Uganda & Rwanda Adventure Safari

Welcome to Rwanda. On arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by a Belair representative and transferred to your hotel. Settle in, refresh and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure ahead of your East African adventure.

• Overnight: Hôtel des Mille Collines
• Meal plan: As confirmed for your arrival schedule
• Transfer time: Approximately 10–15 minutes

After breakfast, set out on a guided introduction to Kigali, exploring the city's key landmarks and gaining insight into Rwanda's history, culture and remarkable renewal. The city tour may last up to three hours.

Continue north through Rwanda's beautifully terraced hills towards Volcanoes National Park, with lunch en route. In the afternoon, visit the Iby'Iwacu community for traditional dance, weaving, local brewing demonstrations and stories of village life. Subject to time, the experience may also include nearby caves, the Twin Lakes and local communities before check-in at your lodge.

• Overnight: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Estimated drive: Approximately 3 hours, excluding stops
• Planned departure: 07:00

Following an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for registration and a briefing on gorilla-trekking etiquette. You will then enter the forest with an experienced ranger-guide in search of your assigned gorilla family.

The trek may take approximately two to six hours, depending on the gorillas' location and the day's trail conditions. Once the family is located, enjoy the permitted viewing time in their presence — a rare and deeply moving encounter. Afterwards, return to the lodge for lunch and a relaxed afternoon.

• Overnight: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Activity: Gorilla trekking with park ranger-guides

After breakfast, return to the foothills of Volcanoes National Park for golden monkey trekking. The forest comes alive with colourful bird calls and the lively chatter of these rare and charismatic primates.

Following the trek, travel towards the Kyanika border, complete immigration formalities and continue into Uganda. The road to Bwindi winds through the rolling green hills and dramatic scenery of southwestern Uganda. Arrive at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay near the forest.

• Overnight: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Estimated drive: Approximately 2–3 hours after the activity, excluding border formalities
• Planned departure: 08:00

Begin early with breakfast, then report to the park headquarters for registration and a ranger-led briefing. Trek through Bwindi's dense, ancient rainforest in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family. The duration can range from a short hike to much of the day, depending on the gorillas' movements and forest conditions.

Later, if trekking time allows, join a community-led Batwa experience. Through stories, demonstrations and traditional skills, Batwa hosts share elements of their heritage and their relationship with the forest. Return to the lodge for dinner and a restful evening.

• Overnight: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Activity: Gorilla trekking; optional evening Batwa experience, time permitting

Depart Bwindi after breakfast and journey towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. Enter through the Ishasha sector, renowned for its open plains and tree-climbing lions, and enjoy wildlife viewing as you travel north.

Continue to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, explore the Kasenyi plains on a game drive in search of buffalo, antelope, elephant and, with luck, lions or leopard. Return to the lodge as evening settles over the park.

• Overnight: Marafiki Safari Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Estimated drive: Approximately 3–4 hours, excluding game viewing and stops
• Planned departure: 08:00

Return to the Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive, following fresh tracks and looking for wildlife that may have been missed the previous afternoon. After lunch at the lodge, transfer to the jetty for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.

The channel draws remarkable concentrations of wildlife. Watch for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo and prolific waterbirds along the banks before returning to the lodge for dinner.

• Overnight: Marafiki Safari Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Activities: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

After an early breakfast, drive to Kibale National Park and arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. This forested region is celebrated for its primate diversity and its beautiful crater-lake landscapes.

The afternoon remains flexible. Depending on timing and preference, an optional nature walk in the crater-lakes area or a community walk in Bigodi can be arranged.

• Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Estimated drive: Approximately 2 hours
• Planned departure: 08:00

After breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing before entering Kibale Forest with an experienced guide. The forest supports 13 primate species, and the trek offers an excellent opportunity to observe chimpanzees and other forest life in their natural habitat.

After lunch, continue to Bigodi for a guided wetland walk. This community-managed sanctuary is known for primates, colourful birdlife and lush vegetation. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

• Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Activities: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi wetland walk

Set out after breakfast for Murchison Falls National Park, travelling through small towns, rural landscapes and broad views along the escarpment. Lunch will be served en route.

On arrival, visit the top of Murchison Falls, where the Nile is forced through a narrow gorge before surging into the river below. Continue to your lodge, check in and enjoy dinner after the day's journey.

• Overnight: Murchison River Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Estimated drive: Approximately 4–5 hours, excluding stops
• Planned departure: 07:00

Begin with an early cup of tea, then cross to the northern section of the park for a morning game drive. The open savannah supports giraffe, buffalo, antelope and hippo, while lions and leopard may also be encountered with patience and good fortune.

Return to the lodge for lunch before proceeding to the pier for an afternoon boat cruise towards the base of Murchison Falls. The river journey offers close views of wildlife along the banks and a dramatic perspective of the Nile as it emerges from the gorge.

• Overnight: Murchison River Lodge
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Activities: Morning game drive and approximately two-hour boat cruise

Depart early for Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where a guided nature walk offers the opportunity to observe Uganda's rhinos on foot while learning about the country's rhino conservation programme.

Continue to Kampala and check in at your hotel. If the day aligns with the performance schedule, spend the evening at Ndere Cultural Centre for an energetic showcase of Ugandan music and dance. The cultural performance is subject to the centre's operating programme.

• Overnight: Fairway Hotel
• Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Estimated drive: Approximately 5–6 hours, excluding the sanctuary visit and stops
• Planned departure: 07:00

Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy a guided Kampala city tour tailored to the time available. Afterwards, transfer to Entebbe International Airport in good time for check-in and your onward flight.

Your 13-day Uganda and Rwanda adventure concludes with warm memories of mountain gorillas, forest primates, classic savannah wildlife and the people and landscapes of East Africa.

• Meal plan: As confirmed for your departure schedule
• Transfer: Kampala to Entebbe International Airport
• Overnight: None — departure day