9 Days Rwanda & Uganda at a Glance – Primates, Safari & Culture
Places You’ll See
- 9 Days 8 Night
Trip Overview
This cross-border adventure takes you through two incredible East African countries—Rwanda and Uganda—combining wildlife safaris, gorilla trekking, and cultural immersion. From the savannahs of Akagera and Queen Elizabeth National Parks to the rainforests of Bwindi and Volcanoes National Parks, this journey blends luxury, adventure, and conservation.
Perfect for wildlife lovers and cultural explorers, this itinerary offers a seamless mix of gorilla encounters, Big Five safaris, and interactions with local communities.
Great For
Highlights
- Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest & Volcanoes National Park – Experience close encounters with endangered mountain gorillas.
- Big Five Safari in Queen Elizabeth & Akagera National Parks – Track lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffaloes.
- Boat Safari on the Kazinga Channel – Spot hippos, crocodiles, and diverse birdlife.
- Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda – Observe these playful primates in their natural habitat.
- Cultural Encounters & Conservation Visits – Visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village and local communities.
Tour Plan
Day 1: Arrival In Kigali And Transfer To The Hotel
Arrival at the Kigali International Airport, meet and greet with the guide and our office representative who will then transfer you to the Hotel, check in
Day 2: Kigali city exploration & cooking experience at nyamirambo women’s center or nyamirambo historical walk
Pick up at your hotel at 8:30am, start historical-minded exploration of Kigali city with visits to landmarks from colonial, post-independence, genocide and post-genocide times.
Start with a visit at Nyamirambo Women’s center, where you will do the cooking class and walk. On arrival you will meet women at the shop, get the briefing before starting the tour. Your cooking lesson will be started by a walk to the local market, where you buy different fresh ingredients to use while cooking, learn how to bargain, etc.
That is why the whole experience is called “From market to meal”, every step of the process of cooking is shared by one of the women and participants in this tour. After buying produce and ingredients at several markets the group walks just around the corner from the Center to a local home.
There you get to work at a wooden table in her courtyard, chopping countless vegetables and starting the charcoal stoves. Under the guidance of the women, six traditional, delicious, and gratifying dishes are prepared and then shared by all involved.
As the food cooks, you will go for Nyamirambo walk where you will learn a lot about Kigali especially Nyamirambo, Kigali’s oldest and vibrant area. After the tour you will then return to the house where you cooked your lunch and get to taste the results, the food that you have spent hours cooking.
Later after eating, you will get time for comments about what you liked most, what was the easiest dish to cook, what takes longer than others, etc.
Later be transferred to Kigali Genocide memorial site where over 250,000 genocide victims were put to rest in mass graves, Belgian camp where they killed the 10 Belgian UN soldiers who were protecting the moderate prime minister before the start of genocide etc.
Day 3: Transfer to nyungwe national park enroute visit museums
Pick up at 8am and transfer to Nyungwe National Park via Butare and visit the King’s palace and the Ethnographic Museum. You will have lunch in Butare before we proceed to Nyungwe forest. The drive will take 6 hours from Kigali but it’s a great drive through the villages of Rwanda as you enjoy local lifestyles and an amazing landscape.
Proceed to Nyungwe forest, arrival and check in at the hotel.
Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking & canopy walkway
Early breakfast (you can decide to take packed breakfast instead) at 5am then drive to the edge of the forest where chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe starts, you will go with experienced trekking guides and trackers who will give you exciting information about the humans’ closest relative in DNA composition, you will spend up to an hour following and watching the chimpanzees once you spot them.
Nyungwe Forest, Africa’s largest Afro-Montane Forest is home to about 500 Chimpanzees and close to 100 that are habituated and used to Humans near them.
Pre-Trackers are ahead of you to find your habituated Chimpanzee Groups in the Forest.
Chimpanzees, like Mountain Gorillas, move daily and make their nests in a new area. The Pre-Trackers start at the location where the Chimpanzees were the Chimpanzees were the day before and find today’s spot where the Chimpanzees have moved to.
While you are in search of your chimpanzee groups you will most likely see other primates that are residents of the forest such as the large groups of Colobus Monkeys. Add to that the sights and sounds of this rainforest when in the season, you can see Wild Orchids and plants and trees that make up this vast Rainforest.
After lunch in the afternoon, you will check in again at the park reception at 1pm, briefing followed by a walk to the famous canopy walk way. A 70 m high and 160m long artificial bridge which allows you to views beautiful views of the old forest from the top. You will also get chance to see some birds at the tree crowns.
Day 5: Waterfall hike & transfer to lake kivu - kibuye
After breakfast, you will transfer to the park for a waterfall visit. As you hike through beautifully designed trails you will be seeing different species of fauna and flora.
After your return from the park, you will be transferred Kibuye at Lake Kivu. Kibuye is Rwanda’s most attractive of lake ports, nestled in a series of interwoven and undulating hills and offering visitors spectacular views of the lake, its islands and the stunning surrounding countryside. It is considered one of Rwanda’s hidden treasures, with its lush green hills and peaceful breeze.
On arrival in time for sunset you will go for a thrilling boat ride where you will see beautiful islands and fisherfolks on a sunset fishing, learn the history of the lake and the beautiful views of the Lake surroundings.
Day 6: Transfer to volcanoes via gisenyi – canoeing on mukungwa river
Transfer to Volcanoes in the North via Gisenyi, on the beach side of Lake Kivu. On arrival, you will go for canoeing. discover this special way to journey through the countryside in our modern canoes! Soak up impressive views, spot abundant birds, look out for the otters and meet friendly communities, this river is mostly very gentle and flat with one short, easy rapid and one section where the water goes quite fast.
This activity will give you a great sense of the countryside, meet friendly along the way and enjoy views of volcano range in this area.
Day 7: Golden monkey trekking & transfer to uganda – bwindi -nkuringo
After breakfast we transfer to the park. Completing our park formalities later drive to the edge of the park to see the Golden Monkeys. It is now believed that they are the only feasible population of Golden Monkeys residing in Volcanoes National Park. They are beautiful and endangered primates which have become quite habituated to humans, making it possible to observe them closely.
At noon, you will have lunch later drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Nkuringo sector
Day 8: Gorilla trekking & visit batwa communities
Arise early today and prepare for the highlight of your safari, an unforgettable encounter with the Gentle Giants!
Following breakfast, transfer to the national park offices where you will be allocated a gorilla family in groups of 8 as well as a gorilla tracking guide. After a pre-tracking briefing by your guide touching on the gorillas generally, your assigned gorilla family as well as appropriate safety precautions, you drive to the trailhead for the start of a thrilling adventure. Expect to walk between 2 and 8 hours in steep and sometimes muddy conditions with rain overhead, which can be tough and require a degree of (average) fitness. However, the thrill of coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla silverback completely makes up for the effort!
Upon sighting the gorillas, you spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life; feeding, moving, playing, raising their young and sometimes wrestling with the juveniles – it is a totally unique and unforgettable experience!
Return to the base and transfer to the lodge for lunch and refreshment.
Afternoon, you will visit batwa communities known as pygmies living on the islands of Bunyonyi, get to learn more about how they live after decades living in the forests of Bwindi before it was gazetted as a national park. You will learn how they used to survive in the forest hunting, eating meat and plants from the forest, their survival skills in the forests, etc.
Day 9: Transfer back to kigali enroute visit twin lakes
Return to Rwanda, enroute visit the twin Lakes and have lunch before you transfer back to Kigali. Drop off at the airport. END!
Package Included
- Airport and inter-hotel transfers
- 8 nights accommodation at the selected hotels in Single/Double or twin room
- Services of a professional, experienced English-speaking driver
- meals and soft drinks (except lunch on Day 1 and dinner on Day 9)
- Bottled mineral water in the vehicle during the tour
- canopy walkway, city tours, museums, cooking experience, gorilla permit, golden monkey permit, batwa community, canoe trip, fishing, chimpanzee and waterfall permits
- Our 24hours/day assistance
- Taxes and administrative costs
- Emergency Helicopter Evacuation Insurance
What is not included in this tour?
- Visas and flights
- Covid tests
- Alcoholic and caffeine drinks
- tips and gratuities,
- Optional activities
- Personal expenses such as telephone calls, mini bar, porter-age, travel insurance, etc.
