Uganda · Private safari
Gorillas & Lakeside Days
Bwindi → Lake Bunyonyi
Proposed level: Midrange to luxury
Uganda · Rwanda
Uganda & Rwanda
Forests, Primates & Lake Kivu
A primate-led journey across two countries, with a lake between the forests and time to recover from the trekking.
Uganda holds the deeper forest experience — Kibale’s chimpanzees and Bwindi’s gorillas — while Rwanda offers the easier onward flight and Lake Kivu for a slow finish. We deliberately include one gorilla trek rather than two: the second permit rarely adds as much as a rest day and a boat on the lake.
The route
- Stop 1
Kibale
- Stop 2
Bwindi
- Stop 3
Lake Kivu
Route order as travelled. This is a schematic of the sequence, not a scale map — driving times are given in the itinerary.
The route on a map
3 stops · drag and zoom to explore
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- 01Kibale
- 02Bwindi
- 03Lake Kivu
Pins mark the regions in travelling order, not exact camps or lodges. Driving times are given in the day-by-day plan above.
Day by day
10 days · 9 nights across 2 countries
Day01Arrive and settle into Kibale ForestKibale · overnight Kibale Forest
You are met on arrival and driven to your first camp. Depending on your flight time, there is a first evening drive or simply time to settle in. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest with rangers, plus a swamp walk in the afternoon.
- Transfers
- Met at Entebbe (EBB), then a transfer of approximately 5–6 hours by road from Entebbe, or 2–3 hours from Queen Elizabeth.
- Meals
- Dinner
- Overnight
- Kibale Forest
- Pace
- Light — settle in, with one short drive if your flight allows
From the safari desk: Send us your flight number before you travel. If you land after 15:00 we move any first drive to the following morning rather than rush you into the park tired.
Day02Kibale — full dayKibale · overnight Kibale Forest
Chimpanzee habituation or a second forest walk, arranged in advance.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Kibale Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day03Kibale — full dayKibale · overnight Kibale Forest
Early morning birding along the forest edge before departure.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Kibale Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day04On to Bwindi Impenetrable ForestBwindi · overnight Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast you travel on to Bwindi. The afternoon is kept light: Gorilla trekking day: a permit-based trek with rangers, lasting from a few hours to most of the day depending on where the group is.
- Transfers
- approximately 8–9 hours by road from Entebbe, or a flight to Kihihi with a road transfer.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Pace
- Half a day in the vehicle, then an afternoon drive
From the safari desk: Where the road allows it we plan the drive to arrive before lunch, so the afternoon is a proper game drive rather than a rushed arrival at dusk.
Day05Bwindi — full dayBwindi · overnight Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
A recovery day around the lodge, or a community visit and forest walk if you would like one.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day06Bwindi — full dayBwindi · overnight Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Optional second gorilla permit, subject to availability, or a gentle village walk.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day07On to Lake KivuLake Kivu · overnight Lake Kivu
After breakfast you travel on to Lake Kivu. The afternoon is kept light: Time by the lake: swimming, kayaking or a boat trip to a coffee island.
- Transfers
- approximately 2 hours by road from Volcanoes or Nyungwe. Cross from Uganda into Rwanda by road at Cyanika or Gatuna with your guide handling formalities, then continue to Lake Kivu.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Kivu
- Pace
- Half a day in the vehicle, then an afternoon drive
From the safari desk: Where the road allows it we plan the drive to arrive before lunch, so the afternoon is a proper game drive rather than a rushed arrival at dusk.
Day08Lake Kivu — full dayLake Kivu · overnight Lake Kivu
A relaxed day with an optional walk along the shoreline villages.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Kivu
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day09Lake Kivu — full dayLake Kivu · overnight Lake Kivu
Early morning on the water before the onward drive.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Kivu
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day10DepartureLake Kivu · onward travel
Your guide sees you to the airport in good time for check-in. If your international flight leaves late in the day, a day room or an extra night can be arranged.
- Transfers
- A final morning at camp, then a transfer of approximately 2 hours by road from Volcanoes or Nyungwe to Kigali (KGL) for your onward flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Overnight
- Onward travel
- Pace
- Morning only, then onward travel
From the safari desk: We confirm your transfer time the evening before against the live flight schedule, and build in a buffer for road conditions. Late departures can keep a day room.
Crossing between countries
Road transfers throughout, with the option of a light-aircraft flight between Entebbe and Kasese or Kihihi to shorten the long days.
Proposed level
Midrange to luxury accommodation, proposed rather than committed. Specific properties and rates are shared privately in your proposal.
Safaris we sell
Journeys on this route
Each can run on its own, or be joined into the full combination above.
Before you decide
- Chimpanzee and gorilla permits are date-specific and quoted separately.
- The drive from Entebbe to Kibale is long; many travellers prefer to fly part of it.
- Lake Kivu is a restful finish, not a beach resort — swimming is at the lake’s edge with local guidance.
Questions about this combination
Do we need two gorilla permits?
No. One trek is included as proposed; a second can be added where permits allow.
Is the border crossing straightforward?
Yes with a guide, and it takes under an hour when the paperwork is in order. Carry printed documents.
Can we add Queen Elizabeth?
Yes, but it needs at least two more nights. We would rather lengthen the trip than rush the forests.
