15 Days Uganda & Rwanda Photography Tours

Detailed Itinerary: 15 Days Uganda & Rwanda Photography Tours

Day 1: Arrival & Sunset Boat Cruise Lake Victoria

Upon your arrival, our guide/driver will receive you at Entebbe airport and transfer you to your booked hotel in Entebbe. Depending on your arrival time, you will enjoy a sundowner cruise photography moment on Lake Victoria in case you arrive before 4: oopm
Accommodation:

Luxury: Hotel No. 5

Midrange: Best Western Premier

Best Budget: Ikon Boutique Hotel; African Root Guest House

Meal plan: Bed and breakfast

Day 2:  Transfer & Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

15 Days Uganda & Rwanda Photography Tours will start early with breakfast and depart for Murchison Falls National Park. The journey is a magical adventure with a stopover at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary route to track White Rhinos. Your ranger guide will brief you after which you proceed to trek the Rhinos in the sanctuary. After this fulfilling walking experience and photography session, we proceed to the ‘top of the falls’ where the River Nile is forced through a 7-meter gorge with a thunderous fall. Proceed to your lodge for the overnight stay.

Accommodation:

High End: Nile Safari Lodge

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

Midrange: Murchison River Lodge

Best Budget: Fort Murchison

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Game drive & Boat Safari – Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is the biggest in Uganda and offers fulfilling game viewing. The game drives start early morning right after breakfast which increases the chances of sighting different animals, especially the predators that tend to go into hiding during the heat of the day. The game drive happens on the northern bank of the River Nile, where we look out for giraffes, elephants, hartebeest, Buffaloes, Leopards, Lions and different bird species.

In the afternoon, the safari will continue on the River Nile towards the base of Murchison Falls. The relaxed boat safari provides a great opportunity to photograph a variety of animals and birds as well as a chance to watch the falls from below.

Accommodation:

High End: Nile Safari Lodge

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

Midrange: Murchison River Lodge

Best Budget: Fort Murchison

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast today, you will depart to the home of Chimpanzee in Kibale National Park, well known as the primate capital of Africa. Kibale forest is home to 13 species of primates with the main attraction being chimpanzee tracking and bird watching. The journey to this tropical forest passes villages and colourful road markets. Lunch will be en route in Fort Portal before proceeding to your lodge in Kibale Forest.

Accommodation:

High End: Ndali Lodge; Kyaninga Lodge

Luxury: Chimpundu; Primate Lodge; Turaco Treetops

Midrange: Turaco Treetop; Kibale Forest Lodge

Best Budget: Isunga Lodge; Kibale Forest Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest National Park 

Today you will have an early morning breakfast, and then your driver/guide will transfer you to the briefing point for your today’s adventure. Chimpanzee tracking is a thrilling adventure that takes you deep into tropical forests with streams of water and abundant wildlife. You will start with a briefing from the ranger guide about your chimp trek. During your trekking experience, you might have sightings of red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white Columbus monkeys, butterflies, and birds calling from the canopies. With the help of your ranger guide, you will locate the chimps. Enjoy photography moments and watch them as they play, groom, and feed. After lunch, you will visit Bigodi Wetland, a community project known for its rich diversity of birds and primates depending on the availability of time. This community project is involved in providing employment for youth through tour guiding, some of the proceeds go into the establishment of schools and teachers’ pay.

Accommodation:

High End: Ndali Lodge; Kyaninga Lodge

Luxury: Chimpundu; Primate Lodge; Turaco Treetops

Midrange: Turaco Treetop; Kibale Forest Lodge

Best Budget: Isunga Lodge; Kibale Forest Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6: Transfer & Authentic Local Experience – Queen Elizabeth Park

Today morning, we will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park a bio-diverse national park and the most visited game reserve in Uganda. On this day, we will have a Traditional visit to one African home and we shall share a typical Ugandan meal prepared for you by a typical African Woman in a typical African surrounding. The meal is called the Luwombo and the guides shall go through with you in this African life and setting as part of our Authentic Local experiences. Later we will transfer to your booked lodge for relaxation as you prepare for the evening game drive and scenic locations within the park and outside.

Accommodation:

High End: Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge

Midrange: The Bush Lodge Ihamba Lakeside Safari Lodge

Best Budget: The Bush Lodge; Euphorbia Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Game drive and transfer to Ishasha sector

Today morning after a relaxed breakfast, we will transfer to Ishasha the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. We will check in to the lodge and later proceed to the Ishasha sector game area. We will today traverse through the park in search of the tree-climbing lions and more wildlife. Hyenas, hippos, buffalos, elephants, Topis, lions, leopards and much more wildlife to see. Let’s enjoy a great sundowner and watch the sun go down in Golden lights.

Accommodation:

High End: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Luxury Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Midrange: Enjojo Safari Lodge

Best Budget: Ishasha Pride Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Today we start the journey to the home of the gentle giants of the Mountain gorillas. The journey takes us through the terraced hills of Kigezi highlands. Lunch will be along the way or at the lodge depending on the time of arrival. Take your well-deserved rest at your hotel in the lodge.

Accommodation:

High End: Mountain Gorillas Lodge (Clouds)

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge

Midrange: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Best Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge; Ride 4 A Woman; Shongi Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9: Ultimate Gorilla Trekking – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Today after an early breakfast, we will transfer to the briefing point for the ultimate gorilla trekking experience. This activity takes between 4 and 7 hours in the forest depending on where the Gorillas were left the previous day. It’s an amazing encounter with Humans’ closest relative and a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter. We will later return to the lodge for relaxation and winding off the gorilla encounter experience stories over a campfire drink-up.

Accommodation:

High End: Mountain Gorillas Lodge (Clouds)

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge

Midrange: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Best Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge; Ride 4 A Woman; Shongi Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11: Lake Mutanda Exploration

On this day the aftermath of the Ultimate Gorilla Trekking, we will transfer to Lake Mutanda where you will have lunch before you head out for the photography moment. You will spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the islands on the lake where you will have the best landscape photographs, local people and the great Virungas.

Accommodation:

High End: Mountain Gorillas Lodge (Clouds)

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge

Midrange: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Best Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge; Ride 4 A Woman; Shongi Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 12: Transfer to Akagera National Park

On this day after a relaxed breakfast, you shall proceed to cross to Rwanda to Akagera National Park. Along the way is a beautiful scenic view of the eastern Rwanda highlands. Arrive at the lodge around lunchtime. Later, head out for the evening game drive.

Accommodation:

HighEnd: Magashi Camp

Luxury: Karenge Bush Camp

Midrange: Kagera Game Lodge

Best Budget: Dereva Hotel

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 13: Game drive & Boat Cruise – Akagera National Park

After your early morning breakfast, you will head out for the morning game drive to spot more wildlife to sum up the mammals as they graze within the green savannah grasslands and a variety of bird species, stunning vegetation cover and beautiful butterflies. Return to your lodge for lunch and embark on an afternoon boat safari on Lake Ihema where you will enjoy the cool breath while watching several species of wildlife along the shores of the lake such as crocodiles, and hippos among others. Later return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation:

HighEnd: Magashi Camp

Luxury: Karenge Bush Camp

Midrange: Kagera Game Lodge

Best Budget: Dereva Hotel

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 14: Transfer & Gorilla Guardians Cultural Village – Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, you will check out of your lodge and embark on a journey to Volcanoes National Park via beautiful landscapes filled with vegetation cover, coffee plantations, hills, and many more as seen along the way. Enjoy an en-route lunch and upon arrival check-in and head out for the cultural visit within the Ibyi’wacu cultural village for a breathtaking Kinyarwanda traditional experience. Later return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation:

High End: One & Only

Luxury: Bisate Lodge

Midrange: Mountain Gorilla Lodge; Le Mbambou Lodge

Best Budget: La Palme Hotel

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 15: Transfer to Kigali Airport

Today your 15 Days Uganda & Rwanda Photography Tours mark the end of the tour. You will be transferred to Kigali Airport through Kigali City for a short city tour before you proceed to the airport for your outbound flight. We hope you had a fantastic time in Uganda and Rwanda in the wild and with the people.