A Uganda–Rwanda safari does not have to begin and end in the same country. For travellers arriving from Europe, North America, Asia or other parts of Africa, flying into Entebbe International Airport and departing from Kigali International Airport can create a much more logical East African journey. Instead of driving back to Uganda after exploring Rwanda, you simply continue south and east until your safari ends in Kigali.
This 14-day Uganda–Rwanda cross-border itinerary is designed around that idea. The journey begins in Entebbe and gradually moves through southwestern Uganda, where travellers can experience Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and mountain gorilla trekking. From Bwindi, the safari crosses the Uganda–Rwanda border and continues into Rwanda.
Rather than spending several days visiting similar savannah parks in Uganda, the itinerary introduces Akagera National Park as Rwanda’s main savannah destination. The journey then continues to Nyungwe National Park, where chimpanzee trekking and the famous Nyungwe canopy walk become major highlights.
The result is a diverse journey covering Uganda’s forests and gorillas, Rwanda’s savannahs, ancient rainforest, primates, culture and spectacular highland scenery.
Most importantly, the journey is one-way. You arrive in Uganda and depart from Rwanda.
Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe and settle into Uganda
Your Uganda–Rwanda adventure begins when you arrive at Entebbe International Airport. Our driver meets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel in Entebbe.
We recommend keeping the first day intentionally light. International flights can be tiring, and there is no reason to begin a long road journey immediately after arrival.
If you arrive early enough, you can visit the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, take a relaxed walk around the Botanical Gardens or enjoy a meal overlooking Lake Victoria. Alternatively, simply settle into your hotel and rest.
This is particularly useful for couples and honeymooners who want their holiday to begin slowly rather than immediately feeling like an expedition.
Accommodation
Budget: Airport View Hotel or a comfortable guesthouse.
Midrange: Best Western Premier Garden Hotel or 2 Friends Beach Hotel.
Luxury: No.5 Boutique Hotel.
Day 2: Entebbe to Lake Mburo and the Ankole countryside
Lake Mburo NP serves as a premier destination for experiencing engine-free safaris through horseback riding, mountain biking, and walking safaris.
After breakfast, begin the journey towards southwestern Uganda. Instead of driving directly towards Bwindi, we recommend breaking the journey around Lake Mburo National Park.
Lake Mburo is one of Uganda’s smaller national parks, but its location makes it particularly useful for a cross-country itinerary. It also offers a different wildlife experience from the forests you will encounter later.
You may enjoy an afternoon game drive where you can look for zebra, impala, buffalo, warthog, eland and other wildlife. A boat trip on Lake Mburo can also be arranged where conditions and schedules allow.
The surrounding Ankole region adds a cultural dimension to the journey. The area is traditionally associated with the long-horned Ankole cattle, which remain an important part of local identity. It is also commonly referred to as the Land of Milk and Honey! If you love milk, Ankole region produces some of the best milk and milk products in the country.
After your activity, return to your lodge for a relaxed evening.
Accommodation
Budget: Eagles Nest Camp or similar.
Midrange: Mburo Safari Lodge or Rwakobo Rock.
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge.
Day 3: Lake Mburo to Lake Bunyonyi
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before continuing southwest towards Lake Bunyonyi. The distance between Lake Mburo and Lake Bunyonyi is relatively shorter so you may not leave very early in the morning but rather explore a few more places like the Igongo cultural centre to enjoy an aunthentic Ankole meal and learn more about the culture of the Ankole people and continue with your journey.
As you travel, the landscape changes dramatically as you approach southwestern Uganda. Open savannah gives way to rolling hills, terraced farmland and increasingly mountainous scenery.
Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most beautiful places to slow down during this journey. The lake is surrounded by steep green hills and numerous small islands.
After checking into your accommodation, you can enjoy lunch and spend the late afternoon relaxing beside the lake. A canoe or boat excursion can be arranged for travellers who want to explore the lake, while others may prefer simply to enjoy the scenery from their lodge.
Accommodation
Budget: Bunyonyi Overland Camp.
Midrange: Arcadia Cottages or BirdNest Resort.
Luxury: A high-end lakeside cottage or lodge such as Keije Resort.
Day 4: Lake Bunyonyi and the southwestern highlands
This is deliberately a slower day. Rather than rushing from Lake Bunyonyi directly into a gorilla trek, take time to experience the area.
You can explore the lake by traditional canoe, visit local communities or take a gentle walk through the surrounding hills. The region is predominantly associated with the Bakiga people, whose agricultural traditions have shaped the distinctive terraced landscape.
Later in the afternoon, transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is only a few hours away. A community experience can provide insight into local farming, food, crafts and everyday life. Alternatively, couples may prefer to spend most of the day at their lodge.
The following day is the major wildlife experience of the Uganda section, so having a quiet day beforehand helps you approach gorilla trekking rested.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
A touching moment between a mother mountain gorilla and her baby in Uganda’s Bwindi Impentrable National Park 🦍
This day is one of the biggest highlights of the entire journey. After a very early breakfast, travel to the relevant Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gorilla trekking sector for briefing before entering the forest.
Gorilla trekking is physically demanding. The forest terrain can be steep, slippery and challenging, and the duration of the trek depends on where the gorilla family is located.
Once you find the gorillas, however, the effort becomes part of an extraordinary wildlife experience. You will have an opportunity to observe mountain gorillas in their natural environment while following the park’s strict visitor guidelines.
After the trek, return to your lodge for lunch and rest. There is no long-distance transfer today. You have earned a quiet afternoon.
Accommodation
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp or similar.
Midrange: Engagi Lodge, Gorilla Valley Lodge or Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge.
Luxury: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge or another high-end property.
Why Gorilla trekking is done in Uganda
For travellers combining Uganda and Rwanda, doing the gorilla trek in Uganda can make considerable financial sense.
Uganda’s gorilla trekking permit is generally significantly cheaper than Rwanda’s, while Bwindi provides the same extraordinary opportunity to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
This itinerary therefore allows travellers to enjoy Uganda’s gorillas before crossing into Rwanda for a completely different set of experiences.
Day 6: Bwindi to Rwanda through the Cyanika border
After breakfast, begin the cross-border section of your journey. From the Bwindi area, the Cyanika–Cyanika border crossing provides a practical route into Rwanda, particularly for travellers continuing towards Musanze.
Your GoFurther driver-guide handles the journey to the border and assists with the practical process of crossing.
Cross-border travel requires the correct passports, immigration documentation, vehicle documentation, insurance and authorisation arrangements. These requirements should be organised before the safari rather than leaving them until arrival at the border.
Once immigration and customs procedures are completed, continue into Rwanda. The landscape changes almost immediately and you’ll notice the time changes as well as the driving side.
Rwanda’s famous land of a thousand hills begins to unfold around you. Continue towards Musanze, at the foot of the Virunga Mountains.
The afternoon can be spent relaxing at your accommodation.
Accommodation
Budget: A comfortable local guesthouse or simple Musanze lodge.
Midrange: Tiloreza Eco Lodge or similar.
Luxury: Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel or Virunga Lodge.
Day 7: Musanze and the Virunga landscape
Musanze provides an opportunity to experience a completely different side of Rwanda. The Virunga volcanoes dominate the horizon, creating one of the most spectacular landscapes in the region. Since the gorilla trekking has already been completed in Uganda, you do not need to repeat the experience in Rwanda.
Instead, the day can focus on the surrounding landscape and local communities. Depending on your interests, you can take a cultural experience, visit a local community project, explore the countryside or enjoy a relaxed walk.
The afternoon remains free. This is important because the itinerary is designed to avoid turning every day into a packed excursion.
Day 8: Musanze to Kigali
After breakfast, drive towards Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. The journey is relatively manageable, allowing you to arrive with enough time to enjoy the city. Kigali is clean, organised and built across a series of hills.
Depending on your arrival time, you can visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, explore local craft centres or simply enjoy the city’s restaurants and cafés.
The memorial is an important historical site and provides context for understanding Rwanda’s modern history. The evening can be spent at leisure.
Accommodation
Budget: Onomo Hotel or a comfortable local guesthouse.
Midrange: Hotel des Mille Collines or similar.
Luxury: Kigali Marriott Hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre or The Retreat.
Day 9: Kigali Culture and transfer towards Akagera National Park
Spend the morning experiencing Kigali at a relaxed pace. You can visit a local market, explore craft shops or enjoy a guided city experience.
For travellers interested in Rwanda’s food culture, this is a good opportunity to try local dishes and learn about the country’s culinary traditions.
Later in the day, begin the journey towards Akagera National Park. This shortens the following day’s journey and allows you to stay close to the park.
Enjoy the evening at your lodge.
Accommodation
Budget: Akagera Guest House or similar.
Midrange: Akagera Bush Lodge.
Luxury: Magashi Camp or Akagera Game Lodge.
Day 10: Akagera National Park wildlife safari
Enjoy a game drive through Akagera National Park for an unforgettable safari experience
This day introduces you to Rwanda’s savannah landscape. Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s principal savannah wildlife destination and provides an excellent contrast to the mountain and rainforest environments experienced earlier in the journey.
Rather than spending several days moving between similar savannah parks in Uganda, this itinerary gives you one carefully selected savannah experience in Rwanda.
It creates greater geographical variety while keeping the journey moving naturally towards the southern part of Rwanda.
Spend the morning on a game drive searching for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos and other wildlife. Lion and leopard sightings are possible, although wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
The park’s wetland areas also support impressive birdlife. In the afternoon, you can take a boat trip on Lake Ihema, where hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds are often among the highlights.
Return to your lodge for a relaxed evening.
Day 11: Akagera to Nyungwe National Park
This day is one of the longer driving days of the itinerary. After breakfast, leave Akagera and travel towards southwestern Rwanda and Nyungwe National Park.
Because Akagera and Nyungwe are located in opposite parts of Rwanda, this transfer is necessary to connect the two ecosystems. We recommend treating the journey as a scenic transfer rather than attempting to add numerous activities along the way.
Once you arrive near Nyungwe, check into your accommodation and rest. The following two days contain some of the most important activities in the Rwanda section of the safari.
Accommodation
Budget: Gisakura Guest House or similar.
Midrange: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel or a suitable lodge near the forest.
Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House.
Day 12: Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest
Wake up early for one of Rwanda’s most memorable primate experiences. Today you enter Nyungwe Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking. Nyungwe is one of Africa’s important rainforest ecosystems and supports a remarkable diversity of primates and birdlife.
The chimpanzee trek takes you into the forest in search of habituated chimpanzee communities. The experience is different from gorilla trekking.
Chimpanzees are highly active and may move rapidly through the forest, sometimes requiring visitors to follow them along challenging trails. The forest itself is part of the attraction.
After the trek, return to your accommodation and take the afternoon slowly. You can relax, enjoy the forest views or recover from the morning’s activity.
Day 13: Nyungwe canopy walk and transfer to Kigali
The hightlight of this itinerary in Rwanda is the canoy walk in Nyungwe forest where you can also track chimpanzees
Today features another major Rwanda experience: the Nyungwe Canopy Walk.
Suspended high above the forest floor, the canopy walkway provides a completely different perspective of Nyungwe. From the elevated walkway, you can look across the forest canopy and surrounding mountainous landscape while watching for birds, monkeys and other forest life.
The experience is not simply about reaching the other side of the bridge. It allows you to appreciate the scale of Nyungwe’s rainforest from above.
After the canopy walk, begin the journey towards Kigali. This also provides a natural transition from the forest environment back towards Rwanda’s capital. Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a relaxed final evening in Kigali.
Accommodation: Same as day 8
Day 14: Kigali and departure
Your final morning in Rwanda remains flexible depending on your international flight. If you have a late departure, you can enjoy breakfast at your hotel, do some final shopping or visit a Kigali craft centre.
Your GoFurther team can then arrange your transfer to Kigali International Airport.
The safari ends here. There is no need to drive back to Uganda.
You arrived through Entebbe and travelled gradually south and east through two countries before departing from Kigali.
That is one of the major advantages of designing the safari as a cross-border journey.
