Thousand Hills Safari and Extension at Akagera National Park

Day 1: Entebbe

Entebbe
On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, our representative will welcome you and transfer for overnight in Entebbe at the hotel.

Day 2: Murchison Falls National Park

Ziwa Reserve – Murchison Falls National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast your adventure in Uganda will begin driving northwest to Masindi and Murchison Falls National Park. First activity along the journey is the nature walk in Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, the rhinos breeding project which has brought back to Uganda the endangered white rhinos and you will see them closely while walking freely.
Lunch at a restaurant. Proceed to Murchison Falls, the largest national park in Uganda, that offers beautiful sceneries of grassland acacia and palm trees savannah in the north and tropical forests in the south. You reach the river Nile at the beautiful Murchison Falls and you will have a view from the “top of the falls”. Before evening you check in to your lodge for dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Today transfer is about 6 hours drive, part of it through dirt road within the park for a distance of about 350 km.

Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Early breakfast, you will depart for an early morning game drive using our safari vehicle to explore the savannah, in the region of the delta of the Nile on Lake Albert, Northern bank. Among other animals in the wild, you might find elephants, lions, buffalos, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, spotted hyenas and, very rarely, the leopards. Relax as you drive back to the lodge where you will have lunch.
In the afternoon, another safari will be organized by boat along the river Nile to the base of the Murchison Falls. It is amazing the concentration of wildlife in the bank of the river Nile, including hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of bird’s species, like African eagles, pelicans, kingfisher, Egyptian geese and much more. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 4: Kibale

Albertine Rift Valley – Kibale National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast you leave the National Park proceeding southwest along the Lake Albert and Rift Valley escarpment, which offers a lot of sceneries and view points. You pass via Hoima the capital town of Bunyoro kingdom and through tea, banana, coffee and cocoa plantations. Lunch en route in Bugoma forest at Bugoma Jungle Lodge where we also organize a short nature walk to appreciate this authentic site.
By evening you reach Fort Portal, the capital town of Tooro kingdom on the shadow of Rwenzori Mountains, the biggest mountain range in Africa. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Today transfer is about 5 hours drive for 350 km, through dirt road and the conditions are variable according to the rains.

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest – Queen Elizabeth National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
With early breakfast, set off for the chimpanzee tracking experience in the forest of Kibale. The activity starts as early as 8am or in the afternoon with a briefing from the head park ranger. Hot lunch at the lodge and afterwards take the activity visiting the eco-tourist site of Bigodi for community walk where you get closer to the inhabitant of the area surrounding the forest, meeting some of them and learning about history, traditions and customs. This experience is possible though the organization KAFRED, which provides local guides. It is also possible to plant a tree at the tree planting site under the project “One traveler, one tree, one forest”.
In the evening transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for dinner and overnight at the lodge.
The chimpanzee trekking can be done in the morning or in the afternoon according to availability of permits. Today transfer can be 2 hours’ drive.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
In the early morning, after breakfast, long game drive along the tracks of the national park, in the Northern sectors and towards Lake George and Kasenyi village, using our safari vehicle. You might see lions, elephants, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, Ugandan kobs, perhaps the leopard though is shy and rare to be seen.
Lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon, from Mweya peninsula you take the exciting safari by boat along Kazinga channel, one of the most popular sites in Uganda for its concentration of wildlife, bird’s life and opportunities for good photographs. Moreover, you will see plenty of hippos, buffaloes and elephants while drinking from the channel. By evening, there is a short transfer to the south of Queen Elizabeth Park in the Ishasha sector. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 7: Lake Bunyonyi

Ishasha – Lake Bunyonyi (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, morning game drive in the area of Ishasha which is famed with the tendency of lions climbing up in the acacia trees. After early lunch at the lodge, you leave the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth and proceed further south towards the area famed for its stunning dramatic beauty bearing one of Africa’s deepest Lakes. With the many islands on the lake and a chance to discover the indigenous tribe of ‘Twa’ by boat trip, Lake Bunyonyi offers the peace and tranquility of a dreamer’s heaven. Lunch en route. You reach by evening the Lake Bunyonyi after Kabale town. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Today transfer can be up to 5 hours through mountain road for about 140 km.

Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Lake Bunyonyi – Bwindi Forest / Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, you will enjoy one of the most extraordinary wildlife and birding experience by boat crossing the Lake Bunyonyi. With its forested and green islands, the lake is home to species of endemic birds and the guide will help you to spot many of them. Lunch at the lodge.
In the afternoon, the journey proceeds to the area of Bwindi Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorillla National Park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 9: Volcanoes National Park

Mountain gorilla tracking – Transfer to Volcanoes National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, in the morning you will have the top primates’ travel experience: the gorilla trekking in the forest in search for one of the habituated families of mountain gorillas. After the briefing from the park rangers, you follow them as they guide you through the forest’s trails. Bring with you water and packed lunch. It is not predictable the time you will spend to find the gorillas. You have one hour for observing the primates and their behaviors, while taking photographs.
By evening, cross the border of Rwanda from Cyanika. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 10: Lake Kivu

Golden monkeys trek in Volcanoes National Park – Transfer to Lake Kivu Kibuye (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, we organize a walk in the Volcano Park, to see the golden monkeys, a species of primate endemic to the area. Lunch. In the afternoon we recommend visiting the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Ellen DeGeneres Campus, with its photographic collection that tells the story of gorilla conservation since the time of Dian Fossey. In the center there is also the Azizi Life Gorillas Gift Shop, not to be missed. In the town of Kinigi there are also eco-tourism programs where you can watch traditional Intore dances.
You will continue towards Nyungwe National Park, in southern Rwanda along Lake Kivu. Dinner and overnight stay in the town of Kibuye in a lodge with a stunning view of Lake Kivu.
Today transfer can be up to 3 hours’ drive.

Day 11: Nyungwe Forest Reserve

On the shores of Lake Kivu and Southern Rwanda (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, we organize an activity on Lake Kivu, a boat excursion on the lake to see Napoleon Island and other naturalistic sites. After lunch at the hotel, you will continue your journey to Cyangugu, which is located on the south shore of Lake Kivu, near the entrance to Nyungwe Forest. We can organize the Rwandan “tea experience” through the IVOMO organization a social enterprise that aims to promote culture and community tourism, to support local communities through responsible tourism in South- West of Rwanda. Activities include tea harvesting with farmers, traditional and modern tea making, tasting at the factory in Gisakura. You visit the tea museum and support the local communities by purchasing souvenirs in the local products shop.
You will continue towards Nyungwe National Park, in southern Rwanda along Lake Kivu. Dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Nyungwe Forest Reserve

Primates Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After an early breakfast, at 7am you will enter the Nyungwe forest for the Angolan colobus trekking and other forest primates. Nyungwe Park expands over 970 square km of verdant hills, the largest tropical forest in East Africa. It is home to 13 different species of primates, including the Angolan colobus, the red-tailed monkey, the velvet monkey, the owl-faced monkey and the silver monkey and is a habitat for chimpanzees. Return to the lodge for lunch. Free afternoon and in the evening we organize the "canopy walk", the panoramic walk on a suspension bridge over the forest. Dinner and overnight.

Day 13: Kigali

Butare – Nyanza – Kigali (Breakfast, Lunch)
After breakfast, visit to Butare, the second largest city in Rwanda and the cultural capital of the country, home to the national university. In Butare there is the national museum and also a series of shops of small characteristic artisan producers, such as for basket making and inlaying with wooden materials. We will stop to visit the Royal Palace Museum in Nyanza, once the capital of the kingdom, entirely rebuilt for visitors but which reproduces original pieces of ancient furnishings belonging to the Mwami, the king of Rwanda. Behind the museum, there are examples of the royal long-horned cows, the Inyambo, which descend from the king's cows.
Arrival in Kigali in the evening and overnight stay.

Day 14: Akagera National Park

Kigali – Akagera National Park (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, departure from Kigali towards the East for the Akagera National Park. The park covers an extension of savannah of 1085 square kilometers and takes its name from the river that marks the border with Tanzania. The area is also characterized by the presence of many lakes, the main one being Ihema, then Lake Hago and Kivumba. Since 2010, the management of the park has seen much progress, including the repopulation of lions and the protection of some areas with fences.
After lunch at the lodge, in the afternoon we organize a boat excursion on Lake Ihema, a unique experience to observe water animals and birds, including hippos, Nile crocodiles and species of water birds. Dinner and overnight at Lake Ihema.
Today's journey is approximately 3 hours by road for a distance of approximately 120 km.

Day 15:

Akagera National Park – Kigali (Breakfast, Lunch)
Early in the morning we set off for a photographic safari along the northern slopes of the park. Among the most frequent animals in these savannahs are giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, impala antelopes. Spotted hyenas, leopards and lions are uncommon. Lunch. In the afternoon return to Kigali.
Reserved for departures from Kigali international airport.