambura Gorge Lodge, full board.

Day 3: Game drives in Queen Elizabeth

You set out at sunrise for the Kasenyi plains, where lions and large herds of Ugandan kob gather. Mweya is your best chance of a leopard, as they favour the thick bush there.

After lunch at the lodge, you can go out again, or stay out all day with a packed lunch. Your guide will fit either plan. Kyambura Gorge Lodge again, full board.

Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge

The forested walls of the gorge are home to chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, giant forest hogs and many bird species. The walk down takes half a day. You go for the chimps and see much more. Kyambura Gorge Lodge, full board.

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi

A morning game drive through Ishasha gives you a chance of seeing the tree-climbing lions the park is known for. You then drive on to Bwindi, crossing the Equator again through open savannah dotted with giant euphorbia trees.

Bwindi is dense, misty rainforest, among the richest forests left in Africa and the best habitat for mountain gorillas. You stay at Bwindi Lodge, full board.

Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Uganda

You leave early to track one of Bwindi's habituated groups: Habinyanja, Rushegura or Mubare. Trekkers go out in teams of seven with a local guide and park rangers, who brief you before you enter the forest.

The path is often muddy and always steep, but standing in front of a wild gorilla family repays the effort. Bring spare memory cards, more water than you expect to need, and legs ready for a climb. Bwindi Lodge, full board.

Day 7: A second trek or other activities

If you want, you can trek gorillas a second time today. Otherwise you have a few options. You can take a guided rainforest walk past endemic birds and rare plants. You can visit community projects such as the Amagara farming initiative and Bwindi Community Hospital, which began as a clinic under a tree and now serves more than 60,000 people. Or you can spend time with the Batwa community and learn traditional forest skills. Bwindi Lodge, full board.

Day 8: Bwindi to Mgahinga National Park

The road climbs through bamboo forest to the Kanaba Gap, where the Virunga volcanoes come into view. It then drops to the border town of Kisoro before climbing again to 2,300 metres. Allow 5 to 6 hours including lunch and stops.

Mgahinga is Uganda's smallest park and one of its most scenic, with trails that follow streams up through volcanic terrain. You stay at Mount Gahinga Lodge, full board.

Day 9: Activities in Mgahinga

You can hike towards Muhavura or Gahinga volcano, or take an easier route through the lower bamboo forest, where bushbuck and duiker live. A guided nature walk may also bring you to golden monkeys. They move fast and range widely, so unlike a gorilla trek this cannot always be planned ahead.

The Batwa community here has lived in this landscape for generations. Mount Gahinga Lodge, full board.

Day 10: Mgahinga to Volcanoes National Park

Today you cross into Rwanda, where the clocks go back one hour. Border crossing times vary. The rest of the day is yours, either at the lodge or on easy nearby trails with views over the Virunga volcanoes and the villages below.

Dian Fossey lived and worked in these forests, and they are still among the best places in the world to see mountain gorillas. You stay at Virunga Lodge, full board.

Day 11: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

A short drive brings you to park headquarters at sunrise for a briefing, with porters and coffee, before you go into the forest. Treks last from 30 minutes to most of the morning, so pace yourself.

Once you find the gorillas, you have one hour with them. Sometimes you move to stay with the group, and sometimes they stay put. Your packed lunch is included and is usually eaten at a good spot in the forest before you return to the lodge. Virunga Lodge, full board.

Day 12: A second day of gorilla tracking

The format is the same, but no two treks are alike. A big group can feel relaxed, with young gorillas playing close by. In a smaller group, the silverback may remind you who runs the forest, chest beating included. Doing it a second time lets you put the camera down and simply watch.

The afternoon stays flexible, depending on when you get back. Virunga Lodge, full board.

Day 13: Volcanoes National Park to Kigali

The drive to Kigali takes 2 to 3 hours. The city has some unusual rules for the region: plastic bags are banned, public transport runs on bio-fuel, and there is a national cleaning day once a month.

You have time for a short city tour, a visit to the Genocide Memorial and the local markets before your flight home.

Where you stay

These are the lodges we usually book for this route. If one is full on your dates, we will use a similar lodge nearby.

• Entebbe: Papyrus Guest House. Bed and breakfast.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park: Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Full board.
• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Bwindi Lodge. Full board.
• Mgahinga National Park: Mount Gahinga Lodge. Full board.
• Volcanoes National Park: Virunga Lodge. Full board.