ITINERARY DETAILS

Day 1: Arrival

Scheduled flight with your Airline from your home town via Istanbul to Kigali

• Chez Lando in Kigali

Day 2: Arrival in Kigali and drive to Huyé

We land in Kigali at night, we are picked up at the airport and drive to our hotel to rest. Our first briefing with our tour guide takes place at breakfast. Afterwards we start our short tour through Kigali in the morning and visit the genocide memorial. Around noon we start our journey towards Guitarama and after a short stop in a cozy café we drive to the small town of Huyé. The serpentine tar road leads us to the “land of a thousand hills” or to the “Switzerland of Africa”, as Rwanda is also called. Black and white patterned dairy cows stand on lush green meadows and the famous aluminum milk cans from the Alpine republic are transported on bicycles.

• Driving time: approx. 3.5 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 140 km
• Hotel Mater Boni Consilii in Butare (B, L, D)

Day 3: Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest

After a three-hour drive and a short walk through a tea plantation, in the afternoon we reach the Uwinka Visitor Center, the starting point for the famous treetop hike in the Nyungwe Forest. At a height of 60 meters we enjoy the view of the “green fur” of the Nyungwe Forest – provided that you are free from vertigo. With good binoculars, we can watch at eye level how chimpanzees and colobus monkeys swing through the forest canopy. We spend the night in tents on a covered wooden platform in the middle of the rainforest under simple conditions. It is advisable to bring a headlamp with you on the way back from dinner to camp, as the path is not lit and is often slippery.

• 220 m
• 220 m
• Walking time: approx. 2 hours
• Travel time: approx. 3 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 110 km
• Uwinka Campsite in Nyungwe National Park (B, L, D)

Day 4: Imbaraga Trail in Nyungwe Forest

Early in the morning departure to the Imbaraga Trail (10 km, 6 hours). Led by a park ranger, the paved path runs steeply uphill in parts and along the watershed between the Congo Basin in the west and the tributaries of the Nile in the east. Four waterfalls line the path. With a bit of luck we will meet Angola monkey, full bearded monkey, diadem monkey, silver monkey, velvet monkey, anubis baboon and even wild chimpanzees. Bird lovers will also get their money’s worth. Of 275 bird species, 26 are even endemic, such as Ruwenzori turaco, kivubush warbler and gray-cheeked hornbill. We will have our lunch as a picnic during the hike. In the afternoon return to the starting point and drive along Lake Kivu to Kibuyé.

• Time: about 5 -6 hours.
• Driving time: approx. 2.5 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 110 km
• Rwiza Village in Kibuyé (B, L, D)

Day 5: Boat trip on Lake Kivu and mini-trekking on the Congo-Nile Trail

With a local wooden boat with benches, sun canopy and outboard motor, we reach Napoleon Island after about 30 minutes. A large bat colony populates the rocky flanks of our way to the summit (depending on the season) with a wonderful view over Lake Kivu and across to the Congo. We continue the trip by boat and reach the starting point of a small path that leads you through banana forests, pineapple and coffee plantations. At lunchtime we reach our hostel with a sandy beach right on Lake Kivu. We enjoy the free afternoon with a swim in the clear, bilharzia-free lake.

• 250 m
• 250 m
• Time: about 2 -3 hours.
• Driving time: approx. 1 hour
• Driving distance of: approx. 15 km
• Rushel Lodge in Kinunu / Lake Kivu (B, L, D)

Day 6: Along the Congo-Nile Trail, drive to Musanze

In the morning we continue on the Congo-Nile Trail. The hiking trail, which was set up in 2009, leads in its full length 227 km through a wild network of lonely paths along the African fjord landscape on the shores of Lake Kivu. We meet local fishermen who keep perch, catfish and carp fish caught in their nets after their nightly excursion. 370 species of birds, including crowned crane, cormorant and kingfisher are at home here. At noon our wooden boat picks us up again and we reach Gisenyi, where we have lunch on the shore of Lake Kivu. On a good tar road we drive along the Virunga Mountains, a volcanic chain with a total of 8 peaks, lined up like a string of pearls. In the dry months of June to August, the highest of them,

• 320 m
• 320 m
• Time: about 4 -5 hours.
• Walking distance: approx. 5 km
• Driving time: approx. 1.5 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 70 km
• Hotel La Palme in Musanze (B, L, D)

Day 7: Gorilla tracking, Golden Monkeys or Bisoke ascent in Virunga National Park

Today we have the following options:

1) Gorilla tracking at a price of $1,168.00 per person (plus USD 50.00 transport costs per person must be paid on site): Hiking shoes, sufficient drinking water, a packed lunch, long pants and a long-sleeved top. The hike through the rainforest can take about 4-6 hours, the terrain is steep and slippery. Good physical condition is essential! When we have reached the gorilla family, we are allowed to spend an hour with them and take photos without flash, and then we start our way back.
2) Golden monkey tracking at a price of $ 95.00 per person (plus USD 50.00 transport costs per person must be paid on site): They are endemic in the triangle Uganda, Rwanda and Congo and belong to the endangered species. Bamboo forests at an altitude of 1,500 m are their habitat. The golden-yellow fur and the blue face make the Golden Monkeys a popular photo motif. The requirements for golden monkey tracking are identical to those for gorilla tracking. The golden monkeys are usually tracked in relatively large, international groups.
Since the locations of the gorillas and golden monkeys are constantly changing, we cannot provide any more precise information about the distances and route descriptions.
3) Climbing the Bisoke volcano at a price of USD 75.00 per person (payment only possible with credit card on site). Additionally, there are USD 60.00 transport costs per vehicle, which are also to be paid on site: Hike to a “sleeping” Virunga Volcano on the border between Rwanda, Congo and Uganda, starts early in the morning in the rainforest zone of the Volcanoe National Park. Quite by chance – even without a permit – mountain gorillas and golden monkeys can be encountered in this section. From 2500m the path leads through bamboo forests and ends in the treeless zone at 3700 meters above sea level with lobelia and rays along the way. The summit is characterized by the typical conical, pointed conical shape of a stratovolcano; a deep crater lake fills the chimney. The ascent does not require any technical experience, but very good physical condition and surefootedness in partly slippery terrain. The hike takes about 6 hours, +/- 945 m altitude. Please note that the Bisoke ascent is not recommended in the months from March to May and from September to November due to the higher amounts of precipitation.

Those who do not want to participate in any activity can enjoy a free morning. In the afternoon we drive over the border to Kisoro in Uganda.

• Driving time: approx. 1 hour
• Driving distance of: approx. 35 km
• Hotel Mucha in Kisoro (B, L, D)

Day 8: Canoeing on Lake Mutanda – hiking on a panoramic trail to Rushaga

Without an escort vehicle, only equipped with the backpack, we start today on a three-day hiking section in the southern Kigezi highlands. We pack our luggage in our rucksacks for the next 3 or a maximum of 4 days. If you want, you can hire porters for the hiking sections (at your own expense, approx. 15 or 20 USD per day and porter). We receive the main baggage again on day 11. After a short walk of 2 hours we drive in a local tree-trunk canoe without sun protection and without a backrest with space for 2 – 4 people over Lake Mutanda. We glide peacefully for two hours and enjoy the scenic mixture of lake and mountain to the full. On the north bank of the lake we put on our rucksacks and put on our hiking boots. We hike north on a gently and steadily rising panorama path. We reach Rubugiri, a lively Ugandan village that supplies the rural area with the blessings of civilization with small shops. In the late afternoon we continue 6 kilometers before we reach our lodge, which is located directly on the Bwindi Forest.

• 875 m
• 795 m
• Time: about 6 -7 hours.
• Rushaga Gorilla Camp in Rushaga (B, L, D)

Day 9: Trekking from Rushaga to Nkuringo

Ridge hike between the pristine Bwindi primary forest and the agricultural land of the local farmers from Rushaga to Nkuringo. The path is quite adventurous and gets lost in parts because it is rarely used even by the locals. But our local guide is not only knowledgeable about the area; she also has a great deal of knowledge about her homeland. Arrive in the afternoon and, if time permits, visit the Batwa in Nkuringo (own expense).

• 1230 m
• 940 m
• Walking time: approx. 6 hours
• Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge in Nkuringo (B, L, D)

Day 10: Gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Park

Face to face with the silverback – the highlight of the trip awaits us today. It is not like the day before on a wide hiking trail through open cultural landscape, but “cross-forest-Ein” – always following the ranger and his trail through the dense forest. After an hour of family reunion with the gorillas, it’s back to our hostel. The fee for the gorilla permit is $700 per person.

• Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge in Nkuringo (B, L, D)

Day 11: Hike in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Bwindi means darkness, impenetrable impenetrable. Not many people ever set foot in this area. And we soon find out that this jungle really deserves its name. Perhaps we meet a gorilla family purely by chance, because we are hiking through their home. Forest elephants, brush-eared pigs and small antelopes also live here. The unspoiled region is actually reserved for us, the hikers, because cars have to bypass this route widely. In the afternoon we reach the small town of Buhoma, at the northern exit of the Bwindi National Park. We meet the cars and drive about 2 hours until we have reached our accommodation at Queen Elizabeth National Park.

• 740 m
• 1430 m
• Time: about 5 -6 hours.
• Driving time: approx. 2 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 55 km
• Enjojo Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park (B, L, D)

Day 12: Ishasha River and Kazinga Canal

Early morning games drive in the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our driver immediately heads for the banks of the Ishasha River, where hundreds of hippos rest from their nocturnal excursions into the grass savannah. On the “Southern Circuit” we go in search of the famous tree-climbing lions. This behavior, which is rather unusual for lions, is explained by the heat of the day, which the lions want to escape on spreading fig tree branches several meters above the ground. After a transfer ride on a bad road to the Queen Elizabeth National Park (approx. 3 hours, 80 km) we experience the African fauna in the afternoon as part of a river safari on the Kazinga Canal. Hippopotamus, elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, wild boar, hyena, Crocodile and last but not least the bird life with ospreys and herons present themselves to us along the river. Around 5 p.m. we drive to our beautiful accommodation on the edge of the national park.

• Driving time: approx. 5 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 90 km
• Park View Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park (B, L, D)

Day 13 : Kalinzu Forest and Lake Mburo National Park hike

After a one hour drive we reach the Kalinzu Forest, a semi-tropical rainforest with 414 tree species, 378 bird species, reptiles and 6 species of primate. The main focus of our 2-hour tour are chimpanzees swinging through the treetops. Afterwards we drive to the Mburo National Park. As we drive to our accommodation, we may see the first zebras. In the soft light of the afternoon sun, we go stalking with a park ranger. We read tracks from impala, zebra, waterbuck and buffalo. With a little luck you can even find a herd of giraffes. The sun is now quite low. From an eagle’s nest we enjoy the wide view over the African savannah landscape with umbrella acacias in the evening sun.

• 80 m
• 80 m
• Walking time: approx. 4 hours
• Driving time: approx. 5 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 220 km
• Eagles Nest Safari Camp in Lake Mburo National Park (B, L, D)

Day 14: Lake Mburo game drive and drive to Entebbe

In the early hours of the morning, after a short cup of coffee, our “Game Safari” in Lake Mburo National Park starts with our vehicle. When the fog rises in the morning sun, wildlife observations are particularly attractive for photographers. In the morning we continue our journey across the equator to the northern hemisphere to Entebbe. We have dinner early in the hotel so that we can rest a little before departure.

• Time: about 1.5 -2 hours.
• Driving time: approx. 5 hours
• Driving distance of: approx. 220 km
• Sunset Hotel Entebbe in Entebbe – Municipality (F, M, A)

Day 15: Return journey and arrival back home

At 02:00am transfer to the airport and return to your country home town with arrival in the early evening or any hour of the day.

Back to the day view

Inclusive services

• 5 – 6 participants: tour guide from Kigali / to Entebbe
• Overnight stays 12 x in middle-class hotels and lodges, 1 x in a permanently installed safari tent (with private bathroom), 1 x in a multi-person tent (2-4 people)
• Full board
• Entrance fees according to the program

Desired services

Additionally bookable services

• Permit Gorilla Tracking in Uganda (booking required up to 100 days before departure, non-refundable) $ 700.00
• Permit Gorilla Tracking in Rwanda (non-refundable) $ 1,500.00
• Single room supplement (includes 13 nights) $ 315.00

Services not included

• Visa for Rwanda (50.00 USD) and Uganda (50.00 USD)
• Other meals and drinks (approx. 50 USD, as required)
• Individual excursions and visits
• Optional fee for porters during the trek (15 USD per porter per day)
• Tips