10 Days Uganda Safari from Kigali to Entebbe

Safari Detail	Information
Duration	10 Days / 9 Nights
Starting Point	Kigali, Rwanda
Ending Point	Entebbe, Uganda
Safari Style	Private, customizable safari
Main Destinations	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park
Primate Experiences	Mountain gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking
Wildlife Activities	Game drives, guided nature walk and rhino tracking
Boat Experiences	Kazinga Channel boat cruise and River Nile boat cruise
Accommodation	Selected safari lodges, with upgrades available on request
Transport	Private 4×4 safari vehicle with a professional driver-guide
Ideal For	Couples, friends, wildlife enthusiasts and primate lovers

The final price depends on the travel dates, number of travellers, accommodation category, permit availability, and confirmed inclusions.

Highlights of This Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari

• Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Spend time observing a habituated mountain gorilla family in its natural forest habitat.

• Lake Bunyonyi relaxation: Enjoy the scenic hills, islands, and peaceful atmosphere of one of southwestern Uganda’s best-known lakes.

• Lake Mburo wildlife safari: Look for zebras, giraffes, impalas, buffaloes and other wildlife during guided game drives and a nature walk.

• Queen Elizabeth National Park: Explore the savannah in search of elephants, buffaloes, antelopes and predators.

• Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge: Walk through a forested gorge with a ranger-guide to search for wild chimpanzees.

• Kazinga Channel boat cruise: Observe hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds and other wildlife along the water’s edge.

• Murchison Falls National Park: Explore the northern savannah plains and cruise the River Nile towards the base of the famous falls.

• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: Join a guided rhino-tracking experience on foot before continuing to Entebbe.

• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: Join a guided rhino-tracking experience on foot before continuing to Entebbe.

Detailed 10 Days Uganda Safari from Kigali to Entebbe Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and Kigali City Tour

Destination: Kigali, Rwanda
Estimated driving: Approximately 30-60 minutes for the airport transfer, plus city-tour driving

Your 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe begins with a welcome at Kigali International Airport by your private driver-guide. After meeting your guide, transfer to your hotel and, depending on your arrival time, begin exploring Kigali.

A city tour introduces you to Rwanda’s capital, known for its green hills, lively neighbourhoods, local markets and modern urban development. Depending on your interests and schedule, the tour may include the Kigali Genocide Memorial, cultural stops or a visit to a local market.

The precise order of activities will depend on your flight arrival time and the opening hours of the places you wish to visit. If you arrive late, the city tour can be shortened or moved to the following morning only if the overall itinerary allows. Return to your booked Lodge for dinner and overnight. Rest well before crossing into Uganda the next day.

Day 2: Kigali to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Rushaga Sector

Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Estimated driving: Approximately 4-6 hours, excluding extended stops and border delays

After breakfast, leave Kigali and travel towards southwestern Uganda. The journey takes you through Rwanda’s rolling hills before reaching the Rwanda-Uganda border. Your guide will assist with the travel arrangements and border formalities before you continue towards Bwindi.

The Rushaga sector lies in southern Bwindi and is one of the areas where mountain gorilla trekking takes place. The surrounding landscape features steep hills, cultivated slopes and dense montane forest. Allow time for a lunch stop along the route. Once you reach Rushaga, check in at your Lodge and settle into your accommodation.

Your guide will explain the following day’s trekking arrangements, including the early departure, appropriate clothing, water, snacks, and the importance of following the ranger-guides’ instructions. If you have mobility concerns or prefer a particular trekking pace, discuss these before the trek so the appropriate arrangements can be explored.

Day 3: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

Destination: Lake Bunyonyi
Gorilla trek: Variable; allow several hours
Estimated transfer to Lake Bunyonyi: Approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the trailhead and road conditions

Today brings one of the most memorable experiences of your Uganda gorilla trekking safari. After an early breakfast, travel to the Rushaga briefing point, where Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers explain the trekking guidelines and assign visitors to available gorilla groups.

Accompanied by experienced ranger-guides, enter Bwindi’s forest in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family. The trek may involve uneven ground, steep slopes, mud, and dense vegetation. Its duration depends on where the gorillas are located and how quickly the group can reach them.

Once the gorillas are found, visitors are generally allowed up to one hour to observe them, subject to the applicable park rules. Watch the family as individuals feed, rest, groom, and interact in their natural habitat. Maintain the required distance and follow all instructions from the rangers.

After the trek, return to the starting point and meet your driver for the journey to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is famous for its terraced hills, numerous islands, and tranquil scenery. Check in at Birdnest Resort and enjoy the peaceful setting after your forest adventure. Because gorilla trekking can take much of the morning or extend into the afternoon, the transfer and lunch arrangements should remain flexible.

Day 4: Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo National Park – Game Drive and Nature Walk

Destination: Lake Mburo National Park
Estimated driving: Approximately 4-5 hours, excluding stops

After breakfast, depart Lake Bunyonyi and travel towards Lake Mburo National Park. Along the way, enjoy views of southwestern Uganda’s hills, villages and agricultural landscapes. Stop for refreshments and lunch as needed.

On arrival, check in at your Lodge and, if time permits, head out for an afternoon game drive. Lake Mburo is known for its zebras, giraffes, impalas, elands, buffaloes and other antelope species. The park’s open grasslands, acacia woodland and seasonal wetlands support a variety of wildlife. Your guide will choose suitable tracks according to the conditions and the time available.

In the evening, enjoy a guided nature walk in Lake Mburo with a ranger, subject to daylight and the park’s activity arrangements. Walking provides a different perspective from a vehicle safari, allowing you to appreciate tracks, plants, smaller wildlife, and the details of the surrounding ecosystem.

Both activities may be possible on this day, but an early departure from Lake Bunyonyi is important. If the transfer takes longer than expected, the game drive or nature walk may need to be adjusted.

Day 5: Morning Game Drive in Lake Mburo and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Morning game drive: Approximately 2-3 hours
Estimated driving to Queen Elizabeth: Allow approximately 4-5 hours, depending on the exact lodge location and route

Wake up early for another opportunity to explore Lake Mburo National Park. The cooler morning hours are a good time to look for wildlife moving through the grasslands and woodland. Keep an eye out for zebras, giraffes, impalas, buffaloes and other antelope species. Your guide will explain the animals’ behaviour and the park’s habitats as you explore.

After the game drive, return to the lodge for breakfast, check out, and begin the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive passes through western Uganda’s countryside, with opportunities for a lunch stop along the way. On arrival, check in at the Lodge. If the transfer and park access arrangements allow, enjoy an evening game drive to begin exploring Queen Elizabeth’s savannah wildlife.

The park is home to elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, warthogs, and several predators, including lions and leopards. Sightings are never guaranteed, but your guide will use local knowledge to identify promising wildlife-viewing areas. If arrival is late, prioritize a comfortable check-in and schedule the next day’s activities as planned rather than rushing the evening excursion.

Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kyambura Gorge

Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Chimpanzee trekking: Allow approximately 2–4 hours, although duration varies

After breakfast, travel to Kyambura Gorge for a guided chimpanzee trekking experience. The gorge forms a forested corridor within the wider savannah landscape of Queen Elizabeth National Park. At the briefing point, meet your ranger-guide and learn about the trekking guidelines. Then enter the forest to search for wild chimpanzees. Depending on their location and movements, the walk may involve uneven ground, slopes and humid forest conditions.

Kyambura is an important habitat for chimpanzees and other forest wildlife. During the walk, you may also encounter other primates, forest birds and interesting vegetation. Chimpanzee sightings are not guaranteed because these are wild animals moving freely through their habitat.

After the Chimpanzee trek in Kyambura Gorge, return to the lodge for lunch and a relaxing afternoon. This lighter schedule allows you to recover from the walk and enjoy the lodge surroundings.

Day 7: Queen Elizabeth Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Morning game drive: Approximately 2-3 hours
Boat cruise: Usually around 2 hours, depending on the scheduled trip

Begin the day with an early morning game drive. Explore the park’s savannah tracks in search of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, warthogs, and other wildlife. With luck, you may also see lions or leopards. The exact route will depend on your lodge location, wildlife movements and park conditions. Your guide will help you make the most of the morning without rushing the experience.

Return to the lodge for breakfast and relaxation, then have lunch before travelling to the Kazinga Channel for an afternoon boat cruise.

The channel connects Lake George and Lake Edward and is well known for its concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles. Along the shoreline, you may also see elephants and buffaloes drinking or feeding, while waterbirds provide excellent photographic opportunities. A boat cruise offers a different perspective from a game drive, bringing you closer to the water’s edge and revealing the diversity of life supported by this aquatic ecosystem.

Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Murchison Falls National Park

Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Estimated driving: Approximately 7–9 hours, depending on the route, stops and road conditions

After an early breakfast, depart Queen Elizabeth National Park for the journey north to Murchison Falls National Park. This is one of the longest transfer days of the safari. The drive passes through rural towns, farmland and changing landscapes as you travel towards northern Uganda. Allow time for refreshments, a lunch stop, and other necessary breaks.

The journey is best treated as a transfer day rather than an opportunity to fit in a major additional activity. Your driver-guide will manage the schedule to help you reach the lodge safely and comfortably.

Upon arrival, check in at booked safari lodge. Depending on the time, you may have the opportunity to enjoy the lodge surroundings and watch for wildlife in the area. Otherwise, relax and prepare for the following day’s game drive and River Nile boat cruise.

Day 9: Murchison Falls Game Drive and River Nile Boat Cruise

Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Morning game drive: Approximately 3-4 hours
Boat cruise: Approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the excursion

Start early with a game drive across the northern savannah plains of Murchison Falls National Park. The area is known for Rothschild’s giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, hartebeest, and a range of other wildlife.

Your guide will search for animals along the park tracks and explain how the savannah ecosystem supports the species you encounter. Lions and leopards are also present, although sightings depend on wildlife movements and conditions on the day.

Return to your Safari Lodge for breakfast and some time to rest. After lunch, head to the River Nile for a boat cruise towards the base of Murchison Falls. As the boat travels along the river, look for hippos, crocodiles, elephants and waterbirds. The scenery becomes increasingly dramatic as the river approaches the narrow gorge where it forces its way through the rocks. The cruise provides a memorable perspective of the river and the surrounding landscape.

After the boat trip, return to the lodge for dinner and your final overnight stay in the national parks.

Day 10: Murchison Falls National Park to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Entebbe

Destination: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, then Entebbe
Estimated driving: Allow approximately 2.5-3.5 hours to Ziwa and another 3-4.5 hours to Entebbe, depending on the route and traffic

After an early breakfast, check out of Pakuba Safari Lodge and begin the journey towards Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. At the sanctuary, join a guided rhino-tracking experience on foot with trained sanctuary guides. Ziwa is an important part of Uganda’s rhino conservation efforts and provides an opportunity to observe southern white rhinos in a protected environment.

The tracking experience also offers insight into rhino behaviour, habitat protection and the wider conservation work supporting the species. After the activity, continue towards Entebbe, stopping for lunch along the way if time permits. Your driver-guide will then transfer you to Entebbe International Airport or your preferred hotel.

This final day involves a substantial amount of driving, so the timing of the rhino tracking activity must be coordinated with your flight departure. If your international flight leaves early in the day, an additional night in Entebbe or an alternative schedule may be necessary.

End of safari: Entebbe, Uganda.

Where Does This Uganda Safari Go?

This route links Rwanda’s capital with five major Ugandan safari destinations and ends in Entebbe. It combines forest trekking in the southwest with savannah wildlife and river experiences farther north.

What Is Included in the 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe Package?

The final inclusions should be confirmed in your written quotation. A typical package may include:

• Nine nights of accommodation at the selected lodges.

• Meals as stated in the itinerary.

• Private 4×4 safari transportation with fuel.

• Services of a professional English-speaking driver-guide.

• Airport pickup in Kigali and drop-off in Entebbe.

• Gorilla trekking permit for Bwindi, per person.

• Chimpanzee trekking permit for Kyambura Gorge, per person.

• Applicable national park entrance fees for included activities.

• Guided game drives in Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls.

• Guided nature walk in Lake Mburo, subject to availability and park arrangements.

• Kazinga Channel boat cruise.

• River Nile boat cruise towards the base of Murchison Falls.

• Guided rhino-tracking activity at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

• Bottled drinking water in the safari vehicle, if included in the final quotation.

What Is Not Included?

Unless specifically stated in the quotation, the following are generally excluded:

• International flights to Kigali and from Entebbe.

• Rwanda and Uganda visa fees.

• Travel insurance and personal medical expenses.

• Alcoholic beverages, premium drinks and meals not specified.

• Tips and gratuities for the driver-guide, rangers, lodge staff and porters.

• Personal expenses, laundry and souvenirs.

• Gorilla trekking porter fees and personal trekking equipment.

• Additional hotel nights before or after the safari.

• Optional activities not listed in the confirmed itinerary.

• Bank transfer fees or card processing charges.

• Additional transport or accommodation arising from flight changes or unforeseen delays.

Booking note: Gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, accommodation and activity schedules are subject to availability and confirmation. State clearly whether the quotation includes all applicable permit and park fees.

How Much Does a 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe Cost?

The cost of a 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe depends on the number of travellers, travel season, accommodation standard, permit availability and the services included.

Private safaris have a different per-person cost depending on whether you are travelling as a couple, a family or a larger group. Gorilla trekking permits and chimpanzee permits are important components of the total price, while accommodation upgrades and vehicle arrangements can also affect the quotation.

Native Africa Tours can prepare a tailored price based on your travel dates, preferred accommodation and group size. Rather than publishing an unverified starting price, request a current quotation that clearly separates inclusions, exclusions and any applicable payment charges.

Best Time to Take This 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe

Uganda can be visited throughout the year, but seasonal conditions influence trekking, road travel and wildlife viewing. June to September and December to February are commonly popular periods for wildlife safaris and gorilla trekking because they often offer relatively drier conditions. Demand can also be higher, so advance planning for accommodation and permits is advisable.

The wetter periods can bring greener landscapes and rewarding photographic opportunities, although forest trails may become muddier and some roads more challenging. Conditions vary from year to year, and gorilla trekking takes place in a tropical forest where rain is possible at any time.

For this 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe itinerary, the best travel dates are those that balance your preferred weather, permit availability, lodge availability and international flight schedule.

What to Pack for the 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe

Prepare for both forest trekking and open-vehicle wildlife viewing.

• Sturdy hiking boots with good grip.

• Long trousers and long-sleeved clothing for forest walks.

• Lightweight rain jacket or poncho.

• Small daypack, reusable water bottle and personal snacks.

• Gardening-style gloves for holding vegetation on muddy trails, if desired.

• Insect repellent and sunscreen.

• Hat, sunglasses and binoculars.

• Camera with suitable protection against rain and dust.

• Personal medication and basic first-aid supplies.

• A small amount of cash for tips and personal purchases.

For gorilla trekking, follow the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger-guides’ instructions and avoid wearing bright clothing if you prefer to blend into the forest environment. Ask your safari consultant about current trekking guidance before departure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 10 days enough for a Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari?

Yes. Ten days allows you to combine gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, several wildlife-viewing areas, boat cruises and rhino tracking. However, the itinerary includes two long transfer days and a demanding final day, so realistic scheduling is important.

Can I start my Uganda safari in Kigali and end in Entebbe?

Yes. A Kigali-to-Entebbe route is possible and can be convenient for travellers combining Rwanda and Uganda. The itinerary crosses into Uganda near the southwestern part of the country and continues north before ending near Entebbe. Check visa requirements for your nationality and intended border crossings before travel.

How difficult is gorilla trekking in Bwindi?

Trekking difficulty varies with the gorilla family’s location, terrain, weather and the group’s walking pace. Trails can be steep, muddy and uneven. Travellers should be prepared for several hours of walking and should discuss mobility concerns or support requirements before booking.

Is chimpanzee trekking guaranteed in Kyambura Gorge?

No. Chimpanzees are wild animals and move freely through the forest. Your ranger-guide will search for them, but sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Will I see the tree-climbing lions in this itinerary?

The itinerary focuses on Queen Elizabeth National Park but does not specifically include an Ishasha-sector visit. Lions may be encountered during game drives, but sightings are never guaranteed. If seeing the Ishasha tree-climbing lions is a priority, discuss adding the Ishasha sector and adjusting the route.

Does the safari include rhino tracking?

The proposed itinerary includes a guided rhino-tracking experience at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on Day 10. Confirm the sanctuary activity, fees and timing in the final quotation.

What accommodation standard is available?

The proposed itinerary uses the selected lodges listed in the accommodation table. Upgrades or alternative lodges may be possible depending on availability and budget. Confirm room category, meal plan and any supplements before payment.

How do I book this 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe ?

Contact Native Africa Tours with your preferred travel dates, number of travellers, accommodation preferences and any special interests. The team can check permit and lodge availability, confirm the itinerary and provide a detailed quotation before you make a booking.

Plan Your Uganda Safari with Native Africa Tours

From the misty forests of Bwindi to the savannah plains of Murchison Falls, this 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe combines primate encounters, wildlife viewing and some of East Africa’s most memorable landscapes.

Native Africa Tours is a locally based safari operator specializing in private Uganda and Rwanda journeys. Our team can help coordinate gorilla and chimpanzee permits, accommodation, park activities, cross-border travel and a private driver-guide to create a safari that fits your interests and schedule.

Ready to explore Uganda? Contact Native Africa Tours with your travel dates, group size and preferred accommodation standard to request a personalized quotation for your 10 days Uganda safari from Kigali to Entebbe.