An Introduction to East Africa through a Small Group Tour to Uganda Rwanda & Burundi by Local Travel Experts. Embark on an unforgettable journey through the heart of East Africa with our captivating tour through Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and diverse wildlife as you explore these enchanting countries as you trek the mountain gorillas in Bwindi and chimps in the primate capital of the world Kibale.
Itinerary
On arrival, you will be met by the Ahava Gorilla Safari guide who will pick you and transfer you to your Guest House or Hotel for overnight stay.
Overnight in Entebbe at Hotel Horizon Entebbe
At 7:00 am, you will be picked up from your hotel and set off to Murchison Falls National Park, reaching Ziwa Rhino sanctuary by 11:00 am for Rhino Tracking. After tracking the Rhinos for 1 hour, you will continue to Murchison National Park reaching by 3:00 pm. You will then visit the top of the falls and later drive to Pakuba Safari Lodge for dinner and overnight.
In the morning, you will wake up early to go for morning game drives to be able to catch up with early risers like lions, leopards, hyenas, and bushbucks, among others before they return to their hiding places. Return to the hotel for a late breakfast, and relaxation as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will enjoy a boat cruise to the bottom of the Victoria Nile falls which will reward you with a view of the game such as hippos, crocodiles, buffalos, and elephants as well as a variety of bird species. Dinner and overnight stay at Pakuba Safari Lodge
After breakfast, you will embark on a scenic journey to Fort Portal, a beautiful town overlooking the mountains of the moon. Taking the Western scenic route to Kibale National Park, this journey will take you through the Albertine rift found in the Western arm of the Great East African rift valley. Reaching Fort Portal early evening, relax and refresh at the Lodge. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge/ Turaco Treetops.
Have an early morning breakfast and drive to the park headquarters for the chimpanzee briefing by the forest guide. You will locate the chimps by listening to their pant-hooting calls, then hustle to the area from which they are calling. You will see more other primates
such as the red colobus, black and white colobus, and the red-tailed monkey. In the afternoon, you may go for a nature walk to the Bigodi wetland sanctuary. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge/ Turaco Treetops.
After breakfast, transfer to QENP reaching early for lunch. In the evening, go for the launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Different animals that come to drink water at the channel and water birds will be viewed along the shores such as buffalos, elephants, school of hippos, and crocodiles as well as a variety of bird species. Dinner and Overnight at Enganzi Lodge/Bush lodge
After breakfast, transfer to Bwindi NP via Ishasha sector with game drives in search of the famous tree-climbing lions which are always spotted clinging to old fig trees. Proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest found in the southern part of the country. On your arrival, you will relax at the lodge while preparing for the gorillas the next day. Dinner and overnight at Bakiga Lodge.
Early in the morning after breakfast and briefing by a ranger guide, enter the forest for your gorilla trekking adventure. The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. Trekking may take 3-9 hours depending on the movements of the gorillas in their natural wild. You will stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour once you encounter them, and then transfer back to your lodge for refreshment and then set off to Kigali. Overnight at Hotel Onomo Kigali
After breakfast, we will have a tour of Kigali. Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kandt natural history museum, Art Museum, Nyamirambo Women’s Center
Kimironko market, Inema and Ivuka Arts.
Overnight at Hotel Onomo Kigali
After breakfast, our cultural and historical tour experience will take us also to Nyanza King’s Palace. This was the residence of King Mutara III Rudahigwa and the Royal Palace that was traditionally built. And this Palace offers a detailed look into the Rwandan traditional seat of their monarchy. It is an impressive museum, restored to its 19th-century state. It is made entirely with traditional materials. We will also visit the Butare Ethnographic Museum, formerly the National Museum of Rwanda. Overnight at Mater Bon Consilii Hotel in Butare.
After breakfast, you will be taken to Rwanda/Burundi border for entry formalities (visa at the border) taking about 10-15 minutes. Afterward, you will drive to Bujumbura. Rest at the beach of Lake Tanganyika where your hotel is located. You may use complementary services (sauna, swimming pool, gym) or massage (extra cost) or choose to enjoy the view of the lake from your room balcony.
After breakfast at 7:00 A.M, transfer to Rutana to see the amazing Karera waterfalls and the source of the Nile in Rutovu. Visit Gitega national museum a collection of artifacts and antiquities from Burundi and Gishora drum sanctuary before transfer to Bujumbura. Overnight at Club du Lac Tanganyika Hotel.
After breakfast, pick up at the hotel and go for a city tour in Bujumbura including:
Visiting Rusizi National Park where a boat trip is possible to let you explore closer the hippos and birds in Rusizi River;
Islam Culture Centre. The Explorers Memorial, a huge rock in the Suburbs of Bujumbura commemorating the meeting between explorers Livingstone & Stanley;
Unity monument and Belvedere Hill offer a nice of Lake Tanganyika and the city.
At 12:30 or 16:00, we will drive to the airport to catch your flight (Ethiopian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Rwanda)