12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour – with Shoebill Stock Bird Watching Safari

On this 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour with Shoebill Stock Bird Watching Safari besides a night in Entebbe  you will start in Uganda with a visit to Mabamba swamp for shoebill stock spotting then to Rhino Camp to trek white Rhinos with a night, to Murchison Falls National Park for a game drive, boat safari launch, and scenery viewing; transfer to Kibale Forest National Park for Chimpanzee trekking and nature walk in the Bigodi Swamp; continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a game drive and relaxing boat launch on the Kazinga Channel, and finish with Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to trek the Mountain Gorillas.

You will then cross to Rwanda to trek Golden monkeys in the Volcanoes National Park and end the safari in Kigali with a visit to a Genocide memorial site. What to Do on 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour with Shoebill Stock Bird Watching Safari?

12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour

Kibale Forest National Park

12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour Highlights

Detailed 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour

Day 1: Arrive at Entebbe Airport, pick up and transfer to the booked Hotel

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, Ovacado adventures ltd assigned English-speaking Professional 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour Driver-guide will receive and welcome you to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will transfer to the booked accommodation. You will check in and take your rest – recovering from jet lag, adjusting to time difference Just in case you reached early and interested in some activity, you may consider; a). Excursion to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens to sight a few primates and birds, b). Excursion to Mabamba wetland in search of the prehistoric shoebill stork. Otherwise, check in and just take your rest.

  • Main Destination: Entebbe International Airport (Entebbe)
  • Accommodation: Lake Victoria Hotel Entebbe – Mid luxury Hotel located in or near Entebbe
  • Meals & Drinks: Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 2: Shoebill Stock bird watching in Mabamba Swamp and later drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.


Be up early, have breakfast Your 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour guide will pick you up in the morning at the hotel in Entebbe.
Then we drive to Mabamba swamp where most of the birding is done by canoeing, as you look out for the rare Shoebill Stork, African Water rail, Allen’s and Purple Gallinule, Squacco, Goliath, Purple, Grey Herons, a variety of Egrets and ducks.

After some minutes in the canoe the papyrus reads opens up into the big grassy swamps. Most of the times this is where the Shoebill can be spotted. A site guide from Mabamba area will join the team to advice on the possible location of the different special bird species in this area.

After about two or three hours it is time to return out of the swamps and drive back to Entebbe and drive off to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Once there, you will proceed for an hour of on-foot rhino tracking. From the rhino tracking, have an overnight at Amuka Lodge.

  • Main Destination: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
  • Accommodation: Amuka Lodge – Mid-range lodge located inside Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
  • Meals & Drinks: All meals included, drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 3: Morning Top of the falls /and afternoon boat trip upstream to the falls

We will have breakfast and then drive to the top of the falls to truly appreciate the beauty and magnificence of the Murchison Falls. From the top, we shall embark on a mini game drive as we are moving to check inn to our lodge in the park, depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park and be on the look for wildlife including: lions, leopards (though hard to spot) among others. For any birder, there are quite a number of birds to sight too during the drive. Return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. After lunch, you will head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls where you will also be able to catch sight of more animals including Hippos and Crocodiles and several water birds. Return to your accommodation and relax.

  • Main Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
  • Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge – Mid-range lodge located inside Murchison Falls NP
  • Meals & Drinks: All meals included, drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 4: Morning game drive and transfer to the edge of Kibale Forest NP


depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park and be on the look for wildlife including: lions, leopards (though hard to spot) among others. For any birder, there are quite a number of birds to sight too during the drive, we shall embark on a transfer that will see us overnight at edge of Kibale Forest National Park. The drive is quite long but incredibly scenic – passing through villages, lush green countryside and hills dotted with tea plantations that characterize this part of Uganda. The beautiful scenery will amaze you all the way. Upon arrival at the accommodation, check in and just relax.

  • Main Destination: Kibale National Park (Chimps)
  • Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge – Mid-range lodge located just outside Kibale NP
  • Meals & Drinks: All meals included, drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk

On this day of 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour, you will track the most famous inhabitants of Kibale National Park, the chimpanzees. Chimpanzees share 98% of human genes making them our closest living relatives. Today in Uganda, there are approximately 5,000 chimpanzees left in the wild. The chimpanzee trekking experience here is done on several well-maintained walking trails. There is also a wonderfully diverse concentration of other primates, more than any other forest in East Africa. Besides our delightful cousins, the chimpanzees, you can find red Colobus, red-tailed guenon, white-nosed monkey, gray-cheeked mangabeys, blue monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, and the black and white Colobus monkey. In addition, you may see olive baboons, bush babies and nocturnal potts. After the tracking, you will have the opportunity for a guided walk through the swamps of Bigodi.

  • Main Destination: Kibale National Park (Chimps)
  • Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge – Mid-range Lodge located just outside Kibale NP
  • Meals & Drinks: All meals included, drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

In the morning, you can relax at your lodge. You will then continue your 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Queen Elizabeth is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has prolific game, including gazelle, Uganda kob, warthog and waterbuck. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be prepared for large numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes peeled for a leopard lazing in the sunshine. In the late afternoon, you will go for a game drive in the park.

  • Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge – Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP
  • Meals & Drinks: All meals included, drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 7: Morning Game Drive and Boat Cruise along Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park


Today you will wake up early. A little before sunrise, coffee, tea and donuts will be served in the lounge before we head out for a long game drive in time to see the first rays of light. You will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across elephants, buffaloes, lions, waterbucks, leopards, Ugandan kobs, and many warthogs. In the afternoon, you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel which joins Lake George and Lake Albert. Here, you will see a lot of hippos (more than you can possibly imagine) as well as a variety of other animals which come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffaloes, crocodiles, bathing elephants, and a wide range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour with Shoebill Stock Bird Watching Safari. After the boat safari, you drive back to the lodge through the park.

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park pass Ishasha Sector for Climbing Lions

Have breakfast then set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park—famously known for its resident tree-climbing lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70% though sometimes they are really hard to spot (most especially when they’re down in the grassland looking for prey). Hoping you get the chance to spot them, the sight will be spectacular! Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda (harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas–roughly half of the world’s population), including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check in your accommodation, relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla trekking experience the following day.

  • Main Destination: Ishasha Sector (Queen Elizabeth NP)
  • Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge – Mid-range lodge located just outside Bwindi NP
  • Meals & Drinks: All meals included, drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 9: Gorilla Tracking and Batwa Talks and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for Relaxation

After an early breakfast and a briefing by a 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour guide, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rain forest is spectacular! The area offers 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 with the movements of these great primates. Once you locate a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savored. Return to your lodge. Have your lunch and thereafter, check out for a transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of (2,200 – 2,478m) but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water making it magical—you could admire them all day.

  • Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
  • Accommodation: Bunyonyi Rock Resort – Mid-range lodge located in or near Lake Bunyonyi
  • Meals & Drinks: All meals included, drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 10 transfer to volcanoes national park


Morning after breakfast have a boat safari on lake Bunyonyi with 29 islands at 8am and later depart for Musanze in the north of Rwanda via cyanika to Musanze. Musanze is the tourism city of Rwanda check inn @ Da vinci Gorilla Lodge

Accommodation: Da vinci Gorilla Lodge – Midrange Lodge Located near Volcano National Park.

Day 11 – golden monkey tracking and visit Gorilla Guardian village cultural tour

Today you shall transfer to the park office at 7am to meet the park guides for briefing and go for the golden monkey tracking adventure in Volcanoes National Park. The golden monkeys are endangered species and are unique to the Virunga Mountains. They live in the bamboo forests in the lower zones of the mountains. You will track a habituated troop of about 100 individuals. The monkeys offer excellent photography due to their beauty and highly active character. Time taken to find them is about 1 hour and time allowed to watch them is only 1 hour. Afternoon after Hot lunch visit Ibyiwacu Cultural Village – Now Known as Gorilla Guardians Village

The Gorilla Guardian Village in Rwanda is one of the places that make Rwanda an amazing country on top of the stunning scenery and countless green hills.

Optional activity:

Instead of the golden monkey trek and cultural village tour you can do the following activities:

Mount Bisoke hike: you can do the full day hike on Mount Bisoke (3711m) and enjoy the spectacular views of the Virunga Mountains and encounter an array of wildlife, however the biggest reward is the beautiful Crater Lake on top of the mountain.

  • Accommodation: Da vinci Gorilla Lodge
  • Midrange Lodge located near volcano National Park

Day 12 – Travel back to Kigali with a city tour /departure

Today you shall travel back to Kigali.

End of 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour with Shoebill Stock Bird Watching Safari

Places to visit before your flight back:

  • Visiting the Kandt House
  • Visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial Site.
  • Kimironko market.
5 Days Big 5 Uganda Kidepo Safari

Murchison Falls National Park

12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour Inclusions and Exclusions

Included

  • Park fees (For non-residents)
  • Gorilla permit
  • Chimpanzee permit
  • Golden Monkey permit
  • All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
  • All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
  • A professional 12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour driver/guide
  • All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
  • All Taxes/VAT
  • Roundtrip airport transfer
  • Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
  • Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section)

Excluded

  • International flights (From/to home)
  • Additional accommodation at the end of the tour
  • Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
  • Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
  • Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)

12 Days Uganda Rwanda Group Tour Costs: $3681 per person sharing in a double room/Twin room