Our journeys

Private Uganda and Rwanda safaris, arranged around your dates, interests and preferred pace.

Recommended journeys

15 journeys to explore

Private safariRwanda

2-day Volcanoes National Park gorilla trekking safari

2 days

Two days works here because Volcanoes National Park can be reached from Kigali in a few hours. The first day combines a city visit with the transfer north, and the second is almost entirely built around the gorilla trek before the drive back. It is a compressed itinerary for travellers whose schedule does not allow a slower stay around the park. Volcanoes National Park covers about 160 square kilometres within the wider Virunga Conservation Area. Karisimbi, Sabinyo, Muhabura, Bisoke and Gahinga are five of the eight main Virunga volcanoes, and the park also supports golden monkeys, forest elephants, buffaloes and more than 178 bird species. Dian Fossey's research and anti-poaching work are closely tied to this landscape. The itinerary includes Kigali, the Gisozi Genocide Memorial and one gorilla trek. The $1,500 permit fee shown here should be reconfirmed for the intended travel date.

Private safariUganda

3-day Bwindi gorilla habituation safari

3 days

The four-hour gorilla habituation experience is what defines this three-day Bwindi safari. Unlike the standard trek, the activity follows a semi-habituated family with researchers, trackers and rangers and allows up to four hours with the gorillas once they are located. The rest of the itinerary is deliberately simple because the road transfer from Kampala or Entebbe takes most of Day 1 and Day 3.

Private safariUganda

3-day Bwindi gorilla trekking safari

3 days

With only three days, this itinerary keeps the plan simple: drive to Bwindi, trek the gorillas, then return to Kampala or Entebbe. The road journey is long in both directions, so this is best for travellers who have limited time and are comfortable spending much of Day 1 and Day 3 in the vehicle. The middle day is reserved for the forest rather than being crowded with extra activities.

Private safariUganda

3-day Kibale chimpanzee tracking safari

3 days

Kibale is the reason for this short primate safari. Three days gives you one full chimpanzee-tracking morning, a Bigodi Wetlands walk and time around Fort Portal without turning the trip into a wider western Uganda circuit. The route suits travellers who want forest and primate experiences but do not need gorillas or savannah parks on the same journey.

Private safariUganda

3-day Murchison Falls National Park wildlife safari

3 days

Three days at Murchison Falls gives you the park's main experiences without stretching the route unnecessarily. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is used on the drive north, then Murchison itself gets a Top of the Falls visit, a northern-bank game drive and a Nile boat cruise. The park is Uganda's largest protected area, with 76 recorded mammal species and more than 450 bird species.

Private safariUganda

3-day Queen Elizabeth National Park wildlife safari

3 days

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the entire focus of this three-day safari. The short route concentrates on the Kasenyi Plains, the Kazinga Channel, Kyambura Gorge and the Katwe crater and salt-mining area rather than trying to add another park. With 95 recorded mammal species and more than 550 bird species, there is enough range here for game viewing, a boat safari and a forested chimpanzee-tracking section within one park.

Private safariRwanda

3-day Rwanda gorilla trekking and Dian Fossey legacy safari

3 days

Gorilla trekking and Dian Fossey's conservation legacy share the focus of this three-day Volcanoes National Park itinerary. One day is spent with a habituated gorilla family, while the other follows the trail toward Fossey's tomb and the former Karisoke research area. Kigali frames the trip with a city visit on arrival and the return transfer on the final afternoon. Fossey's work at Karisoke changed scientific understanding of mountain gorillas. Her early field methods included imitating gorilla vocalisations and behaviour to reduce their fear of her presence, while her later years became increasingly focused on anti-poaching and the illegal capture of gorillas. She was killed in her cabin in 1985; the circumstances remain contested, but her death is closely tied to the difficult conservation history of the period. The route also includes Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, so the three days connect Kigali's recent history, present-day cultural interpretation, gorilla conservation and the physical landscape where Fossey worked.

Private safariRwanda

3-day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari

3 days

Volcanoes National Park is close enough to Kigali to make a focused three-day gorilla trip practical. The itinerary uses Day 1 for Kigali and the road north, Day 2 for the gorilla trek and Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, and Day 3 for the return to the city. Five of the main Virunga volcanoes rise within the park: Muhabura, Karisimbi, Sabinyo, Bisoke and Gahinga. The park is also closely linked to Dian Fossey's gorilla research and supports golden monkeys and other forest wildlife. Kigali remains the arrival and departure point throughout the trip. The $1,500 permit fee shown in this itinerary should be reconfirmed for the intended travel date.

Private safariRwanda

3-day Uganda gorilla safari via Kigali

3 days

Kigali is the practical gateway for this short Bwindi route. Crossing into Uganda through Cyanika avoids the much longer road journey from Kampala or Entebbe, leaving three days for the transfer, one gorilla trek and a Kigali Genocide Memorial visit on the return. It works best for travellers whose main priority is the gorilla experience rather than a wider Uganda safari.

Private safariUganda

5-day Queen Elizabeth and Kibale safari: chimpanzees, wildlife and Kazinga Channel

5 days

Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale National Park fit naturally into a five-day route. Two nights around Queen Elizabeth give you time for game drives and the Kazinga Channel, then the journey shifts north to Kibale for chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Wetland. It is a compact safari, but the change from open savannah to rainforest gives each half a different character.

Private safariUganda

8-day Rwenzori Mountains trek: Margherita Peak

8 days

Margherita Peak is the objective of this eight-day Rwenzori trek, not a side excursion. The central circuit climbs from tropical forest through bamboo, bog and alpine vegetation to rocky and glaciated terrain before the summit attempt at 5,109 metres. It is a demanding mountain route that requires proper footwear, warm and waterproof clothing, and the right equipment for the summit section.

Private safariUganda

8-day Uganda gorilla trekking and wildlife safari

8 days

Gorilla trekking sits at the centre of this eight-day western Uganda circuit. Lake Mburo breaks up the journey south, Bwindi provides the forest trek, Queen Elizabeth adds two days of savannah and the Kazinga Channel, and Kibale closes the wildlife section with chimpanzee tracking. The route moves regularly, but each stop serves a clear purpose rather than adding parks for the sake of a longer list.

Private safariUganda

10-day Uganda safari: Murchison, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo

10 days

Ten days is enough to connect Uganda's major western wildlife areas without turning every park into a one-night stop. The route begins with rhinos and Murchison Falls, moves through Kibale and Queen Elizabeth, reaches Bwindi for gorilla trekking, then uses Lake Mburo as the final wildlife stop on the return toward Kampala or Entebbe. The pace stays active. There are long road transfers and several early starts, but each move leads to a different experience: chimpanzees in Kibale, the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth, gorillas in Bwindi and open savannah again at Lake Mburo. It suits travellers who want broad coverage in a limited window and are comfortable changing lodges regularly.

Private safariRwanda

11-day Rwanda safari: Akagera, Nyungwe, Lake Kivu and gorillas

11 days

Over eleven days, the route moves through four distinct parts of Rwanda: Kigali, Akagera's savannah, Nyungwe's rainforest, Lake Kivu and the volcanic north around Volcanoes National Park. Game drives and a Lake Ihema boat safari come first, chimpanzee tracking follows in Nyungwe, Lake Kivu slows the pace, and gorilla trekking closes the journey before the return to Kigali.

Private safariUganda

18-day Uganda safari: Jinja, Kidepo, Murchison, Bwindi and Lake Mburo

18 days

Eighteen days gives this Uganda circuit room to reach places most shorter safaris leave out. The journey begins around Jinja and Sipi Falls, pushes north through Karamoja to Kidepo Valley, then turns west and south through Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo. Rafting, hiking, community visits, game drives, boat safaris, rhino tracking and gorilla trekking all sit within one continuous route. The trade-off is distance. There is substantial road travel, so this itinerary suits travellers who value broad geographic coverage and changing landscapes more than a slow stay in two or three parks. The Tepeth and Karamojong visits add cultural context, while the wildlife sections move from Kidepo's dry savannah to western Uganda's forests and gorilla habitat.