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This 15-day 14nights best of Congo- Uganda- Rwanda combined safari tour involves visiting some of the best national parks in Africa. The safari starts from Uganda and ends in Rwanda. The safari starts with a tour of Murchison Falls National Park (including Ziwa Rhino sanctuary), then Kibale national park, Queen Elizabeth National park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park among. After the safari in Uganda, travelers will cross to Rwanda to visit the Volcanoes national park and the then finally to Congo’s Virunga National Park.
While in Murchison Falls National Park, you will visit the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, go for a game drive, launch cruise and visit the top of the Murchison Falls. While in Kibale, the main activity will be chimpanzee tracking before transferring to Queen Elizabeth National Park. While at Queen Elizabeth, you will go for a launch cruise and two game drives including one to see tree climbing lions. From Queen Elizabeth you will go to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking and visiting the Batwa pygmies. You would then transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda for relaxation, canoeing and birding before crossing to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. While in Rwanda, you will go for golden monkey tracking and another gorilla trekking expedition (optional). The evenings in Rwanda will be spent visiting the Gorilla Guardians Village and the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. From the Volcanoes National Park, you will transfer to Lake Kivu for relaxation before crossing the next day to Virunga national Park to hike the amazing Nyiragongo Volcano. After hiking mount Nyiragongo and observing the boiling lava lake at the summit, you will cross back to Rwanda and complete your safari by touring the city of Kigali.
By the end of this 15-day 14nights best of Congo- Uganda- Rwanda combined safari tour, you would have a great impression of the biodiversity in the three countries. Please note; this tour can be rearranged to start in Rwanda and end in Uganda. If you want a shorter tour, you can check them out.
Our Guide will be waiting for you at the airport on arrival. He will introduce himself to you and brief you about the tour. From there, he will drive you to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. If you arrive early in the morning or afternoon, the driver can take you for a tour of either Entebbe or Kampala City. Please note; the best way to enjoy this tour is start it from Kigali –Rwanda, Congo and then finish it in Uganda. So before you book your flights, please ask us to re arrange the package for you.
Wake up, take breakfast and set off early morning for Murchison Falls national park. Along the way, marvel at the beautiful Uganda countryside and bypass the Luwero war triangle. Luwero was where the current National Resistance Movement operated a guerilla war before taking over power. Before reaching the Murchison Falls National Park, you will stop to track white rhino at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary. White Rhinos are a critically endangered species and were wiped out of Murchison falls national park due to poaching. The sanctuary was founded to save the few remaining Rhinos with hope that they will one day be reintroduced to the major national parks.
After watching the rhinos, you will be taken for lunch at Kabalega restaurant and then continue to Murchison falls national park. On arrival, you will immediately go to the top of the Murchison falls where you will take photos of this great waterfall from the very top. Continue to tour around the waterfalls and hear the roaring sound of the great river Nile as it squeezes through a narrow gorge before dropping. From the waterfalls, the driver will take you to the hotel for check-in, refreshment and relaxation.
You will wake up early for a very eventful day. Take breakfast and head for a game drive along the southern banks of the river Nile. During this morning drive, you will have several opportunities to spot four of Africa’s Big 5 which include Elephants, Lions, Leopards and Buffalo. You will enjoy the beautiful views of the African Savannah and also spot various primates, Hartebeest, giraffes, Bushbucks, hyenas, Jackals, the Uganda Kob and so much more. After this morning game drive, you will head out for lunch and rest at your lodge.
In the afternoon, head out for a launch cruise along the river Nile that starts from down the river and ends at the bottom of the falls. The river Nile has the largest concentration of crocodiles and hippos in the world and here at the Murchison falls section of the Nile, you will be able to see these two massive creatures up-close. The river bank is a gathering point for most of the park animals and so prepare to be treated to an amazing collection of wildlife from the safety of your boat. Bird lovers will be excited to see a large collection of both resident and migratory species. Some of the bird species to look out for include the rare shoebill stork, Goliath Heron, Black-headed Gonolek, African Skimmer, Long-toed Plover, Fish Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork and Grey-crowned Crane.
You should rise up early to take breakfast and prepare for the long journey to Kibale National Park. Along the way, marvel at the undulating Uganda countryside with changing landscape and busy locals in the markets. You will stop for lunch in Fort Portal and tour the town. Fort Portal is a strategically located in an area with great weather and green vegetation throughout the year. You will also visit the headquarters of the Toro Kingdom before heading to the nearby Kibale National Park.
After the rest yesterday, wake up very early for breakfast and head to Kibale national park headquarters for briefing on chimpanzee trekking. The head guide will let you know all about chimpanzees in Kibale including how to conduct yourself and what to carry along. The activity takes between 3 to 5 hour and although Kibale forest is famous for chimpanzee tracking, there are other things that will interest you. The forest is a birders paradise but other 12 primate species and even more mammals call the park home. Once find the primates and complete spending the one hour with them, you will head back to your hotel for lunch and rest. The guide from Nungi safaris will transfer you to Queen Elizabeth national park in the evening. The journey from Kibale to the Queen Elizabeth National Park takes 2 hours and if time allows, you will stop on the way to spot crater lakes or visit some ancient caves.
Wake up early for what is going to be an exciting and eventful day. Our guide will pick you up and take you for an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi plains. Come along with packed breakfast or coffee to take during the game drive. The intention of this early morning game drive is to give visitors a chance to spot nocturnal animals returning back to their dens after hunting during the night. This is the best time to spot Leopards and even Hippos rushing back to the water after grazing away during the night. You will spot early risers like birds and buffaloes, lions, hartebeests, primates and countless other creatures.
After all is done, you will head back to the lodge for lunch and rest before the next activity. At 2.00 pm, you will be transferred to the Kazinga channel for a late afternoon boat cruise. The Kazinga Channel is a collection point for most of the wild life and one of the very best places to view wildlife in Africa. Expect to spot, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, resident and migratory birds. If it doesn’t rain, we believe you will remember your time at the Kazinga Channel as one of the highlights of your safari.
You will wake up to take breakfast and be ready for another game drive to spot the tree climbing lions at ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park. We expect you to see certain creatures you may have not seen this during this final game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park. After this game drive, you will be transferred to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in time to rest and prepare for gorilla tracking the next day. Lunch will be taken at a suitable restaurant along the way to Bwindi.
After early morning breakfast, head to the park offices for briefing on gorilla trekking at 7:00 am. The Head Guide will let you know what to expect during the activity, what to carry along and how to behave once you are with the Uganda gorilla family. You will be assigned a gorilla family before heading out to the park based on your age and overall fitness. Most gorilla trackers prefer hiring porters to help with extra luggage and we hope you will do the same. The length of Gorilla tracking depends on the location of the gorilla group you are following. Once you are with them, take as many photos as you can because you are only allowed one hour observe them. Mountain Gorillas can be very playful, curious and some will come close to you. Listen to the guides instructions and always stay calm. The requirements and rules of gorilla trekking will guide you while with the gorilla family.
After completing the activity, you should head back to the starting point where you will meet your guide waiting to take you back to the lodge for lunch and rest. The afternoon is time to visit the Batwa pygmy community. These former inhabitants of Bwindi forest were relocated outside the park to avoid conflicts with forest creatures and allow for the implementation of gorilla conservation programs. There cultural dances, activities and history will fascinate you as will information about the failed projects initiated to help them adjust to life outside the forest.
Wake up at your own time after yesterday’s amazing activities and have late breakfast. After checking out, the guide will drive you to the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is small but perhaps the most naturally beautiful Lake in Uganda. It is frequented by tourists and lovers who want to get away from the busy city life. The atmosphere is romantic, cool, serene and quiet. We believe this is the place for you to relax after 8 days visiting several places in Uganda. Relax and watch the local people fishing and swimming along the lake. You will go for a boat ride later in the evening and hope from island to island. The lake Bunyonyi is one of the top destinations for bird watching in Uganda and has a mixture of bird species that will impress any birder.
You will wake up refreshed to take late breakfast and complete any activity in Lake Bunyonyi before embarking on the long journey to Rwanda. Enjoy the journey and the beautiful countryside of Uganda and Rwanda. Lunch will be taken from a suitable restaurant or hotel along the way. You should reach early at the volcanoes national park and rest so as to be ready for your second gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda (optional) the following day.
Wake up and take your breakfast before heading for the briefing at the park headquarters in Kinigi. Rwanda has 10 habituated gorilla families and but you will be assigned one based on your overall fitness and age. Some gorilla families live further away from the park offices and may require more hours of tracking to find them. Use the time to ask as many questions as you can about the gorillas, forest creatures and the park. Gorilla trekking in the volcanoes national park takes between 2 to 6 hours but you only have one hour to observe the primates. After one hour with the gorilla family, you will return to the starting point where you will meet our guide to take you back to the lodge for lunch and rest.
In the evening, you will be taken to visit the Iby’iwacu cultural village in Musanze which is close to the volcanoes national park. The Centre’s name has been changed to the Gorilla Guardians Village. It started as a place where former poachers would sell artifacts and other products to tourists but the government revamped it. The village is now a modern Centre offering high quality cultural entertainment for tourists who have come for activities at the volcanoes national park. While at the Centre, expect traditional dance performances in which you will be requested to take part in.
You will start the day early and take breakfast before going to the volcanoes national park offices for the briefing on golden monkey tracking. Hire a porter if you have extra luggage or heavy equipment. Golden monkey tracking in Rwanda doesn’t take so long compared to gorilla trekking. After some time hiking in the forest, you will spot troops of golden monkeys on top of trees and some on the ground. Take as many photos of these cute but endangered primates. Afterwards, head back to the lodge for lunch and rest before going for an evening drive to visit the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Burera.
Wake up at your own time and start the day with breakfast at your hotel as you get ready to set off from the Volcanoes national park to Lake Kivu in Gisenyi. Lake Kivu is the biggest fresh water lake in Rwanda and Congo. Visitors frequent the lake because of its natural beauty. It’s a beautiful place to be and the government of Rwanda has made good work of not only promoting but developing tourism infrastructure along the lake shores. Once you arrive at your hotel, you will have lunch overlooking the lake. In the afternoon, you will be taken for a boat ride on the lake as you tour the various islands. After the boat ride, you can go back to the lodge for swimming and relaxation.
You will wake early to take breakfast before being transferred to the Congo border. After being cleared by border officials, you will cross to Congo and meet the Virunga national park team. The team will drive to Kibati village which is the starting point for hiking Mount Nyiragongo volcano. Hiking to the top of the summit will take between 4 to 6 hours depending on the overall fitness of the group. No one is left behind until the final section of the hike. The Nyiragongo volcano is the only place in the world where tourists can pay to see a lava lake up-close. It’s safe to observe the lava lake as the volcano has shown no signs of erupting in recent years. Dinner and overnight will be in cabins at the summit.
In the morning, you will begin your descent from the volcano and be driven back to Goma town arriving by midday. You will then cross back to Rwanda and drive back to Kigali reaching by 3pm. On reaching Kigali, you will have a tour of the city. The tour includes visiting the Gisozi genocide war memorial site, the city markets, and the presidential palace museum and artisan shops for souvenir. After the city tour, our guide from Nungi safaris will transfer you to the airport for a departure or to your hotel if you are still around.
End of the 15-day 14nights best of Congo- Uganda- Rwanda combined safari tour
The main activities of this 15-day 14nights best of Congo- Uganda- Rwanda combined safari tour package
