How many days is the 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari?

The 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari is 16 days and 15 nights, operating year-round from Uganda, Rwanda.

What is included in the 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari?

The 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari in Uganda, Rwanda includes all accommodation, meals, park fees, private safari vehicle with an experienced guide-driver, and 24/7 support from Orika Africa Tours. Uganda's UTB-licensed Tour Operator & DMC. We welcome solo travellers, couples, families, and larger groups.

Is the 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari suitable for first-time safari visitors?

Yes. Orika Africa Tours designs every itinerary from scratch around your group's fitness, interests, and budget. The 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari is available as a private safari, no shared vehicles, no fixed groups, ever.

What is the best time to go on the 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari in Uganda, Rwanda?

The 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari in Uganda, Rwanda runs year-round. The dry seasons (June–August and December–February) offer the best conditions for game drives and trekking. Contact Orika Africa Tours for month-by-month advice.

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16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari

The 16 Days Ultimate Uganda & Rwanda Fly-In Wildlife Safari opens with a scenic domestic flight to remote Kidepo Valley National Park, one of Africa's last true wilderness frontiers, before tracking the Nile over the edge of Murchison Falls, trekking chimpanzees in Kibale, and ending face-to-face with a mountain gorilla silverback deep inside Bwindi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lake Kivu in Rwanda closes the loop with kayaking, island hikes, and night fishing with local fishermen.

The days between headline wildlife moments are just as rewarding. You'll cruise the Kazinga Channel shoulder-to-shoulder with hippos and elephants, hunt for the legendary tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, share a cooking fire with the Ruboni community, and learn coffee's journey from cherry to cup. A cultural afternoon with the Batwa and an evening campfire at Lake Chahafi add warmth and depth to every corner of the route.

Want the gorilla experience in fewer days? The 10 Days Volcanoes Expedition Safari pairs Rwanda's volcanoes with Uganda's Virungas. For a shorter chimpanzee and gorilla combination, the 6 Days Chimpanzee and Gorilla Safari delivers both in under a week.

Trip Highlights

Scenic fly-in safari to Kidepo Valley National Park with game drives, walking safaris, and cultural visits.
Explore Murchison Falls National Park with game drives, Nile River boat cruises, and a hike to the top of the falls.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest plus a Bigodi wetland and community walk.
Game drives and boat trip along the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Spot the legendary tree-climbing lions of Ishasha
Ultimate Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Cultural encounters: Karamojong village, Ruboni community cooking, Batwa experience, coffee tours.
Relaxation and adventure on Lake Kivu with kayaking, fishing, Napoleon Island hike, and boat cruises.
Seamless travel with domestic flights, luxury lodges, and professional guides.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Meet your guide at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to your boutique hotel for a relaxed dinner before the adventure begins.

Entebbe International Airport, Uganda Overnight: No.5 Boutique Hotel

Board a 1.5-hour scenic domestic flight north to Kidepo Valley National Park, one of Africa's most remote and rewarding wilderness destinations. Game viewing begins the moment you land, en route to your lodge.

Kidepo Valley National Park Overnight: Adere Safari Lodge

Morning game drive through Narus Valley for lions, cheetahs, elephants, and massive buffalo herds that define Kidepo's unmatched wildlife density. An afternoon walking safari and a visit to a Karamojong village round out an extraordinarily full day.

Kidepo Valley Overnight: Adere Safari Lodge

Travel south to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest protected area, arriving in time for a sundowner at the thundering cascade where the entire Victoria Nile forces itself through a 7-metre gap.

Murchison Falls National Park Overnight: Paraa Safari Lodge

Morning game drive for elephants, giraffes, and the rare shoebill stork, followed by a Nile boat cruise to the base of Murchison Falls. Hike to the top for a dramatic close-up of the roaring 40-metre cascade.

Murchison Falls Overnight: Paraa Safari Lodge

Drive southwest through tea plantations and lush crater-lake country to Kibale Forest National Park, home to the highest density of primates in East Africa. Picnic lunch en route.

Kibale Forest National Park Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge

Track habituated wild chimpanzees through Kibale Forest, the best place on earth for chimp encounters. An afternoon at Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary adds coffee-making, basket weaving, and banana beer brewing alongside prolific birdlife.

Kibale Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park with a stop at Ruboni community for an authentic Ugandan cooking experience. The park's setting on the Rwenzori foothills makes even the drive memorable.

Queen Elizabeth National Park Overnight: Buffalo Safari Lodge

Game drive across open savannah for lions, elephants, and topi antelope, then a 2-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, where hippos, crocodiles, and over 600 bird species crowd the banks in extraordinary numbers.

Kazinga Channel Overnight: Buffalo Safari Lodge

Drive south to Ishasha, the only place in East Africa where you can reliably spot tree-climbing lions draped across ancient fig branches. Evening game drive and sundowner in the wide Ishasha savannah.

Ishasha Sector, Queen Elizabeth NP Overnight: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site sheltering nearly half the world's remaining mountain gorillas. A long nature walk from Buhoma to Nkuringo through ancient rainforest builds anticipation for tomorrow.

Bwindi Impenetrable NP Overnight: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

The centrepiece of the entire safari: trekking deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to spend one unforgettable hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family. Up-close contact with a silverback is a moment that stays for life.

Bwindi Forest Overnight: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

Follow coffee from cherry to cup on a farm-to-cup tour, then spend the afternoon with the Batwa community, Uganda's indigenous forest dwellers who share traditional skills and stories of ancestral forest life. Evening campfire at Lake Chahafi.

Lake Mutanda Overnight: Lake Chahafi Lodge

Cross into Rwanda and settle onto the shores of Lake Kivu, one of Africa's Great Rift Valley lakes. An evening boat outing with local fishermen offers a rare and atmospheric night fishing experience.

Lake Kivu (Rwanda) Overnight: Mantis Kivu Marina Bay

Kayak past fishing villages on the calm waters of Lake Kivu, then hike Napoleon Island to witness its enormous bat colony overhead. Swim in the warm lake waters to finish the day.

Lake Kivu Overnight: Mantis Kivu Marina Bay

A final morning boat cruise across Lake Kivu before transferring to Kigali. Time allowing, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial for a reflective close to sixteen extraordinary days.

Kigali, Rwanda Overnight: None