15 days are the most indulgent way to combine Rwanda and Uganda, beginning and ending in Kigali and threading together some of the finest lodges and camps in both countries. It opens with big game in Rwanda's reborn Akagera, a Big Five park of lakes and rolling savannah, then flies north to Uganda for chimpanzees in Kibale, classic game viewing in Queen Elizabeth, the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, and not one but two mountain gorilla treks in Bwindi. A shoebill search in the Mabamba wetlands makes a fitting finale.
Designed for travellers who want space, comfort and time, this itinerary favours standout properties and uses domestic flights to replace the longer road legs. For a value-focused version of the two-country idea, see the 13 Days Uganda & Rwanda Safari; for an unhurried road-and-air route through the Virungas, the 16 Days Remarkable Uganda & Rwanda.
On arrival at Kigali International Airport you are assisted through customs and immigration and met by your driver-guide for the short transfer to your hotel. The evening is yours to settle into the rhythm of the Land of a Thousand Hills.
Day 2Akagera
Big Game in Akagera
A morning transfer brings you to Akagera National Park, one of Africa's great conservation comebacks, now home to the Big Five across a landscape of lakes and rolling savannah. After lunch at the lodge you head out on an afternoon game drive.
Day 3Akagera
Akagera Game Drive and Boat Safari
A full day in Akagera pairs a game drive across the plains with a boat safari on Lake Ihema, where hippo, crocodile and a remarkable variety of waterbirds gather along the shore.
Day 4Akagera
Fly to Uganda
After breakfast you depart Akagera and transfer to Kigali for your flight to Entebbe. On arrival you are met and transferred to your hotel, where a welcome dinner sets the tone for the Ugandan leg of the journey.
Day 5Kampala
Kampala City Tour
Explore Uganda's capital with a visit to the Royal Palace and the Gaddafi National Mosque and a wander through a local market, before an afternoon sundowner cruise on Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile.
Day 6Kibale
Fly to Kibale Forest
A morning flight from Entebbe to Kasese is followed by a scenic drive to Kibale Forest, the primate capital of East Africa, where you settle into your rainforest lodge.
Day 7Kibale
Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi
You spend the morning tracking habituated chimpanzees through Kibale's ancient forest, then explore the community-run Bigodi Wetland in the afternoon, alive with monkeys and birds.
Day 8Queen Elizabeth
On to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast and a tree-planting contribution to the forest, you transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, enjoying an en route game drive as you arrive at your lodge bordering the park.
Day 9Queen Elizabeth
Game Drive, Salt Lake and Kazinga Channel
A morning game drive and a visit to the Katwe salt lakes precede an afternoon boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, where elephant, buffalo and hippo crowd the banks among clouds of waterbirds.
Day 10Ishasha
The Ishasha Plains
A game-viewing transfer carries you south to the remote Ishasha sector, famed for its tree-climbing lions. You arrive at your wilderness camp on the banks of the Ntungwe River in time for sundowners.
Day 11Bwindi
Bush Breakfast and on to Bwindi
A final morning game drive concludes with a private bush breakfast before the transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You arrive in time for lunch, with the balance of the day at leisure on the forest's edge.
Day 12Bwindi
First Mountain Gorilla Trek
After an early breakfast and briefing at the park headquarters, you set off on your first gorilla trek into Bwindi, spending a treasured hour with a habituated family. In the afternoon you visit the Ride 4 a Woman cooperative, which supports local women through craft and enterprise.
Day 13Bwindi
Second Gorilla Trek and the Batwa
A second trek offers a different family and a deeper, unhurried experience of these remarkable apes. Later you spend time with a Batwa community, the forest's original inhabitants, learning about their traditions and heritage.
Day 14Entebbe
Fly to Entebbe and the Shoebill Search
After checkout you transfer to the airstrip for a scheduled flight to Entebbe. The afternoon brings a complimentary birding excursion to the Mabamba wetlands in search of the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork, followed by a farewell dinner.
Day 15Departure
Farewell
Your safari concludes today with a transfer to the airport and meet-and-greet assistance for your outbound flight, carrying home the memory of two countries and two unforgettable gorilla encounters.
What is included
Every Detail, Handled
Two gorilla permits and one chimpanzee permit per person
Park entrance and conservation fees
Ground transportation in a safari 4WD vehicle
Domestic flights as specified (Entebbe to Kasese, Kihihi to Entebbe)
Accommodation and meals as shown
English speaking driver guide
All game drives and boat cruises mentioned
Round airport transfers and meet and greet at Kigali and Entebbe
Medical Emergency Evacuation Cover
Not included
International airfares and the Kigali to Entebbe flight
Optional activities unless specified as included
Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees)
