Rwanda and Uganda itinerary - 16 day road trip

Destination: Entebbe

Drive: 10 km | 0.5 hour

Gyebalo Ko, and Welcome to Uganda! As soon as you enter the airport you will be welcomed by a pleasant temperature, slight chaos, and hopefully a charming smile from the immigration officer. Take this day to relax from your flight in Entebbe. Entebbe is a peaceful lakeside town, an hour and a half away from the busy capital Kampala.

A glimpse of our lodge selection: 

Budget / Mid-range: Via Via Guesthouse

Semi-Luxury: The Boma Hotel

Start: Entebbe

Destination: Lake Mburo National Park

Drive: 265 km | 6+ hours

Time to hit the road and start your adventure! The journey from Entebbe to Lake Mburo in Uganda is a unique experience marked by the crossing of the equator.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Budget / Mid-range: Hyena Hill Lodge

Semi-Luxury: Rwakobo Rock 

Enjoy: Lake Mburo National Park

Enjoy a day in Lake Mburo National Park. With no dangerous predators such as lions, Lake Mburo is the best place to go on a guided safari either walking, mountain biking or even horseback riding. Moreover, this is one of the few national parks in Africa allowing night game drives, which gives you the chance to see some rare nocturnal animals like the mongoose, hyena, leopard and serval cat.

Start: Lake Mburo National Park

Destination: Kigali

Drive: 328 km | 7 hours

Long driving day ahead! Leave with an early morning game drive and follow your way to the Uganda / Rwandan border. Once in Rwanda, you will immediately notice the difference from Uganda - first of all, it’s much cleaner, as Rwanda is very progressive with its environmental waste laws. In the afternoon, you’ll reach the capital of the ‘land of a thousand hills’.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Iris Guesthouse

Pili Pili Boutique Hotel

Enjoy: Kigali

Kigali is a pleasant and relaxed city, especially in comparison to the chaotic Kampala. Although the scars of the horrifying 1994 genocide still run deep, Rwanda has done a remarkable job of healing its wounds and turning towards an optimistic future. The genocide memorial shows an impressive recollection of the events that unfolded, memorizes the victims of the genocide and leaves a deep impact on you. A stroll to downtown Kigali is a pleasant way to bring your mind back to the present and enjoy Kigali’s colourful city life.

Start: Kigali

Destination: Lake Gisenyi

Drive: 170 km | 4+ hours

Although Rwanda is a long way from the ocean, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a beach holiday! Lake Kivu is one of the Great Lakes of the Albertine Rift Valley, and is one of the 20 deepest and most voluminous lakes in the world. Lake Kivu and Lake Gisenyi are both scenic spots to wander and hike. On the other hand, it's just as pleasant to dip your toes in the lake and relax for a bit.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Budget / Mid-range: Paradise Malahide

Semi-Luxury: Paradise Kivu

Enjoy: Lake Gisenyi

Spend a lovely day at your resort, or go for a nice stroll around Gisenyi. Pamper yourself with a massage or go on a boat cruise on the lake.

Start: Lake Gisenyi

Destination: Lake Mutanda

Drive: 112 km | 3,5 hours

Today you’ll drive back to the Ugandan border, crossing at Kisoro into Uganda, to the Kigezi Highlands, also dubbed the ‘Gorilla Highlands’. Similar to Rwanda - a landscape scattered with blue lakes and steep terraced slopes. You’ll drive to Lake Mutanda, a stunning lake with the Virunga volcanoes as its backdrop.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Semi-Luxury: Mutanda Lake Resort

Enjoy: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Ready for the experience of a lifetime? Today you will be tracking the rare mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Bwindi’s mist-covered, forested hillsides and dense forest cover protect an estimated 350 mountain gorillas, roughly half of the global population. This includes 11 habituated groups which can be tracked by limited groups of people.

Enjoy: Lake Mutanda

We could not say it better than the Bradt Travel Guide: ''Mutanda Lake Resort enjoys a stupendous southerly outlook. You could cross continents without finding a panorama to compare with the view across these peaceful, island-studded waters towards the Virunga Mountains''.

Indeed, Mutanda Lake Resort has the most stunning location in Uganda, at the shores of Lake Mutanda with dramatic views on the volcanoes in DRC and Rwanda. Excellent food is served in Swiss mountain chalet ambience. The lodge is conveniently located for tracking the Nkuringo and Rushaga gorilla families.

Start: Lake Mutanda

Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Drive: 283 km | 7+ hours

Drive to Queen Elizabeth N.P., Uganda’s oldest national park. From open savannas to green rainforests, from dense papyrus swamps and crater lakes to the vastness of Lake Edward, it is little wonder that Queen Elizabeth N.P. boasts one of the highest rates of biodiversity of any game park in Africa.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Budget / Mid-range: The Bush Lodge

Semi-Luxury: Marafiki Safari Lodge 

Enjoy: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Enjoy a day in the park. Boat trips on the Kazinga Channel offer great game viewing, as do game drives around Mweya Lodge and the Northern Circuit. Further southwest, the remote Ishasha plains are famous for their tree climbing lions, while the Kyambura Gorge is home to habituated chimps. The nearby Maramagambo Forest has a wide variety of forest monkeys and the dozens of crater lakes scattered across the park are often filled with beautiful pink flamingos.

Start: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Destination: Kibale Forest National Park

Drive: 153 km | 3 hours

Drive to Kibale Forest National Park near the pleasant colonial town of Fort Portal. Along the way you pass lovely little towns and plenty of matooke (banana) plantations. Kibale Forest National Park is a 800 km2 tropical rainforest, home to 13 primate species and an impressive range of birds. Besides Kibale Forest National Park, you will have a splendid region of crater lakes and 4WD dirt tracks at your doorstep.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Budget / Comfort: Kibale Forest Camp

Semi-Luxury: Turaco Treetops

Enjoy: Kibale National Park

Kibale Forest is a nature lover’s paradise, with its sublime bird watching and chimp trekking, as well as opportunities for viewing a wide range of other primates. Chimpanzee tracking is a half-day activity starting either early in the morning or just after lunch. A field of beautiful crater lakes lies between Fort Portal and the Forest, which are perfect for exploration on foot or by bicycle.

Start: Kibale Forest National Park

Destination: Entebbe

Drive: 355 km | 7 hours

A smooth tarmac road passing through lush tea and matoke (banana) plantations brings you to Entebbe. For those longing for some culture and city life after days in the bush, Kampala might be a fun change of scenery, where you will find a thriving dining and nightlife scene with a pleasant vibe. We would be happy to recommend some especially good places to eat and drink.

A glimpse of our lodge selection: 

Budget / Mid-range: Via Via Guesthouse

Semi-Luxury: The Boma Hotel

Enjoy: Entebbe

Departure to Entebbe. Depending on the time of your return flight, there are a number of things to do in either Kampala or Entebbe. Shopping for souvenirs, a half-day boda boda tour in downtown Kampala or a visit to the botanical gardens in Entebbe... or just relax at the swimming pools of some luxurious resorts!