Best Uganda Safari Starting From Kigali
Are you looking for the most convenient way to explore Uganda? If so, then book a Uganda safari starting from Kigali to enjoy the captivating landscapes, wildlife, and primate adventures. Book the best Uganda safari starting from Kigali with Native Africa Tours and enjoy a cost-effective holiday. Starting your Uganda safari from Kigali is also time-saving, especially if you are interested in primates and wildlife encounters in Uganda. Choose from our unique adventure packages that vary in length and typically start from Kigali but include exceptional experiences such as gorilla trekking, wildlife/game viewing, chimpanzee tracking, mountaineering, and others.
Crossing From Rwanda into Uganda
Wondering how you can conveniently connect to Uganda for your safari? Transferring from Kigali is safe and more convenient by road. Visitors set off from Kigali and cross to Uganda through the active and safe borders like Katuna or Chanika. Each of these border crossings introduces you to specific towns like Kisoro and Kabale, where you can easily connect to your preferred destinations in Uganda.
Depending on the destination, driving from Kigali through Katuna/Chanika to Mgahinga or Bwindi National Park can take you approximately 4-5 hours. A 4×4 safari car with great mechanical conditions is the best choice for your road connectivity if you plan to have a Uganda safari starting from Kigali.
How to Enjoy a Seamless Safari Journey From Kigali
A typical Uganda safari that starts from Kigali often combines exceptional experiences and rewarding African destinations. Here is how you can experience the best Uganda safari from Kigali. First, expect to begin your journey from Kigali, Africa’s cleanest and safest city, also Rwanda’s most vibrant capital and business hub.
Extending over 730 sq. km, Kigali is a spectacular city with several attractions for tourists to explore before they officially transfer (border crossing) to Uganda. Kigali is lying at an altitude of 1667m and is best explored during a guided city tour before you cross to Uganda. In Kigali, the amazing locations to explore include the Kigali Memorial Centre, one of the iconic historical sites where remains of the 1994 genocide victims were laid to rest.
Other places to explore with ease on the Kigali city tour include Niyo Art gallery, Kigali Convention Centre, Inema Art gallery, Nyamirambo Women’s Centre, Amahoro Stadium, Hotel des Mille Collines, Kimironko Market, and Mount Kigali.
Top Places to Visit on a Safari Starting in Kigali
Best places to explore in Uganda, starting from Kigali, include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kibale National Park.
Exploring Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is Uganda’s designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and is where over half the world’s endangered mountain gorillas reside. This is one of Uganda’s bio-diverse protected areas, home to not only mountain gorillas but also forest elephants, chimpanzees, duikers, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, butterflies, amphibians, side-striped jackals, and bush pigs. Other primates include l’hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, African civets, and many others.
The lush Bwindi Impenetrable Forest also shelters over 360 species of birds, comprising mainly many Albertine Rift endemic species and also resident avifauna. The diverse bird species in Bwindi Impenetrable National park include cinnamon-chested bee-eaters, African emerald cuckoos, Grauer’s broadbill, Kingfishers, white-tailed blue-flycatchers, African green pigeon, black bee-eaters, Lagden’s bush-shrikes, yellow-streaked greenbul, Bar-tailed trogon, crowned hornbill, montane oriole, and common bulbul.
While in Bwindi, diverse experiences await you to enjoy, including gorilla trekking, hiking, mountain gorilla habituation, and the Batwa cultural experience. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes you to the park’s 4 prime sectors, including Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo, and Ruhija. Over 24 habituated gorilla groups are distributed across the 4 regions/sectors in Bwindi, with a maximum of 8 eight guests per day allowed to track each group.
Visiting Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga is one of the best places to add to the list of rewarding destinations on a Uganda safari from Kigali. Located in the breathtaking hillside of Kisoro, Southwestern Uganda, Mgahinga National Park was officially gazetted as a National Park in 1991. Today, it is Uganda’s smallest Park that spans up to 33.9 sq. km. Mgahinga is compact but promises exceptional adventure holidays, both for primates and mountain hikers.
Mgahinga’s diverse habitats protect different wildlife ranging from golden monkeys, mountain gorillas, buffaloes, giant forest hogs, forest elephants, l’hoest monkeys, colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, black-fronted duikers, bush pigs, to bushbucks. Besides the abundant mammal species, Mgahinga also contains more than 180 species of birds, which include 14 Albertine rift endemic species such as handsome francolins, scarlet-tufted malachite, Rwenzori turacos, Kivu ground thrush, dusky crimson wings, white-tailed blue flycatchers, and Archer’s robin chat.
A visit to Mgahinga on a Uganda safari rewards nature enthusiasts with unforgettable birding experiences, golden monkey tracking, nature hikes, volcano hiking, Batwa trail, and mountain gorilla trekking.
Wildlife Experiences in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Located in western Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of East Africa’s most vibrant wildlife destinations, mainly popular for its biodiversity and captivating landscapes. Scenic Crater Lake, lush forests, and savannas characterises the park’s landscape. It is a rich ecosystem with over 95 mammal species, 625 species of mammals that thrive in the Kazinga channel, Mweya peninsula, Kyambura Gorge, and Kasenyi plains.
The diverse animal species to explore on a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park include the tree-climbing lions (at the Ishasha), buffaloes, hippos, elephants, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles, and primates like colobus monkeys, baboons, and chimpanzees. This park also features on the top list of unmatched birding sites in Uganda, holding birds such as hooded vultures, papyrus canary, pink-backed pelicans, African skimmers, African fish eagles, Great blue turacos, long-crested eagles, helmeted guineafowl, African crakes, shoebill storks, and many others.
At the Queen Elizabeth National Park, expect to engage in wilderness safari experiences such as guided game drives, lion tracking/trekking, boat tours, chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, and birding.
Explore Kibale National Park
Lying in Kabarole District, Western Uganda, Kibale National Park is set at an altitude of 1100 and 1600m. This Protected Area mainly features moist evergreen forest and breathtaking landscapes with many scenic Crater Lakes in the surrounding areas. The 795 sq km Kibale Forest National Park harbours over 13 species of primates that include a total of over 1500 chimpanzees. Kibale also holds other primates, ranging from the olive baboons, Uganda mangabeys, vervet monkeys, bush babies, red-tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, Uganda red colobus monkeys, pottos, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and many others.
In Kibale, there are also more than 375 species of birds that make it one of the important bird areas in Uganda. While in Kibale, the focus lies on the chimpanzee trekking (with permits available at USD 250 per person), chimpanzee habituation (permits are at USD 300), forest walks, birding, and Bigodi swamp walks.
Safari Activities to Expect in Uganda
Best Uganda safaris starting from Kigali offer a myriad of experiences worth appreciating by all enthusiastic nature lovers. Top safari activities to engage in during the guided Uganda safaris include mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, guided game viewing, boat excursions, chimpanzee habituation, birding, Crater Lake tours, gorilla habituation experience, and more.
Additional Places to Add to Your Uganda Itinerary
Uganda is a diverse destination with several places for tourists to explore. Other places to consider exploring, especially on an extended Uganda safari starting from Kigali, include Lake Mburo National Park, Budongo Forest, Kidepo Valley National Park, Jinja (mostly for adrenaline experiences like whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, and more), Mount Elgon, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Kalinzu Forest, and many others.
How to Prepare for Your Safari
Ensure that you pack appropriately for your Uganda safaris from Kigali, starting with long-sleeved shirts, gardening gloves, insect repellents, a safari hat, sunscreen, sturdy hiking boots, waterproof jackets, a daypack, and a pair of binoculars.
Choose the right itinerary/travel plan and consider dealing with an expert to guide you. At Native Africa Tours, you won’t run short of travel plan options. We have the best Uganda safari packages for tourists who intend to start their tours from Kigali and include 3-day Uganda gorilla trekking from Kigali, 7 Days Luxury Uganda gorillas and wildlife safari from Kigali, and 6 days Uganda safari from Kigali, etc.
Choose and book the comfortable accommodation with easier access to your destination. Avoid booking lodges and camps that are located far from where your safari activities are meant to begin.
Know when to book the best Uganda safaris starting from Kigali and consider the two seasons on your travel calendar; that is, the dry and wet seasons. The extended dry months are mainly June, July, August, and September, then December to February.
Conclusion: Start Your Uganda Safari the Easy Way
Book the best Uganda safaris starting from Kigali with an expert who has been tested for decades. Contact Native Africa Tours, a reliable company for you to book all gorilla trekking tours from Kigali, or even if you desire to go chimp tracking or game viewing in the spectacular savanna plains of Uganda. Our safaris can also be incorporated with Rwanda tours, thus guaranteeing you a wide range of experiences to enjoy.
