Rwanda & Uganda - 9-day Low-Key Pearl of Africa Safari - Tailored Driven

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Rwanda & Uganda – 9-day Low-Key Pearl of Africa Safari – Tailored Driven

9 days / 8 nights
Kigali • Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park • Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park • Kibale Forest National Park

Country

Rwanda, Uganda

Duration

9 days

Highlights

Kigali

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park

+1 destinations

Rated 4.9/5

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Rwanda & Uganda – 9-day Low-Key Pearl of Africa Safari – Tailored Driven

From $7,710
Heaven Boutique Hotel
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Turaco Treetops
Kibale Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Includes

Light aircraft flight Kasese - Entebbe
7 nights' accommodation on full-board basis
1 night accommodation on bed & breakfast basis
Private 4x4 vehicle (Landcruiser) with experienced English-speaking driver-guide
All the excursions and activities mentioned
1 Gorilla tracking permit per person
1 Chimpanzee tracking per person
Drinking water in the vehicle (1 litre per person per day)
AMREF Evacuation Insurance cover
Government taxes
Park/Forest Fees

Excludes

International flights
All drinks and meals not mentioned 
Optional activities
Gratuities - recommended is US$ 10 per person per day for the guide and the same amount for all hotel staff together
Entry visa
Travel insurance
Increase in government tax and park fees

Itinerary

Kigali, Rwanda

Perched at an elevation of approximately 1,850 metres, Rwanda's capital city sprawls across a series of verdant hills and valleys and is the country’s financial, commercial and cultural hub, . This undulating terrain provides panoramic vistas, with Mount Kigali offering well-marked trails for hikers to explore its lush vegetation and unique wildlife. The city's history is deeply etched in sites like the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a poignant tribute to the nation's past. Today, Kigali thrives with a vibrant arts scene, exemplified by venues such as the Inema Arts Center, where contemporary Rwandan art flourishes. Culinary enthusiasts can indulge in the city's burgeoning food scene, including traditional milk bars that serve fresh dairy-based beverages. The Kimironko Market presents a sensory feast of fresh produce, textiles, and crafts. The Uganda National Mosque, commissioned by Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, was built to strengthen diplomatic and religious ties between Libya and Rwanda. Nearby, Nyamirambo brims with colourful streets, local boutiques, and a lively nightlife.
Kigali
Kigali
Kigali
Kigali
Kigali
Kigali
+5
  • Heaven Boutique Hotel

    Day 1 - 2

    Heaven Boutique Hotel is situated in Kigali, Rwanda, near the Kandt House Museum, the Kigali Prime Garden, the Inema Arts Centre, the Niyo Arts Gallery and the Cultural Green Square Park. Units feature air-conditioning, a flat-screen television, a coffee machine, a safety deposit box, a refrigerator and a wardrobe. There are two on-site restaurants where guests can enjoy meals. Additional amenities include a gym, an outdoor swimming pool, a hot tub, room service and an airport shuttle.
    Heaven Boutique Hotel
    Heaven Boutique Hotel
    Heaven Boutique Hotel
    Heaven Boutique Hotel
    Heaven Boutique Hotel
    Heaven Boutique Hotel
    +2

Day 1

Day Notes:

Upon arrival as per your international flight details, clear immigration, collect your luggage with assistance from our Meet & Greet service, who will lead you to arrivals to meet our representative and driver and transfer to the hotel driving for approximately 10 minutes upon exiting the airport.

  • Meet & Greet

  • Transfer from Kigali International Airport [KGL] to Heaven Boutique Hotel

  • Check-in to Heaven Boutique Hotel

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda

Located in southwestern Uganda, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is said to be Africa’s oldest rainforest. It is world-renowned for its excellent gorilla-sighting opportunities - the forest is home to half of the remaining mountain gorillas on earth. This gorilla experience takes place among a rugged landscape of dense jungle, cascading waterfalls, sparkling mountain streams, deep valleys, and steep ridges. The untouched forest has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its breathtaking natural beauty and unique ecological significance. Aside from the amazing gorilla interactions, there are other drawcards such as a network of forest walks, over 340 species of bird to spot, and a variety of brightly-coloured butterflies to identify.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
+13
  • Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

    Day 2 - 4

    Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge is situated in Southwestern Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Units feature a private bathroom, a desk, bed linen, towels, a wardrobe, mosquito netting, a balcony and free toiletries. There is an on-site restaurant where guests can enjoy meals. Additional amenities include an airport shuttle, room service, private parking and complimentary Wi-Fi.
    Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
    Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
    Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
    Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
    Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
    Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Day 2

Day Notes:

Depart Kigali and travel over Cyanika border. Have lunch in Kisoro and meet the walking safari guides for your next activity. 

Join our walking safari guide in Kisoro Town for a community walk, a canoeing excursion on Lake Mutanda, and a nature hike through local communities & cultivated garden trails. It is an immersive walking adventure connecting you with the local people and environments.

Guests can decide on ground for guides to plan the stopping point. Meet the vehicle and drive to Nkuringo for lunch (30 min drive) or have a picnic lunch instead and continue walking to Rubuguri junction (approximately 2 hours), meet the vehicle and drive to Nkuringo for 30 mins.

Transfer time: ~5-6 hours

 

  • Check-out from Heaven Boutique Hotel

  • Community walk, canoeing on Lake Mutanda and nature hike

  • Transfer from Heaven Boutique Hotel to Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

  • Check-in to Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Day 3

Day Notes:

After breakfast, at around 7:30 am, with packed lunch and drinking water you will be transferred to the briefing point for the briefing on the do’s and the don’ts while with the gorillas. You then continue to the forest for the start of the actual gorilla tracking in a group of 8 participants accompanied by escorts/ guides and rangers from Uganda wildlife Authority.

The duration of the trek is only determined by the location of the primates on the day of tracking, and the time taken to find the gorillas can take from an hour to a full day, after spotting them, spend 1 hour of viewing and hike back, meet the vehicle and drive back to the lodge.

The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular. The area offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the terrain vary as per the movements of these great primates. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savoured. Many find it to be a rare and moving opportunity.

 

  • Gorilla Trekking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Surrounded by other wonderful parks in the western region of Uganda, the Queen Elizabeth National Park is known for its rich biodiversity, wildlife and history. In the southern part of the park, the remote Ishaha sector is home to tree-climbing lions who spend long lazy days dozing in the pretty fig trees. The Uganda Kob, a type of antelope, are watched carefully by the tree lions while grazing the plains Around Lake Edward, enjoy fishing and more game watching - make sure to look out for chimpanzees, elephants, crocodiles, and perennial and migratory bird species.
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • Ishasha Wilderness Camp

    Day 4 - 6

    Ishasha Wilderness Camp is an idyllic retreat for people who truly enjoy the wilderness, coupled with superb accommodation and exceptional service.
    Ishasha Wilderness Camp
    Ishasha Wilderness Camp
    Ishasha Wilderness Camp
    Ishasha Wilderness Camp
    Ishasha Wilderness Camp
    Ishasha Wilderness Camp
    +6
  • The Bush Lodge

    Day 6 - 7

    The Bush Lodge is a charming safari camp located in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, near the Kazinga Channel. The lodge offers a variety of accommodations, including self-contained bandas with private terraces and ensuite bathrooms, and tents with shared facilities. Guests can enjoy dining at the on-site restaurant, which features a large dining tent overlooking the Kazinga Channel and the Rwenzori Mountains. Guests can also enjoy various safari activities such as game drives, birding, and chimpanzee trekking.
    The Bush Lodge

Day 4

Day Notes:

This morning after an early breakfast, you will be transferred by the lodge driver to Nteko Ridge for about 30 mins to embark on a guided walk through the forest walking from South to North of Bwindi impenetrable forest (with a packed lunch from the lodge).

There are 2 options for this walk, the shorter route of 13KM taking about 4 hours which is recommended. The other alternative is walking the longer trail of 17km which starts from the lodge without driving to Nteko Ridge.

Upon reaching Buhoma, meet the vehicle and drive to Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park renowned for tree climbing lions that can be spotted in fig trees on lucky days. The drive takes about 2 hours.

If you prefer to be driven to Bwindi, please let us know, as that can, of course, also be arranged.

  • Check-out from Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

  • Guided walk through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

  • Transfer from Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge to Ishasha Wilderness Camp

  • Check-in to Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Day 5

Day Notes:

This morning you’ll head into the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, spending the day on game drives across its open savannah in search of the famous tree-climbing lions, elephants, buffalo, and abundant birdlife, before winding down with a sundowner in the park as the African sunset paints the horizon a perfect close to a day of adventure and discovery.

  • Private full-day game drive

Day 6

Day Notes:

This morning, after breakfast, with an en route game drive, continue to the lodge for lunch and after lunch head out for a private boat trip on Kazinga channel - the 36 km waterway which connects Lake George and Lake Edward, and allows special viewings of game and birds on the riverbanks, as the boat passes through pods of hippos. Crocodiles have only recently been seen in the Channel; they disappeared 8,000 years after they were eliminated from Lake Edward by toxic ash from local volcanoes.

The boat takes about 2-3 hour round trip depending on the sightings. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

 

  • Check-out from Ishasha Wilderness Camp

  • Game drive transfer en route to Kibale Forest National Park

  • Transfer from Ishasha Wilderness Camp to The Bush Lodge

  • Check-in to The Bush Lodge

  • Private boat trip on Kazinga Channel

Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda

Kibale Forest National Park, situated in Western Uganda, is famous for its high density of primates, breathtaking crater lakes, and thick, beautiful jungle. Thirteen primate species inhabit the beautiful tropical forest, including red-tailed monkey, L’Hoest's monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red colobus, and black and white colobus monkeys. Visitors may spot some of the 300 bird species and 250 butterfly species, and buffalo, forest elephants, leopards, bushbucks, and sitatungas also live in the park but are generally shy. The area is decorated by around 50 enthralling crater lakes and numerous pristine hiking trails. Several cultural tours are on offer which delve into the rich traditions of the Batoro people, giving travellers a chance to see Batoro dancing, singing and traditional healing up close.
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
  • Turaco Treetops

    Day 7 - 9

    Turaco Treetops is surrounded by 5.2 hectares of rainforest in the Ugandan region of Nyabubare, neighbouring the Kibale National Park. The lodge offers well-appointed rooms in four duplex buildings and luxury cottages within the jungle. The rooms and spacious cottages feature en-suite bathrooms, comfortable beds, mosquito nets, and furnished balconies. General facilities include a restaurant, lounges, a swimming pool, and Wi-Fi. Area activities include chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, birdwatching, swamp walks, and village tours.
    Turaco Treetops
    Turaco Treetops
    Turaco Treetops
    Turaco Treetops
    Turaco Treetops

Day 7

Day Notes:

This morning, after an early breakfast, head out for a lion tracking experience in the Kasenyi plains, joining researchers who use radio telemetry to locate collared lions and sharing fascinating insights into their behaviour and conservation. Along the way, enjoy sightings of Uganda kobs, elephants, buffalo, and other wildlife that thrive in the grasslands.

Afterwards, continue with a scenic drive to Kibale Forest National Park, where you’ll check in at the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure, unwinding in preparation for the adventures ahead.

Transfer time: ~2-3 hours

  • Check-out from The Bush Lodge

  • Lion tracking experience

  • Transfer from The Bush Lodge to Turaco Treetops

  • Check-in to Turaco Treetops

  • Afternoon at leisure

Day 8

Day Notes:

This morning after breakfast, transfer to the visitor’s Information Centre for a briefing on the conduct while in the park. After the short briefing and group allocation, start off the trek in search of the chimpanzees accompanied by rangers and guides from Uganda wildlife Authority. The duration of the trek depends on the day’s location of the Chimps, but you are allowed 1 hour of viewing.

Afternoon excursion to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a great example of a community-based approach to natural resources management which can be of good economic benefit to the local residents living within the area and to the tourism industry. This sanctuary is a paradise for bird watchers - skilled birders can spot up to 50 new species on a bird list. At today 138 species of birds have been recognized within the sanctuary, among which the Great Blue Turaco. Bigodi is also regularly visited by a diverse number of primate species from the nearby national park.

Drive to the community to interact with locals, understand local coffee making, banana Gin cultural performances. Return to the lodge for dinner & overnight.

  • Chimpanzee tracking

  • Bigodi swamp walk

  • Banana man & coffee lady experience

Day 9

  • Check-out from Turaco Treetops

  • Transfer from Turaco Treetops to Kasese Airport [KSE]

  • Charter Flight from Kasese Airport [KSE] to Entebbe International Airport [EBB]

End of Itinerary

Destinations

Kigali
Rwanda
Day 1

Kigali

Perched at an elevation of approximately 1,850 metres, Rwanda's capital city sprawls across a series of verdant hills and valleys and is the country’s financial, commercial and cultural hub, .
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Uganda
Day 2-3

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Located in southwestern Uganda, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is said to be Africa’s oldest rainforest.
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda
Day 4-6

Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park

Surrounded by other wonderful parks in the western region of Uganda, the Queen Elizabeth National Park is known for its rich biodiversity, wildlife and history.
Kibale Forest National Park
Uganda
Day 7-8

Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale Forest National Park, situated in Western Uganda, is famous for its high density of primates, breathtaking crater lakes, and thick, beautiful jungle.

Accommodations

Heaven Boutique Hotel
Kigali
Day 1-2

Heaven Boutique Hotel

Heaven Boutique Hotel is situated in Kigali, Rwanda, near the Kandt House Museum, the Kigali Prime Garden, the Inema Arts Centre, the Niyo Arts Gallery and the Cultural Green Square Park.
Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Day 2-4

Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge is situated in Southwestern Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4-6

Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Ishasha Wilderness Camp is an idyllic retreat for people who truly enjoy the wilderness, coupled with superb accommodation and exceptional service..
The Bush Lodge
Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6-7

The Bush Lodge

The Bush Lodge is a charming safari camp located in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, near the Kazinga Channel.
Turaco Treetops
Kibale Forest National Park
Day 7-9

Turaco Treetops

Turaco Treetops is surrounded by 5.2 hectares of rainforest in the Ugandan region of Nyabubare, neighbouring the Kibale National Park.

January, February, June - September & December 2026

  • Solo traveller: US$ 11,150
  • Per person sharing, based on 2 people travelling: US$ 7,865
  • Per person sharing, based on 3 people travelling: US$ 7,000
  • Per person sharing, based on 4 people travelling: US$ 6,670
  • Per person sharing, based on 5 people travelling: US$ 6,310
  • Per person sharing, based on 6 people travelling: US$ 6,135
  • Single traveller supplement: US$ 690

March - May & October - November 2026

  • Solo traveller: US$ 10,890
  • Per person sharing, based on 2 people travelling: US$ 7,710
  • Per person sharing, based on 3 people travelling: US$ 6,850
  • Per person sharing, based on 4 people travelling: US$ 6,415
  • Per person sharing, based on 5 people travelling: US$ 6,160
  • Per person sharing, based on 6 people travelling: US$ 5,985
  • Single traveller supplement: US$ 600

Uganda & Kenya – 13-day Tailor-made Uganda & Kenya Safari

Indigo Safaris provided us with an ideal itinerary for our travel to Uganda and Kenya. They were quick to respond to all our communications and were full of great options or ideas and very pleasant to deal with. Kerry Wyatt with Indigo Safaris was our main contact when we made our initial contact with that company to assist us with planning a once in a lifetime trip to East Africa for a gorilla trek and safari experience. She was terrific in setting up an ideal travel itinerary for the two of us, very pleasant and in spite of the time difference was very prompt in providing responses to us with very good input and ideas for our travel.

Ken Duggan
My son and I shared an outstanding East Africa travel experience