7 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari
Overview
This 7 Days Rwanda Uganda Safari combines the best of both countries, offering an unforgettable journey through Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Uganda’s most celebrated wildlife destinations. Experience mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park, game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and scenic landscapes that range from volcanic mountains and tropical forests to vast savannahs and crater lakes.
The safari is ideal for travellers seeking a complete East African wildlife and primate experience within one week.
Safari Highlights
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Gorilla trekking
- Golden monkey trekking
- Nature walks
- Game drive
- Boat cruise
- Cultural encounter
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and City Tour
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be welcomed by your driver-guide and transferred into Kigali for a city tour depending on your arrival time.
Visit some of Kigali’s cultural and historical attractions before enjoying lunch at a local restaurant. Later, check into your hotel for relaxation and a safari briefing.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Eagle View Lodge Kigali
Mid-range: Hotel des Mille Collines
Luxury: Kigali Serena Hotel
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, depart Kigali and drive north towards the Rwanda-Uganda border. Complete immigration formalities before continuing to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
The journey offers beautiful views of rolling hills, terraced farms, and rural communities.
Arrive at your lodge in the afternoon and spend the remainder of the day relaxing while preparing for the next day’s gorilla trekking adventure.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp
Mid-range: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Luxury: Four Gorillas Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Cultural Experience
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for registration and a briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers.
Enter the forest accompanied by experienced guides and trackers in search of a habituated gorilla family. The trek may take between one and six hours depending on the location of the gorillas.
Once located, spend one unforgettable hour observing the gorillas as they feed, groom, play, and interact in their natural habitat.
After lunch and some relaxation at the lodge, enjoy a Batwa cultural experience. Learn about the indigenous Batwa people, their traditional forest lifestyle, hunting techniques, music, dance, and medicinal plants.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha
After breakfast, depart Bwindi and travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the famous Ishasha Sector.
Enjoy a game drive in search of the area’s renowned tree-climbing lions, often seen resting in large fig trees. Other wildlife commonly seen includes elephants, buffaloes, topis, and Uganda kobs.
Continue to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Pumba Safari Cottages
Mid-range: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Start the day with an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains, one of Uganda’s best wildlife viewing areas.
Look out for lions, elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, and numerous bird species.
Return to the lodge for breakfast and relaxation before lunch.
In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway connecting Lake Edward and Lake George. This is one of Africa’s best boat safaris and offers exceptional opportunities to see hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and a wide variety of birds at close range.
Return to the lodge for dinner.
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, drive through the scenic crater lake region towards Kibale Forest National Park, known as the primate capital of East Africa.
Along the way, enjoy views of tea plantations, rolling hills, and traditional villages.
Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch and spend the afternoon relaxing or participating in an optional community walk.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House
Mid-range: Turaco Treetops
Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Chimpanzee Tracking and Transfer to Kigali
After an early breakfast, report to the Kibale Forest visitor centre for a briefing before starting your chimpanzee tracking experience.
Accompanied by experienced guides, enter the forest in search of habituated chimpanzees. Along the way, you may encounter other primates including red colobus monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys.
Once the chimpanzees are located, spend an hour observing their behaviour as they feed, groom, communicate, and move through the forest.
After the trek, begin the journey back to Kigali, arriving in the evening for your departure flight or hotel drop-off.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Optional Activities
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Gorilla habituation experience
- Guided forest nature walks
- Bird watching excursions
- Community village walks
- Coffee experience with local farmers
- Waterfall hike
Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Lion tracking experience
- Night game drive
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge
- Guided nature walks
- Bird watching excursions
- Cultural community visits
Kibale Forest National Park
- Chimpanzee habituation experience
- Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk
- Bird watching tours
- Crater lake exploration
- Community cultural visits
- Tea plantation tour
Kigali
- Kigali Genocide Memorial
- Inema Arts Centre
- Kimironko Market tour
- Rwanda Art Museum
- Local coffee tasting experience
Popular Uganda Safaris
- 1 Day Bwindi Gorilla from Kigali
- 2 Days Bwindi trek from Kigali
- 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Tour
- 3 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Tour
- 3 Days Queen Elizabeth safari
- 3 Days murchison falls safari
- 3 Days habituation from Kigali
- 4 Days kidepo Wildlife safari
- 4 Days Bwindi gorillas & Mburo
- 4 Days gorillas + Queen Elizabeth
- 5 Days Gorilla & Lion tracking
- 5 Days Gorillas + chimp Tracking
- 6 Days uganda safari
- 7 Days uganda safari
- 8 Days Uganda gorilla tour
- 10 Days Uganda safari
- 15 Days Uganda afari
Tour Includes
- Travel in a 4×4 car
- Professional guide
- Park fees
- Accommodation
- Meals
- All Activities In Itinerary
Tour Excludes
- Alcoholic drinks
- Laundry
- Tips
- Shopping
- Insurance
- Anything not included per itinerary
Two Countries, One Gorilla Trekking Experience
This seven-day itinerary combines Rwanda and Uganda, giving travelers the chance to compare two different approaches to mountain gorilla trekking within the same Virunga Massif ecosystem, Rwanda’s more polished, closer-to-capital Volcanoes National Park alongside Uganda’s larger network of habituated families across Bwindi.
Crossing between the two countries is more straightforward than travelers sometimes expect, given Bwindi’s southern sectors sit only four to five hours by road from Kigali via the Cyanika or Katuna border posts, making this combination logistically practical rather than a significant detour.
Why Combine Rwanda and Uganda
Beyond the appeal of two separate gorilla encounters, this combination lets travelers experience Rwanda’s more compact, efficient infrastructure alongside Uganda’s greater range of parks and activities, including the option to add chimpanzee tracking or savannah game drives on the Uganda side of the trip.
This itinerary also suits travelers who want to weigh the cost difference between the two countries directly, since Uganda’s generally lower permit pricing compared to Rwanda often makes it the more budget-conscious choice for a second trek within the same week.
Practical Notes
A Uganda e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa, arranged before travel, is required for most nationalities, along with a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of transmission. Travel insurance covering trekking or wildlife activities and medical evacuation is strongly recommended, and malaria prevention is worth discussing with a travel health clinic ahead of your trip.
US dollars printed after 2009 are widely accepted for park fees, permits and lodge bills across all destinations on this itinerary, while local currency is more practical for tips and smaller day-to-day purchases. Mobile network coverage is generally reliable at lodges and along main routes but becomes patchy inside the parks themselves.
Because this itinerary spans multiple countries and involves gorilla trekking permits, park fees and border logistics across each stop, we recommend booking at least four to six months in advance, particularly for travel during the June to September or December to February peak seasons.
Tipping is customary though not compulsory. Rangers and trackers typically receive a tip at the end of any trekking activity, scaled to group size, while your driver-guide, who accompanies you throughout the trip, is usually tipped separately at the end. We’re glad to advise on typical tipping ranges when you book.
A private 4×4 safari vehicle with an experienced English-speaking driver-guide accompanies you for the entire trip, handling both park game-viewing tracks and the border crossings and road transfers this multi-country itinerary involves.
Physical Preparation for Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is graded as moderate to strenuous depending on where the assigned family is ranging that day. Trails climb steep, muddy ridges through tangled vegetation, and altitude in the park ranges from roughly 1,160 to 2,607 metres, so a reasonable level of fitness helps considerably. Porters are available at the trailhead for a small fee and are worth hiring — they carry daypacks, offer a steadying hand on slick sections, and their fee directly supports the local community bordering the park. Waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support, a long-sleeved shirt and trousers to guard against nettles and safari ants, gardening gloves, and a rain jacket are the essentials most trekkers wish they had packed. Because Bwindi sits in a genuine rainforest, showers are possible in any month, so dressing in breathable layers rather than heavy clothing keeps the trek comfortable.
Golden Monkey Trekking at Mgahinga
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, tucked into the Virunga volcanic range on Uganda’s border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is one of the few places on earth where golden monkeys can be tracked in the wild. These endangered primates move in large, playful troops through the bamboo zone on the lower slopes of Mount Sabinyo, Mount Gahinga and Mount Muhabura, and a trek typically takes less time and involves gentler terrain than gorilla trekking, making it a good option for travellers wanting a primate experience without a full-day hike. The park also protects a small population of transboundary mountain gorillas that move freely between Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, and on the years they are present in Uganda, gorilla permits are issued here as well.
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