7-Day Rwanda-Uganda Primates & Game Safari

Tour Overview

This 7-Day safari blends Rwanda top wildlife spots. See the Big 5 in Rwanda, mountain gorillas in both Uganda & Rwanda, golden monkeys in Rwanda. Enjoy game drives, boat trips, treks and culture start in Kigali and ending in Kigali as well. Stay in cozy lodges with tasty meals.

Tour Inclusions & Exclusions

Transportation

Meals & Accommodations

Gorilla Trekking Permit

Golden Monkey Trekking Permit

Park Entrance Fees

Game Drives & Boat Cruise

Bottled Drinking Water

International Flights

East Africa Tourist Visa

Food and Drinks

Optional Activities

Tour Program

Day
01

Kigali to Akagera National Park

The safari guide from Pridemark Safaris will pick you up from your hotel or the airport in Kigali, then drive east for about 2 to 3 hours through green hills and farming villages until you reach Akagera National Park – Rwanda’s only savannah park, covering over 1,000 square kilometres along the border with Tanzania.
After arriving and checking in at Akagera Game Lodge, you will enjoy lunch and settle into your comfortable lodge.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Lodge: Akagera Game Lodge

Day
02

Full Day Game Drive & Sunset Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema

Rise early for a morning game drive through Akagera’s open grasslands and woodland. Since lions were reintroduced in 2015 and black rhinos were brought back in 2017, Akagera is now home to all of Africa’s Big 5 -lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and black rhino. You will also look for zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, and over 12 types of antelope including impala, topi and the Cape eland — the world’s largest antelope.
Akagera is also a paradise for bird lovers, with over 520 recorded species. Keep your eyes open for the rare and prehistoric-looking Shoebill Stork, the colourful Lilac-Breasted Roller, the dramatic Saddle-Billed Stork, the majestic African Fish Eagle, Grey Crowned Cranes, Marabou Storks, Malachite Kingfishers, African Grey Hornbills, Long-Crested Eagles, Helmeted Guineafowl, and the endangered Papyrus Gonolek found in the papyrus swamps.
In the late afternoon, board a boat on Lake Ihema for a peaceful sunset cruise. As the golden light fades over the water, you may spot hippos rising from the surface, huge crocodiles resting on the banks, and water birds coming in to roost.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Lodge: Akagera Game Lodge

Day
03

Morning Game Drive & Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

Wake up before sunrise for another early morning game drive when the animals are most active and the light is perfect for photography. You will spot predators returning from a night hunt, or herds of elephants and buffalo moving across the plains.
After early morning game drive, you will pack up and begin the drive westward, passing back through Kigali for a brief stop perhaps for lunch or any last errands in the city. You will then continue northwest through terraced hills and tea plantations until you arrive at the base of the Virunga Mountains, a chain of ancient volcanoes that straddle the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Lodge: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge

Day
04

Gorilla Trekking & Iby’Iwacu Cultural Experience

After a park briefing, head deep into the bamboo forest to track a habituated mountain gorilla family – one of the world’s most extraordinary wildlife encounters. You will spend one full hour observing them up close in their natural habitat. In the evening, visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, run by former poachers who now protect the park. Enjoy traditional singing, dancing, local crafts and a warm welcome into Rwandan community life. If time becomes sufficient you can also hike up to the Karisoke Research Centre and the tomb of Dian Fossey, the legendary American primatologist who dedicated her life to saving mountain gorillas and was tragically killed here in 1985.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Lodge: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge

Day
05

Golden Monkey Trekking and Transfer to Bwindi via Chanika Border

Start your day with an exciting trek through the thick bamboo forests of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Here, you will search for the rare golden monkeys. These playful animals are endangered and live only in the Virunga Mountains. Watch them jump from branch to branch, eat leaves, and play with their families. The forest is cool and misty, full of birds and other wildlife. Your guide will share fun facts about these special monkeys and why we must protect them.
After the trek, in the midday, drive to Uganda through the Chanika Border. The road takes you through green hills and small villages. It is a smooth transfer with great views of the mountains.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Gorilla Leisure Lodge

Day
06

Gorilla Trekking in Rushaga Sector

Wake up early for another highlight of your trip! After a filling breakfast, head to the park office in Rushaga Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for early morning briefing starting at 7:00am. After briefing join a small group of 8 people with an expert guide and ranger. Hike through dense rainforest – climb hills, cross streams and push past vines. It takes 1-7 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family you have been assigned, but the reward is magic.
Spot a family of mountain gorillas! See the huge silverback leader, mothers with babies, and young ones tumbling around. Sit quietly for one hour, just 7 meters away. Watch them eat, rest, and play. It feels like stepping into another world.
Return to the lodge tired but happy. Relax with a hot shower, enjoy lunch and unwind on the veranda with mountain views. In the evening, choose to rest or join an optional Batwa cultural experience. Meet the Batwa people, learn their songs, dances, and forest stories-they are the original inhabitants of Bwindi.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Gorilla Leisure Lodge

Day
07

Return to Kigali & Optional City Tour Before Departure

After breakfast, pack up and head back to Kigali through Katuna Boarder. On the way, you have time to explore Rwanda’s lively capital city before your flight. If you want to learn about Rwanda’s history, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial – a quiet and moving place that honours the lives lost in 1994 and tells the story of how Rwanda rebuilt itself with courage and hope. If you prefer art and colour, stop by Inema Arts Center or Niyo Art Gallery, where talented local artists display paintings, sculptures and crafts that celebrate Rwandan culture and creativity.
After a farewell lunch, your guide will drop you at Kigali International Airport, where you say goodbye – tired, happy, and full of memories that will stay with you for a long time.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation: None – but can be available on request at extra cost