16 Day Uganda Rwanda Safari

Day by day

The journey, morning by morning

1. 1

   Arrival in Entebbe

   Arrive at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to your lodge for an overnight stay.

   Entebbe
2. 2

   Transfer to Jinja — white-water rafting

   Travel to Jinja for white-water rafting on the Nile, with an overnight stay nearby.

   Jinja
3. 3

   Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and transfer to Masindi

   Take a guided nature walk at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to see Uganda's white rhinos, then continue towards Masindi.

   Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
4. 4

   Transfer to Kibale National Park

   Drive through the countryside to Kibale National Park and check in near the forest.

   Kibale National Park
5. 5

   Chimpanzee tracking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth

   Track chimpanzees in Kibale Forest in the morning, then drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

   Kibale National Park
6. 6

   Game drive and Kazinga Channel boat safari

   Enjoy an early morning game drive followed by an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.

   Queen Elizabeth National Park
7. 7

   Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

   Take a scenic drive to Bwindi with an overnight stay near the forest.

   Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
8. 8

   Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

   Trek through the forest to spend an hour with a gorilla family, then return to your lodge.

   Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
9. 9

   Transfer to Rwanda and Kigali

   Cross the border into Rwanda and drive to Kigali for the night.

   Kigali
10. 10

    Lake Kivu — birding and boat ride

    Travel to Lake Kivu for a boat ride and birdwatching, including Napoleon Island.

    Lake Kivu
11. 11

    Nyungwe Forest — canopy walk

    Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park for a canopy walk above the rainforest.

    Nyungwe Forest National Park
12. 12

    Transfer to Kigali

    Make the drive back to Kigali and check in for the night.

    Kigali
13. 13

    Transfer to Akagera National Park

    Travel to Akagera National Park, Rwanda's savanna wildlife reserve.

    Akagera National Park
14. 14

    Full-day game drive in Akagera

    Spend the day exploring northern Akagera to see elephants, giraffes, lions and zebras.

    Akagera National Park
15. 15

    Morning game drive and afternoon boat safari

    Take an early morning game drive followed by an afternoon boat safari on Lake Ihema.

    Akagera National Park
16. 16

    Kigali city tour and departure

    Return to Kigali for a city tour and a visit to the Genocide Memorial before your departure.

    Kigali

Good to know

Questions travellers ask about this trip

Where does the 16-day safari start and end?

It is a one-way, two-country route: you arrive at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda and depart from Kigali in Rwanda on day sixteen, after a city tour and a visit to the Genocide Memorial.

Do I track both gorillas and chimpanzees?

Yes — chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest on day five and the gorilla trek in Bwindi on day eight, with Nyungwe Forest's canopy walk adding a third great-forest day in Rwanda.

Which parks and places does this route cover?

In Uganda: the Nile at Jinja, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth with the Kazinga Channel boat safari, and Bwindi. In Rwanda: Kigali, Lake Kivu with a boat ride to Napoleon Island, Nyungwe Forest, and three days in Akagera including a Lake Ihema boat safari.

How adventurous is this itinerary?

It mixes pace deliberately: white-water rafting on the Nile on day two, two forest treks, and a rainforest canopy walk, balanced by game drives, boat safaris and lake days. None of it requires technical experience.

When is the best time of year to take this trip?

The drier windows — June to August and December to February — give firmer trails for the Bwindi gorilla trek and the Kibale chimpanzee morning, with June and July typically driest. The savannah and lake stages travel well in any month.