16 Day Uganda Rwanda Burundi Safari & Culture Expedition
Overview
Experience the beating heart of East Africa in this unforgettable 15-day journey through Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Discover iconic wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and rich cultural heritage as you embark on gorilla and chimpanzee treks, cruise legendary rivers, and explore local communities. With expertly guided safaris and comfortable midrange lodges, this is a truly immersive and adventurous East African odyssey.
Included/Excluded
- 15 nights accommodation at listed or similar lodges (midrange)
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide
- All ground transport, fuel & border crossing logistics
- Park entry fees for all national parks
- Boat rides (Nile, Kazinga Channel, Lake Kivu), Game drives (Murchison, Queen Elizabeth, Akagera) & Cultural site visits
- Gorilla trekking permit (Uganda)
- Chimpanzee trekking permit (Uganda)
- Golden monkey trek permit (Rwanda)
- Meals: Full board in most lodges (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- International flights (to Entebbe, return from Bujumbura)
- Tourist visas (Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania transit)
- Optional activities (rafting in Jinja, souvenir shopping)
- Tips for guides, rangers, porters, and hotel staff
- Personal travel insurance (highly recommended)
- Drinks and meals not mentioned
Tour Plan
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe – Welcome to Uganda
Upon landing at Entebbe International Airport, meet your guide who will escort you to your lodge. Settle in and relax in this peaceful lakeside town surrounded by lush botanical gardens and Lake Victoria’s gentle breeze. Overnight: Airport Guesthouse (or similar)
Day 2: Kampala City Tour – Transfer to Jinja
Enjoy a guided morning tour of Kampala’s cultural landmarks, including the Uganda Museum and Gaddafi Mosque, offering panoramic city views. In the afternoon, transfer to Jinja, home to the Source of the Nile and Uganda’s adventure capital. Overnight: 2 Friends Guesthouse (or similar)
Day 3: Source of the Nile & Optional Adventures in Jinja
Take a boat ride to the Source of the Nile where the river begins its 6,650-km journey. Spend the rest of the day at your pace: try white-water rafting, quad biking, or simply stroll through Jinja’s vibrant craft markets and relaxed riverside town. Overnight: 2 Friends Guesthouse (or similar)
Day 4: Rhino Tracking & Top of Murchison Falls – Enter Safari Territory
Depart for Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for an exhilarating on-foot rhino tracking experience. Continue north to Murchison Falls National Park and stop at the Top of the Falls to witness the Nile thundering through a narrow gorge—a breathtaking natural spectacle. Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge (or similar)
Day 5: Murchison Falls NP – Sunrise Game Drive & River Safari
Start the day with a sunrise game drive across the northern savannah plains, where you may spot lions, giraffes, elephants, and antelope. In the afternoon, enjoy a Nile boat cruise to the base of the falls, with the option to hike up for a stunning view. Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge (or similar)
Day 6: Morning Safari – Transfer to Hoima
Take one last early game drive through the park in search of elusive predators and birdlife. After breakfast, begin your scenic drive south to Hoima, a tranquil regional town. Arrive in the afternoon for rest and overnight stay. Overnight: Mica Resort (or similar)
Day 7: Chimpanzee Trekking in Bugoma Forest – Drive to Kibale NP
Head to Bugoma Forest for a guided chimpanzee trek through ancient woodland. This biodiverse forest is home to over 500 chimpanzees and a variety of birds and monkeys. After the trek, continue to Kibale National Park for a relaxed evening in the rainforest. Overnight: Chimpanzee Forest Camp or Bush Lodge (or similar)
Day 8: Optional Second Chimp Trek or Bigodi Wetlands – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP
Today, you may choose to embark on a second chimpanzee trek in Kibale Forest (permit required, pre-booking advised) or opt for a guided nature walk in the Bigodi Wetlands, a community-run eco-tourism haven rich in birdlife and primates. Later, transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP. Overnight: Bush Lodge (or similar)
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth NP – Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Safari
Enjoy a morning game drive in the Kasenyi sector, known for lions, elephants, and large herds of Uganda kob. In the afternoon, embark on a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, where you’ll see hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, and vibrant bird species. Overnight: Bush Lodge (or similar)
Day 10: Tree-Climbing Lions in Ishasha – Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Travel south through the Ishasha sector, where you may encounter the rare tree-climbing lions lounging in fig trees. Continue your journey through the rolling highlands to the dense jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home of the mountain gorillas.
Overnight: Bakiga Lodge (or similar)
Day 11: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi – Cross to Rwanda & Cultural Visit
Set out early for your life-changing gorilla trek. Hike through rugged rainforest to spend an hour with a mountain gorilla family—a deeply moving wildlife encounter. Afterward, cross into Rwanda and visit the Gorilla Guardians Village before settling near Volcanoes NP. Overnight: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (or similar)
Day 12: Golden Monkey Trekking – Kigali City Tour & Memorial Visit
Trek in Volcanoes National Park to observe the playful and endangered golden monkeys. Later, transfer to Kigali and visit the impactful Kigali Genocide Memorial. A short city tour offers insights into Rwanda’s resilience and modern charm. Overnight: Hotel des Mille Collines (or similar)
Kigali to Akagera NP – Afternoon Wildlife Safari
Travel east from Kigali to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savannah reserve. After checking in, enjoy an afternoon game drive across plains and wetlands teeming with elephants, zebras, giraffes, antelope, and perhaps a lion or rhino if lucky. Overnight: Akagera Game Lodge (or similar)
Day 14: Drive to Burundi via Tanzania – Cultural Stop in Gitega
Embark on a full-day drive crossing into Tanzania and then into Burundi. Along the way, pause in Gitega for a memorable cultural performance, including traditional Burundian drumming and dance. Reach Bujumbura in the evening, nestled on Lake Tanganyika. Overnight: Club du Lac Tanganyika (or similar)
Day 15: Lake Tanganyika – Leisure & Optional Exploration
Spend a relaxing day by the peaceful shores of Lake Tanganyika, Africa’s second deepest lake. Enjoy optional activities like boat excursions, swimming, or visiting the Livingstone-Stanley Monument. Reflect on your cross-border adventure and unwind. Overnight: Club du Lac Tanganyika (or similar)
Day 16: Departure from Bujumbura – End of Journey
After breakfast, transfer to Bujumbura International Airport for your departure flight. Depart with unforgettable memories of gorillas, great lakes, open savannahs, and the welcoming cultures of East Africa.
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Communication via WhatsApp to make arrangements went very smooth with Aron being quick and clear in his responses.
Aron drove us most of the time, but we also had a ride with driver Barnice. Every time they were in time, most of the times even early to make sure we could leave whenever we wanted. The service was more than just a private taxi service: Aron told us many interesting things about Uganda and let us taste some local food. That really made our trip more colourful and interesting.They know a lot of good places all over the country, like restaurants and accomodation. Although we organized our trip by ourselves, that was still an advantage. Above that, Aron uses his business in Uganda to help other Ugandans as well.
We would definitely recommend to travel with Safari 2 Gorilla Tours.

Jon Peters
USA


In my iniitial email to him I had explained that I'm Kenyan and would be travelling to Rwanda from Nairobi, Kenya. As an east African citizen I thought this information was useful in terms of national park fees and so on; little did I know that it would affect my whole Gorilla trek experience.
I'd settled the balance of my invoice in November 2019 and Aron emailed to confirm full payment. I never heard from Aron again except when I emailed him to find out the arrangements for when I arrived in Rwanda. At the time I didn't think much of it as I'd read so many glowing reviews of Aron and his tour company; his attentive nature, professionalism and general good nature. A fortnight or so before my arrival I'd still not heard from him so I emailed to find out the itinerary for when I arrived in Rwanda - nothing. Just a curt response confirming that he had the number for my hotel and presumably (Aron did not confirm) that he would call me at my hotel to arrange a time to pick me up from my hotel.
I arrived at the hotel, following a 10 hour flight from London on Friday, 24 January to find there was no message was left by Aron advising when I'd be picked up the following day. On Saturday, 25 January at about 9 am the receptionist knocked on my door to inform me that a driver had arrived to pick me up and drive me to Uganda. As I'd not had any advance information of this arrangement I was not ready; i hadn't showered or eaten breakfast. And so we did not set off until gone 10 am. This was the first poor service i'd received.
I'd paid for a 3-day Gorilla trek etc which included on the first day a visit to the Rwanda Genocide memorial. When the driver set off we'd been driving and passed a sign to the memorial site, after almost an hour I asked if we were still going to the memoial site, and only then did the driver inform me that due to the late departure he had decided to postpone the visit to the memorial until the return leg of my three day trip. The second poor service i'd received.
Bwindi national park is in Uganda and so I was driven through Rwanda to Uganda via a land border, an eight hour journey that ordinarily shouldn't have taken that long. The third poor service.
During the drive Aron maintained constant communication with the driver - whose name escapes me - and not once did he ask the driver to pass the phone to me so that he could speak to me. By that I mean even welcoming me, asking me how my trip was, finding out if there was anything I needed, any issues or problems with the trip I'd paid for. The fourth poor service I received
When we arrived at Rushaga camp each visitor at dinner was assigned a table with the name of their guide on it; stupidly I immediately thought Ohhh so Aron had sent a driver to pick me up from Rwanda and that now I was going to meet him! How wrong i was. When i sat down expecting to meet Aron who should turn up? but the driver! Cheekily I asked if he was Aron and offended he curtly replied no!. When i asked what happend to Aron he informed me that Aron had been in constant communication throughout the day! When I asked why Aron hadn't even said hello or welcomed me he just said that Aron was on another tour. At that moment I realised what was happening and why. In Aron's eyes I was a black African tourist that yes, had paid for the same service and support that my white counterparts had received but due to his low perception of me and fellow black Africans I did not warrant the same service, attention, or even respect. I did not speak to the driver again for the rest of the evening. I was surrounded by fellow travellers that were accompanied by guides who made them feel welcome, valued and respected; they sat together sharing stories from their travels whilst I and the driver sat silently. Even as I tried to get the driver to understand how insulted and disrespected I felt he just didn't get it. A part of me feels if i was white he wouldn't have found it so hard understanding how poorly I'd been treated. But as a black African what reason did I have to complain? The fifth poor service I'd received
On the second day i was due to visit Mgahinga national park almost a two hour drive away. As debrief started at 8 am we arranged to leave Rushaga Gorilla camp by 6 am; arranging to meet for breakfast at 05:30 am. 06:00 am the driver was nowhere to be found. Finally at 06:30 he appears in the dinning room feigning an alarm malfunction. I had to demand an apology from him. The sixth poor service i'd received.
We arrived at the national park at 08:25. I was the only black tourist and when I asked the guide to summarise the debrief he audibly commented that as I'd arrived late he'd not be able to repeat it for me. Cynically I felt that If I was white he'd problably have ignored the fact that the driver had got me to the debrief late and still gone through the key points. The seventh poor sevice I'd received.
I could go on and on but I won't. I think you get the gist. I never once spoke to Aron, met him or communicated with him during my time in Rwanda and Uganda. I left Rwanda on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 and have delayed posting this review until now to see whether or not I'd hear from Aron. I haven't and I know I never will.
I would never recommend this company to anyone regardless of who you are. I pity and despise racists and would never support a business that openly discriminates against black Africans.

Would absolutely recommend Safari 2 Gorilla Tours! Thanks Aaron and Martin for an unforgetable trip!

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Makanga Hill,
P.O.BOX 568 Kabale